DFL 2018 Week 9: Hey - Where'd everybody go?

Well, week 9 has come and gone and this week set the record for something....  The most teams with incomplete line ups.  Yeah, I'm going there this week.  It's gonna be a shame type week, fellas (and lady).

I knew that I'd be able to get this gif in here before the end of the season!

First off, Ben started a TE that was on BYE.  Granted, Ben has been known to take actions on some weird twisted principle before (see last year where he hung onto a dude on IR all year to protest the terrible policy of having 4 bench slots) and he is on the record as hating the devoted TE slot (not sure if you noticed), but this really bit him in the ass this week.

Sorry - this was the safest for work gif that I could find of "bite in the ass."
On completely related note, the internet is a weird place....

The top 17 tight ends this week would have pushed Ben to victory this week.  And I'm sure that he's going to post something about devoted TE being a BS position, but we all know that when he says that, it just means that he loves me.

Next up, Josh.  He had a full line up going into Monday night.  Just a defense to play and down by a scant 30 points.  I woke up on Tuesday to see that he had pulled his DEF and started nobody.  Why would he do this?  Dude figured a way to get a free pick up before the waivers kicked in.  Either he gets a few pidly points to narrow the gap a little or he finds himself  a player who hasn't played yet this week, and thus not be put into waivers. 

That's French for "Josh is a cheating bastard."

Well played, Josh... well played....

And Lastly, the King of non full starters, Skoot.  He hasn't started a full roster for 3 weeks. but then again he's won most of those games, so who the hell am I to question his strategy?  I guess that he really wanted to put his strategy to the test this week, because he had *3* starters on BYE this week and he still pulled out a win.

I mean... keep it up?   I guess?

But let's get down to it, shall we?

Elimination League.  3 players, 3 different picks.  Josh went with Chicago (and advanced to week 10), McClennen picked Carolina (and advanced to week 10), and Phil picked Dallas (and thus proved that you never EVER make a pick for Monday night - I mean Dallas was coming off a BYE, AT HOME, AGAINST THE TITANS.  FFS, how much more can the stars align?  They had like a 9 point spread!!)  So, well done McClennen and Josh for making it to week 10.  As for me....

Pick ems. This was....  it was not a banner week for us, y'all.

Terri topped the picks with 4-2.  Ben and Crutch kept each other honest at 3-3.  Phil and Josh stunk up the place at 2-4.  And Mike... well Mike tried his best at 1-5.  Kyle screwed all of the picks up with his upset, and Skoot wasn't too far behind with his THREE benched player.  Ugh....

That leaves the standings like this:
Phil:  38
Ben:  31
Crutch:  29
Mike:  28
Josh:  28
Terri:  27

So, the gaps is closing.  And if everyone could stop having upsets, I'd be just dandy...

Big week, big games.  Let's get to them!

Patrick (95.65) vs. Crutch (62.65).  This game was actually projected pretty close.  But then Patrick just ex-freaking-ploded. (I mean, like, not literally.)  McCaffrey, Kelce, and Whatever Defense Plays Buffalo all went mad this week.  Crutch tied to keep up with Hunt being Hunt and Fitzmagic both kicking some serious ass.  For you, Crutch, to ease the pain:

That's *FITZ*magic to you,sir!

Phil (89.20) vs. Josh (59.05).  On paper this seems like it should have been closer.  On my team, Landry, Ingram, an Houston didn't really live up to expectations.  But really when Conner and Kamara are on the field, does it really matter?  Josh responds that when Cousins and Moore shit the bed so bad, you just bench your D and make player moves.

Mike (77.33) vs. Ben (75.81).  So much to be happy about in this game!  Ben loses! (yay!)  Ben loses because of his own orneriness!  (Double yay!)  Mike wins, but he knows that Ben wasn't at full strength! (huzzah!)  I picked Mike to win! (what what????)  Mike is inching dangerously close to first place.  (Oh... Damn.)

Sad face indeed...

Kyle (71.42) vs. Stephen (67.55).  This was a really close game.  Both teams had a player in the 20+ range.  Both teams had 3+ players in double digits.  And both teams had middling players.  The difference?  Stephen started the Washington D, and they pulled in -4 points against Atlanta.  On paper, makes a lot of sense.  In application, it cost him the game.  Like I always say: "Defenses lose games."

via GIPHY

D (55.86) vs. Terri (55.17).   A bed wettingly close game, this one.

via GIPHY

Ok that might have been a little too much.  Anyways, whereas the previous game was decided by a bad defense, this was was decided by a bad QB.  That is to say D's QB Stafford who went -6 points.  I mean 10 sacks?  What the hell Detroit O line? So, had Stafford be just a liiiiitle bit worse, Terri might have been able to steal this game.

Skoot (54.76) vs. McClennnen (53.35).  OK seriously.  I've been staring at this game for like 5 minutes now.  Where the hell did this go off the rails?  McClennen was projected at almost double Skoot's points.  Yet somehow Skoot's starters (you know, the ones who actually played...) managed to eek a victory in here.  So, hail to the underdogs, I guess.

This game did not warrant a .gif.  So, you get nothing.
Static at that.

Alright.. that's about it for now.  Remember trade deadline is this week,if you're into that sort of thing.