There's no doubt about it, bye weeks are a tough time for fantasy owners. Smack dab in the middle of the season when you're fighting for your playoff lives, the bye weeks hit and, suddenly, your left struggling to find a RB or WR on the waiver wire that might net you a few points in place of your star that averages over 17.0 pts/gm. Trying times, indeed.
More often than not, there's a lot of luck involved in managing through they bye weeks. One area where this is most apparent is if you're lucky enough to draw an opponent who is hampered as much as, if not more than, you.
Though the Bounty Hunters have struggled to find points without Deebo Samuel, the fact that he was on bye this week didn't matter much...they've already been working around it. And with a little luck on their side, they drew a matchup against a tough Thundabuddies team this week who would lean on Jordan Love since their star QB, Goff, out on bye. And if you think that doesn't matter much, consider Goff averages 20.0 pts/gm which is 6 more than Love scored...and the Buddies lost by 4 points.
But aside from drawing a matchup with a handicapped opponent, teams can also be lucky enough to see a fill-in player show up in a big way. For example, MaxxCasualties was looking at a tough contest against Burrowito Bowl without their starting TE, George Kittle. Enter Taysom Hill.
Entering the contest, Hill was projected to score 3 points. But because he's one of those unique players that can explode at any time, the Casualties took their chances and ran him out there. They were rewarded with 20.66 points and a victory.
And in the Sagebrush Cactus League, the same was true for Pork Chop Express.
With 1st place in the Cactus Division on the line and no Calvin Ridley, the Chops looked to Tank Dell to take targets from Mahomes. And it paid off.
Until last week, Dell hadn't done much since the early part of the season. After averaging 14.7 pts/gm through the first 3 weeks, Dell's average fell to just 3.0 pts/gm over his next 3 starts. Given that slide, he was a risky bet. But the Chops got lucky.
In a week where C.J. Stroud threw for 470 yards with 5 TDs, Tank Dell was on the receiving end and managed to grab 114 of those yards along with 2 TDs, for a total of 27 points. Not a bad fill-in performance if you ask me.
But for all of the luck those and others experienced this week, nothing beats the luck some owners enjoy when their opponent decides take a bye week along with their players.
Though it ultimately didn't matter, Shiva Kaminis and Belichicks Hoodie decided to try me and see if I would enforce the rules by leaving Kirk Cousins and the 49ers D/ST in their lineups. Had it come to it, the answer is yes, I will force you to forfeit if you don't field a complete team and try to win your game.
One of the most important aspects of our league is integrity. Owners should always try their absolute best to field the starting lineup they believe gives them the best opportunity to win. Does it matter if you're 0-9 and have no chance of making the playoffs? Absolutely.
It matters because, although a victory for you may not change your trajectory, it may impact the playoff race for your league counterparts. Those who are in a fight for a playoff spot may need you to defeat the team that they're battling against for those precious postseason opportunities. It's up to you to be sure that you give it your best effort...it's what you'd expect if you were in their position.
I recognize life can be hectic at times and I certainly appreciate the fact that fantasy football is probably not your highest priority. In those times where you're unable to check in on your team and make adjustments, please reach out...text, email, GroupMe chat...anything. Send us a word and we can help you out.
But please, always try.
Good luck in week 10!
Commish
GOLDEN TICKET CHALLENGE
Baby Got Dak continues to have a solid hold on the lead with their closest challenger, Do Not Panic, over 100 points behind them. It's difficult to imagine anyone catching up to Dak at this point but you never know.
In fact, the top 5 teams in this contest have remained unchanged for a few weeks now and I'm beginning to wonder if, or when, someone will step up and deliver their owner the opportunity to gain some ground.
SURVIVOR CHALLENGE
With immunity off the table and the bye weeks among us, the finalists are crawling and clawing their way to the finish line. This week, Baby Got Dak and Ohio State Gunkeyes both bowed out with 88 and 92 points, respectively. After this week, we'll be left with just 2 teams in each league and we'll move to a best-of-3 series between the remaining teams to see who will win the title.
PIGSKIN PICK'EM CONTEST
Holding onto a 3-game lead over the field, Jalenhouse Rock put together another winning ticket with 11 correct picks in week 9. But the battle for 2nd place is heating up with Los Perros Locos jumping into the fray after moving up from #7 to #3 as the result of back-to-back winning weeks.
With 8 weeks left in the contest, I'll be curious to see if Shiva Kaminis and Golden Tate Warriors are able to put several solid weeks together and make a run for a prize. Or, will teams like Badazz Bri and Baby Got Dak turn things around and remain relevant?
ELIMINATOR CHALLENGE
Digg-A-Watts and Ridley's Parlays continue to defy the odds and they've survived through 9 weeks. But with each week that passes, they give up another team to use and they're both getting down to some questionable options left to choose. If my research is right, I think I have a clue what their picks will be in week 10...we'll see if I'm right.
COMMISH'S PICKS
I was just a side dish away from absolute perfection in week 9. In the Sagebrush Cactus League, I was able to pick each matchup correctly but, in the Segundo League, the Tallaassee Tator Tots' loss to TJONES cost me and I finished 5-1.
For the season, my overall record is now 72-36 but I look forward to improving it further in week 10 as long as you guys do what I predict you will do.
POWER RANKINGS
Through the first 6 weeks of the season, Baby Got Dak was leaps and bounds ahead of anyone else in the standings. But a few tough weeks has them clinging to the #1 position in the Sagebrush Cactus League by a thin margin. The Golden Tate Warriors, Los Perros Locos, and Thundabuddies have all closed the gap and they're now within striking distance of claiming the top spot.
I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner, but after winning their 8th straight contest, TJONES35 has established themselves as the team-to-beat in the Segundo Leauge, dethroning Ohio State Gunkeyes. Beyond that, there wasn't much movement in the rankings as teams appear to have come to terms with what the Ranking Committee thinks about them.
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