Pure Genius or Blind Luck: How Did We Make the Fantasy Football Playoffs?

By The Football Garbage Time Staff

As you know, here at Football Garbage Time, there’s nothing more important to us than our readers.  So with you all in mind, we did a mock fantasy football draft, then drafted an actual fantasy football league that we played out through the season.  We even told you who we liked and didn’t like, based on our teams, at the half season mark.

Well, now we’re at the fantasy football playoffs.  So, hopefully to help you learn what we did right to get to the playoffs, as well as what mistakes we had to overcome, we’ve summarized how we got the playoffs.  Like I said, it’s as much overcoming the adversity we caused ourselves as it was benefiting from a savvy draft or waiver pickups.  So, without further to do, here you go!

Un-BEAR-able (9-4)

Ha Kung Wong

Thankfully, I had A.J. Green most of the season, who was one of the best WRs in the NFL.  But after injury, I had some serious WR issues.  It’s becoming clear to me that Julian Edelman is not an elite WR option, as Tom Brady is a different type of QB today than he was in years past.  Back in the day, Wes Welker absorbed 26-30% of Brady’s pass attempts per season, seeing a whopping 172 and 174 targets in 2011 and 2012 respectively.  Edelman has seen 110 of 301 of Brady’s pass attempts this year so far, good for 36.5%, which is actually ahead of what Welker did in his heyday, but what’s missing are the TDs.  Brady has evolved into a more opportunistic QB using the likes of Malcolm Mitchell and Martellus Bennett.  And, perhaps more importantly, the Patriots have gone ground heavy this year, giving LeGarrette Blount 13 rushing TDs so far.

But that’s OK, because Melvin Gordon took a big step forward this year, which is something we thought might happen after the Chargers acquired his personal blocking FB from Wisconsin, Derek Watt.  Gordon has averaged a cool 0.5 yards per carry more and a whopping 4.4 yards per reception more in 2016 than in his rookie season.  Plus, he’s already totaled 12 TDs this season, exactly 12 more than he had last year.  Was it just the acquisition of Watt?  Or was it just having an additional year of experience under his belt?  Either way, make note for 2017, because I don’t see this improvement changing anytime soon.

Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck have been inconsistent throughout the year, mostly due to injury, but are contributing more in the later part of the season.  Next year, instead of going with two QBs upfront, I’ll try to snag one of the top 5 QBs, but then wait to grab some backend QBs later.  Finding next year’s Marcus Mariota or Derek Carr late in the draft, or grabbing the next Dak Prescott off the waiver wire, is the best way to bolster your team.

Two Cool Dudes (6-7)

Joanne Kong

Which players and/or what moves were responsible for getting you the playoffs?

There is only one reason “Two Cool Dudes” made it to the playoffs, out of all the 6-7 teams, and that was the fact that I had slightly more points than BP’s Barons and OBJYN, and happened to slip into 6th place.

Yeah, I was surprised myself when I opened the Yahoo Sports page on Tuesday morning.

Of course, with a 6-7 record, I can’t brag that it was all skill.  I can admit when the fantasy gods shine a little miracle my way.

With that said, this miracle wouldn’t have been possible without mid-season pick-up of Chicago Bear’s rookie running back, Jordon Howard.  In addition, the return of Indianapolis Colts wide receiver, Donte Moncrief, helped, as well as the consistent production from Oakland Raiders running back, Latavius Murray, and the always dependable tight-end, Delanie Walker, from the Tennessee Titans.

All super stars that have given “Two Cool Dudes” a chance in the playoffs.

What hurdles did you have to overcome (i.e. injured players, poor performances, bad lineup decisions, etc.) to get into the playoffs?

It’s difficult to predict who will have a standout week when it comes to Fantasy Football.  Disappointing performances are all part of the game.  The greatest obstacle for “Two Cool Dudes” was the quarterback slots.  The number 1 rated fantasy quarterback coming into the season, Cam Newton, turned out to be a bust.  Jacksonville Jaguars, Blake Bortles, had a lot of hype in the beginning of the season and ended up falling behind expectations.  And, Cleveland Browns, Robert Griffin III left the season with an injury (although, he’s speculated to return in week 14 against the Cincinnati Bengals).

If that wasn’t enough, Green Bay Packers running back, Eddie Lacy, left the season with an injury only totaling 360 rushing yards and no touchdowns.  I guess P90X wasn’t the solution to a better run game for the Packers, or my fantasy team.

Running back Arian Foster played 4-games this season with the Miami Dolphins, then retired after suffering another injury.  I should have known better than to draft an injury prone player.

And, first round fantasy draft pick Houston Texans wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, numbers haven’t been the same with 668 receiving yards and only 4 touchdowns entering into week 14.  It’s a bad year when your always considering benching your first round draft pick, and often do.

Regardless of the pitfalls of “Two Cool Dudes,” I’ve made it to the playoffs, but winning it all is another matter.

FXP (8-5)

Scott King

This has surprisingly been a quiet season for me in fantasy football.  Usually I’m fighting injuries or a weak position that I have to stream every week.  My team has been pretty consistent all season.  I haven’t lost in back to back weeks and my guys just keep putting up consistent numbers.

My MVP is probably Mike Evans.  I picked him in several leagues and he’s really paid off for me.  I got good value with Jordy Nelson and OBJ is starting to pay off after some down weeks.  My best/worst move was targeting Ajayi in the draft and getting him.  Then I dropped him before the first game and picked him back up in week 7.  I didn’t get the benefit of his big games but he’s been a solid back.  The Rams defense has been pretty disappointing but they are capable of putting together decent numbers from week to week.

Overall this is not a dominate team, but we grind it out each week and we are in position to make a run.

USS Brady’s Vengeance (6-7)

Ryan Whitfield

It was an up and down season for me. But just an absolute meteoric rise in the final 5 weeks (4-1) thrusted me into a playoff spot. And like the ’07 Giants, I’m ready to make my postseason run (yeah, that one hurt me to say).

So who can I thank for getting me here?  Besides my god blessed brain?  It’s a 2 QB league and with Big Ben and Brady at the helm I sleep easy on Saturday nights. I have to thank god that Lesean McCoy has managed to not break down per usual, and thank him for the second half surges from Jimmy Graham and Dez Bryant. Steve Smith Sr. has been a reliable flex option and Adam V is kicking like he’s still in his 20’s.

I had to patiently sit through a 2-2 start with Brady suspended but that was well worth the wait. Jonathon Stewart was a guy I should’ve recognized for what he was. He had a great renaissance year last year, but he was never going to be able to sustain that. And last but not least my biggest fantasy football blunder this year. Allen bleeping Robinson. We are at that point that I have officially benched him for the playoffs. That’s all I have to say on him.