by After a brief break for the highly acclaimed Midsies, the Game Previews return for Week 9! And it’s a Halloween Edition Game of The Week at that!
As we head down the stretch, Game Previews will change a bit as we focus not just on the matchups, but also the overall playoff race and the paths to clinching those 4 postseason spots. Let’s take a quick peek at that race.
We have 5 weeks to go in the regular season. Most seasons it takes 7-8 wins to get into the playoffs. Though this season is looking like it will take 8+ wins to lock in a spot, 7 wins with points tiebreaker is still a possibility though. That means that no one is eliminated just yet.
However, the teams with 2 wins chances of making it to the postseason is less than 1%. But, there is still a chance.
Highlighted are the Top Dawgs. As they are on the move and are sure to grab 1 of the 4 spots. So, if you want in, there are only 3 spots available. 🙂
Next week we will be showing the true playoff percentages and the popular “Paths To Clinch” scenarios that lay it all out. Stay tuned
Game of the week
#2 tacoman9000 (6-2) VS #3 JOE BUCK YOURSELF (5-3)
Here we are, we have the #2 Seed facing the #3 seed. Two hot teams meeting up in their first ever Crunchtime Confrontation. A win here would go a long ways in trying to catch the Irish Pride for that top spot. Both of them enter this matchup on a hot streak. Tacoman9000 is riding a 4 game win streak and Joe Buck Yourself has won 4 out of his last 5.
The hypothetical matchup shows these two dead even at 4-4 if they played each other every week so far! However, look at the last 2 weeks. Is Tacoman9000 on the rise??
Also, imagine if these two played in week 2! Tacoman would have won by 104 points!! What a beatdown that would have been!!!
Besides the obvious strength of Derrick Henry for Joe Buck Yourself, ESPN gives the edge to nearly every position for TacoMan9000 this week. There are clearly some better matchups for TacoTruck this week, but do they really have an 18 point advantage over JBY? To further help himself, TacoMan brought in a new QB for this matchup (Cousins) as their mancrush of Brock Purdy has a bye. His supporting cast of Alvin Kamara, Justin Jefferson, Marvin Harrison, Brian Robinson, and Kareem Hunt is very productive and will be tough to beat.
JBY will look to counter with that all-important doubler of the Stroud to Tank Dell connection. If those two can connect, big things can happen for them and JBY will have a chance. Maybe Cooper Kupp will even keep improving with his recent return. Speaking of Kupp…it looks like he dressed up early for halloween this past week.
PREDICTION: Taco scores big and Joe Buck looks more like Uncle Buck in this Halloween matchup. Perhaps they’ll meet again in the playoffs!?? Winner, Taco
#4 GB GAMBLERS (5-3) VS #6 THE PIMPS (4-4)
Both teams want this one bad! The Gamblers are trying to hang on to that top 4 status, while The Pimps are trying to crack their way through. This is the 24th meeting of these two teams as The Pimps have the edge with a record of 13-10 over the Gamblers. The Pimps have been the most predictable team in the league this year. They have gone Win Loss Win Loss every week. This week….they’re due for a Win. So watch out Gamblers!
The Gamblers have been a bit unpredictable, spreading those wins and losses all around. However they are having a solid season and have the inside track to the postseason. Their #1 draft pick, CeeDee Lamb finally had his breakout game last week, so GB hopes might be getting even higher than that 4 seed.
Gamblers have the edge in hypothetical matchups. Pimps have had 3 weeks scoring over 100 and the Gamblers have done it 4 times. This game should be tight!
While both teams QBs make you want to vomit in your mouth a little bit, this is a hell of a matchup that could go either way. Kenneth Walker vs Saquon Barkley, Lamb vs London, James Conner vs Jonathon Talyor. It will be a battle. Back to the QBs…they are facing off not just in fantasy, but in real life as well. So that will add to the flavor of this game.
PREDICTION: Pimps due to them having a player facing the Cowboys (Drake London). Dallas can’t tackle!
