Fantasy league 2018 -- week 9 recap

 

Playing games is a completely arbitrary way to determine who goes to the playoffs in the NFL. Wouldn’t it make more sense instead to base the standings off what the fan base wants to see? With that in mind, here are the updated divisional leaders based on the percent of seats sold at their home games:

NFC East
1st — Eagles (100.1% of home game seats sold)
2nd — Giants (94.2%)
3rd — Cowboys (90.5%)
4th — Maryland Racial Slurs (74.6%)

AFC East
1st — Dolphins (101.1% of home game seats sold)
2nd — Patriots (100.0%)

NFC North
1st — Vikings (99.9% of home game seats sold)
4th — Packers (96.0%)

AFC North
1st — Browns (100.0% of home game seats sold)
4th — Bengals (79.5%)

NFC West
1st (tie) — 49ers (100.3% of home game seats sold)
1st (tie) — Seahawks (100.3%)
4th — Rams (75.7%)

AFC West
1st — Broncos (100.5% of home game seats sold)
4th — Chargers (94.0%)

NFC South
1st — Saints (100.1% of home game seats sold)
4th — Bucs (87.8%)

AFC South
1st — Texans (99.7% of home game seats sold)
4th — Colts (91.7%)

Next week, we’ll discuss how the electoral college football poll should pick the winner of the Super Bowl.

 

QB: Drew Brees, 39.44 pts — started by Mom D
WR: Michael Thomas, 26.07 pts — started by Joel
RB: Kareem Hunt, 30.93 pts — started by Mom D
TE: Travis Kelce, 22.10 pts — started by Jo
K: Cody Parkey, 12.00 pts — started by Mom D
DEF: Chicago, 29.00 pts — started by Jim
D: Danielle Hunter, 18.00 pts — on the wire

Again, so close ...

Props to Mom D for starting three top performers this week but still finishing with a good-but-not-great total of 137 pts for her squad. DeSean Jackson will do that to your team chemistry.

Missing from the list again this week was Chiefs QB Pat Mahomes, who went over the 300-fantasy-pts mark for the year. Nobody else has topped 240 yet. At the moment, he has scored as much as Carson Wentz and Matt Stafford combined on the season.


“NFC contenders’ defenses” edition

1st place: (tie) Tampa Bay, -4.00 pts — on the wire
1st place: (tie) New Orleans, -4.00 pts — on the wire
1st place: (tie) LA Rams, -4.00 pts — started by me

Look, I knew that starting the Rams D (against the Saints) was probably going to be a loser move, even though they were the top fantasy defense on the year coming into the game. Chicago, four-turnover, two-TD performance against the Bills on Sunday now leapfrogged them to the top spot.

That ridiculous Bears game came against perennial bad performer Buffalo QB Nate Peterman, who had the best game of his short career on Sunday. Sadly for him, it was still a terrible day — he threw for 189 yds and had three interceptions, but did rush for a TD. He has only managed four total TDs in nine NFL starts against 12 interceptions and two fumbles.

But he does have a 1-8 record to boast about for all that work.

** Former Cardinals and Colts Coach Bruce Arians told an Ohio paper this week he wouldn’t come out of retirement for any NFL job except for one: The Cleveland Browns.

Just a reminder that the Browns have won six of their last 57 games, and haven’t won a playoff game in 23 years. But, yes, that does sound like a dream unretirement job.

** Story on SBNation Monday: “Is this the year an NFL receiver finally cracks 2,000 yards in a season?”

Subhead on that story: “No receiver is currently pacing to break that mark.”

Well, I’m gonna guess the answer is “no” then. But thanks for the question.

** This week, the Chargers cut former Eagles K Caleb Sturgis after he missed two extra points and a 42-yd field goal. Since he didn’t remain with the new team past week 10, he no longer counts among the list of unrestricted free agents lost by the Eagles last year, which means his salary counts differently in the league’s compensatory draft pick compensation calculation, which means DT Haloti Ngata’s signing with the Eagles earlier this year now offsets Sturgis’ Chargers salary, which means the Eagles will not receive an additional seventh round pick to make up for “losing” a quality player because of cap reasons.

Basically, the Eagles are gonna lost a seventh round draft pick next year because Sturgis missed two extra points and nothing about this crazy compensatory picks system makes any sense. But c’mon, man, make those XPs.

The Cardinals this week announced they are cutting ties with QB Sam Bradford, signed in the offseason as a potential bridge to a younger franchise signal caller. Bradford’s tenure only lasted three games (with no wins) but it was enough to bump up his career earnings to over $130 million. Here’s a look at what that money has bought so far:

** Nine years in the league
** Four different teams
** 34 wins in 83 games (a .409 win percentage)
** 48 other games missed to injury
** One playoff win (with him injured on the bench)
** 17th place on the all-time league earnings list (ahead of Mike Vick, Cam Newton and Champ Bailey)

But don’t pity unlucky Sam — someone is bound to give him another big contract next year, because someone always does.


After a lackluster year last season, the Cowboys vowed to play smarter this year. And that starts with players like offensive lineman Adam Redmond, a Harvard University grad who majored in sociology and joined Dallas in September. So, how is that signing working out for the team? Just look at his name:

Cowboys Guard/Lineman Adam Redmond
** A dumb goon. A dry mind. A smeared clown.

You can’t judge a book by it’s cover, folks. Unless the cover is a Cowboys playbook. Then judge away.

** I dropped two more games to Dad in the NFL picks this week, putting me a full 11 games behind. The good news is that #11 is Carson Wentz, which is a positive omen. The bad news is that it’s 11 games behind, which is not a positive omen.

** Delaware eked out a 21-16 win over Albany on Saturday to move to 7-2 on the year and #12 in the FCS rankings. Delaware’s two losses on the season are to North Dakota State, the #1 team in FCS, and Wake Forest, who plays in the division above them.

I’m still having trouble understanding why they’re six spots below 6-2 Elon, who the Blue Hens thumped 28-16 a month ago, but hopefully they get a chance to repeat that in the playoffs.

** Eagles didn’t play a game this week and picked up tons of ground on first place. Not bad. Maybe they could skip playing every week...

Week 9 standings

1 — Nick 'MVP' Foles (Capt. Awesome), 1257.26 pts
2 — For Who? For Wentz? (Ant), 1217.51 pts
3 — Philly Special (Jo), 1164.27 pts
4 — NNnnnoooOOOOooooooo! (Paul), 1134.79 pts
5 — Witch Hunting (Jim), 1107.23 pts
6 — We Love the Mud (Mom D), 1057.12 pts
7 — Kneel Armstrong (Sam), 1027.80 pts
8 — The Garoppolo Gamble (Joel), 1017.57 pts
9 — Last Exit 2 Kutztown (Bob), 1002.15 pts
10 — Kiss A Fish Today (Dad), 951.19 pts
11 — Blue Collar Killers (Jeff), 944.49 pts
12 — SweatpantsEnthusiast (Mike), 846.42 pts

I’m not sure if Paul’s team name changes each week count as comedy or performance art, but either way I am 100 percent behind this adventure. Also, I coul try and explain the candy corn joke he is making here, but it barely made sense 25 years ago, so...

What I can explain is that a solid week from mt team earned me breathing room over Ant's squad. Joanna is creeping closer to the top two spots despite being deported from America this week. Bob and Dad are slowly scraping out of the cellar. And Mike continues to be in the league.

We're halfway done, folks. Get ready for an eight-week sprint to the finish line.