NFL Round 1 Preview
DTC Porkchop Express (3) -1 vs Sporty Strauss (6)
QB1 – Jimmy Garoppolo (QB16 – ATL) vs Tom Brady (QB3 – NO - SNF)
QB2 – Ryan Tannehill (QB20 – @PIT) vs Trevor Lawrence (QB28 – HOU)
RB1 – Alvin Kamara (RB4 – @TB) vs Najee Harris (RB8 – TEN)
RB2 – Joe Mixon (RB10 – @DEN) vs Antonio Gibson (RB12 – @PHI)
WR1 – Keenan Allen (WR13 – KC) vs Davante Adams (WR2 – @BAL)
WR2 – Brandon Aiyuk (WR28 – ATL) vs Tee Higgins (WR17 – @DEN)
TE – Pat Freiermuth (TE8 – TEN) vs Kyle Pitts (TE10 – @SF)
FLEX1 – Aaron Jones (RB13 – @BAL) vs AJ Dillon (RB23 – @BAL)
FLEX2 – Michael Carter (RB36 - @MIA) / DJ Moore ( vs Brandin Cooks (WR23 – @JAX)
D/ST – Cardinals (D3 – @DET) vs Dolphins (D1 – NYJ)
DTC Porkchop Express: Advantage at 5/10 positions
Sporty Strauss: Advantage at 5/10 positions
DTC Porkchop Express INJURIES: Jaylen Waddle (WR20 – NYJ), Aaron Jones (Q - MCL), DJ Moore (Q - Hamstring)
Sporty Strauss INJURIES: Tee Higgins (Q - Ankle), Elijah Moore (IR), Kadarious Toney (Q - COVID), Chris Carson (IR)
A dead-draw for what is surely the most anticipated matchup of the entire season. These teams played each other twice this season, each with a win. Now they square off one last time (in NFL) with all the chips on the line.
QB advantages are split – with DTC having two mid-tier QBs and Strauss having one good and one bad. DTC has the edge at RB, but not by some crazy amount. Kamara, Mixon and Jones are one helluva hydra that’s for sure. WR goes to Strauss. Adams and Cooks have been consistent all season, and Higgins has come around as of late. TE is a cute matchup between two excellent rookie TEs, though Pitts has been a disappointment. To top it all off, these two teams have 2 of the top-3 ranked defenses of the week.
Injuries weren’t a massive factor this week until Waddle caught COVID. That moved the line a couple of points, and puts multiple players in Craig’s lineup that have health concerns. Both squads deserve to be in the playoffs, but only one can advance with much on the line for season-long play. If DTC Porkchop Express wins this game, they are the odds-on favorite to win it all. If Sporty Strauss wins, he will be favored 2nd or 3rd.
Ornery Otters (4) +9 vs Shepherd Goods Choppers (5)
QB1 – Matthew Stafford (QB8 – SEA) vs Patrick Mahomes (QB5 – @LAC - TNF)
QB2 – Jared Goff (ARI) vs Jalen Hurts (QB9 – @WAS)
RB1 – Jonathan Taylor (RB3 – NE - SAT) vs Cordarrelle Patterson (RB9 – @SF)
RB2 – Chubba Hubbard (RB30 – @BUF) vs James Robinson (RB22 – HOU)
WR1 – Chris Godwin (WR7 – NO) vs Hunter Renfrow (WR16 – @CLE - SAT)
WR2 – Terry McLaurin (INJ) (WR25 – @PHI) vs Cole Beasley (WR38 – CAR)
TE – Dallas Goedert (TE11 – WAS) vs Zach Ertz (TE10 – @DET)
FLEX1 – Van Jefferson (WR27 – SEA) vs Jamison Crowder (WR48 – @MIA)
FLEX2 – Damien Harris (RB34 – @IND) – Jerry Jeudy (WR36 - CIN) vs Dontrell Hilliard (RB37 @PIT) / Adam Thielen INJ (WR47 – @CHI - MNF)
D/ST – Buccaneers (D6 – NO) vs Steelers (D20 – TEN)
Ornery Otters: Advantage at 6/10 positions
Shepherd Goods Choppers: Advantage at 4/10 positions
Ornery Otters INJURIES: Terry McLaurin (Q - Concussion), AJ Brown (IR), DeAndre Hopkins (IR) Damien Harris (Q - Hamstring), Tony Pollard (Q - Foot), Michael Thomas (IR), Jameis Winston (IR)
Shepherd Goods Choppers INJURIES: Adam Thielen (D - Ankle), James Robinson (P - Knee/Heel), JD McKissic (Q - Concussion), Jalen Hurts (P - Ankle), Christian McCaffrey (IR), Corey Davis (IR), Kenyan Drake (IR), Mark Ingram (IR), Deonte Harris (S), DJ Chark IR
This has officially become the #InjuryBowl. Long laundry lists mar the rosters on both sides of this contest, somehow making Shepherd Goods Choppers the favorite. THAT is the power of an excellent QB duo in the League of Leagues. It doesn’t get much better than Mahomes-Hurts in terms of fantasy QBs – only Las Cabras have it better. And that is Jordan’s clear edge. Stafford and particularly Goff don’t quite cut it as good QB options in the League of Leagues playoffs.
