Happy Thanksgiving to our American Readers!
The weather is starting to get a bit colder, but things are heating up in BAFFL with only 3 weeks left in the season. The playoff picture is starting to take shape, but there’s still room to make moves with five teams sitting at 6-5 and three at 5-6. Last year 7 was the magic number to make the playoffs, with no tiebreakers required. Will that happen again this year? Or will it come down to points for?
#1 – Creek Crossing ZenSharks 8-3 (-)
It was a slightly bold move to put the Sharks ahead of the Karps last week, but we were quickly vindicated as the sharks put a beat-down on the red-hot Aconitum Wolves with the second highest score of the week. Everyone got in on the action, with more than 15 points from each QB, WR, RB, and Flex. This team is stacked from top to bottom, and will be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs. As if that wasn’t enough, news came down that Ken Walker will miss some time with an oblique injury, so the rich get richer with Zach Charbonnet suddenly a viable option for the Sharks.
#2 – Launay McFavres 8-3 (+1)
The McFavres continue their hot streak with their third win in a row putting up the high score of the week, narrowly outscoring the Sharks. The convincing nature of the win over the Karps left no choice but to move the McFavres ahead of the Karps in this week’s power rankings. This lineup is boom or bust, but they have been boom more often than not as evidenced by their record. A tough playoff schedule might be the only thing standing in the way of GM Snider and back to back championships, but even that may not be enough to slow this team down.
#3 – AA Karps 8-3 (-1)
The Karps drop their second in a row, but the losses didn’t stop on the field for the team this week. The Karps lost Joe Burrow for the season, Cooper Kupp and Lockett are banged up, and got a dud from star RB Austin Ekeler. Is this the adversity the team will look back on as building character en route to a Championship? Or another year of “the window” wasted as McCaffrey and Ekeler move towards the end of their prime?
#4 – Delamere Daw Pound 6-5 (+2)
Going into Monday night it looked like the Dawg Pound might drop to 5-6 after another mediocre performance, but GM Boyle’s squad finally had a stroke of good fortune with AJ Brown putting up an absolute dud. It’s about time this squad pulled out one of these wins, but now we can officially all stop feeling sorry for them, and they are no longer the top scoring team in the league. The high PF total will serve the Dawg Pound well going into the final few weeks of the season, as the tiebreaker will definitely come into play with the logjam in the standings.
#5 – Hibiscus Battle Hogz 6-5 (-1)
The Hogz let one slip away on Monday night sending GM Corey into a tailspin. A win this week and the Hogz would have been in the driver’s seat with 7 wins, sitting alone in 4th. Instead, they are in the pack of 6-5 teams, and another loss might see them on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. Fortunately for the Hogz, they have the lowly Valley Lords this week, in what should be a get right spot. If the Hogz lose however, league officials plan a wellness check on Tuesday to make sure all toasters are secured and far from the bath tub.
#6 – Thresher Tornadoz 6-5 (-1)
The formula seems pretty simple at this point – say the Tornadoz are good, and they suck. Say they suck, and they’re good. This week we’ll mix it up, the Tornadoz are just kind of OK. It looked like the stars were starting to align for GM Brent, but then came a loss to the Mystics and some less than great Justin Jefferson Injury news. It looks like he might be back in time for the fantasy playoffs, but will the Tornadoz be around for them? Magic 8 ball says…. Maybe.
#7 – NT Angry Birdz 6-5 (+1)
The birds showed some signs of life this week nearly doubling up the hapless valley lords. It wasn’t all sunshine and lollipops for the birbs, as Devon Achane quickly exited the game re-aggravating his injured knee. Luckily the team gets Jonathan Taylor back off the bye, and should be able to navigate their way into the playoffs where anything can happen.
#8 – Aconitum Wolves 6-5 (-1)
This red hot Wolves came crashing back down to earth this week, and slid from comfortably into the playoffs to holding on to the last spot for dear life. CeeDee Lamb continued his impressive play, and Jaylen Warren ripped off a big run on our beloved browns, but there wasn’t a whole lot going on outside of that. Up next is a date with the 2-8 Pontooners. More evidence of a rigged schedule, but a loss and the Commissioner may be on the outside looking in due to a weak points for total.
#9 – Moustache Mystics 5-6 (-)
The Mystics had a signature win this week to improve to 5-6 and make their case for the team that could sneak into the playoffs. Up next, a date with the Cheeks, with the chance to improve to 6-6 and possibly leapfrog into the playoff mix. The Mystics will have to do so with a significantly worse outlook for star WR Ja’Marr Chase, who lost his franchise QB for the rest of the season.
#10 Minoterie BIG GUYs 5-6 (-)
The BIG GUYs won the loser goes home bowl vs the Voldemorts, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive for another week. Unfortunately for GM Pearno, a couple other 4-6 teams picked up wins, and the BIG GUYs play the powerhouse McFavres this week. A win against the McFavres could be just the thing this team needs to propel them into the playoffs, but nobody will be surprised if they get smacked around and head tumbling back towards the chomps bowl.
#11 – Crevasse Cheeks 5-6 (-)
After weeks of tumbling down the standings the Cheeks slipped by the Pontooners to improve to 5-6, miraculously with faint playoff hopes still in tact. They have a winnable matchup with the Mystics this week, and could find themselves battling it out for the #8 spot. We’re not sure if GM Conde is pleased with this turn of events, or pissed that his squad keeps making his draft position worse, despite the clear intention of the GM to continue the rebuild.
#12 – Voldemorts 4-7 (-)
The team who shall not be named couldn’t overcome the bye week blues and lost a snooze fest to the BIG GUYs to fall to 4-7 and likely out of playoff contention. Never say never, a 3 game win streak could propel them to the promised land, but at this point the Volds have a stated goal of winning the 3rd overall pick through victories in the chomps bowl.
#13 – Pepsiland Pontooners 2-9 (-)
Now we get to the point in the standings where all hope is lost and there’s no deluding themselves into anything but staring down goldfish ownership. The Pontooners continue to ride the struggle bus and could only muster 67 points against the actively tanking Cheeks. In a familiar scene, the tooners didn’t get a single touchdown from a position player, and completely sealed their fate in the chomps bowl. I’d like to think they still have enough firepower to outlast the Valley Lords, but if 67 points is in the range of outcomes, even the Valley Lords could put up 70 points in a given week to send our pal chomps into a foreign land of poutine, pepsis and Molson Export.
#14 – Valley Lords 2-9 (-)
The Valley Lords get some reinforcements this week, with Kyren Williams returning from injury and trade acquisition Gus Edwards ready to step into the lineup. The added help couldn’t have come at a better time, as the Lords put up another dud with 62 points in an embarrassing effort against the Birbs. Like the tooners, this team is completely locked into the chomps bowl, and nothing they do over the next 3 weeks matters except to head into the tournament on good form.
BAFFL 