Exit Interviews: Playoff Teams Pt. 1
What went right and wrong for our early exit playoff teams
Reminder: Roster cuts due by January 27th, midnight. You’re cutting down to 18 total (no IR during offseason).
6. Kurtis (NowWeHere)
Preseason Power Ranking: 2nd
Mid Season Power Ranking: 2nd
Final Position Ranks
QB: 5th
RB: 6th
WR: 10th
TE: 3rd
What Went Right
Deshaun Watson proved my concerns to be incorrect this year and was able perfectly match his QB 5 preseason ranking. James White (RB 11) was a stud for Kurtis and saved him from a disappointing Fournette season, especially during weeks 1–9 when he averaged 18.45 points. At WR, Adam Humphries’ rank (WR 30) doesn’t look all that impressive but considering he was a waiver add, he was a great snag and ended up being a steady contributor for Kurtis at a position he struggled to produce at. And of course, Zach Ertz continues to be an elite fantasy option, finishing as TE 3.
What Went Wrong
For a team that made the playoffs and finished in the top half of the league at three positions… this was actually a season from hell for Kurtis. WR was supposed to be a strength for him (along with the rest of his lineup) but AJ Green (WR 36) dealt with injuries, Golden Tate (WR 34) never found his place in the Eagles offense, and the Chris Hogan (WR 71) hype train didn’t just fail to leave the station, it basically had an engine failure and blew up. Oh yeah, and Kurtis took a gamble on Dez Bryant that ended before it even began. At RB, Kareem Hunt got cut from the Chiefs and is still awaiting his official suspension length. And not only did Fournette (RB 39) struggle this season due to injury, but there’s also drama between him and the Jaguars stemming from a Week 13 suspension and his contract guarantees being waived by the team. To sum up this whole section: yikes.
The Path Ahead
Apologies to Kurtis if revisiting all of that was depressing. It’s not all bad though. The drama around Fournette is probably a non-issue and he, Ertz and Watson are still a strong core of building blocks to center a dynasty team around. With a trio of veteran receivers (Green, Edelman, Tate), that’s still plenty of talent to do damage next season. However, with all three of those WRs turning 31+ over the offseason and a Championship already notched on his belt, Kurtis will have to decide if kickstarting a light rebuild is more important than riding those receivers into the sunset.
5. Tani (Pocket Locketts)
Preseason Power Ranking: 3rd
Mid Season Power Ranking: 6th
Final Position Ranks
QB: 10th
RB: 9th
WR: 3rd
TE: 5th
What Went Right
Let’s start with the big one — Tyreek Hill terrorized defenses all season (along with the rest of the Chiefs offense) and finished as the top scoring WR in the entire D|League. Not too shabby for a guy Tani grabbed off the waiver wire back in 2016. Tyler Lockett (WR 16) finally rewarded Tani’s patience (he was a 3rd Round start-up pick) and broke out with 10 TDs. At RB, James Conner easily slid into Le’Veon’s place and finished as RB 6 even despite missing 3 games. Jared Cook (TE 5) was snagged by Tani after Binh dropped him midseason and rewarded Tani with a 9.56 point avg. after joining his team in Week 8. Lastly, Tani’s QB rank of 10th is a little misleading, as SuperCam was on pace for a QB 2 season before clearly struggling with his shoulder in Weeks 14–15 before getting shut down the rest of the season.
What Went Wrong
On the other hand, Tani’s QB rank of 10th is an indicator of how Tani struggled down the stretch, as Cam averaged only 12.81 points in Weeks 13–15. Granted, Mikey put up 178.43 points in their Week 14 playoff matchup, so Tani’s fate was sealed either way. Regarding the overall season, Tani struggled a bit at RB due to Jay Ajayi playing 4 games and Kenyan Drake’s inconsistency. Tani tried plugging the gaps with a couple trades (one involving Kenyan Drake) for Lamar Miller (RB 23) and LeSean McCoy (RB 40), and while Miller was actually quite solid, McCoy was a definite disappointment. Tani finishing where he did is a feat in itself considering he basically had 8 players on IR by season-end if you include Bell and Cam. The others: Greg Olsen, Marvin Jones, Jay Ajayi, Christian Kirk, Andy Dalton, and Geronimo Allison.
The Path Ahead
James Conner and Tyler Lockett are huge developments for a team that has no 1st or 2nd Round picks this offseason. With Le’Veon joining a new team this summer, Tani could potentially have two top 5 fantasy RBs in Bell and Conner in 2019. As for Lockett, his emergence gives Tani a reliable WR2 to pair with Hill and puts less pressure on Christian Kirk to develop quickly. Like most teams, Tani could use a young stud TE, so Tani will have to pray he hits the jackpot with a late round pick à la George Kittle (who Kevin drafted in the 4th Round).
Mikey (and the other top four teams) got a similar version to these exit interviews in the Championship Weekend Preview, so he and the others will get shorter versions, especially in the “What Went Wrong” section. They did finish Top 4 after all.
4. Mikey (BLESS ‘EM)
Preseason Power Ranking: 12th
Mid Season Power Ranking: 4th
Final Position Ranks
QB: 2nd
RB: 2nd
WR: 6th
TE: 8th
What Went Right
Mikey ended with strong position ranks despite ranking 9th on the season in points scored. Part of that is due to his Week 14, 178 point explosion, which is rolled into the positional rankings but not part of his regular season statistics. Regardless, Mikey’s trade for Matt Ryan (QB 2) definitely paid off, Saquon Barkley (RB 2) was everything that Mikey dreamed off, and Amari Cooper (WR 19) definitely benefited from his move down to Dallas. Marlon Mack (RB 20) and Tyler Boyd (WR 17) also had breakout seasons.
What Went Wrong
Mikey face-planted with 84.74 points in Week 15 and 97.78 points in Week 16 to finish a playoff run that originally looked promising after his Week 14 blowout. Overall though, considering FantasyPros expectations, there weren’t a lot of negative developments for his team this season.
The Path Ahead
Just like Tani, Mikey has no 1st or 2nd Round Picks in this upcoming draft but as mentioned, he thankfully got some breakout performances from Tyler Boyd and Marlon Mack that have bolstered his roster. He also has a few promising developmental players like Antonio Callaway, Ito Smith, and DaeSean Hamilton. Their progress next year will be key due to his lack of 2019 draft capital.
