Well shit. It took me three years to make the damn playoffs,
and as soon as I get in, I lose my first matchup. Let’s get to the consolation
prizes before we get to the main event.
Consolation Prizes
Kumpf
At least I didn’t lose due to a lineup decision, because
that has to be the worst way to go, other than maybe losing due to a stat
change. My consolation prize is that I’m not a Jets fan. Other than maybe the
Lakers, I don’t know if there is a more fucked up franchise in sports right
now. I would be shocked to see the Jets competitive for the next five years.
Joseph
While it may be shocking that our #1 seed lost his first
playoff game as well, let’s look a little closer. Nick had the most points and
the best record, so it’s not like his record was deceiving. He had shockingly good
injury luck, but no one got hurt in his loss, so that didn’t regress to the
mean. Ray Rice shat the bed, but other guys played well, so it wasn’t just a
bad week for your team either. Could it be that you just had really really bad
luck that you were playing Ajay when AP, Julio and the Texans D went off? Your
consolation prize is that the world is ending today so you don’t have to suffer
fantasy heartbreak any more.
And now for the most wonderful time of the year…
In case you were wondering, those are mugshots of AP and
Marshall, as well as what I assume Ajay and Esco’s mugshots will ultimately
look like.
Stevens Bowl Preview
Quarterbacks
As it was last week, the QB matchup comes down to RG3’s
health. All signs point to Sir Robert playing against Philly, but I would
assume we won’t see much if any scrambling, which severely limits his value. A
100% healthy RG3 would give the edge to Esco, but Matty Ice against Detroit
really has a very low chance of being a bust.
Edge: Ajay
Runningbacks
Reggie Bush and DeMarco Murray get really easy matchups.
Steve Jackson and Sproles get tough matchups. So does AP, but he may be about
to win MVP from the RB position while only scoring 15ish TDs. The last time an
RB won that award without breaking the TD record was Marshall Faulk in 2000. He
won a fair share of teams their fantasy title, and AP looks like he’ll be doing
the same thing.
Edge: Ajay
Wide Receivers/Tight
End
Brandon Marshall is the best player here, but he’s been
limited in practice all week. Mike Wallace has salvaged his season recently,
but if he doesn’t get a long TD, he could be useless. Esco’s ceiling is higher
at receiver, but Cruz/Julio/Amendola have been extremely solid all year and I
see no reason why that stops now. At TE, Esco gets a small edge, but this is
neither team’s strength.
Slight Edge: Ajay
Defense
Ajay has the unenviable position of starting a defense that
is going against his best player and also Kyle Rudolph. Houston should win the
game, but Ponder isn’t turnover prone and if AP runs wild then there is limited
upside here. Seattle’s D has been huge for Esco throughout the playoffs, and
assuming their corners aren’t suspended yet, they should do a good job against
San Fran.
Edge: Esco
CPP
Esco owned Ajay here in both lineup setting and success
despite injuries. That said, there aren’t really any tough roster choices for
either team. Both of you could use better tight ends, but that’s about it.
Edge: Esco
Verdict
The teams are evenly matched based on talent, but Ajay has
better matchups, and in AP he has someone who is matchup proof. Esco has proven
me wrong in every round so far, and he’ll have to do it again if he wants that
Chef Coat.
Winner: Ajay
One more time...
I assume Nick destroys me for the Third Place prize, but
knowing his luck, he’ll get no money.
Merry Christmas everyone. Final consolation prize next week
as well as the Chef Coat Presentation.
No comments:
Post a Comment