It’s been awhile! Our last blog post was the Week 3 recap, and here we are on the Week 6 recap. Life has gotten in the way, but here we are once again.
Best Move of the Week: For a week with several close matches, there was really only one move that made a definitive difference in outcome. MN had Phillip Rivers slated in at the QB spot in place of the injured Mariota, with a vacant WR (and TE) spot, since she didn’t want to drop Derrick Henry to roster another pass-catcher. Just before the Chargers game, she reverted back to Mariota, dropping Rivers, and grabbing John Brown (13.8). Her margin of victory ended up being 10.4, and Mariota only scored 0.1 points fewer than Rivers. Going with Mariota won MN her sixth game. Worst Move of the Week: It would be easy to pick on the decision to bench Ingram (27.5), but TC2 still won his game easily, and the decision itself wasn’t really too controversial. I don’t think many people saw Ingram’s explosion coming this week, given the fact he hadn’t yet broken double-digits in any game this year. Instead, I’ll pick on myself, for IO’s last-second decision to start Abdullah (5.4) @NO instead of Ajayi (13) @ATL. That was classic tinkering, and it nearly cost IO their match against RG. Ajayi was getting more volume than Abdullah and also had a good matchup. He shouldn’t have been benched. Game Breakdowns TC2 defeats NSA, 82.1 – 56.6 This was the short-bus matchup of the week, and it didn’t disappoint. TC2 had a promising week overall, despite the low point total. Benching Crowell (8.3) for the first time this year somehow turned out to be the wrong choice, compared to Jones (4.7), but I respect the choice nonetheless. Ingram (27.5) was a major plus…on the bench. Ingram, Blount, and Crowell gives TC2 a very shaky, but potentially passable, RB corps. I actually like it better than NSA’s, currently. Evans (17.7) had a rough day until a last-minute Derek Anderson pass got him a TD. The injury to Winston is potentially troubling for Evans. DT (16.3) feasted on 14 targets, but got a little nicked up. Shouldn’t be an issue for him, and with Sanders’ injury, DT is in line for some big production. Thielen (12.2) and Marvin Jones (18.6) also looked valuable, so this team is actually trending in a positive direction. Could we have turned the corner on TC2? NSA took a major blow with the early loss of Rodgers, but can take solace in the fact that Rodgers would have needed to score nearly 27 in order for NSA to win. The injury probably didn’t alter the outcome. NSA came back to earth with disappointing totals from Duke (5.4), Buck (8.1), Reed (5.7), Ellington (0), and Crosby (4). Hogan posted his first down week of the year (2.4), and even the mighty Jaguars DST (6.8) couldn’t come through for NSA with another TD. This week shows NSA’s floor, and it is troubling. Even Brown’s 23.5 points couldn’t propel NSA over the 60-point mark. This team can hit high notes, but is really tough to rely on. IO defeats RG, 95.1 – 81.6 I’ve written the above statement once before this season, but I don’t think a stat correction is going to wipe this one out. IO actually turned in a pretty underwhelming performance this week, other than Watson (23.3) and Fuller (13.2) continuing their amazing streak, and Hunt (13.5) showing his incredibly high floor. The Broncos DST (8.9) was a major disappointment against a decimated NYG team, and Abdullah (5.4), Allen (7), and Kelce (5.7) were lackluster. On the bench, Ajayi (13), Dez (BYE), and Mixon (BYE) could have been useful this week. One bright spot is that Donta Foreman continues to perform admirably behind Lamar Miller. I’m still on the Foreman bandwagon. He’s the future. This was a really tough week for the Gypsy crew, both in score and in overall roster news. Zeke’s suspension looms like a dark cloud, though he wouldn’t have helped this week anyway (BYE). Freeman (9.6) and Coleman (10.1) are a surprisingly capable 1-2 punch, but losing Zeke would hurt big time. Gore is likely not up to the challenge of covering the RB2 spot. Also, the injury to Rodgers puts a damper on the impressive seasons Jordy (9.7) and Adams (13.9) have had. They’re still likely