
Chances are that as you read this you’re either setting your fantasy football lineup for your league’s championship game, or you’re curled up in the fetal position in a puddle of your own filth, wondering how it all went wrong. Out of five leagues, I’m prepping for two championship matches, so I ask not for any sympathy today, but instead, as always, offer my broad, hulking shoulders as a temple for which you can lean on. After all, I might be one of the few human beings on this planet who enjoys listening to people talk about their fantasy teams.
As far as the MVPs and LVPs this week, there were plenty of pleasant surprises, as well as dependable performances from those players that we depend on the most. Oh, and there were plenty of guys who let us down as well, including Eli Manning, who may have two Super Bowl rings, but after the season he’s having, I wouldn’t be surprised if Archie and Peyton make him sit at the kids’ table for Christmas this year.
So what the hell have the rest of you done for us lately, professional athlete millionaires?
QBs Who Did What We Expected Them To: Drew Brees (37), Aaron Rodgers (30), Matt Ryan (28), Tom Brady (26), Ben Roethlisberger (23), Cam Newton (21)
Not much of a surprise happening with this group. Chances are if you have one of these guys then you’re sitting pretty. Or maybe not. This season’s been a real bastard with surprises. I blame Roger Goodell.

RBs Who Did What We Expected Them To: Adrian Peterson (27), Alfred Morris (20), Marshawn Lynch (18), Chris Johnson (18), CJ Spiller (16), Arian Foster (16)
If the Minnesota Vikings make the playoffs, then Peterson is the league’s MVP. This shouldn’t even be up for debate. The NFL doesn’t make an award meaningful enough for what he has accomplished this season.
Also, as Chris Johnson probably won quite a few people their matchups with his performance last night, which included a 94-yard touchdown run that was the longest in the NFL over the past six seasons, he also did it with the names of every Sandy Hook victim on his shoes and that was a nice gesture. I’m not as good with words as many other Internet writer peoples, but I gained a ton of respect for CJ2K last night.
WRs Who Did What We Expected Them To: Andre Johnson (21), Julio Jones (20), Eric Decker (19)
Chances are that if you lost this week, it’s because your top receivers let you down. Sure, the Top 3 WRs in fantasy scoring – Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall and AJ Green – each topped the 10-point mark (depending on your league’s scoring), but we’re depending on those guys to carry us right now. 10 or 11 points may not cut it.

QBs Who Let Us Down: Josh Freeman (1), Eli Manning (2), Matt Stafford (3), Philip Rivers (6), Carson Palmer (7), Peyton Manning (11)
This was a very fitting end to the massive letdown given to us by Stafford this season. But hey, he may pass for 5,000 yards again to become the first QB in league history to pass for 5,000 yards in consecutive seasons. DOOOOOOOOOOOON’T CAAAAAAAAAAAARE. I hope Drew Brees finishes with 5,000 yards and Stafford only ends up with 4,999 yards. Big ol’ jerk.
RBs Who Let Us Down: Stevan Ridley (0), Ryan Matthews (2), Doug Martin (2), Ray Rice (3), Bryce Brown (4), David Wilson (6)
The moral of this story is to never, ever, never ever ever ever put your faith in a young RB or an elite RB that may have been completely ruined by Cam Cameron’s horrible offense. And if you do put your faith in a rookie RB, make sure he’s as wonderful as Alfred Morris.
WRs Who Let Us Down: Danario Alexander (0), Kenny Britt (0), Demaryius Thomas (1), Reggie Wayne (1), Victor Cruz (1), Roddy White (1), Torrey Smith (1), Larry Fitzgerald (2), Hakeem Nicks (4)
I started Alexander in my four playoff matchups, and amazingly I won two despite his disappearing act. Back to the bench with you, you awful, wretched swine. (Side note: Thanks for the past four weeks, Danario.) Additionally…

QBs Who Were Pleasant Surprises: Russell Wilson (41), Sam Bradford (33), Colin Kaepernick (32), Ryan Tannehill (25), Kirk Cousins (23)
I really want to keep Wilson in the QBs that we expected to succeed category, but last week’s performance against Arizona makes me wary of trusting him. Also, if you somehow started Cousins in a fantasy playoff matchup, you need to drive to Bristol, Connecticut right now and just go sit at Matthew Berry’s desk and start doing his job.
RBs Who Were Pleasant Surprises: Beanie Wells (24), Danny Woodhead (20), DeAngelo Williams (18), Mike Tolbert (18)
This is like the Who’s Who of Week 11 waiver pickups. I’ll bet they all looked great sitting on a 4-10 team’s bench.
WRs Who Were Pleasant Surprises: James Jones (24), Michael Crabtree (22), Brandon Lloyd (19), Leonard Hankerson (17)
Congratulations to Jones for finding the end zone again after being covered in cob webs on my bench for the last seven weeks. (Side note: Thank you for the first six weeks of the season, Mr. Jones.)
As always, share your wins or losses in the comments and I will be preparing milk and cookies in the corner.


