NJ Hollywood League: The Final Showdown

NJ Hollywood League: The Final Showdown

By Sam Spiegelman

7.0 Sends The Situation Back to the Gym

            Even without everyone’s favorite quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 7.0 prevailed over the favorite The Situation in the final four playoff showdown, earning a spot in the NJ Hollywood League’s Super Bowl.

            In Rodgers’ absence, Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman got the nod, scoring 17 points in a mediocre effort against the Lions. Freeman was anointed the waiver wire go-to guy after fantasy owners received the news Rogers would not be available for the Sunday night game, and he led the way for 7.0 in scoring on this weekend.

            It did not hurt that right behind Freeman was Steven Jackson and The Daily Show, who dominated in their games, combining for 26 points. Oh, and before we turned our attention to Michael Vick’s fourth-quarterback comeback, Hakeem the Dream scored a touchdown, and even the kicker contributed a wowing 15 on his own.

            The Situation finally ran into a situation of his own. Running backs Matt “I’m a man I’m” Forte and Arian Foster, who left the game against Tennessee with an injury, totaled just 14 points. And aside from Santana Moss’ unforeseen 19 points and the terrific Tom Brady, no one player could reach double-digit scoring.

Blade Runners over The Mudmonkies, 117-85

            You would have expected this game to be a closely contested showdown, but the Blade Runners skated away from The Mudmonkies this weekend, defeating them by a 32-point margin and earning a spot in the most important game of the year.

            Led by Michael Vick’s out-of-this-damn-universe fourth quarter performance translated not only into a Philly win but 42 fantasy points, easily the game high. Consider this – The Mudmonkies top two scorers combined for 45. If Vick is not the NFL’s MVP, he surely is fantasy footballs’.

            Alongside Vick, Jamaal Charles rebounded with Matt Cassel behind center to score 20 points, and LeGarrette Blount ran right over the Lions to score 17 of his own. Add that to Adam Viatier’s dime, too.

            The Mudmonkies got what they expected out of Drew Brees, who contributed 24 in a losing effort, but got two doughnuts from  Knowshon Moreno, who had an outstanding matchup but left the game with an injury, and Terrell Owens who suffered a similar fate and is now lost for the final two games of the season.

Super Bowl Preview: Blade Runners vs. 7.0

            Who can you give the “favorite” tag to in this showdown? 7.0 finally took down The Situation, the top scoring team in the NJ Hollywood League, or Blade Runners, who upset the 12-win Mudmonkies, the league’s best team on paper.

            The Blade Runners will have Michael Vick on their side; that goes without saying. So ignoring that always reliable option, Jamaal Charles will face the inconsistent Titans defense in Arrowhead, while Shady McCoy gets a Vikings defense that is struggling with injuries. Expect McCoy to be on the receiving ends of a lot of screens and dump-offs that could benefit him and Vick both.

            If Buffalo can keep pace with the Pats, both Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski will cause immense match-up problems for the Bills. If the Pats get out to a commanding lead though, it will be the running game of New England being used to kill the clock.

            7.0 will get an added boost with Aaron Rodgers back at the helm of the Packers offense, facing off against a demoralized Giants team at Lambeau. The G-Men are traditional quarterback killers, but given the superb play of Green Bay’s offensive line and the playoff situation his team is in, expect Rogers to come back into action in a big-time way.

            The always dangerous DeSean Jackson could possibly cancel out some of Vick’s scoring, so that is a plus. Hakeem the Dream will need to provide the big-play for the G-Men to keep pace with the Pack, and don’t sleep on Marcedes Lewis – he is emerging as a playmaker for David Garrard and the Jags; he could find a cheap-O touchdown this week against the Skins.

            My prediction: the Lombardi Trophy in 2010 will belong to the Blade Runners when it is all said and done. Rodgers may keep it within range, but D-Jax’s scoring will likely be neutralized, and the three-headed running back committee that is Charles, McCoy and LeGarrette Blount will prove too mighty for 7.0 to overcome.

