Week 16

It’s Week 16 of ‘A View from Row Z’, your vaguely informed take on the madcap happenings in the soon to be renamed, Leytonstoners Bowl Fantasy League. Merry Christmas everyone, I am writing this from home with a Whiskey and mince pie in hand, it’s Christmas Eve! Please forgive any spelling or grammatical errors, our copy editor Andy Saiker is sailing to Antarctica as we speak and is unavailable to edit.

Top Stats - Week 16

Highest Score

Game of Throws (197.52pts)

Lowest Score

Multiple Goregasms (120.24pts)

Highest Bench Score

God Bless Ramerica (60.88pts)

Highest Scoring Rostered Player

Jonathan Taylor (45pts)

Gillette Mach 3 Award

God Bless Ramerica vs Leytonstoners (11.63pts)

Mind the Gap Award

Multiple Goregasms vs CeeDee-List (70.8pts)

Week 16. The penultimate week. Where the chance to play for glory is up for grabs. All that hard work to get to this position. The team name changes. The players you brought in. The ones you left on the bench. The ones who mis-fired and the ones who scored more than they should have done. The wins. The losses. We have seen it all this year. First up the Waiver Wire. It was busy this week, with 3 coaches opting to switch their DEF. Matt H missed out on a season’s best score from Deebo Samuel (25.10) opting for the Colts Bengals (20.40). Jen went in for the Raiders Colts (4.75) and I went for the Packers (22.75) which proved an inspired move, but more on that later.

Week 16 - 5th/6th Place Playoff: Game of Throws (197.52) // SnowshufflerJr (146.63)

The two fantasy veterans who also have ‘other leagues’ came up against one another in the 5th/6th Place Playoff. After Andy’s defeat with 171.69pts last week, it seemed he had a point to prove. All the way from a boat somewhere near the Antarctic, he put in his season's best score and only a 0.18pts gap to having the overall season highest score of 197.69pts from Jen in Week 11. Jen’s favourite, Jayden Daniels (44.42) set a season's best score and continues to have an incredible rookie season. He was supported by a host of 20pts+ scores, Robinson (24.30), Conner (26.60) finally back in the starting lineup after being dropped last week, Aubrey (21) and Achane (34) with a season’s best score. Shout out to Hubbard (32.50) who showed why he should have been a good pickup in Week 15. Jen had a tough week, where only two players really stood out, Brown (23.7) and Smith-Njigba (24). The bench had a strong 58pts left on it, notably Mahomes (25.70) but looking at the gap, it wouldn’t have made the difference. So, as the two coaches go into the fantasy off-season, Andy takes up 5th spot and Jen in 6th with a bit of thinking to do for next year. Jen seemed to just run out of steam at the end, maybe there was too much going on in the ‘other leagues’ and Andy finished strong, but for that fateful switch of Hubbard in for Conner in Week 15, it could have been so different. See you next year and thank you!

Week 16 - 2nd Round Playoff: Multiple Goregasms (120.24) // CeeDee-List (191.04)

Now the first semi-final. Besty vs Matt H. South Shields vs Hull. North-east vs East North East. Tyneside vs Humberside. Pease Pudding vs Fish & Chips. Newcastle Brown Ale vs Fizzy Pop. Besty came into this matchup fresh off a BYE week ready to get back to the fine form he showed late in the season. Sadly, it wasn’t to be. Matt H came through with another win and an even bigger score this week to cement his place in the Leytonstoners Bowl final. In a week where DEF stole the show, the Falcons (26.3) and Bengals (20.4) performed brilliantly. Besty, had a couple of good scores from Chase (22.40) and the points machine that is Saquon Barkley (30). However, the rest of the team didn’t have a huge amount to say for themselves, off-days from Hurts (4.54), Meyers (6.10), Kelce (8) and Pollard (8). The credit really has to go to Matt’s team with five positions scoring over 20 points. Goff (34.34) just continues to keep delivering. 2021’s cheat code, Jonathan Taylor (45.80) showed us he still has it, helping himself to 3 TDs for 218 yards! Gibbs (25.4) also got in on the action and lastly Ford (24.10) collectively making sure that Matt’s total was out of reach for Besty. It’s the 3rd/4th playoff for Multiple Goregasms and a spot in the final for the newly monikered CeeDee’s Crunchy Sprouts.

Week 16 - 2nd Round Playoff: God Bless Ramerica (141.61) // Leytonstoners (129.98)

And so to our final game of the week. A replay of last year's final.

Matt vs Rich.

A rivalry like no other.

22 years of friendship out the window for this gameweek. 🤣

To be honest with everyone here, I held out little hope for this matchup. I can’t remember the last time I won against Rich and based on form alone, this was going to be a tough task. Much like my matchup last week, this one swung wildly from me to Rich and back again. There were moments on Sunday where I thought I had it only to realise that Josh Allen (13.16), having been probably my most reliable performer, got injured in the second half and never looked likely to recover. It kinda had the feeling that neither team really wanted it and when I woke up on Monday morning, I thought all was lost. I said my congratulations to Rich and went about my day. At this point it was probably too much to ask the footballing gods to provide me with the 12 points or more that I would need to close this game out. BUT, it’s Christmas and when I woke up this morning, the newly picked up Green Bay DEF delivered the Christmas miracle I had hoped for. 22.75 of your finest fantasy football points. A shutout against the Saints. To say I was happy this morning, is something of an understatement. Josh Allen, all is forgiven. I have to give Rich some dues though, his team did not make it easy and the 26.60pts from James Cook had me seriously worried. The 4th lowest score of the season from #1 Overall player, Lamar Jackson (25.48) made it something of an off week, although I admit, writing that sentence is insane. The difference maker would have been if Brian Thomas (31.20), the Week 6 trade with Andy, had played in place of Sutton (10), then it would have been a similar feeling of loss and regret for me. Thankfully, mistakes were made and I got my redemption for last year’s final. Thank you for participating Richard. It’s been emotional.

And so ends the second round of the playoffs. This sets up the following matchups in Week 17:

Leytonstoners Bowl Final:

God Bless Ramerica vs CeeDee’s Crunchy Sprouts

3rd/4th Consolation Game

Leytonstoners vs MultipleGoregasms

So, we wave goodbye to Jen and Andy for another year. Some great form during the season, but the pressure of the playoffs got to you. It happens, we’ve all been there. Next week we have the big final and the 3rd/4th playoff. My money is on Rich for this one, I feel like he will want to take something from this, best of luck with your choices. And to the final. A battle of the Matt’s. Patchy form, grit, determination and over-reliance on our QBs has got us this far, just a final push to see who comes out victorious. Good luck and remember, there are games tomorrow, so check your teams!

According to Sleeper, our top picks on the waivers include:

Brock Purdy - QB

D’Andre Swift - RB

Keenan Allen - WR

Hunter Henry - TE

Justin Tucker - K

Miami Dolphins - DEF

Merry Christmas everyone and I will see you on the other side 🎄