Recap of this past weekend; I started Doug Martin and Reggie Wayne. Had Brandon Lloyd and DeAngelo Williams on my bench. But I still made my league’s championship due to the most brilliant move of the season; picked up Dennis Pitta off the waiver on Wednesday, put him in the starting lineup and got 24 points out of him. I won my match-up by 9 points. The moral of the story; GRONK PLEASE COME BACK!!!!!
My heart sank for you after that first sentence.
I started Welker, Kenny Britt, and D. Thomas at WR, and lost my game by 7 points. I’m going to go throw things and yell loudly now, thanks.
Holy crapballs. Receivers were just brutal this week.
Lost in an IDP league to a team with JJ Watt and a bunch of other monster defenders despite having Brees, Megatron and Andre Johnson. Why? Because I also had David Wilson and Lawrence Tynes. The only solace is that the guy I lost to is a Giants fan.
Not that it matters but I didn’t have Megatron in that league. Oops. Still a crappy playoff loss regardless.
I started Wilson over Sproles in one league, but I was splattered in that anyway. Regardless, I feel for you.
Started Jamaal Charles, Roddy White, Brandon Myers, and Connor Barth (shutout). Lost my finals by 6. FUN.
Brandon Myers shouldn’t be scorned but the fantasy experts who pretended like he was going to be that out of the blue TE should.
True, but he provided decent numbers for all us Gronk-less people until the playoffs.
I shouldn’t be allowed to trade. Let go of Heath Miller the week before Gronk went down.
Feel your pain my friend … 4 teams 3 playoffs could have made it to 2 superbowls but jamal charles ruined that so im only in one superbowl
Fifth year in a row that I entered the playoffs as the number one seed in order to just be bounced out of the first round. It’s gotten to the point that I called this same outcome on draft day.
Demaryius Thomas, Ryan Matthews, Lawrence Tynes (goose egg), Greg Olsen, and Anquain Bolden (another goose egg) all combined for a grand total of 9.6 points. I was trounced by 30.
I’m a kicker curse. Picked up Tynes a few weeks ago when a guy dropped him for a bye and he’s been just average since, and now horrible when we need him the most. I also dropped Seabass last week and this week he throws up 19.
I got to play against Elisha while having Cruz, Bennett and D Wilson on my team. And I still won thanks to Lloyd coming up big Sunday night.
Miracles do happen.
RG3 is hurt? No problem I’ve got Josh Freeman as a backup and Jamaal Charles, Demaryius Thomas, Victor Cruz and Reggie Wayne! I’m now on year five of 1 or 2 seed with each year ending in the semis or finals and no title
That’s the worst. There should be insurance for top seeds that get booted early.
Thanks. I feel like the Bills of my league
Our #1 seed had probably the worst team of any with a winning record. The last two weeks he’s scored under 50 and had the lowest point total of the playoff teams. Fortunately, he lost this week and is unlikely to finish in the money at all.
Ok, scratch that. He was going to be the #1 seed, but the loss last week knocked him down to #4 due to the low scoring. Forgot about that.
Eli, Charles and the Giants D did me in. Along with playing against Brees and Andre Johnson.
Brees killed me as well.
After going 11-3 for my best regular season ever and the #1 seed, I’m out in the first round thanks to Eli Fucking Manning. Plus I was going against Matt Ryan, but I prefer to place the blame squarely on Manning’s stupid dumb face.
I’m thinking about hanging it up on fantasy, more stress than I need in my life.
The high point total in my league was 1473. I scored 1466. I went 6-8.
I really don’t know why I play what amounts to a sixteen-week random number generator.
Giants D, Lawrence Tynes: -4 points
Started Cam Newton over Rodgers: -9 points differential
Started Demaryous Thomas, Josh Gordon, Danario Alexander: 4 points between them
Julio Jones on bench after never scoring any points at home: 21 fucking points
Chance at winning league: evaporated
Fuck fuck fuck.
The two games we had that actually counted this week had no one score more than 80 points. Just a pathetic week for fantasy.
Made it in as a 6th seed after losing Gronk, won the play in last week. Played 2nd seed this week..Brees put up 40 and I wasn’t minding Cruz and Ben Watson sucking..then Charles took the afternoon off and effing Brady goes superman and I lose by 12. I was in first place til Gronk went down. SMH, repeat
Rode RG3 (among others) to the number 2 seed and the highest point total. First round of the playoffs, had to rely on either Andrew Luck or Brandon Weeden. I went with the better matchup.
The sad thing is, I probably could have handled starting Weeden if Ray Rice, Doug Martin, and Roddy White had done ANYTHING.
I will now proceed to light myself on fire.
At least there’s still third place.
My starters scored 117 points. My bench had 121 and I lost by 2. I can only blame myself.
Semi final of my league. My WRs were Marshall, Welker, Alexander, TE was Myers (come back Gronk) and kicker was Tynes.
2 duck eggs, plus sod all from Myers and not much more from Welker.
Not only my lowest total of the season, but it was a tie on points, and I lost because of seeding. I was the top scorer in the league by a country mile, but the last 3 weeks Breesus tanked and I ran into a rookie whirlwind of RGIIIs and Lucks.
I always said FF sucked.