Week 4 and we all Score
Happy Tuesday Fantasia de Futbol!
Why shouldn't it be? The Packers won (barely), Dru's in for a Bruisin' won (barely) and the Bears lost (Bearly)
So much to talk about after one hell of a football weekend. I doubt I'll capture all the action but here goes!
The Lead: Dolphins hang 70 on the busted Broncos.
Sean Payton, the supposed savior of this flatlining organization is off to an historically bad start. The Phins broke a nearly 50 year held scoring record in a trouncing not seen in color until now. Kelsey wins start of the week with Florida local Raheem Mostert blasting off to 4 touchdowns doing his part in the Miami tidal wave. Among the myriad of anomalies that led to this historic trouncing, I can't remember a fantasy free agent putting up over 50 points in all my years as commish. De'Von Achane (pronounced a chain) doesn't have A'Chance of surviving this weeks waiver wire claims. It didn't take long for me to join TuAnon again this season either. No Waddle, no problem. Brilliant execution across the board for this team along with excellent play design by their young head coach and former Broncos ball boy. Fun fact: when the Bronco's had a coaching opening three years ago, they didn't even interview lifelong Bronco's fan and current Miami coach Mike McDaniels for the job. (Credit to Peter King, my favorite sportswriter for that tidbit). Last thing about this game: classy of McDaniels not to push for more points and shatter the record. He called it Karma and he's right.
A Dobbs will do ya!
I love football. There are innumerable reasons why but my favorite is that no one knows anything. The 'experts', the talking heads, they know as much as you or I. The Cardinals, quite possibly the NFL team with the weakest roster, beat the red-hot cowboys like they robbed the family vault. Cardinals QB Joshua Dobbs stepped in when Kyler Murray got hurt for the umpteenth time. Joshua Dobbs has been a backup qb, starting qb & practice squad qb for a million years and is finally at the helm in Arizona. He led his team over the Boys with ease against one of the best rushers in football. These are my favorite types of stories. Redemption through effort, a little luck and extreme will.
Talking about underdogs
My boy C.J. Stroud of the woeful Texans showed out against a highly vaunted Jags squad in DUVAL. Not a huge day for Stroud with sub 300 yards and 2 tds but not a bad day and most importantly, no turnovers. I love that he and fellow rookie Tank Dell are collaborating for deep passes (this has nothing to do with Tank being a recent addition to the Drutonian squad). Grabbing Tank would have been the waiver wire grab of the week if not for Sweeper having her ear to the ground and nabbing Kareem Hunt just as he signed with the Browns. If Hunt can be close to his former, pre scandal, self, he will start on her squad the remainder of the season.
What's not to Love?
He stays cool when the game gets hot. Watching the first three quarters of the Packers game Sunday was akin to an outdoor wedding in September in Florida, it's supposed to be a great day but we all just want it to end. Then, Carr goes down and the Saints crumble along with him. Sure, the Packers looked terrible for about 80% of the game. Sure, the Saints missed a makable field goal to lose. But I'm choosing to remember Jordan Love proving that he is more than a bridge qb when he lit the fire and guided this young squad to the first comeback of his young career.
Last hit of reality before we go full fantasy: in a week of outstanding play, the Phins have absorbed a huge amount of very deserved praise; however, the spotlight must widen. One of my favorite players in the league, who quietly gets it done week after week, year after year is Keenan Allen. He has been on my fantasy squad most of the last 5 years but I lost him to the Penguins this year. I got greedy and thought I could wait to nab him. He caught 18 passes for 215 yards!!!! There are great receivers that catch 7, 8 or 9 passes per game.... Unreal!
Enough reality!! It's fantasy time!
Congrats to the Moo Moo Smashers for almost being the highest scoring squad as the honor goes to the Assistant to the FFB Manager with a score of 187.78! Edging out Lui by a mere 0.2! Tupy being the points leader is damn near a forgone conclusion at this point but many of us were not far behind including Kelsey with nearly 174, myself with 162 and the Overweighters with 152. I'll have to get with my research team but this may have been the highest scoring week in total that the Fantasia has ever witnessed!
