We will begin by covering a few logistical points. The first thing to mention is there are no pickups allowed after this week as rosters lock until the draft in April. The transactions will remain turned on in case someone needs to drop someone. But, any pickups will be voided.
The second reminder is what happens in the case of a tie during the playoffs and playdowns. If there is a tie, the winner will be the higher-seeded team. The only exception to this is the Super Bowl. If there is a tie in the Super Bowl, it will be a split championship, and both teams will get a trophy.
Okay, on to the preview.
Relegation
We will begin by discussing relegation. The first relegation this year is the four-time Champion Dakota Dragons. The Dragons went out with a blaze of glory by taking down their rival Minnesota in Week 13. Now that is a satisfying win. With a win in Week 12 as well, the Dragons finished on a two-game winning streak but just took too long to start collecting victories.
You do have to commend their bravery for holding onto the first overall pick. Dragon management could have sold that pick for 50 cents on the dollar to try and avoid relegation, but held out. That juicy selection being available will make this one of the best years to get promoted from the First Division. Along with the first overall pick, four of the top eight dynasty running backs may be available as their teams are in the playdowns (at least according to my scouting department).
There are some loaded rosters in the playdowns, so the promotion pool should be much better this season.
I am sure we will see the Dragons back from the First Division in the very near future. Now, let’s preview the playdowns and see who may be joining the Dragons in the first division. As we all know, the losers will advance each week in the play downs culminating in the Toilet Bowl. The loser of the Toilet Bowl will be the second relegation team.
PLAYDOWNS
BYE: 13th seed DC Braves (4-9)
As a playoff team, I am glad this roster is in the playdowns. Alvin Kamara and Tyreke Hill head a deep and talented overall roster. If they manage to lose two games, it will be a bonanza for whoever gets promoted from First Division. If you think that is not likely, look at the talent on the other teams in the playdowns. The overall depth of fantasy producers is making it harder and harder to win games. Thus, this roster is the 13th seed despite having a roster capable of winning a Championship.
BYE: 12th seed Myrtle Beach Wave (4-8-1)
Man, this was a tough season for the Wave. The promotion pool was not very deep last year, and the Wave did not begin with much talent to work with. But after a succession of trades the Wave acquired a top-four overall player in Ezekiel Elliott and a top WR in Odell Beckham Jr to lead the roster. Of course, those two have not answered the bell this year due to injury and underachieving, which is painful. Add to that what has to be a frustrating pair of QBs in Baker Mayfield and Phillip Rivers. I would hate trying to guess which one of them is going to play well week to week. It just had to be a frustrating season for the Wave.
11th seed Saskatchewan Speedsters (5-7-1) versus 8th seed Oregon Lumberjacks (6-7)
Oregon was the second promotion team from last year and had the same challenges as Myrtle Beach due to last season’s promotion pool’s lack of talent. The Jacks started the season at 0-5 and looked to be in big trouble. But they began wheeling and dealing, making shred pickups and maximizing their roster. The Jacks proceeded to go 6-2 over the last eight weeks of the season, just missing the playoffs by half a game. They come into this game as one of the hottest teams in the league.
The Speedsters season was the exact opposite of the Jacks. They won their first three games and were 5-2 after seven weeks. And then, things went sideways as they are apt to do in fantasy football. Austin Ekeler and Chris Carson’s injuries devastated their running game production. The Speedsters could not catch a break and ended the season on an 0-5-1 slide into the playdowns. However, those two RBs are back, and the Speedsters go into this matchup with a reasonably healthy roster to help avoid relegation.
10th seed Louisville Leafblowers (6-7) versus 9th seed Louisiana Lightning (6-7)
These two join the Lumberjacks missing the playoffs by half a game. Frustrating. Both teams have loaded rosters capable of winning the title if they had gotten into the playoffs. Now, one of them is going to lose this week and move into the playdown semi-finals.
