Week 11 Recap: Primetime Performers

Of course, this week is Thanksgiving, arguably the best time of the year for the playoff regular season. The playoff race has already begun to heat up and the three games on Thursdays cause great panic for teams equally with overreactions and over-confidence. This week, our matchups don't disappoint either, including a must-win battle of 5-6 teams with Will and Dave. Will knocked off Nick in impressive fashion and Dave has now lost 4 in a row, dropping him from 3rd place to 10th in a matter of a month. The winner of this game may seal a potential playoff berth, while a loss puts either team on life support. Then, there's the friendly rivalry of Aaron and Brian, who have traded shots back and forth all season and now, Aaron is in the position of power at 6-5. Brian, fresh off a devastating loss to Joe, now sits at 5-6 in the 8th seed, hoping for a win to take some pressure off.

Going into last week, there was a logjam of 5-5 teams and after the weekend, 5-6 teams are all the rage. Aaron, Ben and Joe did themselves huge favors by improving to 6-5, while Will and Vinnie kept their season's alive with victories over Nick and Dave, respectively.  This weekend will be chocked full of matchups with ultimate playoff implications. I for one cannot wait to watch it all unfold. As usual, I want some good, clean, wholesome competition to top off my holiday weekend. I know you all want the same. Be sure to give thanks to the fantasy gods. Happy Holidays everyone, and god bless.

Now, let's recap the week that was...

GAME OF THE WEEK

(6-5) Team RUTHLESS - 125.4

(5-6) Dirty Birds, Inc. - 117.1

The best matchup on the board turned out to be the most exciting with the back and forth nature of the Monday Night game. Essentially, it came down to Lamar Miller against Amari Cooper and after a strong start to the game for Miller, Joe came from behind with a clutch TD from Cooper. Cooper, the most recent addition to Team Ruthless, was instrumental in the victory, along with other acquisitions, Drew Brees and Coby Fleener. The win for Joe would clinch him a playoff spot with a win in either of the next two weeks but he is hoping for a Top-4 seed in the process. Le'Veon Bell continued his dominance again but the squad was dealt another blow with CJ Prosise out for the rest of the year. In addition to Gronk being out and a short bench, Joe may need to utilize the waiver wire to fill his roster going forward. He'll need it this weekend, as he faces Josh in a roommate rival that has more at stake then just playoff seeding. It could potentially be a playoff preview in addition to all the bragging rights. 

An absolutely devastating loss for Brian on Monday Night. After Lamar Miller had a touchdown called back, Amari Cooper was able to break through in the closing minutes, dropping him to 5-6 along with nearly half the league. Thankfully, due to tiebreakers, he's currently slotted in the 8th seed but he realizes that he must win at least one more game to give him a potential playoff berth. The trade for LeSean McCoy and Dez Bryant has paid dividends already in terms of production but will McCoy's injury linger into this week's matchup where he is needed the most? At least he can lean on the dynamite tandem of Demarco Murray and Lamar Miller for the time being, both runners are producing at an amazing clip, as it seems Miller is back on track for the stretch run. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones return from bye this weekend and it is perfect timing as Brian will face Aaron in a heated rivalry game where the projection is currently razor thin and you know Aaron would like nothing more than to cripple Brian's playoff chances. 

(5-6) Hogan Knows Best - 136.6
(8-3) Brule's Rules - 114.5
Staring elimination in the face, Will's squad buckled down for a monumental comeback against Nick on Sunday Night. Down over 50 points with a 20-point projected loss staring him in the face, "Fat" Rob Kelley, James Starks and Jamison Crowder combined for nearly 70 points to topple Brule's Rules and plant himself right in the thick of the playoff hunt yet again. But the win would be overshadowed by the painful loss of AJ Green, the franchise centerpiece after already losing Thomas Rawls and Sammy Watkins. It will be difficult to overcome that loss but role players have stepped up as of late. This week Will has yet another must-win game, facing his old pal Dave is what looks to be the matchup of the weekend. The projections have this matchup being extremely tight and I expect nothing less from these two, both hungry to make it into the postseason. Will, who has gone two straight years without tasting a playoff berth, needs to take care of business to have any chance going into Week 13. This matchup could certainly be swayed by the Dallas-Washington game on Thursday. Will's lineup features 4 players while Dave will trot out Kirk Cousins for the first time this year. It is imperative for Will to get off to a strong start. Will was amped about the win, here's what he had to say, "Shout out to Fat Rob and Duke-Alum Jamison Crowder for keeping my fantasy season alive. Nick and his squad have been a pillar of excellence in Slushie Sundays since the beginning and I am ecstatic to have pulled this one out. Need to figure out how to replace AJ Green quickly against the defending champion."

