Week 11 Writeups - Part 2 — Protector Of The League

Alright let's keep these going. Been hard to find time in between the Thanksgiving festivities, but I will fulfill my duties as your Commissioner. Emma's pissed, but I will pull through for you guys. 6 down 4 more to go.

Broke Back Caleb (5-6):

1. Let’s do a player comparison to kick things off for Kev.

Player A: 14 games, 641 yards rushing, no TDs

Player B: 10 games, 838 yards rushing, 11 TDs

Player A: no games with 20+ points

Player B: 8 games with 20+ points

Player A: #52 in RB scoring.

Player B: #4 in RB scoring.

Player A is Melvin Gordon from 2015, while Player B is Melvin Gordon from 2016. Kev should be REALLY thankful he got player B instead of Player A.

2. Kev should also be thankful that Larry Fitzgerald has found the fountain of youth. As a 7th round pick, the expectations for Fitz were pretty modest. He was 33 years old coming into the season and the Cardinals have a number of other weapons (David Johnson, John Brown, Michael Floyd, JJ Nelson, etc). Carson Palmer was showing signs of age and overall, no one was willing to invest highly in Fitz. Kev was the one team who did have faith, taking him as the 68th pick.

Larry Fitz has rewarded his owners with a top 10 fantasy season. Interestingly enough, he was the #10 WR last year as well. That would definitely be a good trivia question because I had no idea that he finished that high last year. As for this year, he’s caught 74 passes for 749 yards and 5 TDs. Pretty good for an old man.

3. Kev should be thankful he had the patience to stick it out with Tyler Eifert. Eifert had a huge year in 2015, but fell to the tenth round in our draft due to injuries. Kev took him and held on to him for 8 weeks before he saw any dividends. The patience was rewarded in Eifert’s first full game, when he caught 7 passes for 102 yards and a TD (22 points). He followed that up with an 11 point game in week 10 and 5 points in week 11. Even though he’s only played in 4 games, he’s already a top 32 TE. With AJ Green gone (FML), Eifert’s role will only grow.

Zeka-A-Virus (6-5):

1. Keetz has to be thankful for Ezekiel Elliot, the best running back to come into the NFL since AP. I’ve gone on and on about him all year, but I just can’t say enough about this guy. He is just an absolute beast.

The rookie out of Ohio State is on the verge of rewriting the history books. He already has 1,100 yards rushing to go along with 9 rushing TDs and one receiving TD. He’s currently on pace to rush for around 1,800 yards, gain 400 yard receiving and score 18 touchdowns. As I write this, he already has 9 carries for 45 yards and a TD. Did I mention that he’s only 21 years old? If not, I am right now. He won’t turn 22 until next July……. Crazy.

2. Speaking of Zeke, Keetz has to be thankful that Ken drafted Todd Gurley instead of Ezekiel Elliot. Let’s see how that decision worked out:

Zeke – 1,100 rushing yards, 9 rushing TDs. 280 receiving yards, 2 receiving TDs. Averaging nearly 5 yards per carry through 223 attempts and is on pace for more than 350 carries for the year. In a league that rewards points per carry, that’s 70 points on carries alone.

Todd Gurley – 591 rushing yards, 4 rushing TDs. 202 receiving yards, no receiving TDs. Averaging a paltry 3.2 yards per carry on his 187 attempts and is on pace to fall short of his totals from last year (1,100 yards, 10 TDs).

So Keetz, be thankful for Ken. Be thankful that Ken decided to take a player on a shitty team with a shitty offensive line over a player who was drafted 4th overall and has the best O line in football. BE THANKFUL.

3. Last but not least, Keetz should be thankful that his team has dug it’s way out of the ditch. Three weeks ago, it looked like Keetz team could be done. He was 3-5 and coming off a crushing loss to Marty Huggins. A game which he lost by .7 points (103.7 to 104.4). I think he was sitting in 8th place at the time and it looked like he could be headed for a wasted season. Instead, the Zeke a Virus would go on to win three straight games, get to 6-5 and earn a playoff spot.

That’s actually not the only close game Keetz has lost. He also lost a game to Lamone by the same .7 point differential – week 5 loss of 148-148.7. The fact that he dropped two games in crushing fashion and still is in the playoffs is something to be thankful for. Generally, losses like that can crush your season. Fortunately for Keetz, his team stayed afloat. And for that, he should be thankful.