With everything on the line for fantasy football owners in Week 15, some players dropped the ball (literally) and now it’s all over.
From a broad and logical perspective, this week in the NFL was no different from the first 14 weeks this season. There were teams who played, players who exceeded expectations and some players who didn’t do as well as we thought they would. Yet, we are talking about fantasy football, so there’s no time for being logical.
Owners were just one week away from the championship and helplessly watched from their couches as everything they worked for went down the drain in a matter of hours. So what were the most gut-wrenching moments of the fantasy football semifinals?
Here are some of the biggest and most frustrating misfortunes of Week 15 for fantasy owners.
Adams Bomb
The Green Bay Packers are loaded with weapons and, every so often, one of their star players will disappear. This happens at times because Aaron Rodgers will choose to exploit one part of an opponent’s defense over and over again instead of challenging the strength of the defense. This was not the case with Davante Adams.
On Sunday, the Packers No. 2 wide receiver dropped two fairly easy touchdown passes against the Chicago Bears. Both would-be touchdown receptions would have been from 16 yards out. As a result, owners missed out on roughly 15 fantasy points. Are you an owner who started Adams and lost by less than 15 points? I know some of you did.
Vikings Get their “Skol” Kicked in
If there’s one thing you can depend on with the Minnesota Vikings it’s their defense. Despite the dissapointing season, their defense is still one of the best in the NFL and when playing at home, they are even better.
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That was until Week 15.
The Vikings D/ST got smashed, gashed and embarrassed on Sunday by the Indianapolis Colts and lost by 34-6. They Colts did this while their starting quarterback, Andrew Luck, was less than 100 percent healthy and their No. 2 wide receiver, Donte Moncrief, was inactive.
There’s nothing like when one of the best fantasy D/ST providers owners with negative points in the semifinals.
Vultures Eat, Come Back for Seconds
Tennessee Titans rookie running back Derrick Henry vultured not one, but two goal-line touchdowns from DeMarco Murray. One came from four yards out and the other came from one yard out. He wasn’t the only one, as Indianapolis Colts running back Frank Gore was also vultured twice by his backup, Robert Turbin. Over the last five games, Turbin has four touchdowns while Gore has just one.
Last but not least, New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram was pulled from the game twice near the end zone. As a result, Tim Hightower scored two touchdowns. Multiple sources have reported Ingram freaked out on the sidelines because he is only one touchdown away from a $100,000 incentive in his contract.
Personally, I don’t want to hear it. Doesn’t this guy know I’m in a fictional league and I’m trying to win a couple hundred dollars and/or peanuts? The nerve of some people.
Redskins Implode
A lot of owners were depending on the Washington Redskins offense on Monday Night Football and a lot of owners were disappointed. Maybe it’s unfair to rely so much on one team but when it’s the last game of the week and owners know what they need to get a victory, it enhances the obligation.
Kirk Cousins was one of the best plays of the week as he took on a young and experienced secondary in the Carolina Panthers. However, he turned the ball over twice and did not score a single touchdown. As a result, he only mustered up nine fantasy points. This performance was his worst of the season since Week 1 when he also only managed nine fantasy points.
Did you only need one point out of tight end Jordan Reed? Well, sorry to say, but he didn’t get it. The tight end only finished with one reception for six yards before getting ejected in the third quarter. Yes, you read that right. Reed was ejected for punching Kurt Coleman in the face mask. I’m sure that face mask is really feeling it today.
Another week down and another set of owners say goodbye to fantasy football until 2017. Don’t worry, you only have nine months to think about your shortcomings as an owner.