NFL-FFA Week Playoff Report

By Colin Thompson

Week 15 Playoff Results

Stingrays defeated Louisiana Lightning

In a rematch of their week 14 battle, Stingrays got the best of Louisiana Lightning in a barn burner 31-30. Roddy White and Jamaal Charles ripped off huge games and had 18 points combined which did most of the damage for the Stingrays. It’s a shame that Louisiana Lightning lost by 1 but to lose that way with an injured Adrian Peterson in your lineup must really hurt. Peterson was a late scratch from his game and did not help his team in the end as all they needed was two points to move onto the semi-finals.

Augusta Gnats defeated Ragdolls

This contest was not nearly as close as the Augusta Gnats rolled over Ragdolls 48-20 to secure a semi-final berth. The Gnats saw Tom Brady, Lance Moore and Jacoby Ford all reach the end zone in this one and after a performance like that you deserve to move on. Ragdolls had 11 from Drew Brees but nobody else contributed to the team this past weekend. WR Robert Meachem drew a goose egg while James Jones got into the end zone and had 9 points, but Jones’s were from the bench.

Week 16 Playoff Preview

Red Menace vs. Stingrays

Stingrays are going to have to ride their winning streak into a showdown with the dangerous Red Menace. Fresh off a bye Red Menace is rested and ready to unleash their dynamic lineup on the rest of the league. RBs Darren McFadden and Chris Johnson are two of the most electric runners in the league and can take over any game. Look for them to do so in this matchup. The speed and talent doesn’t end there as burner DeSean Jackson will look to duplicate last week’s awesome performance with another and Calvin Johnson and Vincent Jackson make the Red Menace the most complete team in the playoffs. Stingrays are going to have to rely heavily on their own speedster RB Jamaal Charles and the league’s leading pass catcher in Roddy White. Their lineup is not nearly as deep but they are riding a nice winning streak so they have plenty of momentum.

Augusta Gnats vs. Waveriders

The Waveriders come off their bye with perhaps the strongest running game in the playoffs. Powerful backs Michael Turner and Ryan Torain are complemented nicely by the shifty Ray Rice. Johnny Knox is coming off of a nice game last week where he got into the end zone but still finds himself behind Deion Branch and Steve Johnson. The Augusta Gnats is going to need everything they can get from WR Miles Austin who has not been performing up to expectations at all this season after his QB Tony Romo went down early in the season. Despite all that he is still a dangerous play maker and with a good matchup this week he will need to come through if the Gnats stand a chance at all.

Key Mathcup Predictions

Red Menace defeats Stingrays – Too many explosive playmakers on the field for Red Menace. The speed they have is scary and can rack up points in a hurry.

Waveriders defeats Augusta Gnats – The Augusta Gnats have had a nice run but their roster is not nearly as strong as the Waveriders, especially at RB where the Waveriders excel.

Ezy’s League Playoff Report

By Colin Thompson

Semi-Final Results

Troy and Rob defeated Burny

Troy and Rob made the most of their semi-final appearance and got the win 52-23 over Burny. Unfortunately it didn’t come without a price. WR Austin Collie was the team’s leading scorer with 12 points but left with what is most likely a season ending concussion. The Cowboys QB and LaGarrette Blount had 20 points between them in the relatively easy victory. Burny just couldn’t get anything going and had 5 starters get 0 points including stars Michael Turner and Anquan Boldin. Ryan Torain and the colts QB were the only skill position players to get any points at all. It just wasn’t their week.

Wolk defeated Jake and Nick

This semi-final came down to the wire with Wolk pulling out the win 46-41 in a hotly contested battle. Wolk was powered by 5 touchdowns from the Saints QB and WR Jeremy Maclin. This resulted in over half of their teams points (24). Jake and Nick had the eagles QB come up with nearly that same amount all on his own. The eagles QB had 23 points to lead the team and was also helped out by kicker Matt Bryant who had 10. However the turning point in this matchup was clearly Jake and Nick benching Ray Rice who had by far his best game of the season finishing with 15 points, sadly he was left on the bench in favor of Ahmad Bradshaw who had 0.