A strong week muddied by a late surge by Will has Nick experiencing his first losing streak of the season. Not a bad time to get it out of the way however, as his team gears up for a deep playoff run. By default, he's clinched the division but there are new problems at hand. Andrew Luck may sit this weekend after being placed in concussion protocol, while his team is still looking to solidify it's playoff roster. Bench contributions were noted last weekend as Doug Baldwin continues to perform but he's not been able to crack the starting roster. Doug Martin and Theo Riddick are in a battle for the 2nd RB spot behind Frank Gore and Tyler Eifert looks to be supplanted by Eric Ebron for the present time. A deep bench is certainly not  the most problem to have but it will make some decisions tougher come playoff time. As for now, Nick still has a small outside shot for the number one seed and he's focused on ending the season on a strong note. However, back in his championship season in 2013, he stumbled to the finish losing two of his last three matchups, only to rip off three straight wins and claim the crown. The postseason push starts now with a matchup with Dom, fittingly a family affair on Thanksgiving of all days. Prayers up to Andrew Luck as well.

(3-8) The Shitty Beatles - 97.7
(10-1) TY Beanies - 102.8
David Johnson is just too good. Really all there needs to be said. An off week for Josh's team's standards, but another win nonetheless. A win this week will clinch the number one overall seed. But don't get too excited, that spot currently belongs to Brian. Regardless, Josh is the team to beat right now and it's quite apparent. Scoring far more points than anyone else this year, it's his title to lose at this rate. He has three Top-5 running backs, Odell Beckham and Cam Newton. A loss would be a monumental achievement for his opponent at this rate. But we'll save this talk for the postseason. Right now, Josh has his sights set on the number one overall seed. A prestigious honor that has also been an omen for teams of the past. I digress, a win this week gives Josh the #1 spot and it also puts him one win away from setting the all-time single season record for wins in a season. Three teams have reached the 11-2 plateau but no one has ever won 12 in a season and Josh has a legitimate chance at this point. This week, he'll take on his roommate Joe, who he easily beat in Week 1. Now, Joe is hoping to wrap up a playoff spot with a revamped roster but we know Josh will not show him any mercy.

In memoriam, Dom's 2016 season. After a rough start, he was able to stick around until Week 11 and nearly knock off the top dog to keep his playoff hopes alive. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. Still technically alive but barely breathing, Dom will be playing for pride at this point. Frantically hoping to avoid a 'Shit Bowl' appearance with the license plate holder at stake. Since he's stockpiled enough draft picks to last a nuclear winter, having the first overall pick would work wonders next season. This week he'll face his older brother, hoping to exact some revenge for what he claims as "bad fantasy advice" from the past weekend. Nick mollywhopped Dom in Week 1 and will certainly be out for a repeat performance over the holiday weekend.

(2-9) Schenectady Schmeckles - 94.2
(6-5) Why You Pee On My Car? - 117.4
After experiencing a mountain of shitty luck in 2015, Aaron is one win away from being back in the playoffs. Sitting at 6-5, he took care of Chris Casey in impressive fashion, posting 117 points as the postseason inches closer. This weekend, it wasn't Brown or Roethlisberger doing the damage, it was Steelers Defense leading the charge for WYPOMC. Very balanced attack from the rest of the team nonetheless. Roethlisberger and Brown will be fine going forward and this team is starting to resemble a threat with a healthy Carlos Hyde. Brandon Marshall is currently the 4th best receiver on this team and it will be interesting to see how Aaron treats one of his star players moving forward. Another factor has been the rebirth of Jimmy Graham, now playing like we have been accustom to for so long, Aaron has a legitimate threat from the TE spot each week. 