to get plenty of volume from Hundley, but their ceiling just got a whole lot lower. The Packers passing attack is going to struggle. Tyreek (5) busted this week, which per his pattern indicates he will boom this Thursday night. Landry (16.2) turned in a nice bench performance, but he wouldn’t have been the difference anyway. RG is 2-4 and trending in the wrong direction with the recent news, despite solid points-scored in the early season. Enjoy the Kardashians, Gentry! BBB defeats VV, 113.9 – 101.1 This game was pretty important for future playoff implications, and it was pretty close up until the end. This goes down as an unfortunate loss for VV, and a huge win for BBB’s playoff hopes. BBB is putting together a pretty decent team all of the sudden. I still can’t get on board with Murray (4.2), but with Thompson (13.8), Perine (12.2), McFadden (BYE), and Powell (injured) on the bench, there are plenty of rotational RBs to choose from to complement Miller (9.6) and McCaffrey (15.7). McCaffrey turned in his best game yet, despite the Panthers offense looking disjointed. BBB really could benefit from Julio (10.2) getting his act together and actually scoring, but the points will come. Fitzgerald (22.8) and Baldwin (BYE) round out a decent WR corps. Stafford may look banged up, but if BBB wanted to make a swap, there are tons of QBs available. This is a playoff team. VV really missed Lesean McCoy (BYE) this week. He had to start Elijah McGuire (2.2) instead, and with a margin of defeat of just 12.8, it’s perfectly reasonable to think that McCoy may have turned the tide. Cobb (4.3) is hurt by the Rodgers news, which makes VV’s already-thin WR corps even more underwhelming. Crabtree (14.2) is the lone bright spot and consistent producer. Even though Demarco Murray (16.7) turned in a nice game, he looked banged up on the sidelines, and was grimacing. It will be interesting to see how Murray’s soft tissue survives the season, especially with a capable young, healthy RB waiting in the wings. If Murray missed any time, this team plummets to the bottom of the standings. And frankly, it might be on its way there regardless. TH defeats 302, 149.9 – 105.4 Yet another loss for 302 despite a decent showing, and the clock is beginning to tick. TH put on a show this week, mostly driven by three waiver pickups last week (Cousins’ 28.5, Texans DST’s 28.8, and Succop’s 21.3). So that certainly helps. Gurley posted solid numbers (12.5), but is becoming more clear that he’s hit the rough patch of his schedule, defense-wise. Hilton (2.4) struggled without Luck once again. He and Tyreek Hill are arguably the most boom-bust WRs this year. It’s difficult to predict which weeks to play them. Anderson (1.7) is a major problem potentially, getting poor usage and losing snaps to other RBs. Charles and Booker are no longer afterthoughts, though I do think Anderson just had a down game during a game where the Broncos overall simply underwhelmed. Another concern is the loss of Tate to an injury that will sideline him for several weeks at least. His 19.1 points helped this week, but I’m guessing TH would rather keep him long term. Gronk (23.3) and Cooks (12.3) were a dynamic Patriot duo. The bright spot is found on the bench, with McKinnon (22.4), Adrian (24.1) and Brate (16.6). Those guys may have to pick up a little slack with Anderson losing a little bit of his early-season luster, but they’re up to the task. Great waiver pickups all around. It is becoming tougher and tougher to envision a road where 302 makes the playoffs from his current 1-5 perch, but I’m still buying in for now. Newton (20.7), Bell (26.6), Benjamin (14.4) and Ertz (14.8) were fantastic, but surprisingly they couldn’t carry Thomas (3.3) and Hopkins (8.9). It’s a little bit of a red flag that the Saints and Texans combined to score 85 points, yet their two stud WR1s only got utilized to the tune of 12.2 points. Alshon (9.1) is a solid bench piece, as usual, but I’m guessing 302 (or rather the computer) had higher hopes when he spent $32 on him. Lynch once again struggled (7), as have all non-Crabtree Raiders. I would say that 302 needs to find consistent points