HDL 2017 Week 2
Week 2 is almost here which means more match ups, more pick ems, and more disappointments.
Pick ’Em Results
Thanks to the 12 of you that played. Eat my shorts to the 8 that didn’t!
It’s only one week so the scores are close, with Marino, Billy, BPou, and Abaum leading the pack. BPou manages to join that group on that back of an incredible high-score guess that was only 0.3 away from the actual score. That’s pretty nuts, and edged out Troy’s also close guess by 0.3.
The Week 2 Pick ’Em can be found here
Week 2Match Ups
Gutter Slugs vs Hooked on a Thielen
Brett had a few bright spots in his line up last week, but he’s going to need a lot more than that to have a chance against Falcone moving full steam ahead. Brett will probably put up a decent score ~150, but even then it looks like a blow out. Falcone and Chris take it down, Hook, line, and stinker.
Dalvin and the Chipmunks vs Uhhh WATT! YEEAAHH!
Ian was able to pull out a “surprise” victory against a much lesser opponent in Billy, but it would take nothing short of a Christmas miracle to beat Cleve during a week when we might see his team come fully online. It’s only September and Christmas ain’t close, so all Ian has coming his way is some coal and a big fat L.
VIVA LA FRANCE vs The Drama Queens
This game shouldn’t be close, but VIVA LA FRANCE’s roster is basically the plot of A Series of Unfortunate Events — which I’ve never actually read, but assume is comprising a series of unfortunate events. I don’t expect a loss, but the match is going to be close regardless and hard to call. For now I have to predict/hope/sacrafice chickens in my backyard as a gift to Beelzebub that VIVA LA FRANCE storms the Bastille and defeats the Drama Queens.
The Kareem Cheeses vs Asshat Cowboys
Ask me-from-one-week-ago if this match is going to be close. Go ahead. Do it. Did you do it? I’ll know if you didn’t.
If you said yes, I suspect you didn’t get an answer because that’s fucking silly and you can’t travel to the past (trust me, if I could I’d be ripping my phone from myself as I was sending Golden Tate away for Spencer Who and Kenny Butt). But I can tell you what I’d say — that this was going to be a blowout for the Asshat Cowboys. Now? Head has a pair of The Real Deals™ at RB that could put this game, and a bunch in the future, well within his reach. This game is going to depend a lot more on OBJ’s health than Calhoun is comfortable with, but I still think he creams the competition and gets his first W.
Mealey’s Taco-ver vs Mike and Roys Dynasty
Two brothers face off with teams appearing to be heading in opposite directions. Mike’s team probably isn’t as bad as his Week 1 stinker, but even the return of apparently his only good players Ajayi and Parker might not be enough to see him eclipse 100 points. We’re watching the end of a dynasty — 3 division wins, 3 playoff berths, 2 championship losses — and it’s somewhat poetic that it could be Mike’s own brother who contributes to the collective execution of one of the league’s most successful teams. Troy goes full “y tu brute” on his brother.
*Note: This was typed just before the trade, and so Mike eclipsing 100pts is now fully out of the question.
MATCH OF THE WEEK
Hillary Clinton’s Email vs MEHrino’s MEHn (BELT MATCH)
ESPN has this game’s line set at +29.4 Mehrino’s MEHn. FantasyPros has the line at +30 MEHrino’s MEHn. I don’t buy either of those for a second.
This is a classic game that looks like a blowout based on projections that feels like it’ll be a lot closer.
Hallahan and Scott’s team is full of players I’m expecting to fall short of projections: Bell with 21 points against a stout Minnesota defense? Garcon against Seattle? Please.
Likewise, Marino has players that have almost made careers out of being criminally underrated. Brandin Cooks has struggled to get respect despite AB levels of athleticism; Crabtree is overshadowed by Cooper, but is the superior RZ option as Cooper showed this week with 3 drops. Corey Coleman is the #1 target in a Cleveland offense missing hundreds of targets from last year and is only getting 0.3 more projected points than kenyn britt. And Allen Hurns could tickle relevancy after ARob’s season-ending injury.
No one is making the argument that Hallahan’s team is bad, just that without DJ they should struggle to put up lights-out scores, putting them well within striking range of Marino who could be in line for weekly 150–180 scores. I still think I have to give the edge to Hallahan, but I won’t be surprised Tuesday morning to see the belt icon next to Marino’s name in Slack.
