Oh so close, yet oh so far. I came within a field goal but couldn't quite get there. The LOVE Brokers officially finish in fourth place.
Going by the projections I didn't have much of a chance against The Wylde Wolves. 35% by their reckoning. Part of that gap was due to my first round pick, Derrick Henry, being a scratch on Thursday Night Football. The Cowboys DEF is certainly stout and he may not have had a huge game even if he had played, but I would have liked to see him try. It was the only game King Henry didn't suit up for all season. Not great timing for me.
I did still have Jerick McKinnon who has become a Fantasy force in the second half of the season. He continued that scoring magic again with a pair of TDs and 20.10 points! Miami's Raheem Mostert is one of those feast or famine starts, especially as he splits playing time with Jeff Wilson. But he had a very good Fantasy day with 91 combined yards including eight catches and a TD in the loss to The Pats (19.10). If my Wide Receivers could contribute I might actually have a shot, even without Henry. Alas...
Christian Kirk, who had a more-than-solid season and kept me afloat more times than I likely deserved, ended up with only two catches for 21 scoreless yards (3.10). It looked for a second like Deebo Samuel might actually play, but he did not and I played Washington's Rookie Jahan Dotson. For some stupid reason The Commanders decided to give Carson Wentz one last start to make sure he was no good. He proved himself no good. For all of his gunslinging flaws, at least Taylor Heinicke has chemistry with his receivers and makes some plays. He may well throw three interceptions too, but for pure spectacle and Fantasy purposes he is better than Wentz. After 14, 18, and 16 point totals the three previous weeks Dotson saw seven targets and had three scoreless catches for 37 yards (5.20). So no help from my WRs.
What about TE? The spot that frustrates just about everybody who doesn't have Travis Kelce in their lineup was extra frustrating for me this season as I wasted a high draft pick on Darren Waller to see him play in only six games. He was going to actually start, but with Las Vegas sitting QB Derek Carr and going against the might 49ers DEF, I decided to bench him in favor of Chicago's Cole Kmet, who hadn't mustered a huge game in a while but with Fields back and a possible shoot out with Detroit brewing, I started him. He got a quick TD and I felt like a genius...but then the Lions shut them down and even with a TD Kmet got only a 9.20. Waller, on the other hand, also had a TD but he added 72 yards to go with it (14.70).
I could have played Waller in my FLEX spot, and with hindsight obviously I should have, But no, not me. I chose a third RB. Baltimore's Gus Edwards. It was going to be another game without Lamar Jackson, but The Ravens are dedicated to the run and even though he would be second to teammate J.K. Dobbins, he did have 99 yards the week before so I went with him. Genius? Not so much. More on that later.
I did make another great call on DEF, picking up and starting the NYG against the lowly Colts, and they rewarded me with a couple sacks and a pick-six for 14.00, thank you very much. Justin Herbert had a decent game with a couple hundred yards and a couple of TDs for 20.68. Unfortunately for me Wyldesyde had Austin Eckler who once again was the point of attack on offense with another two TDs and 161 yards (30.10). BUT...Kirk Cousins had a crap game for The Vikings and the Wylde Wolves didn't have anybody else get as much as 15 Fantasy points. Meaning that going into Sunday Night Football I actually had a chance. And not a bad chance at that!
Going into SNF the Wolves were done and I still had Justin Tucker and Gus Edwards...and all I needed 12.13 points between them. Very do-able. Tucker did his Tucker thing and gave me favorable odds to win when he nailed a 51-yarder for 5 points. He had another short FG and a PAT for 9 points! But Gus Edwards....oh no. Dobbins was hitting holes for big gains and Gus got only a handful of carries, almost all in the first half, and totaled....two yards. TWO! He caught no passes and got no more carries. 0.20 points. No matter how stacked Dallas would have been against Henry ya gotta believe barring him getting injured on the first play that he was gonna get more than two yards. But even with Gus's near goose egg I was still only down by 2.92 points. I didn't have to be a big boomer, even a short FG would have given me the victory. But the best field goal kicker on the planet never got a chance to make that one more.
Had I started Waller instead of Edwards or if King Henry had played I win and take third. Though to be fair if Wyldesyde starts Tom Brady (43.68!!!) over Kirk Cousins (9.90), he would have won in a walk. Oh, well. Fourth place it is!
__________________
"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra
"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra
Last edited by Holden Pike; 01-03-23 at 03:30 PM.