Week 10 Recap

Week 10 didn’t bother with any Monday night dramatics; every matchup was a done deal by Sunday night. But before we dive into the highs, lows, and brutal missteps, let’s check in on our league bonuses.

  Bonus Summaries 

Weekly High Score Bonus

Adam clinched the bonus again (fourth time this season), thanks largely to Ja’Marr Chase doing Ja’Marr Chase things.

Biggest Blowout Bonus

Still no changes here; Josh’s +97.65 margin remains the stuff of legends.

A Win’s a Win Bonus

Rob’s sneaky little victory over Matt gave him just enough points to take the lead for the “lowest-winning-score” crown with a humbling 114.3 points—just barely edging under Andy’s week 7 record by a single point. That’s your new number to beat, folks!

Survivor Pool

In a twist from last week’s nail-biter, Week 10 brought some clear winners and losers. Adam staked his spot with the week’s highest score, while Chris fumbled a bit, barely clearing 119 and placing himself on thin ice.  Josh was consistent over the two weeks, seeing himself advance to the final three. Rob’s meager score of 114.3 points means he drops out of the competition.

     The Matchups  

Puttin’ on the Ritz (ADAM) vs nWo4LIFE (DJ)

This match was over before DJ could even check his lineup. Ja’Marr Chase’s 55-point Thursday night bombshell put DJ in a hole so deep he’d need a miracle to climb out. A glimmer of hope flickered on Sunday, but five interceptions from Jared Goff quickly snuffed it out. DJ needed jaw-dropping performances from Jaylen Waddle and Puka Nacua, but fate (and De’Von Achane) had other plans.

With this loss, DJ condemns himself to a losing season, and his playoff dreams hang by a thread. The best he can do is 7-8, assuming he wins out in the final 5 weeks. That’s what he’ll have to do to have any hopes of making the playoffs, and he’ll need help from Andy, Josh and Matt, hoping they don’t win again in the last 5 weeks.  Fortunately for him, he faces a lot of his competition in the last 5 weeks. Matches against Jason, Andy (twice), and Josh await…..Anything’s possible.

Meanwhile, Adam stands atop the league, playoff spot nearly in the bag. With just one more win he’ll officially be postseason-bound. The only unlikely scenario that sees him  slip from the top four is a 5 game losing streak, and Josh pulling off a win streak for the ages.

The BIG Show (CHRIS) vs THE Gimpledaumus (JOSH)

The bigger they are, the harder they fall…or something like that. Chris’s stranglehold on 1st place took a hit this week. While Josh has staked his claim as the (potential) comeback kid. Chris and Josh were in a dead heat most of the weekend, but Josh held the advantage with both Cooper Kupp and Kyren Williams waiting in the wings for Monday night. Houston’s kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn took care of business Sunday night, edging ahead of Chris by 5 points.

Josh is creeping towards the playoff positions, and has a favorable schedule to end the season. Aside from playing 1st place Puttin’ on the Ritz in week 12, he plays Tua-Tang Clan (6th), nWo4LIFE (7th) and then Trash Panda (8th) twice in the last 3 weeks. He could easily storm his way into the last playoff spot. Only two wins separate him from a playoff spot, if Andy slips, Josh is there to take advantage.

Chris, meanwhile, has ruled the leaderboard all season but can’t rest easy yet. Two more wins will likely punch his playoff ticket, but matchups with Adam (twice) and a Week 12 bye week for Josh Allen, Garrett Wilson, and Drake London could send things spiraling.

Tua-Tang Clan (MATT) vs Team Cady (ROB)

This showdown nearly delivered the upset of the year. Matt was riding a two-game winning streak, ready to claw his way up the standings. Rob, licking his wounds from last week, came into the weekend hoping to avoid back-to-back losses. Matt held a six-point lead Sunday night, and all Rob had left was Detroit’s kicker—a desperate situation by any standard. But Detroit eventually found their rhythm in the 4th quarter, and Jake Bates extra points barely clinched a win for Rob.

The win keeps Rob in relatively safe territory, needing just two more wins to secure his playoff spot. Matt, however, really needed this win, and his playoff climb just got steeper. With three of his final four matchups against the league’s top three, the odds aren’t exactly in his favor.

Tua 3, 4 Concussions (ANDY) vs Trash Panda (JASON)

If there were a mercy rule in fantasy, we’d have called it early on this one. Jason’s season has officially collapsed under the weight of a now seven-game losing streak, locking in a losing season and putting a double digit-loss campaign within reach. Meanwhile, Andy is on the cusp of claiming the last playoff spot with a squad that’s consistently performing, week in and week out. Three more wins should do it, with favorable matchups against DJ and Matt on his calendar. But with showdowns against Chris and Rob in the final stretch, Andy still has to stay sharp.

Jason also managed a second consecutive Farley Rule violation, again starting an injured Amari Cooper who was declared out long before kickoff. Even though it didn’t affect this blowout, the stakes are too high for empty roster spots this late in the game.  With the last playoff spot being closely contested between at least 3 times, it’s important that all managers start a complete and competitive lineup through the regular season, no matter how bleak you feel your chances are. On top of that, there are still bonuses to play for.

Jason’s punishment for violating the rule jumps to Level 2: a $10 fine.  From here it jumps to $25, $50, and $100 if necessary.  Perhaps Jason should delegate access to his team to Ian, or Rylee…..or his cleaning lady? The Amazon delivery guy? Literally anybody would probably be better. 

End-of-Season Drama Incoming

With only five weeks left, every matchup feels like a must-win, and playoff spots are anyone’s guess. Week 11 promises plenty of fireworks:

• Rob vs Adam: 3rd vs 1st.   A win here not only locks up a playoff spot, but secures bragging rights

• Matt vs Josh:  6th vs 5th.  Come away with a victory and your comeback is officially on, ready to spoil the party and snatch the last coveted playoff spot.

• Andy vs Chris: 4th vs 2nd: Andy can’t afford to slip here, with Matt and Josh close on his heels, and one of them is guaranteed a win this week. A win for Chris means he can put his feet up and relax for the final few weeks.

• DJ vs Jason: 7th vs 8th: Who will claw themselves out of the mud, stand up defiantly and declare that they will not go gentle into that good night. One will rage on for another week, riding that last wave of fantasy football hope, the other will have learned, too late, they grieved it on its way.