#9 JESTERS (2-6) VS #1 IRISH PRIDE (7-1)
David vs Goliath, Jesters vs Irish. Pretty much the same thing, right? The Irish have been moving right along and stacking those wins. They should be first at clinching a playoff spot. However, maybe the Jesters CAN pull off the upset. They are 14-9 lifetime against the Irish Pride. Maybe they have the Pride figured out.
Well, the Jesters technically could have beaten the Irish twice this season. However, the bigger takeaway here is that the Irish still have that 100 point scoring streak still in tact. So, if you want to top the Irish, you’re not gonna sneak one in. You have to earn it!
The Irish Pride have been digging a little deeper at WR each week as they are starting to feel the injury bug. But, dont complain to the Jesters about injuries as they have been fighting those since Week 1. Also, the Irish appear to be rolling with Mayfield at QB this week in stead of Lamar Jackson. They must be playing the matchups as they fear Lamar playing the Broncos Defense. The Jesters are looking to take advantage of their matchups as Joe Burrow is facing the woeful Raiders. Points should be a plenty there. Jesters are also starting a guy with 2 first names in hopes that it brings them luck. Tyrone Tracy Jr. Oh wait, that’s 3 first names. Advantage Jesters.
PREDICTION: In the spirit of the late Sons Of Anarchy, we’re going all out “Aww Fuck It” here and calling the upset of the year. Jesters with the improbable victory!
#5 DARQUE WARRIORS (4-4) VS #7 TOP DAWGS (3-5)
The Darque Warriors may look “middle of the pack” as they sit in 5th place with their 4-4 record, but they are actually #2 in all-play record. If they played every team each week of the season, they would have a record of 45-27, which is only 2nd to the Irish Pride. They’ve lost 4 out of their last 5 games, but have scored no less than 96 points in any of them. Luck just might not be on their side.
As for the Dawgs, they’ve lost 3 out of their last 4 and are just looking for a spark. The past few weeks they’ve lost players to injuries early in the game and are looking to turn their luck around as well. Their #1 pick, Bijan Robinson has turned it on the past few games, so the supporting cast will have to do the same soon or else the Dawgs will be golfing early this season.
Darque have the edge in hypothetical matchups and would have won the last 3. Darque appears to be lock in and are nearly sure fire triple digit scorers. Dawgs have to improve to keep it close.
Joe Mixon has gone absolute beast mode for the Darque Warriors lately and AJ Brown can go off at any moment. The Dawgs can counter those two players with Bijon Robinson and Ja’Marr Chase. So, the difference here will be at QB. Josh Allen and Jayden Daniels are both top 5 at their position. If Daniels can stay healthy here, the game will truly be a tight one.
SUPER DUPER GUARANTEE: Dawgs use Darque as a fire hydrant and tinkle all over em.
#8 Midway Monsters (2-6) VS #10 swashbuckling scallywags (2-6)
And then there’s this game. Neither team is officially eliminated yet. However, a loss here will clearly do that. Kind of like a midseason toilet bowl, the loser goes down the drain. Tough break for 2 teams with so much preseason promise.
The Midway Monsters have struggled, but man the Scallywags have had a rough go of it. But, checking out the past few weeks, the Scallywags have shown up. Could this be a turning point?
Either way, the Monsters would have taken nearly every matchup this year.
Mahomes VS Hurts. It still draws the ratings. But it’s just Hurts lately who has been lighting up the scoreboard. The Monsters had Josh Jacobs blow up last week, so we’ll see if that’s a new trend or a 1 week wonder just to knock down the Dawgs. The Scallywags will look to offset the Monsters scoring threats of Garrett Wilson and Tyreek Hill with their 2 Chubs. Chubs? Chuba Hubbard and Nick Chubb unite to try to save this Scallywag team who has just been waiting and waiting for McCaffrey to return.
Oh, look, the Midway Monsters were cheating. BUSTED!!
ESPN predicts this to be a tight one. Best of luck to both.
PREDICTION: Jalen Hurts playing Jacksonville. If that’s not enough to get the win, I dont know what is. Scallywags with the win.
