Presented by BullHorn Loud Speakers
DFFL 2022 will come to a glorious, stupendous close with the crowning of it's DFFL BOWL V champion this week in beautiful, sunny Glendale, Arizona!
Two teams stand tall above all the rest. Jerry's World Wonder (JWW) and DyNasty Fantasy (DNF) had the grit, the savvy, the cunning, and yes, some luck, to transform their teams into potent competitors and a chance to be a DFFL Champion.
The DFFL #2 Seed, DNF (9-5), finally - some might say deservingly - arrives at a DFFL Bowl game for the first time in franchise history. The Fantasy gets here after a rough start to the 2022 season. However, DNF persevered, doing so in typical "stay the course" fashion; never panicking and never taking his eye off the prize. DNF brings a squad made up of 3 regular season Top Five fantasy players and two Top Five kickers (the most Top Fivers other than UGG). DNF owner, Kirk, will seek to etch a new champion on the DFFL Players Cup, and head into 2023 with full bragging rights!
JWW (9-5) enters DFFL BOWL V as the #4 seed in DFFL, and only the second team to play more than once in a DFFL Bowl game. JWW has the experience, the fortitude and the confidence to compete and possibly win in this, the fifth iteration of the DFFL Bowl. JWW GM and Owner, Brian, put together a monster of a team in 2022. These guys may not necessarily be in the Top 5, but they are scrappers with major upside. JWW will attempt to prove two times is a charm for getting to the Big Game and bringing home DFFL glory and the DFFL Players Cup!
2022 Awards Background
In 2022, JWW and DNF tied with 3 Mojo Awards (UGG also received 3), and so its fitting both teams successfully secured placement in DFFL BOWL V. After all, it takes a good deal of mojo to successfully traverse a dynasty fantasy football season. Yes, that's right! Even the loser of this game gets major props for even getting to this point, plus decent $$. As for setting the best winning lineups, JWW and DNF obviously did what was needed to be triumphant through so many tough matchups. However, JWW did get 3 Noonan Awards - tied with the likes of TIU and NUT. Recall, Noonans are given out weekly for owners/teams that may wish to have a do-over with who they started. I.e., Managers receiving this award - of which JWW tied for most - were not solid in managing starters. In the final analysis, JWW would likely agree that his QB and WR sets have been a bit like whack-a-mole, and it makes sense he would be in the Noonan Award running more often than not. Finally, it is interesting that JWW never earned a Maguire Award in 2022. On the other side, DNF earned 2. Having mentioned this statistic, I must add that 2018 and 2019 DFFL Champ, RAF, did not get a top score in regular season as well (fact-checkers?).
The Wonder's Super Squad...
Starting with JWW's championship squad, Jared Goff, who tends to have really good games at home against mediocre teams like the Bears appears to be the starter. Truly, the QB position for JWW is a crap shoot - like all year long - but I wouldn't play Rock Paper Scissors in this case. The best QB is starting. In the RB1 spot is Austin Ekeler. Ekeler, one of two franchised players on the JWW squad is costing a cool $107 big ones! This is money well-spent, as Ekeler has much to do with JWW's success in 2022. The game versus LA Rams is a trap for those expecting them to do Bronco-slaying things - not gonna happen #imo . At receiver, the Wonder is bringing back Mike Evans, and inserting Tyler Lockett in place of Mike Pittman. Projections probably even out, as JWW will want Lockett to pick up the slack for what could be another lack-luster performance by Evans. At TE, JWW inserts Evan Engram. Engram is a cinderella story for JWW in 2022 - one of the surprisingly good TEs of the fantasy season. Also, it's a good strategy to start one of your opponent players' favorite red zone targets.
Next, JWW is starting 3 dudes in Flex that any fantasy manager would love to have at this point in the season. Dalvin Cook - JWW's other franchise player ($68) - has a great matchup at Detroit. Rookie sensation, Tyler Allgeier, has been a double-digit fantasy point Atlanta RB1 since their Week 14 Bye. Lastly in the Flex, is good 'ole homer Zeke. This would not be the first time - but maybe the last? - that Zeke was instrumental in fantasy football success! Finally, JWW is going with the #15 Sleeper Kicker, Matt Gay, and the good but not great Kansas City DST. It's key to point out that KC's defense is going up against a soulless and dysfunctional Broncos offense; just thought I'd point that out.
The Fantasy's Terrific Team...
DNF's championship team is in place with 2nd year Jags QB, Trevor Lawrence, at the helm. Trevor plays Sunday against Houston, and is likely going to play pretty hard to finish out the season and improve playoff positioning. He's not 100%, but DNF doesn't have much as far as options in this spot. In the RB1 slot, Cam Akers, who had a blockbuster game against the "give up" Denver Defense on Christmas Day, will look to duplicate the production. I'd be a betting man on the under for his Xmas Day 40 points, but even if he brings in 20 DNF will probably be happy. In the receiver position, DNF has a 'Sure-Bet' and a 'Dart-Throw'. Justin Jefferson gave RAF heartburn against a pretty solid Giants Defense. So this week at Green Bay, I'm thinking the Fantasy expects equal or more production. Christian 'DNF Owner Namesake' Kirk is in line for a big game, possibly in the 20+ point realm. Why? Well, for one, he tends to see-saw with his points week-to-week. He gets 8 in one week, then bounces back and gets 17 the next. He's due a 17 or 20. When you're getting on average 7-8 targets, you're bound to have a few solid games. But it's a dart throw.
DNF is one of the few teams in fantasy to be able to have a productive TE. TJ Hockenson is a league winner player, and at a position so many of us more often than not see zips for production. Hockenson was instrumental in DNF's crushing Humble Bowl victory, and I suspect DNF sees him as a start and forget type of player this week. Things get interesting in DNF's Flexes. All three players have a high ceiling, and particularly with Miles Sanders he has the best chance to rock out with the points. Brian Robinson going up against Cleveland is not ideal; however, he's playing at home and tends to put up good numbers in DC. The wild-card is with Commanders starting Carson Wentz at QB. I'm of the belief that this improves the RB play - Wentz is more likely to use his backs and less likely to air the ball out as Heineke was so apt to do #JustMyOpine . The tough spot for DNF is with his desire to make Diontae Johnson a thing - in spite of the QB play. Whoever is playing QB tends to favor George Pickens and Freiermuth, and Johnson may be on a limited snap count given his big toe concerns. I expect DNF will switch him out last minute, but may also expect Johnson to live up to his contract and actually produce. Finally, DNF starts the #5 Sleeper Fantasy Kicker, Tyler Bass, and the mighty New York Jets DST. Against Seattle, the Jets should get double digits.
Let's use a BullHorn Loud Speaker and blow out some ear drums, when we say....
Congratulations to JWW and DNF!!!.... for clawing, scrapping, and sucker-punching (just kidding) their way to this magical contest! Both teams will take home a majority of DFFL's bank. The money that so many of us poor, working class, frugal, owners have scraped together over the year - just to hand it over to them (their kids and dogs lunch money be damned!).
And the winner is.....
(Yeah, right...)
LINE - EVEN
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