Without further adieu, let's preview each matchup individual...
BRIAN
(7-6) 7th Seed
VS.
JOSH
(8-5) 2nd Seed
This
looked to be two of the best teams in the league since draft night. They were
your first two champions in the league, meeting in the Super Bowl during the
2011 playoffs. Last season, as many of you recall, they played in the highest
scoring fantasy matchup of all-time. Josh put up a whopping 145 points, only to
be outdone by Brian’s 177 points on the back of a career day from Jamaal
Charles. Neither team has EVER lost an opening round game in their careers, so
something has to give this weekend. Brian’s team has quietly put up a great
deal of points although suffering injuries to a majority of his players.
Expecting
to be the 6th seed due to tiebreakers, he was bumped down a spot to
face Josh’s high powered lineup that is missing one of their key cogs, Julius
Thomas. Big Jules is expected to make a return this week but will Josh risk a
first round upset giving him the start? Thomas is an obvious pass-catching
machine in the red zone and could easily swing the outcome of a game. Larry
Donnell would be summoned once again if he decides against Thomas and Josh
would be surprisingly okay with that. Donnell has found his name etched into
Josh’s lineup essentially the entire year since his breakout game against
Washington a few months ago. Normally a flex, Lawrence may assume the role as
TE to allow Josh to flaunt his flex appeal. He has a few options on the bench
but picking a flex from your bench is like throwing darts blindfolded…you
either hit a bull’s-eye or you throw one into some guy’s neck.
Brian’s
lineup has remained constant for a majority of the season too, relying on
Jamaal Charles, Gronk and his Falcons trio to get him this far but they have
enough left in the tank for another deep playoff run? Thankfully, the Falcons
are technically a “playoff team” and meaningful games still lie ahead for the
Dirty Birds. Basically, the Monday night game that will decide EVERYTHING.
Falcons-Packers, always a real treat, unless you’re Atlanta when they
curbstomped by Aaron Rodgers and the boys in a blowout loss in the divisional
round in 2011. Regardless, each team has a potent offense and both Josh and
Brian will need them desperately. This also includes the Sunday night game, as
the Patriots take on the Chargers. Their teams feature a bulk of their players
in primetime games this week. Josh has Demarco Murray, Dan Bailey and Dez
Bryant playing tomorrow night, Tom Brady and Shane Vereen on SNF and Randall
“Randy” Cobb & Steven Jackson in the Monday nightcap. As for Brian, he has
Gronk on SNF, which could really haunt Josh is he decides to have another
three-TD performance and Matt Ryan, Roddy White and Julio Jones on MNF.
This
is the most players in a matchup I’ve ever seen play on primetime in my
lifetime. They essentially don’t even need to pay attention for the day games
but grab your coffee and red bull for those late games because they are going
to decide your seasons. Can’t wait to watch these two go at it because it is
always a classic. Emotions shall run the highest in this matchup, with these
being two of the most passionate viewers you can imagine. To think that one of
these two won’t reach the semifinals is crazy but also part of the game. Josh
being able to beat Brian in a playoff would give him arguably the most
satisfaction in his life and you know that the loser of that game would never
hear the end of it.
JOE
(8-5) 3rd Seed
VS.
BEN
(7-6) 6th Seed
“Allow
me to reintroduce myselffffff, my name is Joeeeeeeee. J to the O-E.” – Sean
Carter
What
a turnaround it has been for Joe’s squad. After looking unbeatable in the first
two weeks, his team could find the end zone with a GPS the next few weeks.
Eventually we knew he would be back and the time is now. Last week, his
starters and bench nearly put up 250 points as his team is starting to click on
all cylinders. He is poised to erase his history as a perennial first round
loser and make a serious title run in 2014. After trading away Randall Cobb for
Stafford to gain another top-level QB, his team faltered, but now Matt Stafford
has positioned Joe only a few games away from that trophy or gold jacket or
green jacket. Who gives a shit. LeVeon Bell and Arian Foster have abused
opponents the past few months and are looking for more of the same this week to
get their manager out of the doghouse once and for all. Hopefully they have a
short memory because the team that knocked them out early last season is their
first matchup this year….