Finals Preview

Troy and Rob vs. Wolk

The finals will have many tough decisions for both teams and the right choices can certainly be the difference in winning and losing, just ask Jake and Nick. Wolk currently has stud WR Hakeem Nicks on the bench and Vincent Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Roddy White in their starting lineup. It is going to be incredibly tough to bench Nicks after the spectacular year he’s had but all 4 receivers are top players in this league. Troy and Rob need to have a healthy Maurice Jones-Drew at their disposal otherwise they are in trouble. Jones-Drew is banged up this week and not quite at 100%, meanwhile Mike Tolbert sits on the bench just itching to get into this important game. This matchup could come down to QB play in the end and the advantage there goes to Wolk with the Saints QB as opposed to Troy and Rob countering with the Cowboys QB.

Prediction – Wolk with the Saints QB and a plethora of great wide receivers will take the league title.

KFL

The Dust has Settled

After a low-scoring but hard fought final match between Dynasty 3D and NE Deepthreat, the one who came out on top was the former by a score of 74-61. There was also a few consolation games that were finalized last week, so here is a rundown of how each match went.

Dynasty 3D vs. NE Deepthreat

Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that LeGarrette Blount, who went undrafted in almost every fantasy football league on the Internet, would be the key to one team’s championship victory? Dynasty 3D racked up a team-high 19 points from Blount and got some additional contributions from Joe Flacco (16) and Roddy White (12). It was enough to take out NE Deepthreat, who couldn’t get much going beyond the play of Josh Freeman (18) and Hakeem Nicks (12).

SF Hall of Justice vs. Yorktown Gunners

This was the first consolation match in the league, and it was a close one. While SF Hall of Justice had great games from Phillip Rivers (31) and Brandon Marshall (16), the rest of his players barely bothered to show up on the stat sheet. He finished with 80 points, which unfortunately for him was four points shy of his opponent. Yorktown Gunners was led by a great game from the Bears defense (20), as well as some other impressive performances from Peyton Manning (19) and Braylon Edwards (12). His win even came with a handicap, as Dez Bryant was in the starting lineup even though the Cowboys placed him on injured reserve.

Team 3^rd and Goal vs. Bruise Brothers-Dailey

The second consolation match was definitely not a good day at the office for Team 3^rd and Goal, as two of his top scorers were his defense and his kickers. Bruise Brothers-Dailey had a much better outing with Jon Kitna, Cedric Benson, and Jason Witten all scoring above 20 points. This led to an easy win for Bruise Brothers-Dailey by a score of 103-60.

League of Tax Free Shopping

In Preparation for a David vs. Goliath Matchup

Not surprisingly, the two top teams in the League of Tax Free Shopping remain in the race for the championship. But two other teams, Franchise 4 Kicking Your Ass (7-6-1) and Columbus Clobber Knockers (7-8), have fought and clawed their way into the thick of the postseason as well, despite sub-par records. In this week’s semifinals, the heavyweights, Jordan and Montclair Moonshiners, will duke it out like Ali vs. Frazier for a place in the final match, while the lower seeds will fight to be the underdog representative in the big game.

Jordan vs. Montclair Moonshiners

Matchup Analysis

Even if Donald Brown had a breakout game last week, Montclair Moonshiners is playing with fire by starting him. Considering his overall struggles this year and Joseph Addai’s scheduled return this week, his opportunities for points will be limited. Fortunately, Montclair Moonshiners has Michael Turner and Mike Tolbert to pick up the slack. Tolbert has quietly scored 4 touchdowns in the last five weeks and has become a consistent fantasy producer. In addition, he has the underrated Matt Schaub, who has scored at least 33 points in the past three games, and Roddy White. His team may lack overall balance, but it does have the necessary superstar power to overcome that.

Maurice Jones-Drew had a rare rough outing against the Colts, but Jordan should have no fears about playing him this week against the Redskins. Jones-Drew had six straight games of at least 100 yards on the ground prior to the game against the Colts, so he should easily get back on track this Sunday. Jordan also has some solid veterans in Reggie Wayne, Hines Ward and Ben Roethlisberger. What might be his weakness in this matchup is his tight end, Jacob Tamme. By having him and Reggie Wayne together in the starting lineup, Jordan is gambling that two players on one offense will play well. This is a scenario that happens all the time in fantasy football, but in a match that has a championship debut at stake, is it a risk worth taking?

