Higher Seed Preview by Benny
Roster Analysis
- QB: R. Wilson
- WR: A. Brown / M. Thomas / R. Anderson
- RB: K. Drake / D. Martin
- TE: J. Doyle
- W/R: T. Hilton
Two words — SURPRISINGLY EFFECTIVE. This roster is not to be taken lightly despite the lack of obvious star power outside of his “big 3”. We all knew Russ-bot, AB, and Michael Thomas would be studs, but who knew Jack Doyle, Robby Anderson, and THE ORLEANS DARKWA would be major contributors? Player spotlight: AB (duh, “easy money” schedule). But also Robby Anderson (WR14, WR8 last 4 weeks) and Kenyan Drake.
Player Spotlight
AB (duh, “easy money” schedule). But also Robby Anderson (WR14, WR8 last 4 weeks) and Kenyan Drake.
Championship odds
Despite a pretty poorly graded trade for two players that really haven’t done that much this year, Ramon’s made some shrewd/lucky pickups and with a solid draft has managed to put up the second highest point total. With the bye, he only has to win two games in a row, and he looks poised to do that. I give him a coin toss’s chance of winning it all.
Data Viz: Cornerstones
Roster Analysis
- QB: J. Goff
- WR: D. Adams / P. Richardson / D. Jackson
- RB: L. Bell / A. Peterson
- TE: K. Rudolph
- W/R: S. Shepard
Le’Veon Bell and filler. The dynamic LEAGUE WINNING potential of DJ and Le’Veon never materialized, but with some luck in his schedule and good waiver wire pickups (RIP Chris Thompson), Sambo has managed to stay afloat near the top. It’s a shame because in a year where few WRs have stood out, Sam picked the right strategy to go all in on 2 stud RBs.
Player Spotlight
Just like Ramon with AB, Le’Veon is gonna get his. But are his other guys able to step up to the plate two games in a row?
Championship Odds
Sam never really made any earth shattering moves this season despite losing DJ in week 1 and still managed to secure a bye, but I think the roster has too many holes. Still, anything can happen. 30% chance to win it all.
Data Viz: Cornerstones
Roster Analysis
- QB: T. Brady
- WR: J. Jones / B. Cooks / J. Gordon
- RB: C. McCaffrey / C. Hyde
- TE: R. Gronkowski — SUSP WK 14
- W/R: C. Davis
Who did Alex even draft again? Haha, at this point it’d take a small book just to detail how this roster got from week 1 to now, but this Patriots stack + Julio + two solid RBs makes for a scary team… unless the Patriots have a bad game (doesn’t happen often).
Player Spotlight
FLASH GORDON. REDEMPTION STORY OF THE YEAR?
Championship Odds
If Heisenberg gets past some stiff competition from 6 seed pizzadetective, I like his chances. That being said, not having a bye here hurts big time with the loss of Gronk to suspension. 35% chance to gain fantasy glory.
Data Viz: Cornerstones
Lower Seed Preview by Alex
Roster Analysis
- QB: M. Ryan
- WR: S. Diggs / D. Thomas / M. Goodwin
- RB: T. Gurley / D. Freeman
- TE: T. Kelce
- W/R: T. Coleman
A truly elite RB and TE make up the foundation of Vince’s team. The only problem is Freeman and Coleman: when both are healthy, they lower the overall ceiling, while guaranteeing a safe floor. It’s playoff time though, and now is the time for high ceilings! Give Vince props for dumping Zeke earlier in the season.
League Winner
Gurley (13th pick overall, currently top 5)
Chance of upset
45%. Freeman/Coleman conundrum explains my sub-50% projection here.
Data Viz: Cornerstones
Roster Analysis
- QB: D. Brees
- WR: D. Baldwin / M. Lee / C. Kupp
- RB: L. Fournette / M. Ingram
- TE: G. Olsen
- W/R: L. Murray
A few iffy team names later…Benny’s team enters playoffs with a solid RB core, instead of the WR core strategy he started in week 1. QB and TE will be the deciding positions as Brees doesn’t need to throw as much, and Olsen may not be fully healthy.
League Winners
Jacksonville DST, undrafted (more TDs than Dez, Amari Cooper, Diggs, Cooks, Keenan Allen, Baldwin, Mike Evans, Julio, Tate… the list goes on).
Honorable mention: Mark Ingram, but I personally don’t feel confident about him going into playoffs as a league winner.
Chance of upset
45% Jacksonville and a pair of star-RBs will prove invaluable; however, Week 14 will be difficult (Sea @ Jax). Ingram is also sporting a toe injury on a short week.
Data Viz: Cornerstones
Roster Analysis
- QB: C. Wentz
- WR: M. Evans / L. Fitzgerald / A. Green
- RB: M. Gordon / K. Hunt
- TE: Z. Ertz
- W/R: G. Tate
This team is scary, despite Kareem Hunt and Mike Evans’ recent struggles. Hurt by some matchup misfortunes, PizzaDetective enters playoffs at 6th seed, but make no mistake, this is a team nobody wants to face, especially not in the first round (Pizzadetective faces Julio’s Scampi without Gronk in round 1).
