Buckle up, folks. It’s been two weeks since the last newsletter, but before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s take an entertaining trip into fantasy football’s wild and wacky ways.
Two weeks back, the San Diego Chargers faced off against the New York Jets on Monday night football. With three minutes remaining, the Jets get the ball down a hefty 27-6, game over from the NFL perspective. But wait, what about fantasy football?
Well, in the first division, the Oregon Lumberjacks (Jeremy) trail the Poultry Platoon (Erika) by only 4.1 points. However, the Jets will still try to score, and Oregon has Garrett Wilson. So, game on! If Garrett Wilson picks up 42 yards or scores a touchdown, Oregon would have an epic last-second come-from-behind victory, and the Platoon would suffer an agonizing come-from-ahead loss.
Zach Wilson and Garrett Wilson missed one long pass that may have given Wilson the necessary yardage. But fear not Oregon, the Jets continue driving the ball down the field, and with 34 seconds remaining, there will be one final play. The Jets have it 4th and goal at the 6-yard line. A Garrett Wilson touchdown will flip the outcome. The NFL game has long since been decided, but this last play decides who will take home the victory in our fantasy football league.
For better or for worse, depending on which side you’re cheering for, Garrett Wilson falls short of glory. It’s a bitter pill to swallow for Jeremy and a victory dance for Erika as the Poultry Platoon clings on for a spectacular win!
Now, if Oregon had stolen that victory, they would have moved to 4-5 and in the hunt. Instead, they end at 3-6 and feeling the heat. Had the Jacks pulled off the win, the Platoon would have fallen back to 3-6 and been under some pressure. Each game matters.
It’s the last game of the week on Monday night, and the game’s last play determines the winner of the fantasy game. Maybe that play swings the tiebreak one way or another later in the year and determines who makes the playoffs. We shall see.
Amazingly, this final play on Monday night decided another game. In the Dynasty Division, the Saskatchewan Speedsters (Zach) trail the Myrtle Beach Wave (Rob D) by two points. The Speedsters are playing Tyler Conklin at tight end and are also hoping for that last-second, come-from-behind victory. The fate these two teams is also dangling by a thread for this last play. Amazingly, this somehow becomes even more dramatic for these two teams.
You see, Tyler Conklin comes open underneath, and Zach Wilson throws him the ball.
Conklin catches the ball at the half-yard line.
But then Conklin gets driven back by the tackle and fails to cross the goal line.
Conklin and the Speedsters were so close, but no. Myrtle Beach dodges the come-from-ahead loss and moves into playoff position, while Saskatchewan drops a game back.
Possible tiebreak considerations down the road based on mere inches. It’s a totally meaningless play in the NFL, but it has a dramatic effect in two of our three divisions. Awesome!
Sure, it’s totally frustrating for two owners but oh-so enjoyable for two others. I mean, let’s think about that one play in the Hommey household. Zach is totally frustrated, while Erika is elated. Kinda funny.
Look, this happens every week. Zack suffered again last Monday night when his Buffalo kicker couldn’t get more than two points against Denver and didn’t get a final opportunity. But every bad beat gives someone else a thrilling victory. I am sure Zach will eventually be on the right side of a few of these. I am also sure there will be some good stories at the end of this week. Which probably means I should get onto that.
Okay, week eleven.
FAMILY DIVISION
Newcomer Columbus Cowboys (Ben) and former Champion Coastal Wave (Abbey) sit atop the standings on winning streaks. The Wave have won three straight while the Cowboys are on a four-game streak. The London Snitches (Amy) and the Romney Raiders (Joey) are currently holding onto the other two playoff spots, but they only have a one-game lead on three teams sitting at 5-5. So, the playoffs are entirely up for grabs.
All four current playoff teams play teams that need a victory to stay in the hunt. So, I guess there are four games of the week.
Will teams solidify their positions, or will the standings become a jumbled mess of parity? This week’s matchups will tell us a lot.
FIRST DIVISION
The Olney Ospreys (Kirsi) continue to dominate and stack wins. They maintain the top record in any of the three divisions. A 9-1 record is very tough to achieve and is an impressive feat.
After Olney, the Dakota Dragons (Butch) hold a one-game lead on the playoff bunch, which means even one loss can lead to a tumble down the standings. Every game becomes critical with six games remaining. A loss puts these teams lower in the standings and gives them a tiebreak disadvantage in an eventual tie. The stakes get bigger every week at this point.
GAME OF THE WEEK
The Ospreys look to continue their domination of the division against the team that dominated last year and eventually won the Championship. The defending champion Baltimore Bulldogs (Katie) need a win to stay in the hunt for back-to-back titles.
Dynasty Division
The West Virginia Rednecks (Wayne) suffered their second loss back in week nine when the Louisville Leafblowers (Shane) put up the first 100-point game this season. Last year, the Phoenix Heat (Steven) were the only team to score in triple figures, and the Heat went on to win the Super Bowl.
However, in 2021, two teams broke triple figures, and the Montana Mountaineers (Chuck) and DC Braves (Shebaz) ended up not making the playoffs. So, what does scoring 100 points mean? I have no idea.
The Rednecks bounced back last week to defeat the Mountaineers and remain atop the standings. The Rednecks are also the only team to reach the coveted eight victories.
GAMES OF THE WEEK
Here is a look at the bottom of the current standings.
These two games are fascinating and critically important.
All four teams are all in the relegation window. Whoever finishes in last place is the first relegation team. Then, the 12th and 13th seeds get byes in the playdowns and only have one chance instead of two to pick up a victory and avoid the Toilet Bowl.
Having the bottom four teams matchup against each other this late in the year is unusual and makes this week exciting.
Have fun everyone, and go get that thrilling win. Or at least avoid that frustrating last-second come-from-ahead loss.