December 10, 2024: Regular Season Finale

Week 14 served as the last week of the Fantasy Football regular season. Stakes were high across the board in each of my leagues coming down the homestretch.

In my family league, my dad was kicking my ass… no shot to beat him, but… should still have the 2 seed and bye week locked up because my son was losing too. The only problem with that was that he had Chase and Brown from the Bengals on Monday Night. He stormed to the win, and past me in the standings, to lock up the bye. That left me in the 3 position to face the 6 position. My dad snatched the 6 position by beating me this week, having the 6th place team lose, and outscoring the 6th place team to clinch his first ever playoff spot. Now, he earns a rematch with me, a fantasy football legend, at least in my own mind. Let’s do it!

In the auction league, my fate was sealed pretty early. Playing the 2 seed, I did have a chance to earn the bye week, but… got absolutely smoked. That’s cool… I should still be in the playoffs, right? Well, in this league, there were 4 teams tied, and 2 others only a game behind, fighting for those final 5 spots. My season point total was enough to keep me in the playoff mix. I will enter the playoffs in the 5 seed, playing an old time rival in the first round. This should be good.

Finally, the keeper league, which is where this gets really exciting. You see, I sat in 3rd place in this one too, a game behind the 1 and 2 seed; I was playing the 1 seed. I had the 1 seed in points, so all I had to do was win, and I would pass him. I needed help too; I needed the 2 seed to lose. The 2 seed was taking one on the chin; that was looking good. I was trailing, but I had Burrow, Dowdle, and the Bengals defense on MNF. As we entered the 2nd half of the game, it was clear that I would win my matchup. All good, right? Not quite. The 2 seed, although losing his matchup, was putting up big points… in fact, enough points to pass me in the standings, which means I would miss out on the top spot and instant cash. As the Bengals were about to punt the ball away, I was dead in the water… except then some crazy shit happens. The Cowboys block it, then try to recover it unsuccessfully, then see the Bengals recover it… a team recovering its own blocked punt?!?! Bengals ball, and I’m alive! Still, I needed a TD, and with Cincy only needing a FG, I wasn’t feeling it… until Chase scored that final TD… boo ya!!! I leapt ahead of the 2 seed in points, but I wasn’t in the clear yet; he had CeeDee Lamb and trailed by about 7 points. First pass on the Cowboys drive, 15 yard completion to CD… now only down about 4.5 points. Don’t throw to CD… Don’t throw to CD… is what I thought, and thankfully, they didn’t. They got stopped on downs, game over, #1 seed locked up!

You see what I mean? Plenty of action in this regular season finale. Making the playoffs in all 3 of my leagues, including a #1 spot instant cash earner… heck yeah! Maybe I am that Fantasy Football legend that I tell myself I am in the mirror every season… haha. Time to get to some finals!