Fantasy football: several teams in the playoff hunt

The final week of regular season play is upon us in fantasy football. While the season is not over yet, this will be my final recap, and my final article writing for The Tartan. It’s been a pleasure being part of this organization and being a part of Carnegie Mellon. The people here are extraordinary, and I have no doubt that many will be up to bigger and better things in the future. Alright, that’s enough sappiness. Let’s finish this.

Easy Breesy over Team Andah 165.4–129.3

While staffwriter Josh Andah has suffered some abysmal weeks due to his complete neglect of his team, he actually was the second highest scorer of Week 12. Too bad he had to face my team. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones put up his best performance of the season for my team: 12 catches for 253 yards and two touchdowns, a total of 50.8 points. This more than offset the ten catch, 169 yard, two touchdown performance of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, who netted Andah 40.9 points. Our tight ends both had strong performances. Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz earned Andah 26.3 points while New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski scored 25.2 points for me.

The biggest difference maker was New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, whose 87 rushing yards, 101 receiving yards, and two touchdowns gave me 36.8 points. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson fought valiantly with 23.6 points, but the differences across the board did not come up in Andah’s favor.

Yes We Cam over Drop it like it’s Crock 96.7–94.3

This was an incredibly close game between Editor-in-Chief India Price and Publisher Jade Crockem. Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton scored 17.5 points for Price, and Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle came close behind with 16.4 points. Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry rounded out Price’s top three players with a 15 point performance.

On Crockem’s side, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen led the team with 16.9 points. Colts running back Frank Gore followed closely with a 15.9 point contribution. While the 6.4 points from Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon and the paltry three points from the Steelers defense almost led to Price’s defeat, Saints running back Mark Ingram’s 5.6 points and Panthers tight end Greg Olsen’s two points cost Crockem the chance at salvaging some lost pride.

Third String Team over Justin Tucker Must (not) Die 108.2–100.6

Assistant Sports Editor Marika Yang got the better of Contributing Editor Lula Beresford, cementing Yang’s no. 2 seed for the playoffs. Yang’s top player was a surprising pick: Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon. Mixon’s 114 rushing yards, 51 receiving yards and rushing touchdown earned 25.5 points for Yang. Patriots wide receiver Brandin Cooks followed suit with a 21.4 point performance, though there was a steep drop off to her next highest contributor, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith.

On Beresford’s side, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell had an incredibly strong 28.3 point showing. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady earned 20.7 points, as he had spread the ball out to far more than just Cooks. Unfortunately for Beresford, Washington Redskins tight end Vernon Davis had zeroes all across the board in his statistics, yielding no points at all when they were desperately needed.

As the final week of regular season play dawns, the playoff picture is still 75 percent uncertain. While Yang has managed to clinch the no. 2 seed, every other position is in play.

The no. 1 and no. 3 seeds are between Price and myself. While I currently have the no. 1 seed due to having a one game advantage, Price could still take it and drop me to no. 3 if I lose against Crockem and she wins against Beresford.

The no. 4 seed remains a tossup between Beresford and Andah, with Andah having the tie-breaker advantage. Beresford must beat Price this week and hope Andah falls to Yang to make it into the playoffs. Otherwise, the lack of attention Andah has given to this league will have paid off in the form of a trip to the playoffs, something that would really be a letdown among those of us who have been competing in the league. Here’s hoping Lula triumphs.