Playoffs?

What is up Millbrook Fantasy League? The Fantasy Playoffs have finally arrived and I don't know about you but I am just so excited for the pain to be over. I really couldn't care less who wins the trophy this year (which we still need a name for, I've gotten no texts about ideas so you guys are all not being helpful and are letting Augie's dumb idea win) but I put this dumb obligation of writing a blog on myself for some reason. So I guess I have to at least act like I'm excited and interested...

The Playoffs are here everyone and this has the looks of being our most intense postseason yet! We have only 1 Champion returning to the Playoffs this season so there is a high possibility a brand new champion will be crowned in the next three weeks. Yep, in case you forgot, Connor and the Rainbows DID NOT qualify for the playoffs this year and finished the season with a losing record.

Tragic

Before we go all in Playoff Mode let's take a quick look back at the final week of the regular season, where teams had the final chance of making that last leap for playoffs, of which Connor failed...

Matchup Highlights:

In our Wildcat Matchup of the Week where the winner snuck into the Playoffs and the loser saw their championship dreams crumble like any player on the Crunching Munchies, it was Miking Mikes (8-5) that stood standing after the dust settled. GM Darren defeated GM Connor and his Ravagn' Rainbows (6-7) with a final score of 89-85. In a game where both QBs dissapointed and a nearly deadlocked RB matchup, it was WR Keenan Allen of the Mikes who put the team on his back late Sunday Night to overcome a deficit set by opposing Rainbow, TE Cook. Allen exploded for 148 yards, a TD, and a 2 point conversion to cement their spot in the playoffs, knocking off Connor and the Rainbows once and for all.

Belichick Yo Self (7-6) comfortably defeated Crunching Munchies (2-11) to finish out the season 104-85 thanks to the elite WR core of Adams and Brown who stepped up while QB Brees struggled. A win was not enough for GM David however as he eagerly waited on the outcome of the Mikes vs Rainbows game. He was so nervous that he couldn't watch the final few matchups and was forced to go to a concert 9 hours away instead. After putting on his sweatpants and sobering up, he checked the score to see what he wanna see, the Belis in the playoffs, instead of Connor.

In a season finale between the top two offenses in the league, #1 Mr. Nice Guy (10-3) defeated the (8-5) Ravioli Ravioli 134-115. Both teams had already clinched their spot before this week and used this matchup as a tune-up for the playoffs, where they will be participating while Connor plays in the Dansky. If anything, this game should have just terrified everyone else in the playoffs as the Nice Guys scored 134 while their QB and top WRs combined for just 18 points. RBs Gurley and Lindsay both put up 28 and Conner added to the insanity with 19 points of his own. Also what kinda kicker gets 21 points? The MFFL Competition Committee will be drug testing the entire Nice Guy roster this upcoming week because this is just ridiculous. The Raviolis found similar success in the RB squad led by CMC and Zeke who combined for 43 points, the same amount that GM Dom scores per week. Also both the Defense and Kicker on either team scored 15 or more points? Fantasy really isn't fair guys.

Playoff Brackets:

Let's first take a look at the Championship bracket:

                                Quarter-final                   Semi-final                            Championship

                                4) Ravioli Ravioli

Maniac Division                                                                           

                                5) Miking Mikes

                                                                         1) Mr. Nice Guy                     

                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                                      

                                                                         2) Hoochie Mamas

                                3) Scoregasms

Wildcat Division                                                                               

                                6) Belichick Yo Self

Team Bios:

1) Mr. Nice Guy led by GM Grafton had the greatest season campaign in franchise history. Grafton executed an excellent draft, securing RB Gurley and WR Cooks along with QB tandem Goff and Luck who were staples for the team all season. Mid-season management was the key to the Nice Guy dominance this season, acquiring WR Julio through true trade rape fashion and RB Conner on the waiver wire. They led the league in points and are the clear cut favorites for the championship with 5-2 odds. Key players to watch: Conner and if he can return in time for their semifinal matchup, Lindsay who could be the Playoff MVP with 3 amazing matchups on the path to the championship.

2) Hoochie Mamas led by GM August was projected for an abysmal performance after a complete bust on draft night... or so everyone thought. The massive draft night trade to acquire RB Barkley has paid off tenfold while missing out on RBs Howard and Henry has worked out tremendously as TE Ertz led the league in points for the majority of the season. To top it off, QB Mahomes was a supernova that burned for 13 weeks and gives the Mamas 4-1 odds Key players to watch: RB Chubb aka the last Hoochie Mama standing will be important for them to keep pace with the other amazing teams in the league.