Prediction

In this semifinal match, Montclair Moonshiners simply has better players than Jordan. You can play matchups all you want, but the facts are the facts are the facts. It won’t necessarily be easy, but Montclair Moonshiners should ride his star players to victory and into the final championship round.

Columbus Clobber Knockers vs. Franchise 4 Kicking Your Ass

Playing Ryan Fitzpatrick over Matt Ryan and Maurice Morris over Ryan Mathews? Franchise 4 Kicking Your Ass is definitely a bold one, and to a degree, these moves make sense. Matt Ryan hasn’t exactly put up outstanding numbers for the past few weeks, and Matt Flynn just sliced up the Patriots’ secondary on Sunday Night Football, throwing 3 touchdowns. Maurice Morris also is coming off a 30-point game, but facing a stout Dolphins’ run defense as well as the possible return of Jahvid Best doesn’t make this a very intriguing play. In addition, Franchise 4 Kicking Your Ass is starting three Texans in Arian Foster, Andre Johnson and Joel Dreessen. It’s unlikely that each player will put up good numbers, further handicapping Franchise 4 Kicking Your Ass’ team.

Ray Rice was played like a top-five pick in Week 15, so Columbus Clobber Knockers has to be excited for the possibility of his stellar play continuing into the rest of the playoffs. He also has rookie LeGarrette Blount, Phillip Rivers and Percy Harvin at his disposal. His weakness might be similar to his opponents, with Deion Brnach and Aaron Hernandez both in his starting lineup. Hernandez is already a risky play since it’s a tossup each week over whether he or Rob Gronkowski will get the touches at tight end for the Patriots. Adding Deion Branch into the mix for his team just makes it harder for him to maximize the potential points from each position on his team.

Prediction

In the battle of two average teams, one manages to stand far above the other. Columbus Clobber Knockers has a great set of players and might have suffered from sheer bad luck this season to end up with his record. He should win this matchup and take his team into the final round, in which he’ll have a great shot at winning the league title. 

Championship Preview: Czyk’s Revenge

 After 15 weeks of games, it all comes down to this, the championship matchup in Czyk’s Revenge Fantasy Football League.  This year, the title comes down to Melbot vs. Eric VS. Hank.  Let’s take a look at how the teams got here and preview the championship matchup. 

How They Got Here

            Melbot probably thought their championship hopes were dashed after Michael Vick and the Eagles offense went ice cold against the Giants defense for the first three quarters of Sunday’s game.  They probably wanted to just forget about fantasy football.  Then, a crazy thing happened.  Michael Vick and the Eagles offense went crazy, with Vick ending up with two TD passes and 130 yards rushing and a rushing TD, leading both the Eagles and Melbot to a win.  Eric and Hank were carried to the championship on the arm of Philip Rivers, who torched a depleted 49ers defense in their Thursday night game.  With limited production from MJD, Eric Vs. Hank was still able to win their game rather convincingly. 

Preview

            The key player in this matchup is the player every fantasy football player wishes they had on their team if they don’t own him, Michael Vick.  Vick has become the best fantasy player to own this year and is about as consistent a player as you could possibly want, easily scoring at least 20 points a week.  This week, he faces a Vikings defense that looked like it gave up in their Monday night game against the Bears.  With a playoff berth on the line this week, look for Vick and the Eagles offense to come out firing and look to put the Vikings away early.  Along with Lesean McCoy, Melbot features two players who have a lot to play for this week against a team that has nothing to play for.

            For Eric vs. Hank to pull off the upset, they need MJD to not only play but also have a big game.  Coach Jack Del Rio said he would make a decision on MJD on Friday, so make sure you pick up Rashad Jennings in case he is unable to go.  Along with MJD, Darren McFadden and Philip Rivers need to continue to put up big numbers in order to keep up with Melbot’s playmakers.  Both players have arguably been top- 3 players at their respective positions this year and both players still have something to play for, making their games more meaningful.

Prediction

            Melbot, with Michael Vick leading the way, will take the championship based on their explosive offense and balanced attack.