That’s
right, the Cookie Man. Another revival story this season, The Heismanbergs
looked dead in the water after a 0-3 start but Ben was able to get back on the
wagon and guide his team to an impressive 7-3 finish to secure the 6th
seed. A month ago, Cooks wasn’t even sure if he’d be in the playoffs but now
his team is a force to be reckoned with and absolutely no one wants a piece of
this 5’6” Cookie. Of course, it’s understandable when you have three Broncos,
each playing the best football at their respective divisions for the past few
weeks. We all know when you play Ben you have to get past Peyton and Demaryius
but CJ Anderson? This waiver wire pickup has helped bolster Ben’s depleted
running back core that once leaned on Ben Tate as their savior. Thankfully,
Ben’s itchy trigger finger on the add/drop button allowed him to snag Anderson and
Isaiah Crowell to create a formidable duo. But how long will it last? Joe
boasts a running back core of Foster, McCoy and Bell and could easily bury The
Heismanbergs if the Broncos are tripped up by the Bills.
As
for the actual matchup, the projections have this thing DEAD EVEN. 140 points apiece
and it should not disappoint. About half of each team’s player’s play at 1 PM
on Sunday so the real fireworks begin as the sun begins to set. Ben is the only team that has players with
primetime games as Keenan Allen and Slick Nick Novak could advance Ben to the
next round on Sunday night. Unfortunately, Ben will not be in attendance to
watch in person but he’s offered to Skype in so that he can still be a part of
the festivities. What a team player. Obviously, the winner of this game takes
on the winner of Josh/Brian which turns out to be a destructive bottom half of
the bracket. Whoever makes it out alive should be commended.
I
opted against giving predictions but I would happy with whoever won this game
because it’s always fun to root for the upset (in terms of seeding) and since
Ben is a giant killer in the past few seasons. Joe has yet to win a playoff
game in his career as everyone knows and you can tell it has cost him some
sleep at night. Matt Stafford gagged in the playoffs for him last year while
Peyton mutilated his opponent. How will it unfold this year?
CHRIS
(8-5) 4th Seed
VS.
VINNIE
(7-6) 5th Seed
A
battle of two teams that were the biggest surprises of the season, Chris and
Vinnie. Vinnie inherited the core of Eddie’s team and with some cunning trades
like an executive level GM, he was able to acquire Jimmy Graham and Aaron
Rodgers to build one of the most intimidating fantasy lineups this league has
ever seen. He had to deal with some injuries but the chances he didn’t make the
playoffs were so slim, he was already mapping out his lineup for Week 14.
Scoring an absurd amount of points at a given week was common for Vin and his
waiver pickups allowed him to stay dominant even with the injuries. His team is
finally at full health besides one Desean Jackson and is looking to start his
Slushie Sunday’s career with a playoff victory and hopefully a championship.
His keepers have already set him up for future success barring any major
injuries but he’s certainly in win-now mode.
Speaking
of win-now mode, that was anything BUT the sentiment that little (not really at
5’9) Chreeyusz felt after a few short weeks. Things looked promising with
Adrian Peterson in his possession after a preseason trade but little did he
know that he beats children and lost him for the entire season. His other
project included stashing Josh Gordon for a short suspension expected to be
handed out by the NFL. 12 weeks later, Chris finally got his man back and
thankfully was already in the playoffs without Flash Gordon’s help. Chreeyusz
never seemed to stumble even with the catastrophic adversity he faced, having
to rely on Jeremy Hill, Darren Sproles and Isaiah Crowell as his main backs for
a significant amount of time. Thankfully, Hill blossomed into a great handcuff
and an ill-fated trade with Nick, giving up Frank Gore and Pierre Garcon
actually turned into the best possible outcome, as he received Golden Tate, who
flourished while Megatron got hurt and helped Chris break off an impressive win
streak, including putting a stop to his brother’s undefeated quest. He may have
traded away Tom Brady for Rashad Jennings, but Team Next Year is Team NOW, Jay
Cutler and Alshon Jeffrey have still remained a great fantasy tandem and Chris
hopes to advance to the second round after being knocked out of contention on
the final week last year.
These
two have obviously never met in the playoffs before but this could be the start
of a rivalry. Earlier this season, Vinnie embarrassed Chris in Week 2, beating
him like a ginger step-son by over 60 points but from that point on, TNY has
rifled off an 8-3 record. Projections have Vinnie coming out top but both teams
have been way under projections at times this season. Tomorrow’s primetime game
will have the biggest implication, as Vinnie sends out Matt Forte while Jay
Cutler and Alshon Jeffrey hope to supply Chris with an early lead. Aaron
Rodgers will be playing on Monday night, so it looks as though Vin could be
playing catch-up this entire weekend.
The
winner of this matchup will play the winner of our final matchup in Nick/Aaron.
Could they be playing an upstart underdog or the defending champion?
Nick
(11-2) 1st Seed
VS.
Aaron
(6-7) 8th Seed
Did
anyone think he’d keep it rolling? Without a true keeper? Anyone? Bueller? Nick
hasn’t let the momentum slip after his improbable run to the title last year.