Well, the regular season was already over for Chris but he is just unable to have any luck of the sort. Aaron Rodgers turned in another fantastic performance, but half of the team shouldn't have bothered showing up. Spoiling strong games from LeGarrette Blount and Sterling Shepard. The decimated running back core and the loss of a 4th round pick really hurt Chris this season but it can be salvaged by winning the consolation bracket and nabbing the first pick. Already having Rodgers as a keeper is a fantastic start, paired with the potential of Eddie Lacy and Terrelle Pryor, things could be looking up for 2017. This weekend, he hopes to play spoiler against Chreeyusz, as he'll be hungry for his 6th win to keep his playoff chances alive.
(5-6) EBDB BnB - 69.8
(5-6) Kissing Suzy Kolber - 83.3

Huge victory for the boys from Lake George. Tom Brady was special once again in San Francisco, leading Vinnie's team to a mild upset over EBDB BnB. Sitting at 5-6, Vinnie finds himself right back in the playoff hunt with two to play. In fact, thanks to tiebreakers, he clings to the 5 seed at this current juncture, jumping 4 spots in one week. However, he realizes that he must keep the pedal down to ensure a third straight playoff appearance in his young career. In addition, the rest of his roster besides Brady were extremely underwhelming and hopefully they were saving it for when it really matters most. Martellus Bennett will be relegated back to the bench after Gronk heals but Jordan Reed shows no signs of slowing down in return. Mark Ingram and Brandin Cooks look the bounce back against the Rams while Ty Montgomery hopes to factor into the offense more than last week. With a team that's been beat up as much as KSK has, it would be a blessing to be to make the playoffs. Here's to hoping he can make the most of it. This week, he takes on Ben in what proves to be a hotly contested matchup between two rosters hurting to score points on a weekly basis. 

More disappointment from the BnB. After the five-game winning streak put Dave back in serious contention for the division, his team has unraveled at the hands of Blake Bortles, and others. Failing to score over 100 points in each of his last four losses, he's struggling to find offense from any of his players at this point. Michael Crabtree has cooled off from his fast start while Kelvin Benjamin has yet to live up to expectations in 2016. Desperate times now as he sits in 10th place and a tough matchup against Will's team looms large. It could be a pseudo-elimination game depending on other team's results and Dave will look to fire up the roster once more to keep his quest for a repeat alive. Thankfully, Devonta Freeman returns from bye and Kirk Cousins has been summoned from the bench to officially replace Bortles. However, Will's roster features Robert Kelley and Jamison Crowder in addition to Dak Prescott, making the late afternoon game as pivotal as they come. All the best to Dave in his playoff push. The heroic story of perseverance in 2015 can't possible end with a consolation appearance right?

(5-6) Team New Year - 74.2
(6-5) Start The Carr - 107.6
A much needed win for the Cookie Man this weekend as Start the Carr is finally poised to clinch a playoff berth. Led by Derek Carr and Minnesota's Defense yet again, he finds himself back over .500 in the closing weeks of 2016. This team simply won't quit on an owner hoping to bounce back from a troubling 2015 season. Although much wasn't needed this weekend to get the victory, it will be interesting to see who will step up for Ben in upcoming weeks. Spencer Ware continues to produce while Demaryius Thomas and Devontae Booker return from bye weeks. If Michael Thomas can continue his strong rookie season, he has the opportunity to make some noise in the postseason, especially if he can remain in the top-5 for seeding. Quietly Rishard Matthews has become a perfect flex option as well, creating a balanced lineup that features favorable matchups this weekend again. Facing KSK, he can exercise his demons of yesteryear and inch closer to finally clinching a spot in the big dance once again. "Start the Carr is back on the right track. With DC and Vikings D finally playing back up to their potential, the rest of the squad is slowly following suit. This team is in good shape for the final weeks of the season."

Another disappointing week from Chreeyusz's squad. Desperately needing a win to keep pace, his team once again let him down with weak performances from his running backs and basically the rest of his team. Once again, Russell Wilson turned in a great performance, only to be spoiled by the rest of the roster. Jerick McKinnon has proven that he is not a startable running back anymore and Jonathan Stewart is certainly not able to shoulder the load on his own. The success for Chris lies in his trio of receivers. Stefon Diggs, Jarvis Landry and Allen Robinson have yet to get hot at the same time and it is severely plaguing his team. Next week, more than anything he will need them to carry his team. Toting favorable matchups for his players, he'll face an already eliminated Schmeckles roster only playing for consolation seeding at this point. Chreeyusz realizes it is must-win territory, and a win will put him in great shape for Week 13.