3) Scoregasms led by GM Brody had an absolutely outstanding draft night where he picked WRs Diggs and Woods while also acquiring TE Kelce who all led the team through a long undefeated run to start the season. Great mid-season management also helped their success story as they acquired top defense Chicago as well as a great late season trade for WR Hill which will put them at 5-1 odds. Key Players to watch: RB Cohen could be the difference maker for the Scoregasms if they hope to make a deep playoff run.

4) Ravioli Ravioli led by GM Ian got off to a rough 1-4 start but thanks to great commitment by their Manager, the Raviolis turned their season around with a 7 win streak to leap into the playoffs on the backs of star RB duo Zeke and CMC. They will be a hot pick for the championship with 6-1 odds but they must go through Mr. Nice Guy should they make it to the semis. Key Players to watch: Sanders and Jeffrey will need to have great playoff campaigns with the loss of Sanders if the Raviolis are to have any chance at lifting the trophy.

5) Miking Mikes led by GM Darren have been a middle of the pack team for the majority of they year, being carried by star RB Kamara. They have struggled the entire year with finding a supporting RB to follow suit and may have done so just in time with Chris Carson while the breakout of WR Allen helped them sneak into the playoffs in a do or die matchup where they knocked Connor out. The Mikes have arguably the weakest team in the playoffs and have a 9-1 odds to win. Key Players to watch: Keenan Allen will need to continue his recent dominance while Boyd will be required to overcome a strong Ravioli squad.

6) Belichick Yo Self led by GM David were gifted with the last playoff seed after Connor lost his matchup, getting knocked out of the playoffs and into the Dansky. They were a solid team with struggles at RB but the emergence of Sony Michel and Lamar Miller helped solidify their place as a contender. They are my certified dark horse for this years playoffs with a 8-1 odds to win with a good chance to pull off the upset against the Scoregasms. Key Players to watch: Sony Michel will be interesting to see if he can continue to roll despite the return of Burkhead, as he will be clinical in carrying the load for the Belis. 

Now let's take a look at the Dansky Bracket:

                                                                          Toilet Bowl                              Dansky Bowl

                                8) Tittsburgh Feelers
Toilet Division                                                                             
                                9) Bigpapihugetime

                                                                         12) Crunching Munchies                   
                                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                            
                                                                          Dumpster Bowl
                                                                                                                                                          
                                                                            11) Grafton's A Bum
                                7) Ravagn' Rainbows
Dumpster Division                                                                              
                                10) Pasca's Ex Daddy



Team Bios

7) Ravagn' Rainbows led by GM Connor barely missed out on the playoffs after losing last week. Injuries have rattled their firepower throughout the season as both Cook and Gordon have struggled with leg injuries causing them to miss multiple games. In the end however, it was the wheeling and dealing from a panicked manager anxious about missing out on the players, as trading away WR Hill proved to be a faulty decision as the Rainbows would have walked away with a victories with their old players. They will be a good bet to avoid the Dansky facing off against Pasca's Ex Daddy in the first round and might be able to get a win without needing to rely on Gordon to return. They have slim 10-1 odds of becoming the inaugural Dansky loser, but how awesome would that be to have the inaugural fantasy champion do the honors as well in the Dansky. Key Players to watch: Newly acquired RB David Johnson and star WR Juju will need to harness the luck of the Irish and lead their team to victory as their counterparts Hilton and Cook have been unreliable this season.

8) Tittsburgh Feelers led by GM Matt face a tough road to the Dansky and will be looking for one last big performance as they have been hot and cold all season. Always capable of a red-hot 140 point week, their early season promise fizzled out with injuries to their WR position and the fall out of RBs Howard and Hunt, one of whom has shown promise in becoming a field goal specialist. Ultimately however, it was the poor mid-season management that found the Feelers in the loser bracket, wasting multiple starting positions on injured players. They join GM Connor in the Dansky Loser Bracket with 4-1 odds of getting an extra special haircut come offseason. Key Players to watch: Yikes

9) Bigpapihugetime led by GM Kurt could not reimagine the magic from their previous championship year and instead after a grueling season of disappointment, find themselves in the same boat as fellow ex-champion Connor, fighting for the Dansky. Led the entire season by a strong trio of Hopkins, Thomas, and Mixon; it was the supporting cast that never quite got up to par as they never found their Franchise QB. They have a good chance to escape the Loser Tourny in the first round with a plus matchup against the numb Feelers and face 7-1 odds of going from first to worst. Key Players to watch: RB Gus Edwards could be the key to victory with an excellent matchup against the Chiefs soft defense while WR Michael Thomas will need to return to his early season form to finish out a forgetful year for the Huge Times.

