MYPFFL.com - Fantasy Excellence since 1997
MYPFFL.com - Fantasy Excellence since 1997
We are about to head into the first week of the playoffs - and as I was opening files to figure out which one to write this article on, I discovered the 2023 PFFL Preview article I put up after the first week. We all like to laugh at our pre-season predictions and how wrong they can be, but it turns out...
FantasyPros had it mostly right. They picked Krystof to be the #1 team and he was. They picked 6 playoff teams correctly overall (the only one they got wrong was Justin, who was ranked #8, as they picked Daniel instead and, if you look at Power Points, they were close to correct).
But it is time to play the actual playoffs and to get to bask in the glory that is our only true elimination week. 3 teams will be moving on to the money rounds and get to play two more games - while 3 teams will have their season end and walk away with no money. So yeah, let's look at the high-stakes PFFL games on slate for Week 15!
Gabe was able to secure the #7 seed over four other teams by hanging in just long enough to survive. The combo of Lamar Jackson and Christian McCaffrey have been the power behind this squad, both scoring over 300pts in the regular season. Beyond them (and George Kittle), though, has been a myriad of players having both up and down weeks. As a standard measurement, most teams want to have 110pts per game to get wins, and Gabe had 8 of those - but he also had five games in double digits, which shows that he isn't consistent in his team strength. He finished the season 2-4 in the last 6 weeks.
John has two more wins and two more Power Points than Gabe, so he is expecting to be favored in this one despite being the lower seed. Much of that comes from CeeDee Lamb and Rachaad White, while the acquisition of Dak Prescott before Week 11 has injuected new life into this team. The rest of his squad is fairly suspect overall and haven't added a lot of points recently. Like Gabe, he has 8 games over 110pts, but he hasn't scored in the double digits since Week 5, so it is fair to say that he is still going to be favored by most people. He has won 8 straight games after all - quite the run!
FantasyPros Prediction: Gabe: 124 | John: 114
Krystof's Prediction: John by 8
Matt started out this season on the wrong track and then BOOM. He was able to ride Geno for a bit but then traded for Trevor Lawrence to lock down the QB spot after starting the season with the injury to Aaron Rodgers. Yes, he has Travis Kelce leading the way as usual, but good showings in some games also came from Isiah Pacheco and Michael Pittman. Still, the injury to Jonathan Taylor is a rough one to see as he has only played 5 weeks for Matt and this might be his last. He has been 9-1 in his last 10 games and was just 2 Power Points (or one win) away from the #1 seed.
Phillip has to have been enjoying all the #1 seed drama for sure, as he was close to getting that important bye week but just fell short at the end. He has scored 100pts and 2 Power Points less than Matt, though, and isn't on nearly the same tear. Sure, Josh Allen scored over 400pts this season and the fun of the Cowboys DST, Tony Pollard and Brandon Aiyuk have kept him in a lot of games so far. The early season trade for Aaron Jones (and giving up Amon-Ra St. Brown) didn't work out in his favor. He hasn't been on much of a streak to end the season (3-1 in his last 4 games), but this could be the week to turn it around?
FantasyPros Prediction: Matt: 106 | Phllip: 105
Krystof's Prediction: Matt by 6
Justin is probably still spinning from making the playoffs after the historic collapse of Avery and nobody can blame him. A.J. Brown is his best player (and he almost has 300pts on the season) and he has plugged in a lot of different people at various positions. Even the reliabel Austin Ekeler has been struggling this season and now must go into action without his QB1 and WR1. Jared Goff has calmed down a lot as well - so there are two important point-scorers who have seen their fire fizzle. Only having gone 5-2 in the last 7 games, Justin is going to need some luck to overcome the fact that he has almost 100pts more scored against him than he scored this season.
Leslie won the Central after finishing strong, but she, too, has more points scored against her than she has scored. Still, she is getting consistent (if unspectacular) play from most of her starting lineup and potential 2023 NFL MVP Brock Purdy has been there when Joe Burrow went down with injuries (oh the value of backups). She has 9 players in triple digits on the season so far - but only Purdy has cracked 200. Winning the division at 8-6 is respectable for sure, and she was able to put on a 6-1 record in her final 7 weeks after it looked like she was going to miss the playoffs (a rare thing for Leslie). This game, though, could get sneaky.
FantasyPros Prediction: Justin: 106 | Leslie: 110
Krystof's Prediction: Leslie by 12