Hello folks, buckle up because we have entered the final sprint for the coveted championships. Five weeks remain in both the Family Division and the First Division. Meanwhile, it’s crunch time in the Dynasty Division with only three weeks remaining. The pressure will mount each week as teams climb, tumble, and jockey for position in the standings. The heat intensifies, and every game can become make or break. Giddy up!
Before seeing where things stand, let’s look at last week’s “fantasy football is stupid” moment. The defending champions Phoenix Heat (Steven) had a pretty good week and finished as the 3rd highest-scoring team overall. Sounds like a victory, right? Nope! They played the West Virginia Rednecks (Wayne), who put up the number one total on the week.
Here’s the kicker, just a few weeks back, in week nine, the Rednecks scored the second-highest total and lost. The fantasy gods always seem to balance these things out over time. But let’s face it, bad beats sting like crazy when they hit.
The glorious cycles of fantasy football, remember the bad beats for the Saskatchewan Speedsters (Zach) we talked about last week? Well, the Speedsters had the “better lucky than good” moment this week. They had the 9th highest total but pulled out a big win.
Sometimes the fantasy gods decide it’s your turn to catch a break.
Focus on process over results. Take the challenge of getting the most out of your team, but the results will be what they will be. Enjoy the ride, and give it your best shot. After that, it’s all in the fantasy gods hands.
Now, let’s see what they decided last week.
FAMILY DIVISION
Two of the four playoff-positioned teams pulled out wins last week. The Coastal Wave (Abbey) defeated the Woodsboro Corn Snakes (Michael) to take sole possession of first place.
The Columbus Cowboys (Ben) took a tough loss to the Farmville Furies (Maddie) but remain tied for second with the Romney Raiders (Joey). The Raiders moved up the standings by capturing a big win against the Seymour Hoosiers (Myiah).
The last spot in the playoffs is currently a two-way tie, with three more teams sitting a game back.
This neck-and-neck race is going to be thrilling down the stretch.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Both teams come off valuable wins last week and will meet to decide who will sit at #1 next week. Either the Wave will strengthen their spot atop the rankings, or the Raiders will move into a tie. Awesome matchup!
FIRST DIVISION
What a showdown! Let week, the defending champion Baltimore Bulldogs (Katie) showed they are not done yet in their thrilling win against the formerly dominating Olney Ospreys (Kirsi).
Well, maybe I shouldn’t say formerly dominating Ospreys. Despite the loss, they are still sitting pretty with a three-game lead over the competition. That is what you call dominance, folks!
But here is what is really cool, check out that whirlwind in the middle.
A whopping seven teams are within a game of each other for three playoff spots. This type of chaos creates a riveting race to the finish.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Talk about a high-stakes weekend! With that whirlwind right in the middle of the standings, every single game is crucial. Despite every game being massive, there is only one game where both teams boast winning records.
Things are getting cereal, and these games become more critical every week. Will the Louisiana Lycanthropes (Kiley) make a second championship run? Or maybe the Dakota Dragons (Butch) are finally eyeing that promotion?
Thanksgiving with a side of fantasy football fun. Awesome!
DYNASTY DIVISION
We already talked about a few of the games from last week. The Heat catching a tough break while the Speedsters catching a good break has led to change atop West Division. Saskatchewan now has a hold on the division lead and the second seed in the playoffs.
While the First Division playoff race is thrilling, this race is becoming terrifying to the participants.
With only three games remaining, a shocking five-team tie for the last playoff spot, with one more team half a game back. Potentially, only one of these teams will make the playoffs, while the rest will have to survive the playdowns and possible relegation. Wow, talk about thrilling.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Talk about a heavyweight clash. The West Virginia Rednecks (Wayne) continue to maintain their lead position. But it seems like the New Orleans Hurricanes (Jamie) have just been pacing the Rednecks and waiting for a chance to take over the lead. Well, this week is that chance. With a win, the Canes would move into the number one seed. However, if the Rednecks beat them down, they will have a two-game lead and pretty much locked down the coveted number-one seed. That number-one seed is a game-changer because it results in a first-round bye.
While this game is about the present, it has echoes from the past. Thirty years ago, these two clashed in Super Bowl IV, with the Rednecks emerging victorious. The Rednecks won that game back in 1993 and are looking to maintain their historical dominance over the Canes in high-stakes games.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and good luck this week.