Never one for keeping his team together, he gutted his entire roster last year
and he did it this season. Nick’s key to success is his ability to trade. In
2013, he acquired small parts throughout the season that eventually became his
championship lineup. This year, he wasted no time and got busy in the
offseason. Once Andrew Luck was made available by Chris Casey, Nick pounced and
dealt Reggie Bush and Philip Rivers for the number one rated QB. Next, he
needed a running back badly so he dealt his one stud, Jimmy Graham to Dom for
Andre Ellington and a draft pick. He used that draft pick in addition to Ryan
Mathews to obtain Jordy Nelson. Finally, he capped off the trading season by
dealing newly acquired Frank Gore for Emmanuel Sanders, who hit his stride the
week after. He poses a potent lineup each week, only twice has he gone under
100 points in his last 18 weeks and if your team has an off-week, you’ll never
recover. Can he repeat? Or will his team let him down at the most critical
stage of the year.
His
challenger has had a roller coaster ride so far this year. Aaron was a Victor
Cruz drop away from starting the season 3-0 but his fortunes quickly faded
after Eddie Lacy began to look like a bust. Needing to make something happen,
he dealt Lacy and Anquan Boldin to The Schmeckles for an impressive haul, Steve
Smith, Vernon Davis and Reggie Bush. Only problem, none of them produced.
Still, The DrewBree Brothers were able to win a few crucial matchups with
Antonio Brown and Drew Brees carrying the load each week. In order to make the
playoffs, they needed an upset win over Brian in Week 13 to clinch the final
seed. What happened was the furthered emergence of Tre Mason. 38 points
combined with 70 from Brown and Brees and Aaron was back in the playoffs for
the second time in his career. Missing out last season, Aaron is two years
removed from an impressive 3rd place finish over Chreeyusz in the
consolation bracket. He can smell an upset and hopes his trio can put together
another great week.
The
projections have this being the most lopsided matchup but don’t let that fool
you. We all know what Aaron’s team is capable of and Drew Brees has an
extremely favorable matchup against the Panthers. Andre Ellington might not be
able to play for Shooter McGavin so he may have to rely on either Joique Bell
or his replacement Marion Grice for a spot start. Running backs have been
Nick’s weakest link and wouldn’t be any different if they somehow happened to
derail his season. Last year, Nick started DeAngelo Williams in a pinch and
helped him advance. This year, his running mate, Johnathan Stewart will be
called upon to lead his RBs. Not ideal, but he’s got by on a lot worse in the
past. Remember Jordan Todman? Anyways, Aaron is the only one with a Thursday
night player in Jason Witten and Nick has Jordy Nelson going in the Monday
night game whilst The Brothers will rely on that leg of Mason Crosby. Hopefully
it won’t come down to that game but knowing
these playoffs, anything is possible.
As for the consolation bracket, don’t be
discouraged. There is still a lot at stake. Absolutely no one wants to finish
in dead last so make sure you avoid the toilet bowl with a win this week. Dom
takes on Will in the battle of the two teams that just missed out on the
playoffs. For Will, this was the first time he had ever missed the playoffs and
Dom still hasn’t had his taste of the playoffs. In the other matchup newcomer
Chris Casey is looking to avoid the Toilet Bowl in his first season. I wouldn’t
call Chris’ team a failure in the slightest. He took what Drew had given him
(absolutely nothing) and turned it into a competitive team. In addition, Chris
set a record for allowing the most points in a single season, over 1600, which
is an absurd amount. After his loss in Week 13, Diamond Davey T sealed up the
number one pick for the first time in his career and is desperately looking to
rebuild. According to an outside source, Dave could potentially retire from the
league if Marshawn Lynch happens to retire in the offseason. It would be a
tragic loss for our league and NFL, so I beg you Dave, do not throw in the
towel just yet.
With the new keeper format, it is possible
for a team that didn’t make the playoffs to turn into a contender with a great
draft strategy. That goes for all of you. One of the hardest decisions you will
ever have to make is when you pick the amount of keepers do you want next
season. Do you hold onto players who you like and have played well in the past
for you? Or do you scrap the entire team and pickup who was made available by
the other 11 teams. Really interesting stuff.
I have already mentioned it in the group
chat but there will be several votes in the offseason for rule changes and
other things of that nature. For example, the divisions could expand from 2 to
3 and the waiver wire process must be altered. But we’ll put it to a vote
regardless.
Best of luck everyone. I'll thoroughly enjoy watching it all unfold with you all the rest of the way. Let the smack talk begin!
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