to get some wins, but they’ve already done that. It’s simply the points-against at this point. With back-to-back games against TC2 though, 3-5 remains a very realistic hope. MN defeats BCH, 128.7 – 118.3 In what was originally the second-lowest projected total of the week, these two combined for the most high-octane matchup during Week Six. MN continued to roll this year, despite being originally projected for only 83 points this week. The decision to forego a tight end proved to be worthwhile, both with the victory, and with the fact that Derrick Henry (21) proved he really should not be dropped. Gordon (31.5) turned in another elite week, Hyde (22) returned to form after his hip injury, and the Vikings DST (17.5) feasted on Brett Hundley. Even the plug-and-play pickup of John Brown (13.8) was fruitful in a great matchup with Tampa Bay. Mariota (14.2) looked a bit rusty, but his long TD was enough to push MN past BCH. Montgomery (3.6) also looked a bit rusty, but the Packers trusted him enough to give him 11 touches, which bodes well for the future. The potential return of Corey Davis is also another intriguing option, as is the consistency of Kamara (10.7). This team already has its eye on 11 wins, and that seems possible. BCH had a great week, with nearly 120 points, but it wasn’t enough. Really, BCH had a fantastic week and showed how strong the majority of its roster is, but as anyone would guess, the WRs let BCH down. Pryor (3.8) and Funchess (5.1) handicapped the starters, and Bryant (3.7), Parker (injured), and Shepard (injured) don’t offer any more appealing bench options. The RBs Fournette (20.8), Howard (18.1) and Martin (14.9), along with Engram (16.7), Brady (16.2), and Tucker (12.7) were excellent assets this week, though week-to-week consistency is up in the air for a couple of them. I predict good things for all of them with time, and if BCH can find a way to bolster his WRs without seriously cutting into his RB talent, this team could easily make a run. As is, those WRs necessitate a nearly-perfect performance from the rest of the team, which is a tall order. And even this week, with that nearly-perfect performance, he still happened to run into a higher-scoring team. Rough luck, there. Power Rankings 1. The Mullynation: Obvious. Gordon is elite. Green and Graham are past their byes, and the team is still undefeated. 2. Troll Hunters: That kind of production from waiver QB-DST-K is impossible to rely on, but the team looked very impressive regardless. Excellent bench RBs. 3. Indian Outlaws: Any borderline return-to-form for Ajayi would be very welcome. 4. 302 Cadets: Even though I don’t buy Lynch, I think this team can outscore anyone on a given week. Nearly elite throughout. 5. Baby’s Big Blowout: RB stable is coming along. Now the WRs surprisingly need to pick up the slack. 6. River Gypsies: What’s going to happen to Zeke, and how far do Jordy and Adams tumble? Bias aside, this honestly may be one spot too high. 7. Big City Hillbillies: Dynamite RB trio, but by far the worst WR corps. In a 0.5PPR league, that’s tough to overcome. 8. Twin City Tree Cats: RBs are no longer putrid. WRs are trending up. Buy stock now. 9. Northside Angels: If Hogan is anything less than a WR1, NSA is screwed. Was this week an aberration, or was Hogan just having a hot start? RIP Cooper. 10. Vicious Veg-Heads: The loss of OBJ and uncertainty around Murray is really hindering this team. Crabtree and a resurgent effort from McCoy are their only hope.
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By: Hayden HansonMr. Hayden Hanson (Editor in Chief) is an Accountant-extraordinaire, as well as an aspiring writer. He has written several moderately-successful self-help books, the most famous of which is "What Do You Mean You Can Smell My BO?" Gustav Travers of the New York Times praised the book as "A vulnerable, courageous look into the mind of a man who has literally no sense that other people exist. And also no sense of smell. Nope, he definitely doesn't have that either. Just musk, like a hog that's gotten into the cabbage." Archives
September 2019
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