Playoff Semi-Final Preview

[mpaul]

Here we go!

Playoff, semi final:

1. Megan vs. Murray: Team Venture squares off against the Megamaniacs in a matchup I would not have expected. By week three, it might have obvious that Megan would get this far, but who knew who she's be up against Richburg? Team Venture, unlike last year, put up some consistent wins, and quietly snuck their way into the playoffs; an impressive turnaround from last season. As a reward, the group now faces off against the toughest team in the league -- and has to deal with a 3-point deficit. Exciting!

2. Jeri vs. Anthony: This time last season, both of these teams ranked 7th and 5th in the league, and were nowhere near the playoffs. This is the kind of game that gets played at night on NBC. It's also a rematch from last week, only this time, Jeri gets the point advantage. Still, Anthony's team has been on a unprecedented roll -- they've won six of their last seven, and were the only team to beat Jeri since week 9 -- so this game could be up in the air. Interestingly, both teams rely heavily on the Bengals, and since Cinci plays the woeful Raiders on the Sunday, this could be a high-scoring game indeed. Excitement!

There it is: short and sweet. Good luck, and I'll post a rule clarification below.

[mpaul]

Because there can be no tie games in the playoffs, everyone has to have a good idea of the rule governing the tie break:

Most fantasy football games break ties first by comparing the win-loss percentage of both teams, then -- if the two teams are also equal -- comparing the point totals before that particular game. We're going to do the same thing.

Essentially this means that, if there is a tie -- even counting the three-point bonuses, Jeri and Megan win. It tips the scales in their favor somewhat, but such is the benefit of finishing in first place.

There really has to be reward for finishing in second place too, but I haven't quite figured that out yet. Knick tickets?

[mpaul]

Also, here are some random thoughts from the season.

- If you had the same team for both your total score *and* your total defense, you were taking a risk.

Only Darren, who had Seattle in both, could start the same team in those two categories and win -- and he still got a lot of help from Philly's WRs. To win a game like that, you've got to hope for a blowout victory and some good points in another category, and in the NFL, that's pushing it.

Rob's team is a good example of this. The few times he started both New England for TS and TD, he lost (granted, he lost some games by starting other teams in those spots, but he never really succeeded with NE in the same two positions).

Jon also had Philly in the same two spots, but his loses really only came because the other team scored more. Flukey.

- If you have a group with a decent air attack, who play on a team with no damn defense, you gonna be all right.

This is a big reason why Jeri won so many games this year; New Orleans defense is simply adequate -- they're ranked 12th in the league -- so they often have to play from behind. That means they've got to throw. Her massive points for wide receiver helped her, but killed me, as I was stuck with Reggie Bush all year. Midway through the season, the Saints downplayed the run, and Bush never really got going. Pittsburgh started doing the same thing.

(This also applies, pretty much every year, to the Cardinals. Sadly, Warner got benched this year and Matt Leinart started slow, so Murray, who had Arizona's wide receivers, got stuck with a group that had potential, but needed to rebuild slightly.)

- The Gross Miscarriage of Justice was doomed since week 4, and there was nothing I could do about it.

With two quarterbacks on a bye for the same week, I was forced to waive one QB -- the Falcons -- to pick up another, and that killed me. By waiving that group, I kept the Giants and the Raiders' wide receviers, two teams that were going nowhere fast. After Eli Manning hit the "sophomore slump" (see: Ben Rothlisbeger), I had no reliable wide receiver unit as a backup, especially since Art Shell is a terrible, terrible head coach. Taking a new QB also prevented me from cleaning up my porous defense, and the rest of the season went rapidly downhill. Since the waiver-wire draft in week 4, I won two games. Two.

- Pete still has no idea any of us even played the season without him.

Go figure.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ December 07, 2006 07:45 PM: Message edited by: mjay ]</font>

[jz06]

Eli had a sophomore slump? Man. I'd say he's hit a *career* slump. He looks like a lost li'l boy out there.

My favorite part of the season was when the Eagles were *destroying* the Giants, and then the D forgot how to play D and lost Jevon Kearse for the year. And gave up 30-plus points when they were pitching a shutout.

I also love that Shawn Alexander missed a huge chunk of the season, as did Matt Hasselbeck. And I love that I gave up the Cowboys receivers in favor of the Bears (Rex threw for THIRTY-TWO YARDS Sunday) right when Tony Romo became God.

What a great season. Good luck to the dames.

[img]graemlins/shhh.gif[/img]

[mpaul]

Well, yeah. But in your defense, Jon, the Bears were a hard bandwagon to overlook. And who knew Tony Romo would go on to be a helluva QB? We'll see how he does next year.

But between Kearse, Grossman and Romo, this season was not kind to you, at all.

(Also, I need lineups from Meg and Murray!)

[megansev]

QB-STL
RB-ATL
WR-INDY
K-KC
TS-NYG
TD-CHI

[mpaul]

Okay. And unless Murray posts otherwise, his lineup is:

QB: DEN
RB: JAX
WR: SAND
K: ATL
TS: MINN
TD: JAX

Good luck, you four.

[Baldric]

Yeah, Jon, I think you played with your heart rather than of your head. The Eagles were a fantasic team to have for TS this year, but a terrible, terrible TD.