10) Pasca's Ex-Daddy led by GM Dom started out the season en fuego with a perfect 3-0 record. As predicted in the Power Rankings however, their DOMinance did not last and they quickly slipped to the bottom of both the standings and the DTDB Moments of the Week. RB Bell really screwed this team over by not bothering to show up while another RB was never found to take the reins as GM Dom instead opted to run a committee of backups. Other injuries from Lynch and Powell also haunted Dom and Daddy as their season tumbled further and further down the drain. WR Thielen was the sole bright spot for this team all year and is the reason they are only heavy favorites with 2-1 odds to win the Dansky and not a secure 100%. Key Players to watch: RB Peterson and WR Thielen will need to carry this team if they hope to keep a nice head of hair on their manager.

11) Grafton's a Bum led by GM Kelly showed us the true meaning of Bumming it this season. An unfortunate draft that saw rookie RBs Guice and Penny fall to injury was followed by what could be the worst managerial decision in League history since the Great Gronk Wrangling of '15. Kelly set himself up poorly for the season and an apparent confusion with how the waiver wire works did not help the cause. However, a great midseason trade to acquire RB Aaron Jones gave the Bums a late season spark as him and Odell look promising enough to set them up for 4-1 odds to win (lose?) the Dansky. Key Players to Watch: Free agent WR Valdes Scandling and how many times GM Kelly picks him up and drops him leading up to the Dumpster Bowl and beyond.

12) Crunching Munchies led by GM Michael had a hideously horrific campaign where they endured an 0-10 start, losing to every single team in the league except for GM Connor and the Rainbows who they defeated in week 11.  Plagued with injuries galore, the Munchies never stood a chance as their top player in 3 positions were all injured for nearly the entire season in week 1 in Fournette, Freeman, and Walker. Various other multi-week injuries ensured they would never reach their true potential while a poor supporting cast and roster depth made it difficult to ever get anything going. They enter the Dansky Tournament with a bye week to get healthy and have 6-1 odds of finishing right where they started, last. Key Players to watch: RB Kerryon will need to return for Week 15 while WR Samuel could make a splash if given the start.

Playoff Matchups:
Quarter-Finals

• 4) Ravioli Ravioli vs 5) Miking Mikes:

The Mikes will have their hands full in this first round playoff game where the Raviolis will look to pound the ball with CMC, Zeke, and White while WRs Humphries and Edelman both have great matchups. Kamara should bring home all of the bacon in his matchup at Tampa while WR Allen will need to put up an incredible game to give his team a chance. Supporting WR corps of rookies Moore and Sutton will be the difference maker as Moore will look to cancel QB Newton from the Raviolis allowing for QB Rodgers to finally break out for the Mikes.

• 3) Scoregasms vs 6) Belichick Yo Self:

GM Brody has been the beneficiary of easy matchups all year long, but that ends today where GM David and the Belis are flying into Cumopolis at full strength. They will look to continue to fly on the field with WRs Adams and Brown however will struggle to keep up with opposing WRs Diggs and Hill. TE Kelce will be the X factor as he should take the reins for a big game while WR Woods easily outscores opposing flex Henry. However, a big game from Sony and Lamar will make things interesting as both QBs are all set for blowout victories with astronomical passing numbers.

Dansky Tournament

• 8) Tittsburgh Feelers vs 9) Bigpapihugetime:

The Huge Times will look to finish their season strong on what could easily become a shootout between Tampa and New Orleans. With 3 players in the matchup, GM Kurt will be expecting big numbers from QB Winston and WRs Thomas and Godwin. Fellow WR Hopkins should also put up great numbers but his effect will be limited by opposing QB Watson who will be throwing him the TDs. The Feelers on the other hand will rely on Crapshoot Cooper for anther 30 point game and Howard to finally break double digits. We'll see you back next week Matt.

• 7) Ravagn' Rainbows vs 10) Pasca's Ex-Daddy

GM Connor, who lost last week to get knocked out of the playoffs, will be looking to jump out of the Dansky Bowl with a victory over the Floundering Daddies. WR Juju and Hilton will need to have rebound games if that is to occur as the return of QB Trubisky will give WR Thielen the support he needs for GM Dom. Other than that however, GM Dom has no difference makers unless RB Peterson has another big game. Either way, one of either DJ Cook or McCoy should match his production while the others deliver the killing blow.

