Parity, Tanking, and Leftover Morsels

The surge for the playoffs is upon us! I don’t honestly believe that my mediocre team can continue to find ways to win, but I’m kindling every bit of hope within me that this feat is possible. Steve and Scott have clinched playoff spots, but there are six teams jockeying for the final four playoff spots. Everett has an insurmountable points lead and will annihilate any tie breaker scenario, so he is close to clinching.

As always, injuries change the climate of the season, and I decided to review how our the teams in our fair league have rated since Week 7. The pecking order is:

1. Everett 681 points
2. Taylor 629 points
3. Tyler 618 points
4. Scott 601 points
5. Jim 599 points
6. Jason 595 points
7. Brandon 587 points
8. Steve 579 points
9. John 556 points
10. Ben 550 points

My take on things (in order of the above list, not committing to actually ranking everyone):

Everett – team could not have worse luck. They are extraordinary and seldom have an off week. He’s lost four of his last six despite outscoring the league average by 15 per game. I don’t know how Shaub hasn’t gotten hurt yet, I thought that was his thing.

Taylor – Despite the poor O-Line, A-Rod has been pouring in the fantasy points. He is facing a bit of trouble with Carolina’s failure to just give DeAngelo the ball, Turner is banged up, and his receivers have been horrible, but he is in a good position to make the playoffs and continue his gloating.

Tyler – Really? After his team was outscored by Chris Johnson in one week, Ty still ranks third in points over the last six weeks. His team is completely boom or bust. Miles Austin, Sims-Walker, and Brady headline his cast of unpredictable characters…and we know how Tyler hates shuffling that roster. Tyler is on the outside looking in right now, but he can definitely win out, and finally taste the sweet nectar of the playoffs. That will require him to beat me and Scott. We’ll see how Scott decides to play that one next week….

Scott – This is a strong squad, and has been winning since the start. He has outstanding production from RBs and always seems to make the right defensive play. More importantly, the fantasy gods smile upon Scott with a radiance that only Brandon knew before. It seems that his team typically only has to score about 80 points to ensure victory. His main concern right now should be whether Minnesota clinches early enough that they won’t play Peterson much in the last two games. If that happens, then Scott’s roster is equalized.

Jim – The Job of our fantasy league. Jim’s roster on paper looked elite until the Ronnie Brown injury, but he just can’t convert that into wins.

Jason – If Benson loses the lion’s share of the carries down the stretch, then my team is going to be fighting an uphill battle. It appears that Fred Jackson wants to return to Week 2 form and give my roster a boost, but I think we all know Brees is the key. I’ve won five of six, and that run of good fortune is sure to expire soon. That said, if I get “Bad Tyler” this weekend, then my team will be very close to clinching.

Brandon – The Westbrook injury has been a tough blow to Brandon’s morale. Like my team, his guys need to put up big numbers to help them in the case of a tie-breaker scenario. He has a pivotal matchup with Ben this week that will most likely determine a playoff spot.

Steve – The Big City keeps rolling on despite apparently not scoring a ton of points. MJD and Randy Moss are capable of going for big numbers against any competition. Last week, the four QBs on his roster combined for 6 points. He couldn’t replicate that again in a zillion years.

John – Stop playing the Bears D. They are no longer elite, and are costing you wins. Portis and Jacobs have been really disappointing, but John’s receiver monopoly has been a fun sidebar the entire season.

Ben – The running back woes have been nagging Ben all season, and his committees are totally unpredictable. He still controls his own destiny for the playoffs, and if he gets his RBs right, then he’ll be a tough out. The Indy Mannings have already clinched their division, and I believe they have a three-game lead on home field advantage for the playoffs with only five games remaining. If the Colts sit Peyton, then Ben’s roster looks not so pretty.

As many of you are aware, Scott is going to tank this week against Steve to protect himself from a potential match-up with Everett in the finals. Feel free to discuss this, but I think Scott is really trying to do what he thinks is best to win a championship, so I don’t have a huge issue with it. I will say, that he runs the risk of finishing second to Steve in the standings, and moving down a notch for the top pick in the draft, but that would easily be worth it if he gets a championship. Considering the parity in the league, I’m not sure how helpful this maneuver will be. Scott’s two losses have come to John and me, so it’s not like the juggernauts have taken him down. Long lunch break? You bet.