League winner
PizzaDetective is blessed with TWO league winners. Zach Ertz (7th round, 92nd pick overall). Current value (2nd round, mid 20s pick overall) AND Carson Wentz (UNDRAFTED, current value: top 3 QB)
Chance of upset
65%. This team looks like it should be a 1 seed instead of a 6 seed. Ertz might not play but that doesn’t matter much when his Week 14 opponent doesn’t have Gronk.
Data Viz: Cornerstones
End of Regular Season Panel
Pick to win it all
@alex: Ramon’s Team. Antonio Brown and Russell Wilson are superstars and will carry this team to victory.
@caleb: Pizzadetective should run the table. He has consistently made a living ripping off poor owners who are extremely manipulated by his lowball tactics (except for one owner…IM SORRY). Regardless of his shrewd talks, there’s no denying his team has enough star power to form the NFL’s Edition of Oceans 11. Crown him.
@benny: Ramon’s Team. I think with the bye and his roster being very solid all around he’s got a great shot at winning it.
Which trade was most lopsided?
@alex: This is a tough one. I think it’s tied between OBJ/Cooper trade and the Pats/Cowboys swap. The OBJ/Cooper trade actually looks the worst now, but it is lopsided mainly due to injury and Duke Johnson’s emergence. OBJ THIS YEAR’S AROB prophetically proved his namesake correct. Zeke in the Pats/Cowboys trade is similar to OBJ’s role in the OBJ/Cooper trade as both were valued as elite, but ended up providing almost no value.
@caleb: I’m not one to pat myself on the back…but seasons end… the most lopsided trade was when I turned Ramon’s Team into THIS YEARS AROB. Looking back, the amount of assets he gave up to acquire a Luck-less T.Y. Hilton and the washed up Muscle Gerbil is quite appalling. To be honest, I am shocked he is even playoff contention. I thought this trade was the GOT season 1 episode 2 equivalent of Ser Jamie pushing Bran off the tower…But surprisingly enough…Ramon’s Team has never wavered in his trust of the Three-Eyed Raven (AB, MThomas, and DARKWA) and his Hodor (Jack Doyle).
@benny: There have been some terrible trades this year, but the Pats trio for Cowboys trio between AA and Caleb EASILY takes the cake. I’d have to say the bargain that AA got here would easily compare with ALL TIME GREAT DEALS such as the Louisiana Purchase, getting Manhattan for a bunch of pearls/trinkets, or getting in on Bitcoin at $1. Sure, Gronk is suspended for a game at a vital time for fantasy, but immediately after the trade the Cowboys lost Zeke to suspension and then went on to post LITERALLY the most putrid 3 game offensive stretch in the entire history of Cowboys’ football setting a record for offensive futility, something like 110+ consecutive offensive plays without a touchdown. “AYUDARME” indeed.
Which trade became more even?
@alex: The infamous Kareem Hunt trade. DEZert Eagle may have received a lot of flak for this early on, but Thielen truly emerged as a WR1 and Hunt has settled in as an RB2.
@caleb: I crucified Bilal Guys for acquiring Golden Tate, and I must say…this trade may be the reason Pizza Detective is not at a higher seed. The Saints have finally discovered a 1–2 punch they were originally hoping for with AP, but with a high octane pass game and a running game anchor. Ingram has been a fantasy stud and has been a proven top 5 back. I rescind every bad thing I have ever said about Bilal Guys.
@benny: For sure the Kareem Hunt for Adam Thielen deal. Everyone blasted Danny for it, and rightly so in the beginning. Through their first 6 games, Kareem hunt scored 127.5 fantasy points against Adam Thielen’s 65.3, basically double his output. But as with all things in life, timing is everything. Since then, in their respective last 7 games, Adam Thielen has scored 129.4 fantasy points against Kareem Hunt’s 75.2, pretty much closing the gap in total production. In their last 4 games, Thielen has out-produced Hunt by 47.2 points, an average of 11.8 points per game, which equals the production you’d gladly take of a flex player. The deal still goes in favor of Paul because he got Marvin Jones Jr. out of it while Gio Bernard and Corey Davis have been mostly irrelevant, but Marvin Jones somehow ended back up on Danny’s roster later on in the season anyway.
Which trader benefited most from trades?
@alex: Julio’s Scampi. His entire team has changed since the draft, and turned rags to riches many times. Although some of his trades have not been the best (Thielen/Hogan for Dez), they opened the door for other greater trades (Pats/Cowboys swap).
@caleb: Julio Scampi has utilized trades to entirely flip the script on his team and Week 12 of this season is his Mona Lisa. He showed his new team is capable of a league high 184.48 pts, and none from a player he drafted himself. He has made a living wheeling and dealing, but it looks like he could also meet his end from an unfortunate TE Trade.
@benny: At various points I’d have to say pizzadetective for sure, but see #1 for why I think “Heisenberg” took this from him. While many wives were perhaps worried about the safety of their husbands at PV, who would’ve known that an actual crime would take place among our very own league. AA’s team would be almost dead in the water without that trade, but now he has a very scary chance of winning it all.