However, the Ornery Otters have Jonathan Taylor on the other side, one of the scariest players to play against. However, a bad matchup for JT puts his whole week in doubt. Without a stellar performance from his MVP, the Otters might bead dead in the water with the injuries that have absolutely destroyed his WR position.
Jordan is just a player down in this matchup. With Emmanuel Sanders out, Cole Beasley is an excellent play this week. Jamison Crowder isn’t the end of the world if Thielen is trending downward. McKissic would even be an okay fill-in, but Dye could certainly be better. No team is in better position to make a little trade this week other than potentially Korey, who needs QBs and some injury fill-ins to stay alive and fight another day when hopefully his team is a little bit healthier.
CONSOLATION MATCHUPS
Cooper Troopers (9) -11 vs The Pullies (12)
QB1 – Dak Prescott (QB7 – @NYG) vs Joe Burrow (QB13 – @DEN)
QB2 – Tua Tagovailoa (QB15 – NYJ) vs Carson Wentz (QB22 – NE)
RB1 – Jamaal Williams (RB34 – ARI) vs Leonard Fournette (RB7 – NO - SNF)
RB2 – Rashaad Penny (RB26 – @LAR) vs Devonta Freeman (RB24 – GB)
WR1 – Cooper Kupp (WR1 – SEA) vs Justin Jefferson (@CHI - MNF)
WR2 – Amari Cooper (WR18 – @NYG) vs Stefon Diggs (CAR)
TE – Travis Kelce (TE2 – @LAC) vs Rob Gronkowski (TE3 – NO)
FLEX1 – Marvin Jones (WR45 – HOU) vs Mike Davis (RB35 – @SF)
FLEX2 – Rashod Bateman (WR52 – GB) vs Ty Johnson (RB45 – @MIA)
D/ST – 49ers (D10 – ATL) vs Saints (D22 – @TB)
Cooper Troopers: Advantage at 6/10 positions
The Pullies: Advantage at 4/10 positions
In the Consolation playoffs, we’ll pay a little bit more attention to what’s a stake than the matchup itself. For the Cooper Troopers this all comes down to not getting last place. A loss here and he becomes the far-and-away favorite for last place in the League of Leagues. For The Pullies, this is all about giving themselves a chance to compete. The Pullies feel like the Vikings or the Bears right now – perpetually in the middle of the league. They have enough young players to be average in NFL and the vets to compete in NBA, but they’ll just never be bad enough to draft great talent and never good enough to actually compete.
Right now, The Pullies just have no depth, whereas Cooper Troopers have some. The OBJ COVID situation has put The Pullies’ chances of winning in serious jeopardy, because they don’t have replacements. If only The Pullies were willing to make a fair trade throughout the course of this season. The only trade they’ve made so far is for Gus Edwards, so they’ve likely become cowards after that move.
Wait ‘Til Next Year (10) +4 vs MN Moose Knuckles (11)
QB1 – Justin Herbert (QB2 – KC) vs Taysom Hill (QB10 – @TB)
QB2 – Matt Ryan (QB25 – SF) vs Teddy Bridgewater (QB23 – CIN)
RB1 – Clyde Edwards-Helaire (@LAC) vs Nick Chubb (LV – SAT)
RB2 – Royce Freeman (RB41 – @JAC) vs Alex Collins (@LAR)
WR1 – CeeDee Lamb (WR9 – @NYG) vs DK Metcalf (@LAR)
WR2 – DeVante Parker (WR28 – NYJ) vs KJ Osborn (@CHI – MNF)
TE – Foster Moreau (TE24 – @CLE – SAT) vs Mark Andrews (TE4 – GB)
FLEX1 – Gabriel Davis (WR47 – CAR) vs Christian Kirk (@DET)
FLEX2 – Kenny Golladay (WR56 – DAL) vs Allen Robinson (MIN – MNF) / Dalton Schultz (@NYG)
D/ST – Vikings (D9 – @CHI) vs Chiefs (D14 – @LAC)
Wait ‘Til Next Year: Advantage at 7/10 positions
MN Moose Knuckles: Advantage at 3/10 positions
This game is massive for Kyle and doesn’t mean a whole lot for the MN Moose Knuckles. If Kyle wins this and has a chance to compete for 5 or 6 points in NFL, he’s the favorite. If he loses and could score 0 in NFL like the quality of his team actually deserves, that leaves a wide, wide opening for DTC Porkchop Express, Sporty Strauss, The BamO’s, Ornery Otters and potentially a mystery team!
For the Moose Knuckles, they might prefer not to take last, but their NBA team will be responsible for keeping them out of the gutter. If he wanted to, Hall could make some moves to improve what is by far the worst keeper situation in the League of Leagues so far. But he’s just going to get better value after this week.
Kyle made a savvy move to pick up Royce Freeman for a measly $2, a move any team could have made. Instead, teams like DTC Porkchop Express, Ornery Otters, BamO’s and Doc are leaving $30+ on the table in a league where little moves like this can play a huge role in season-long scoring. Not to mention The Pullies, who have multiple owners, left $93 on the table and have won of the worst keeper situations.
As always, dividends are paid in fantasy sports to teams that do the research whether or not the waiver wire is thick or thin. Kyle spent his final $2 on a player who can contribute, and it’s a move that could potentially win him the league or help his placement in the top-4. If he does, you only have yourselves to blame for not making or preventing moves like this.