Many of you personally feel last night's extraordinary fantasy impacts, and the incredible circumstances that led to its results. Two third-string RBs enjoying moderate-to-huge fantasy performances. Two fourth-string RBs and three WR5/6's giving deep-deep leaguers something to hang their hats on. Two #1 wideouts -- both top-8 fantasy WRs -- producing little-to-nothing. A WR4 coming up with the 11th most fantasy points for a WR all season. A 38-year-old TE signed only because of a preseason injury to the starter . . . nearly outperforming fantasy's #1 TE. And the #1 fantasy QB suffering his second-lowest output all year.
Last night's stakes were huge. A chance at a fantasy title on the line. Considering what happened Week 1 between these two teams, nearly the opposite happened yesterday.
The best fantasy managers anticipate Plan B and Plan C even when Plan A is working. They react quickly when Plan A falters due to injuries or suspensions or usage shifts. They play percentages to increase their odds of success. They don't complain or mope or make excuses. Crap happens to everyone. It's how we handle the crap that makes us champions.
In the inaugural season of the FF4W Premier Fantasy Football League, I was in the driver's seat a couple weeks ago: a first-round bye, the #1 fantasy RB, #1 fantasy WR, #1 fantasy K, #2 fantasy DST, and #5 fantasy RB, plus T.Y. Hilton, Aaron Jones, and enough surrounding talent to make my team nearly unstoppable.
Except of course it's stoppable. My starting QB is the injured Carson Wentz. It's a big-bench 14-team league, and my other QB, Jameis Winston, has a brutal final stretch. So Nick Mullens -- yes, that Nick Mullens -- is my best remaining option. James Conner is also likely out. Aaron Jones is heading to Chicago, where things don't look good. Hilton has been sidelined all week. And Tyreek Hill just pooped the bed.
My once-dominant club is suddenly limping to the finish. I used up most of my remaining FAAB several weeks ago on an ill-advised reach for Ryan Fitzpatrick. My semifinals opponent, FF4W commenter Aaron Weaver, has been cleaning up ever since, snagging the best available QBs, Jaylen Samuels, and other guys who could have helped me. He's outmaneuvered me throughout the season and, heading into Thursday Night Football, was strongly favored to head to the finals.
One player could have salvaged my season. One guy with the highest Week 15 upside of any player available on our league's waivers. I recommended him strongly on this site yesterday, and decided to take my own advice and throw the Hail Mary. Mike Williams was headed toward a good game even before Keenan Allen was knocked out. But what was dramatically unlucky for those leaning on a big night from Allen turned into a miracle performance from the Chargers' biggest boom-bust talent.
Sometimes boom-bust is the only option we have. I could have started Aaron Jones and hoped for 10 points. But that wouldn't have been enough this week. Sometimes good luck counteracts bad luck. Those of you who, like me, started Williams probably did so out of similar desperation. But it doesn't make it any less earned. We played the percentages. Luck intervened. Sometimes it's that simple.
Four years ago an occasional FF4W reader sent me an urgent message. He was getting married and needed someone to set his lineup. For the first time ever (and I've never done it for anyone since), I agreed to set his lineup. Not sure why. Maybe I could identify with his near-desperate desire to win, and I could appreciate how he didn't want fantasy to be a distraction that weekend.
That was Aaron Weaver.
And wouldn't you know it: the lineup I set for him didn't win. I let him down on one of the biggest weekends of his life. He forgave me, but deep down I think we both know that's when our mutual admiration and deep-seated rivalry began.
So if you're up for it, please wish Aaron a happy 4th wedding anniversary. And also wish him good luck this weekend in a matchup born out of four years of as-yet-unrealized payback and redemption. If I win, it'll be almost entirely because of Mike Williams' miracle. If he wins, it'll be because he out-managed me when it mattered most.
And one of us will never hear the end of it.
Last night's stakes were huge. A chance at a fantasy title on the line. Considering what happened Week 1 between these two teams, nearly the opposite happened yesterday.
The best fantasy managers anticipate Plan B and Plan C even when Plan A is working. They react quickly when Plan A falters due to injuries or suspensions or usage shifts. They play percentages to increase their odds of success. They don't complain or mope or make excuses. Crap happens to everyone. It's how we handle the crap that makes us champions.
In the inaugural season of the FF4W Premier Fantasy Football League, I was in the driver's seat a couple weeks ago: a first-round bye, the #1 fantasy RB, #1 fantasy WR, #1 fantasy K, #2 fantasy DST, and #5 fantasy RB, plus T.Y. Hilton, Aaron Jones, and enough surrounding talent to make my team nearly unstoppable.
Except of course it's stoppable. My starting QB is the injured Carson Wentz. It's a big-bench 14-team league, and my other QB, Jameis Winston, has a brutal final stretch. So Nick Mullens -- yes, that Nick Mullens -- is my best remaining option. James Conner is also likely out. Aaron Jones is heading to Chicago, where things don't look good. Hilton has been sidelined all week. And Tyreek Hill just pooped the bed.
My once-dominant club is suddenly limping to the finish. I used up most of my remaining FAAB several weeks ago on an ill-advised reach for Ryan Fitzpatrick. My semifinals opponent, FF4W commenter Aaron Weaver, has been cleaning up ever since, snagging the best available QBs, Jaylen Samuels, and other guys who could have helped me. He's outmaneuvered me throughout the season and, heading into Thursday Night Football, was strongly favored to head to the finals.
One player could have salvaged my season. One guy with the highest Week 15 upside of any player available on our league's waivers. I recommended him strongly on this site yesterday, and decided to take my own advice and throw the Hail Mary. Mike Williams was headed toward a good game even before Keenan Allen was knocked out. But what was dramatically unlucky for those leaning on a big night from Allen turned into a miracle performance from the Chargers' biggest boom-bust talent.
Sometimes boom-bust is the only option we have. I could have started Aaron Jones and hoped for 10 points. But that wouldn't have been enough this week. Sometimes good luck counteracts bad luck. Those of you who, like me, started Williams probably did so out of similar desperation. But it doesn't make it any less earned. We played the percentages. Luck intervened. Sometimes it's that simple.
Four years ago an occasional FF4W reader sent me an urgent message. He was getting married and needed someone to set his lineup. For the first time ever (and I've never done it for anyone since), I agreed to set his lineup. Not sure why. Maybe I could identify with his near-desperate desire to win, and I could appreciate how he didn't want fantasy to be a distraction that weekend.
That was Aaron Weaver.
And wouldn't you know it: the lineup I set for him didn't win. I let him down on one of the biggest weekends of his life. He forgave me, but deep down I think we both know that's when our mutual admiration and deep-seated rivalry began.
So if you're up for it, please wish Aaron a happy 4th wedding anniversary. And also wish him good luck this weekend in a matchup born out of four years of as-yet-unrealized payback and redemption. If I win, it'll be almost entirely because of Mike Williams' miracle. If he wins, it'll be because he out-managed me when it mattered most.
And one of us will never hear the end of it.