Week 14 Re-cap: Playoff Primer and the Sorcerer’s Jones

As the holiday season approaches it’s time to remember all the important things in life like family, friends, and the fantasy football playoffs. Some of you coasted your way through the regular season and got to sit a comfortable distance away from the action during the bye week. Others clawed their way to a playoff spot only to see their season crumble away like their best receiver’s hamstring. For those who were defeated, the season is over. For those who are still in the running, it’s just getting started.

If you were eliminated this week or didn’t make the playoffs at all, stay tuned in to this re-cap as I will be updating the draft orders for Keeper and Dynasty below.

Playoff Match-ups

Dictator League

WmCampbell v. Swandog

• There are times in this re-cap when things I say almost seem prescient. Like a few weeks ago when I predicted that Matt K would end up “winning” our trade in the long run despite my big week the following week. And then again last week when I said that despite getting the Game of the Week against Will in Dictator, I was probably going to lose in the playoffs against him because that exact scenario happened last year (against Joey in Keeper). So if I really can predict the future, how was I the only person on the planet that was unaware that Josh Jacobs wasn’t playing!?
• Will takes on Mark’s team next week in a battle for the future of the league. If Will wins the match-up and takes home the title of “Dictator” the following week, then kickers are almost certainly finding their way back on the rosters. I expect Mark to go to great lengths to prevent this from happening.

Odhran v. LLGhoulJ

• While Tautkus and Mark probably felt pretty good during the bye week, they can’t be too happy with how things have turned out. Odhran, the sixth seed, took down Matt, the three seed (by 1.41 points!). And Will, the five seed, took down me, the four seed. Normally, this would be a good thing. Naturally, a superior team would want to play a weaker one. But fantasy football isn’t normal, and two upsets in the same league in the same week is a bad omen.
• Odhran takes on Tautkus in the semi-final round in what looks to be another tight matchup. Sleeper is predicting a score of 116.26–113.67, which obviously has to be taken with a grain of salt…but the eye test also says this match-up could go either way.

Keeper League

Darren McFadden v. Swandog Millionaires

• This was one of the most disappointing fantasy football losses I’ve ever had. I made all the wrong decisions and still had a chance to win going into Monday Night’s game. With my hopes high, I was depending on Sterling Shepherd and Zach Ertz not outscoring Alshon Jeffrey by 15 or more points. We all know what happened next.
• John will take on Matt C in the next round in what should be an extremely high-scoring affair. Mahomes v. Waston, McCaffrey v. Thomas. Koo v. Butker. This one has heavy hitters all over the place.

Loser City v. Stay Off the Weed

• Odhran wanted to make sure he made the most of his first-ever trips to the playoffs by pulling off the double upset. While no player really “blew up” for either team, the consistency throughout the roster on Odhran’s team propelled him to victory.
• Odhran will take on Rob’s first-place team next week without star receiver Mike Evans. With three players on IR, Odhran will be faced with a challenge for the ages against a behemoth team that went 10–3 in the regular season.

Draft/Lottery Orders

Dynasty League — Lottery Standings

1. Rob- 6 balls in the lottery
2. Chris- 5 balls in the lottery
3. Matt C- 4 balls in the lottery
4. John- 3 balls in the lottery
5. Matt K- 2 balls in the lottery
6. Will- 1 ball in the lottery

Keeper League- Draft Order

1. Joe
2. Aidan
3. Mark
4. Matt K
5. Chris
6. Will