My squad rose to the occasion to defeat Dr. Sweatpea in a close one that wasn't decided until I woke up this morning. King Henry laid a rare dud but nearly everyone else came up big with 20 plus points. Swiffer was in the unenviable position of needing her qb to throw TDs to not my receiver. Fields couldn't find his footing and only managed one TD to my boy DJ Moore. Even so, I had a lead going into last night and we each had a Philly WR. Luckily, it was A.J. Brown's turn to shine and I secured the dub with a season high for me: 162.5!
The Guatemalan Get-Down was nearly as close as projected where it was any man's ball game until the final buzzer. The Penguins kicker put up 18 but it wasn't enough to overcome a few stars underperforming this week as the Overweighter's Justin Herbert continues to be an elite fantasy qb and Mike Evans sealing the deal on Monday. There will be a Guatemalan rematch later this year and look forward to the fireworks.
The Burrowneous Assault came under fire and was nearly brought down by perennial dark horse Mizzurah Bubba this week. Mahomes & Mckinnon led the charge and Clint watched in horror as Daniel 'Running for his life' Jones put up a measly 5.8 points. With underperformers across the board, The Assault is praying for the day JT finally plays and Burrow looks like the Burrow of years past. Luckily, both of which seem right around the corner.
Premature congratulations are in order for Alden & Clint for being the only remaining lossless squads! The Weast is beginning to separate as they both hold a 2 game lead over the rest but there are still some strong rosters below them as Negro, Chip and JP know their seasons are far from over.
In the East, Lui, Kelsey, Swiffer and I are locked in a four way tie. With Mike and Merica nipping close behind in potential points, there is no clarity in who will ascend just yet. While I'm reluctant to accept an inter-conference trade, I have been getting some enticing offers that I may not be able to avoid. I, like many of us probably feel, that I am one roster tweak away from success. Our conference will likely be decided by most Points For when playoff time arrives so I encourage everyone to squeeze every point you can each week.
Things look to get spicy this week as their will only be one undefeated squad left.
Battle of the Unbeaten
Tupy via Clint. Dudecube versus the Tank. Will Alden be able to leave his desk or will Clint tell him to take one and go!? Are these DME references to old and vague to be funny?! Probably! This joke is so inside that I can't possibly see my way out! ... Can Tupy continue to ask Puka to deliver on his offensive Rookie of the Year ambitions? Will Clint trade for a better RB or pray for JT? Projections show Tupy by a country mile but if Burrow and JT emerge, this could be a tight one!
Dru v Lui, A grudge match
Our last meeting, nearly a year ago, knocked my squad squarely out of the playoff race. I have spoken to all my players this week to let them know that this is not a week to slack off. As Lui's Jets descend to Earth, Lui's rage rises and an angry Tiger Woods is a deadly Tiger Woods. Will Josh Allen return to form against the Miami Monsoon this week? If quietly overperforming Kenneth Walker of Seattle and Keenan Allen keep playing the way they are, I may not stand a chance. Fun fact: Lui has 3 players with top-5 fantasy scoring at their respective positions while my squad has exactly 0. You know what my squad does have? Heart. Miles and miles of heart. This is the DruPick (TM) game of the week!
Swiffer v Merla, West Coast against the Beast Coast
Can Swiffer clean up her act or will the 6 Train Warriors pull the brakes before the train goes off the rails? Projections say this one will be decided by a point and I'm inclined to believe it. Mike's squad is full of underachievers but it's early yet. We all know Godwin, Scary Terry, Josh Jacobs and Joe Mixon have the makings of the very best in fantasy but they haven't show it yet. This could be a great week to come alive as they all have intriguing matchups. Interesting tidbit, Sweeper does not currently employ a second QB. Will she still be all in on Fields after his performance last week? CMC will get his and surprise breakout TE LaPorta will likely continue to soar. Olave, Breece Hall and DeVonta Smith give her a lot to like every week. The potential on this team is nothing to sneeze at but every seasoned fantasy coach knows that its not about what could happen, its about what does. Does Sweatpea dare turn to her Bitterest side and start the Jets Defense against KC in some sort of attempt to get in Merla's head?! Stay tuned!
Good luck everyone and remember to enjoy the salty and sweet taste of Blue Diamond almonds. From Snacks to Desserts, our All-monds All-ways deliver!
P.S. Eagles v Dolphins Super Bowl!? Probably not, as the league will look very different in January and the AFC is stacked, but that would be a lot of fun to watch.