Peer Pressure Works!

It’s the final regular season game for my FF league, and next week the playoffs start. As it stands now, the Horde is in 2nd place with a 9-3 record. If we win this week and the #1 team loses, we’re in the #1 spot. If we lose and the #1 team WINS, we stay in 2nd…because the #1 team is PLAYING the #3 team. All in all, we’re guaranteed a 1st round bye (top 2 teams have a bye next week, while 3 plays 6 and 4 plays 5). I WANT #1, though.

First off, the stupidity. I was dicking around with my roster this week…and sort of forgot Thursday was Thanksgiving, so I forgot to set my rosters in time for the morning game. This is a problem, because it means I didn’t play LenWhale, who went for 52 fucking points against the hapless Lions. Not an auspicious beginning to the week, that’s for sure.

Our opponent this week is the 5-7 Pack o’ Pain. If they win, they have an outside shot at the last playoff spot. If they lose, their season’s over.

QB – It’s a Phil the Dickhead kinda week. Atlanta’s defense has a solid rush, but their secondary isn’t all that good. The Pack answer with Aaron Rodgers…who is actually the QB for the real life Pack from Green Bay. He’s facing a tough Carolina D this week. Advantage me.

RB – Addai stays in against the Cleveland Browns, who are to run defense what thin air is to ability to stop a car quickly. Portis is in against the Giants, and he could get some decent production since Washington has to run to keep the Giants from killing their QB. He is, however, still somewhat questionable.  As for now, Portis is manning the W/R spot, while Mewelde Moore slides in to the other RB position…even if Willie Parker plays, his knee’s tweaked again, so Moore figures to at worst split the carries (and he’s averaging something like 6 catches a game when he plays half the snaps or more). If Portis can’t go, Steven Jackson’s vagina might finally be healthy enough to let him play, or I’ll put a wideout in that spot. The Pack answer with Addai’s teammate Dominic Rhodes against the Browns (I see what’s gonna happen here…Rhodes will poach the fucking touchdowns) and Miami’s Ricky Williams. Ricky’s another split the carries guy at best, but facing the pitiful Rams he could STILL go off. I’m calling this a draw, simply because Portis status is ??? and we each have a Colts running back.

Rec – With Winslow banged up and facing a tough Colts Pass D, Oakland’s Zach Miller gets to play, vs. the Kansas City Chiefs…a team that gave up 54 points last week. Unfortunately, Miller’s also a ???, so Winslow might have to play…or, if neither can go, I’ll be stuck making some emergency pickup at TE, and there’s fuck all out there. As for wideouts, Marshall (the Jets), Bryant (Saints) and Moss (Giants) are going. I would rather NOT play Moss against New York, but my only available reserve is Vincent Jackson, and he might have to go in to the W/R spot if Portis can’t go (otherwise, he MIGHT replace Moss against Atlanta). Bryant should be able to carve the Saints, and Marshall is boom or bust this week…he’ll either take over with Eddie Royal banged up, or let himself be covered the whole damn game. Pack o’ have Larry Fitzgerald, who already played and scored 57, Indy’s Reggie Wayne (big threat against inept Cleveland, but also with a bum leg that’s slowing him down), Green Bay’s Donald Driver (again, tough Panthers D) and New England’s Jabar Gaffney (really puzzling pick…he’s a spare part, and the Steelers have a VICIOUS pass defense. He DOES have Willie Parker on his bench, and I think he’ll slot him in there if he’s good to go. Great…TWO running backs to poach scores from my fucking guys).  Colts tight end Dallas Clark should wreck the Browns. Advantage him, simply because he’s playing the extra wideout right now, since it looks pretty even aside from that.

K – Lindell rides again vs. the Niners…I don’t expect 87 again, but he could have a decent day. Pack has ANOTHER Packer, Mason Crosby, who should also produce. Tie.

D – This is not looking good. Hill has played…2 points. Hope has played…5 points. I kinda wanna go back in time and kill their prospective parents. The rest of the guys are in matchups where they should get to make plays. For him, he has ALSO had two defenders ago with just SLIGHTLY different results, as Karlos Dansby and Keith Bulluck have scored 50. He’s also in a position with the chance for good tackle numbers for his guys. Have to say advantage him because he’s already up 43 here.

All in all, while Yahoo has me favored by about 45, he’s already fucking winning by 100 points. That’s pretty shitty. I do think the chance is there to win it, but I do not like starting in a triple digit hole. In what can only be the result of a minor miracle, every single guy from both teams will have played by the time the Sunday afternoon games finish, so I’ll know the team’s playoff fate by that evening. Hoping for the win…but starting out this far back, and riding 2 losses in a row, I’m not exactly optimistic.