GWBL - Week 9 - What You Missed (Part 2)

Let’s pick up where we left off in Part 1 - 3 things you may have missed for the top 5 teams in the standings.

5) JOEY NUM NUMS BRAIN FREEZE (5-4) - Lamone

1) Lamone put an end to a 4 game losing streak in Week 9 with a layup win over Robby D (105-63). The 105 was the lowest total put up by any winning team in Week 9 and Lamone only would have beat 3 of the 9 teams this past week. Lucky for him, he played 1 of those 3 teams.

2) Tom Brady returns from a bye this week and it’ll be interesting to see how he fares in the second half (ish) of the season. During his Patriot-days, his fantasy production would typically slow down as the weather turned and the Pats became more run heavy. That script was flipped in his first year in Tampa as he dominated in the second half after starting his Bucs career slow. TB12 is a critical component to Lamone’s team and will likely dictate how far he makes it.

3) Lamone’s WRs are the weak spot of his team and I have to ask - is this the worst year for WRs ever? I feel like none of my fantasy teams have a strong WR core and there’s absolutely nothing on waivers (even in our 10 man league). There are no Justin Jefferson/AJ Brown breakout players this year and many of the big name guys have disappointed (looking at your Deandre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, AJ Brown, etc)

4) Trey Squared (5-4) - Keetz

1) Keetz is a little bit under the radar and I was surprised to see him this high in the rankings. He’s arguably the most successful owner in our league so I’d never write him off, but it seemed like it might be a down year when he was 3-4 after Week 7. Two wins in a row and he’s right back in the mix.

2) I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t point this out - Keetz has the fewest points against. His opponents average 113 against, while the league median is about 122. For comparison, Kev’s opponents put up 132. Poor kev.

3) Breaking news - Nick Chubb tested positive for COVID today. When he’s on the field he’s unstoppable, but his availability has really come into question these past 2 seasons. Fortunately for Keetz he has Dernest as a handcuff and he’s proven he can get the job done.

3) Tickle Pitts (6-3) - Dyl

1) Dyls’ 4 game win streak came to an end in Week 9, but a 4-1 record in his past 5 games has put him firmly in contention for a bye week. It’s a little too early to be thinking about playoffs, but things are looking good for Tickle Pitts. Especially when you consider that his 3 opponents in Week 12-14 all have losing records.

2) Despite not having much talent at the position, Dyl’s been able to piece together an RB core with duct tape, gum and will-power. In Week 7 he started Chuba/Darrel Williams and got 18 points. In Week 8 he started Chuba/Darrel Williams and got 35 points. In Week 9 he started Melvin Gordon/Williams and got 34 points. It’s not pretty but he’s making it work.

3) Speaking of RBs, is Dyl gonna make a trade from his surplus of WRs? Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, Ceedee Lamb, Jamar Chase and Deebo Samuel. You can only start 3, so sell one to my team please.

2) Fire That Pigskin (6-3) - Commish

1) It’s been a fortunate run for me the past 3 weeks as I’ve gone 2-1 and only had 114 points against per game. I’ve also had close wins, with a 9 point victory in Week 7 and a 5 point victory in Week 9.

2) Jalen Hurts has had a great year, but he’s starting to make me reallllyyy nervous. He’s combined for 32 fantasy points the last 2 weeks with a combined 265 passing yards. In two games! Tom Brady wipes his ass with 265 passing yards, typically generating that many by the end of the 3rd quarter in a given week. Hopefully Russel Wilson comes back soon because I’m losing a little faith in Hurts.

3) Injuries are starting to creep up on my team and it may ultimately derail my season. James Robinson missed Week 9, Damien Harris/Rhamondre Stevenson have concussions, Russel Wilson is still out and Deandre Hopkins is banged up. I’m still grinding out some decent games but it’s something to monitor.

1) MO (6-3) - Tieg

1) I said Keetz was an under the radar team, but I almost spit out my coffee when I saw Tieg was in first place. When did this happen? And how? To answer the first question, it’s because he’s won 4 straight matchups. He was 2-3 through 5 weeks, but his recent run has placed him at the top of the leader board.

2) And how? Cooper Kupp is the #1 reason. The #1 WR in fantasy averages 23 points per week on the season and is the only WR to top 200 points this season. Kupp has 208 fantasy points on the season. Tyreek Hill is the #2 WR and has 156. At his current pace, Hill would have to play 3 more games to catch Kupp - if Kupp didn’t play. During Tiegs 4 game win streak Kupp has 37 catches for 496 yards and 5TDs. It’s taken Nikhil Harry 3 NFL seasons to accumulate 50 catches for 491 yards and 4 TDs. Damnit Nikhil.

3) The scary thing is that Tieg just got McCaffrey back - a player he won 3 straight games without. It’s been a while since we ended Tieg’s reign of terror in this league, but I’m starting to wonder if we’re on the precipice of another.