You can wrap up Louisiana’s season with three letters. CMC. If McCaffery does not miss most of the season, this team would have obviously won a few more games. The talent on the roster got the Lightning to six wins without the top player in fantasy football. Promotion teams will be salivating if this group of young WRs and CMC were to fall into the promotion pool. Will McCaffery be back this week to ensure the Lightning don’t get relegated? We shall see.
So, Dak Prescott, Big Ben, and Tannehill at QB. Nick Chubb and James Connor at RB. Stephon Diggs and Robert Woods at WR. And Travis Kelce at TE. What could possibly keep this roster out of the playoffs? Oh yeah, football players get hurt. Yet another talented roster is fighting it out in the playdowns to avoid relegation. Now you see why I said how much overall depth of fantasy talent there is. It is silly how good these non-playoff rosters are.
Only two of these six playdown teams will survive with wins this week, good luck fellas.
PLAYOFFS
BYE: #1 seed West Virginia Blacklungs (10-3)
The Blacklungs led from start to finish and established themselves as the top team heading into the playoffs. With the bye in hand, the Blacklungs are only a game from the Super Bowl and two games from their first Championship. Winning ten games and getting the number one seed is a significant accomplishment, but the Blacklungs have much more they intend to do this season.
7th seed Virginia Pioneers (6-6-1) versus 2nd seed Minnesota Blizzard
The Blizzard claim their second straight Northwest Division Title. After being the #1 seed last year, the Blizzard are the #2 seed this season. This team lives at the top of the league. But there is one more thing they need to do to completely re-establish their dominance. Win yet another title. The Blizzard have not been back to the Super Bowl since winning the title in 2013. That six-year drought is the longest in franchise history. Unfortunately for the rest of us, they are due.
The Pioneers have been in two of the last four Super Bowls and are looking to make yet another deep postseason run. Their season has been up and down. Thanks, Captain Obvious. A 6-6-1 record would indicate an up and down season. This is a very deep roster, and Pioneer management may be one of the few franchises that can match the Blizzard’s management department. Both teams will most likely get the maximum out of their lineups this week, so this should be a very close contest.
6th seed Minnetonka Chippewas (7-6) versus 3rd seed New Orleans Hurricanes (9-4)
After their legendary loss in week 13 of last season eliminated them from the playoffs, the Chippewas went into their week 13 game this year again needing a win to get into the playoffs. This time, they came up with the victory and march back into the playoffs. The 2018 Champions get a matchup against the team they defeated in that Super Bowl triumph.
The Canes have been more consistent than good this season. They consistently put up good numbers and made teams beat them. That resulted in a bunch of wins but not as much strength as you might expect from a nine-win team. They will need to step up their game if they are going to get wins in the playoffs. Unfortunately, they are not coming in on a roll. Last week was by far their worst week of the season, and the overall roster is trending in the wrong direction. Are they capable? Sure. Will they perform? We shall see.
5th seed Montana Mountaineers (7-5-1) versus 4th seed Phoenix Heat (8-5)
The Mountaineers ride into the playoffs on the strength of their power running game. Lamar Jackson and Cam Newton at QB. Derrick Henry, Todd Gurley, Jonathan Taylor, and Antonio Gibson at RB. This running attack is unmatched. However, if Gibson is a no go this week due to injury, the Mountaineers will need to become more balanced. They certainly have enough quality at WR to compensate.
The Phoenix Heat may be the favorite to win it all despite coming in as the #4 seed. First of all, they are the defending Champs. And, they were the #7 seed last year before dominating the playoffs. But more importantly, they are the highest-scoring team in the league for the second straight season. So, you can expect them to put points on the board. To top it all off, they are coming in on a six-game winning streak. Sure, they are the 4th seeded team, but I think they are probably #1 in the power rankings and the favorite to win it all again.
The Super Bowl and Toilet Bowl await. Good luck to everyone in their quest to win a championship, or avoid relegation.