It’s Election Day! My favorite GMRRFFA recap of the year and after this past weekend, I remain relevant after the closest score of the season. I’m excited, really, because people should vote and more so because I’m letting you all vote on Thursday’s power rankings! Week 9 was a wild affair, featuring some major battles and a return to (potential) relevancy. Let’s dig in and see where this takes me…
The Purveyor of Dead?
When #GMRRFFA’s film production unit is created, my first edict will be a documentary on the 2018 LKA! season. Starting off 4-0 and earning the title Purveyor of Death, Garcia’s squad has now dropped FIVE straight, and is barely in the playoffs (if the season ended today, Garcia would be the 8th seed). I refuse to believe LKA! won’t be a final four squad this season, but alarm bells have to be ringing.
Garcia traded early in the season, going all in for the 2018 season, when he spent all his draft dollars for Travis Kelce and Golden Tate. More concerning, in the first four weeks, he averaged 160 points per week, but over the last five weeks, he’s averaging just 127.5 points, barely above the league average of 126. All the love in the world for Garcia, but he may have out-thought himself this year with seven trades and now an AJG injury, meaning he’s out all his draft dollars and struggling week-to-week.
More so, his Week 1 roster included Rodgers, CMC, Andrew Luck and Julio, but after all those moves – including adding Kelce and Zeke – the results simply haven’t panned out. The KC TE aside, swapping out Rodgers and CMC for Zeke and Brady is actually a downgrade; the former pairing averages 48.5 combined per week while the latter pairing averages just 41 points. Finally, combine that 7+ point dip with Kamara’s productivity dropping with Mark Ingram’s return – Kamara in weeks 1-4 averaged 35.5 points; in weeks 5-9 (not including his bye), he’s averaging just 20.6. Meaning, all these moves, and suddenly LKA! is averaging 22 points fewer from his studs.
Ok, I’m done and this is all moot anyways because LKA! is winning in Week 10.
Recapping the Premiere Match-ups
We had two major match-ups this week, pitting four teams above .500 against one another and, ultimately, your illustrious Commish’s power ranking panned out… Our top-ranked Tito Galen somewhat easily dispatched of the now-6-3 FIL by 20+ points. By Tito Galen’s standards, it wasn’t even his best performance but his RBs (Hunt and James White) combined for 61 points. Unfortunately for FIL, Saquon Barkley was on a bye and Devontae Booker in his stead managed a paltry 8 points. Meanwhile, the Sausage King secured his spot at #2 with a 20 point win over the distracted Makese, whose team was an albatross posting just 107 points. The Sausage King’s Raiders D gamble proved terrible, but 64 points from Conner and CMC combined were insurmountable for Makese, who failed to swap out Sony Michel (a late scratch), though his bench is more baron than Chernobyl so it didn’t matter. These four swap opponents in Week 10, so we’ll have two 6-3 vs 6-3 match-ups again…
Is Stabs Back?
In Week 8, Stabs was one bum on the ground away from knocking off the Commish, and this week, he scored a major upset over Dorne, posting 153 points in a ten point win. Even more, this was without Todd Gurley annihilating opponents – Gurley accounted for 33% of Stabs’ points in Weeks five through 8, but only 13% in Week 9 (his lowest total for Stabs all season). Stabs actually had three players – Watson, Cooks, and the Bears D – all eclipse Gurley this week, which hasn’t happened all season. Now, at 4-5, the weekly question of whether Stabs is a seller at the trade deadline is once again tabled as he’s closing in on a potential playoff run. After a dismal three week performance in Weeks 5-7, where he averaged just 96 points per week, Stabs is averaging an impressive 147 these last two weeks. He gets the Unicorn, LKA!, Toby, and FIL over these final four weeks, so he could be back… or he could lose three straight, but who knows…
The Commish Eeks Out a Win
Look, for a team averaging 131 points and never dipping below 120 through eight weeks, the Commish’s roster was bound to have a hiccup sooner or later, and Week 9 proved to be the case. Fortunately, he faced the immortal Smeet, who remains competitive despite an abhorrent 1-8 record with an eye on 2019. For the third straight week, poor Smeet lost by less than ten points, very much playing up to his opponent's level as the Commish scored a 1 point win. The match-up was straight dreadful for yours truly sans Nuk, Kittle and Edelman, who accounted for 67% of his scoring. On Smeet’s side, the Dolphins Defense enjoyed THREE fourth quarter INTs (including a pick-six) against Sam Darnold to ride a 31-point performance which literally almost cost the Commish a critical win. Nonetheless, Trubisky Business survived to climb above .500 for the first time this season ahead of a scary match-up vs LKA! in Week 10.
Week 10 Power Rankings – Get your Vote On
Seeing as its Election Day, its only fitting that owners and fans get to pick the power rankings again, and I’m excited to avoid choosing this week. Of the top 6 in last week’s power rankings, #s 3 through 6 all lost and #7 (the Commish) beat a heinous excuse for a roster by just a point… so, make my life easy and make your own top ten here.
Playoff Scenarios
Yet again, insanity ensues and I’d love to say someone other than Tito Galen and the Sausage King are in good shape, but that’s not the reality. Even though he’s atop the Infinity Stone Division by one game, FIL has another monster match-up against the Sausage King this week so his time may be short-lived. Meanwhile, the same has to be said about Makese at 6-3… We have 3 5-4 teams and FIVE 4-5 teams so anything is possible… Nonetheless, if the playoffs were today, here’s the seedings (the graphics are just cuz):
1. Tito Galen (6-3)
2. FIL (6-3)
3. The Sausage King (6-3)
4. Makese (6-3)
5. Mark (5-4)
6. The Commish (5-4)
7. Coop (5-4)
8. LKA! (4-5)
On the outside looking in:
9. Stabs (4-5)
10. Fredo (4-5)
11. Unicorn (4-5)
12. Carlos (4-5)
13. Toby (3-6)
14. Smeet (1-8)
One fun fact… Smeet’s officially eliminated with a loss this weekend from playoff contention… Sad.
Week 10 Preview
Given the tight playoff races, there’s really no rivalry of the week besides every match-up this week, so screw it and let’s go – SEVEN rivalries of the week in Week 10. I touch on FIL vs. the Sausage King and Tito Galen vs. Makese, two match-ups pitting 6-3 opponents against one another. Meanwhile, I’m all but certain LKA! ends that losing streak against the Commish. Mark and Carlos facing off? YES! 4-5 Unicorn vs 4-5 Stabs facing off? YES! Fredo vs Toby? Sure… Coop vs Smeet? I’ll pass…
Good luck this week and get out and vote for the power rankings, and electing people to public jobs on the taxpayers’ dime!
Commentaires