MLBPPWORLD FANTASY WEEK 13 RECAP
Run It Back (GoTwins24) 112.5 Detroit Phantoms (DTigers115) 133
Summary: A rematch of the 2019 championship game did not have playoff implications, but the Phantoms got some revenge by sweeping the team that defeated them last year. After a rough losing streak, the Phantoms closed off the season on a decent note, finishing over .500. Corey Davis was the standout by far as he scored 29.5. If he only scored his projected total, the Phantoms may have dropped this one. Kirk Cousins was also a solid stream, scoring 21 points in an OT win over the Jags. The game sort of summed up their season as they won despite average games from Ezekiel Elliot and Keyan Drake. Had these two performed up to expectations in 2020, the Phantoms would likely be a playoff team. Injuries also hurt the Phantoms with Dak Prescott, Chris Godwin, and now James Conner struggling to take the field consistently. In 2021, they will seek a playoff return and a healthy season. Run It Back was the second straight defending champion to win just 3 games in the regular season. They were doomed from Week 2 when Saquon Barkley suffered a season-ending ACL tear, but the lack of depth and boom-or-bust players have hurt them all season. No one fits the description of "boom or bust" like Tyler Lockett, who has now scored less than 10 in more than half of the games this year. Chase Claypool and Terry McLaurin also struggled and had they performed to their usual standards, the team may have pulled off the victory. The even-year curse struck again for Run It Back, who will look to have a stronger team and better record in an odd year.
Atomic Pickles (AgentP) 75.5 Kerryon My Wayward Son (Dishnet34) 116.5
Summary: Since these teams will meet again in the postseason, they will face each other in three consecutive weeks. Kerryon My Wayward Son will hope for a repeat of this week in each of those weeks. They have a plethora of consistent performers who are almost always good for 15+ points per week, and these players stepped up again this week. Aaron Rodgers, Melvin Gordon, Alvin Kamara, and Justin Jefferson all scored near the 15-point mark. This is especially impressive given Aaron Rodgers and Justin Jefferson were both drafted past the 15th round of the draft, making them arguably the two best value picks in recent memory. One concern is D.K. Metcalf, who has been a bit inconsistent lately, so they will hope Seattle's offense finds some consistency after their upset loss. Kareem Hunt may also be a concern as it seems he has taken a backseat to Nick Chubb in Cleveland. Still, the rest of the roster is remarkably consistent, which will make this team a threat in the postseason. The Atomic Pickles had their worst showing of 2020, mostly due to the early injury to Antonio Gibson. Gibson is now questionable with a moderate toe injury, which is a big concern that it happened right before the playoffs. Miles Sanders also struggled, and the question now is whether he will take a step forward with Jalen Hurts leading the offense. He also faces the Saints' run defense, which has stifled opposing RBs all season. The team also struggled at the flex spot, but Cole Beasley may be a more viable option than Jerry Jeudy or Ceedee Lamb. Beasley is just outside the top-20 of WRs this year, which would have surprised many in the preseason. The Pickles will need to return to form quickly if they are to reclaim their 2018 title.
Cool Brees (ZeroGibson13) 114.5 Los Angeles Aodgers (Kungfupandacam) 144
Summary: Los Angeles was arguably the best non-playoff team of the season, and they closed off the season on a high note. They scored nearly 150, a total they have come close to many times in 2020. Josh Allen led in scoring with 30, which marked the fourth time he reached that mark this season. Davante Adams has also been one of the fantasy MVPs this season, nearing 30 points as well. Chris Carson's injury very well may have cost this team a playoff spot, but he scored 17.5 in his final regular-season game. Joe Mixon's injury may have been even more devastating, as his replacement Giovani Bernard failed to make any impact after Week 8. Had the two star running-backs stayed healthy, the Aodgers could have won one or two more games, which would have vaulted them into the postseason. Cool Brees fell to 5-8, which is not entirely bad given their low power ranking. They had several strong performances, mainly from Jared Goff, James Robinson, Adam Thielen, and Michael Thomas. James Robinson was probably the greatest waiver pickup of 2020 as he ranked fourth among all running-backs in scoring. Had Austin Ekeler remained healthy, they could have moved D'Andre Swift to their flex spot, which would have solidified the position. Additionally, Michael Thomas's injury was quite costly, as anytime a team loses their first-round pick for nearly the entire season, they are going to struggle. Ultimately, it was a lack of depth that cost Cool Brees a playoff spot this season, but their 5-8 record is not really anything to be ashamed of.
