Presented by Nike
Welcome to DFFL's Fantastic Four Semifinals Week!! Favorite, DNF (9-5) is home and facing Underdog Two-Time DFFL Champion ('18-'19), RAF (7-7) in this meeting of DFFL's most voracious braggarts. Humble, you say!? Um..I think not! However, both teams would like to project a "humble" perspective on their team's chances. Nike is here to say, Just (Friggin') DO IT, already!! DNF likes to recall - and brag, about the days of the now retired fantasy league, Player's Club. How he won championship after championship....after..yes...championship. In DFFL, he continues to be a regular season monster. Winning games week-to-week as if it's easier than dozing off at his work computer. Still, for some reason, owner Kirk struggles to find a winning strategy that carries his DNF team to playoff winning in the new and improved DFFL Fantasy League.
On the other side, RAF likes to pontificate, ad nauseam - much to other DFFL owners' frustration - on how he walked to the championship, uphill, both ways, in a blinding snowstorm (i.e., really crappy reg. season record) and WON...not just DFFL's maiden year..but the next year as well! Never before, in DFFL history, has a team won back to back championships!! (UGG is on the precipice?)....blah, blah, blah...the league is barely 5 years old. Yeah, two championships are solid bragging rights, but a dynasty league is about consistency, and much is to be determine for the future. RAF's abysmal '20 and '21 seasons, he'd rather not mention.
Okay, now that these "humble" teams have put their histories into the record, let's move on to Week 16 and each's chance to get to the big game!!
At QB, RAF and DNF chose Patrick Mahomes and rookie sensation(?) Trevor Lawrence. Patrick Mahomes is by far the best player RAF owns in 2022. He is a solid point producer and RAF will need him to do Mahomsian things in his home game versus a good matchup, Seattle. Trevor Lawrence has treated DNF very nicely over the past few games. Indeed, TLaw, as I like to call him, has been behind DNF's come from behind successes in the Malt Division, ultimately beating out both TIU and KED for Malt Division Champ and first-round bye. But enough of this bragging! This will be a tough game for TLaw, but he is someone who can change the trend of poor QB performances on TNF, and against a voracious Jets Defense.
At RB, DNF and RAF have the likes of King Henry and R. Stevenson. First, King Henry. This is going to be a slaughter, the likes of which have never been seen for King Henry versus his favorite Houston run defense. They can't stop him. DNF will need Henry to do his thing, and potentially off-set point concerns at other places in his roster - like the QB spot. RAF is going with Stevenson. Stevenson in Week 15, set in motion, arguably one of the stupidest football decisions ever in NFL history. Look, if the lateral pass had been successful, NE wins, and Stevenson is legendary. But, why oh why, would one lateral in a tied game, no time on the clock, where NE has a 80% chance to win in overtime? Not great. Still, Stevenson is solid! And RAF will need a ton of points from him to keep up with DNF's runners.
In the receiver spots, RAF needs Rahid Shaheed (who is the only receiver left in the NOLA offense) to get a TD and maybe 100 yds. That would be solid for his chances. Darius Slayton is boom or bust, but RAF needs some boom...very possible. DNF has the awesome, league-winning Justin Jefferson (JJ). JJ hasn't ran a route that doesn't end up as a highlight on NFL Network. He good! Christian Kirk is very good this year, and the Jags are happy to have him lining with TLaw throwing. He has some issues with consistency, but he's going to get the targets. He just needs TLaw to give him a TD or two...instead of Evan Engram.
At TE, DNF has the Hockenson, who surprisingly still gets HIS even with all the mouths that Kirk Cousins has to feed . It's a tough matchup versus NYG, and DNF will want the Giants Defense to be real bad so that JJ and Hock have a day! RAF is going with the NOLA TE/QB/RB, Taysom Hill. He hasn't been the boom RAF wanted, but he may just provide enough points at the position to get him to the next round. RAF will want Taysom to do everything but 2022 TE stuff (i.e., blocking) so that other weak areas of his squad are equalized.
On to the Flexes! Here is where if RAF gets Week 15 production from the likes of Lat. Murray, Jer McKinnon, and Joe "The other Cool" Mixon, he can coast into the DFFL Champ Game. RAF will have to change the trend for RBs against NE Defense though...not an easy task. Additionally, RAF will need Chiefs to utilize McKinnon more than Pacheco and maybe because they are playing from behind? That will be tough three weeks in a row. Finally, RAF would love for Denver to have a day against the Rams - both for Murray and his defense. That is probably the most likely scenario, but RAF is optimistic! DNF has some dudes that are apt to pull off some points. Philly's Sanders will likely be leant on with the "stache" at QB instead of "I don't need no stinking Running Backs" Hurts. This bodes well for Sanders. Cam "on again off again" Akers appears to be the Baker and RAM's coaching staff's favorite backfield dude. So, that's a good omen for lots of runs; DNF will need that, but maybe not so much if Henry has a day on Houston. Diontae Johnson finishes DNF's Flexes, and I just don't like him. However, he's started to pick up the receptions of late, and Trubisky likes him....which is all that matters. DNF needs projections from these gomers and he will win his first playoff game!! DNF can not only win his first playoff game in DFFL, but he can do it and either be Top Dog, or runnerup (which aint bad).
Rudolf's Players to Watch: RAF's Taysom Hill, Darius Slayton, and Rahid Shaheed can put RAF in the driver's seat to get to his 3rd championship in 5 years. For DNF, I'm looking at TLaw, Henry, and Cam Akers. These players will determine the successful way forward for DNF in the 2022 DFFL Playoffs.
Welcome to the Humble Bowl, fellaz!! We act like we're underdogs and give lots of cred to our opponents, but this is just silliness!! DNF and RAF are braggarts through and through, and whatever happens in this showdown will do little to change this fact! Good Luck!!
DNF (-15)
RAF (+15)
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