 

Season Awards: For the first time in the MFFL, a few Season Awards will be announced, commemorating yet another fantastic fantasy season.

• Fantasy MVP- This award goes to the player most pivotal to his teams success, not necessarily the top player of the season.

RB Kamara wins the regular season MVP for single handedly carrying GM Darren and the Miking Mikes to the playoffs and knocking out GM Connor. He was consistently their top point scorer week in and week out and finished with an astonishing 17% of the total production from the Mikes over the entire year including the bye week. Simply put, this team goes as Kamara goes.

• Pick of the Draft- This award goes to the greatest combination of value and production that provided excellent season long performance.

GM August gets the Pick of the Draft for his Round 13 selection of QB Mahomes, who led the entire league in scoring this year while simultaneously leading his Hoochie Mamas to a playoff bye.

• Bust of the Draft- This award goes to a top draft selection that did not return value. Keep in mind injuries are not regarded as being a bust and Bell (the obvious pick) was also excluded due to the hold out.

GM David thought he had found a player to lead his RBs after starting the draft strong with 2 all-star WRs. Derrick Henry was not to be that guy and delivered 9 single digit games with 5 of them being under 5 points. A clear 3rd Round blunder surely must have caused GM David many sleepless nights over what might have been had he taken RB Mixon instead, who was selected only 2 picks later.

• Murphy Mixup of the Year- This award goes to the most classic Murphy Mixup that not only lost the game, but gave everyone a  great example of the catastrophic effects of overthinking in Fantasy Football.

Does everyone remember that time Kelly forgot to start any of his Falcons players in a New Orleans vs Atlanta matchup and left over 90 points from just a couple of players on his bench? If you forgot, here is the complete rundown of our Murphy Mixup of the Year:

Starters                                                           Bench

QB Cousins- 12.04 pts                                        QB Ryan- 50.16 pts   

WR Cole- 4.00 pts                                              WR Ridley- 33.50 pts

RB Lewis- 4.00 pts                                             RB Allen- 14.80 pts  

Kelly lost that game 87-71...

• Oh Boy! Play of the Year- This award goes to the boldest play of the year that paid off big time.

GM Darren wins this award for starting WR Moore in his breakout 21.7 point performance in week 11 that not only won the week, but set up a great flex start for the remainder of the season.

• WTF Waiver Wire- This award goes by default to Kelly but we must also recognize the greatest Waiver Wire Claimer this season

GM Brody is applauded for his two clinical waiver claims on the Chicago Defense and RB Cohen. Both players were acquired for a combined total of about the same price it takes to buy Dom for the night, $3. Both players became weekly starters for the Scoregasms and will be reliable options in the playoffs.

• DTDB Moment of the Year- Who finished on top?

GM Darren true fantasy must not even be related to football, but instead was realized as he finished on top of GM Dom. I'm really tired of coming up with these innuendos so this will be the final edition of DTDB... at least until after finals when Darren needs some stress relief.

• Controversial Trade of the Year- 

LOL

• Manager of the Year- This award goes to the GM who had the greatest season, including an excellent draft, great heads up waiver pickups, and clever trading to set his team up in the best possible situation.

GM Grafton is this years Manager of the Year for what is a season that could go in the Textbook for Midseason Management. Clearly in cahoots with NFL Reporters, Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport, GM Grafton was first to all the top Free Agents seemingly before the news even broke. Headline signings such as RBs Conner, Ware, and Peterson along with a $6 bid for Lindsay set the tone that Mr. Nice Guy was not here to make friends. Furthermore, Grafton proved to be a master persuasionist, leading the league in trades, and acquiring Julio basically for free. On top of all that, an incredible draft left the Nice Guys with all the pieces they could want for a Championship run.

That's all for this week's Weekly Wrap-up and the regular season. May the Playoffs be just as drama and fun-filled as the regular season was. Good luck to everyone involved and may all your dreams come true, except in Fantasy. Also, if you are willing and able, please fill out this survey regarding the Fantasy Playoffs and ways we can improve the League and Weekly Wrap-Up.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMXfFsf9osTtu5NNmRj0HJavZcwuRKKQEVgw8zq97W4OKGnw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Thank you all for reading, you guys make this league amazing. I'll see you all later, but until then, take good care of yourselves and don't forget to be awesome.