Team Griffith (jag123jg) 128.5 You've Been Juiced! (LGM77) 61.5
Summary: With their win, Team Griffith is the only 10-win team in the league this season. This is especially impressive since they have never made the postseason before. This week, it was a solid team effort that carried them to the win. Dalvin Cook and Travis Kelce both scored over 20, and both made ESPN's list of players that were on the most playoff rosters across the site. DeAndre Hopkins also bounced back from two let-downs with a 15-point performance, which was actually his best game since the hail mary against Buffalo. While Arizona's offense is concerning right now, it is a good sign for them that Hopkins is improving. Julio Jones was decent, scoring 12, but it was his first time in double figures since Week 9. Jones has had end-zone issues for years now, and Week 9 was also the last time he scored a touchdown. He has only scored 3 this season, but he still has time to step it up if he returns to full health. Unfortunately, though, Jones was held out of practice Wednesday, meaning his status is questionable at best. Another concerning sign was that Raheem Mostert struggled, scoring 10 less points than he was projected to score. Mostert has had health issues as well this season, but he also broke out late in the year in 2019. Mike Davis returns from bye next week, but it will be unclear how he will play with Christian McCaffrey potentially returning. Even with these injury concerns, Team Griffith may be the favorite to bring home the title. You've Been Juiced! was the team affected the most by injuries. Kenny Golladay, Odell Beckham Jr., and Christian McCaffrey all missed nearly the entire season. With such losses, it was always going to be difficult for the team to win. Their receiving core and running-backs all disappointed this week, with none scoring over 10. In fact, Patrick Mahomes was the leading scorer with 18, but this is low by his elite standards. Darrell Henderson and JD McKissic would have been better options off the bench, but they would not have affected the outcome in any way. Seattle's defense also outscored Baltimore's, which was unexpected given Seattle's poor defensive play this year. This year marked the first time You've Been Juiced! ever missed the postseason, so they will look to be back with a vengeance in 2021.
Fresh Prince of Helaire (PhilliesFan134) 126 Smokin' Jay's Cig Squad (Queso James) 134.5
Summary: The Cig Squad officially became the only playoff team from last season to return to the postseason. Although they won four less games, they will trade that for a better postseason performance if possible this year. This week, Darren Waller was the standout, scoring 38.5 points. Such a high total is remarkable for a tight end, especially given he only scored 4 last week. If Carr continues to feed his star TE, the Cig Squad may have an edge in the postseason, though Waller will match up against Travis Kelce. Their Browns duo of Nick Chubb and Jarvis Landry impressed again this week, and it looks like the Browns are finally reaching their offense's full potential. They could have reached the 150+ mark again had Derrick Henry and Russell Wilson performed better. Wilson and Henry combined for just 18.5 points, which is much lower than the duo's potential. Luckily for them, Wilson faces the Jets and Henry faces Jacksonville. Henry has torn Jacksonville apart in the past, and the Jets allowed Derek Carr to be the top-scoring QB last week. This could be a perfect formula for the Cig Squad to pull of an upset, which would be a reverse of their 2019 postseason. Fresh Prince of Helaire fell to 4-9 in an unlucky matchup. In total they had five players score over 20, though three of them did not start. Keke Coutee also came close to 20, scoring 18 on the bench. Taysom Hill and Aaron Jones were the two starters that scored over 20, and had Hill still maintained TE eligibility, Fresh Prince would have pulled off a final upset win. Devontae Booker cost them the most, scoring just 5.5 despite being projected to score over 12. Had Jonathan Taylor started in his stead, Fresh Prince would have pulled off a narrow win. Even still, Fresh Prince looks like they can move up a few spots in the final standings (which include the consolation ladder). Fresh Prince was a solid team in 2020, but their biggest weakness was likely Baltimore's regression. Had Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews (who was traded to the Phantoms) had performed at their 2019 clips, Fresh Prince may have been in playoff contention in the final weeks.
Standings: Alvin Lockhart Division z- Team Griffith 10-3 x- Kerryon My Wayward Son 8-5 Detroit Phantoms 7-6 Run It Back 3-9-1 You've Been Juiced! 3-9-1
Gilgamesh Star Division y- Atomic Pickles 9-4 x- Smokin' Jay's Cig Squad 8-5 Los Angeles Aodgers 7-6 Cool Brees 5-8 Fresh Prince of Helaire 4-9
Playoff Matchups: 1. Team Griffith (10-3) v. 4. Smokin' Jay's Cig Squad (8-5) 2. Atomic Pickles (9-4) v. 3. Kerryon My Wayward Son (8-5)
Power Rankings (Based on Total Points Scored): 1. Kerryon My Wayward Son (1675.5) 2. Team Griffith (1668.5) 3. Atomic Pickles (1594) 4. Smokin' Jay's Cig Squad (1593.5) 5. Los Angeles Aodgers (1537) 6. Detroit Phantoms (1492) 7. Run It Back (1461.5) 8. Fresh Prince of Helaire (1439) 9. Cool Brees (1369) 10. You've Been Juiced! (1345)
Best of luck to the four playoff teams!
_________________ The source of my emotional anguish:
ZeroGibson13 wrote: So far your Game 1 and 2 predictions have been the opposite of right, so I'm gonna predict the Indians have a 3-1 lead after Game 4. ...
BrewersFuzz wrote: AND THEN IN A SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS CLEVELAND BLOWS THE 3-1 LEAD THIS TIME
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