Football
The Real Reason For Sundays Fantasy Football Finals Recap
The Real Reason For Sundays Fantasy Football Week Finals Recap
PREAMBLE
Congratulations to Matthew Vaghi on winning the 2023 Real Reason For Sunday Fantasy Football Championship! The fifth-seeded Monkey Boys took down the fourth seeded Derby Dumpster Fires, followed by the top-seeded Participation Trophy. The championship was between a fifth and sixth seed, so unexpected to say the least, but no one can deny that Vaghi was fucking lights out in the playoffs. Well, during the semifinals and championships. Vaghi scored 337.62 points over the course of the last two weeks. Bonkers numbers.
I am not sure how many titles Vaghi has won? I am new to this league, so I don’t have the full history. I can’t go back and visit years prior to my involvement. If someone has the full history, I would love to update this list below.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
2020-21: Justin Michaud
2021-22: Jonathan Stanko
2022-23: Justin Michaud
2023-24: Matthew Vaghi
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
Justin Michaud (2)
Jonathan Stanko (1)
Matthew Vaghi (1)
Appreciate anyone took the time to click and read my ADHD riddled recaps.
Let’s get going.
FINALS SCOREBOARD
Tip your cap. Vaghi’s team got hot at just the right time. No team could have stood toe-to-toe with Monkey Boys over the course of the semifinals or finals. Vaghi took his projections and told them to kick rocks, and things got off to a great start on Thursday night.
The vaunted New York Jets defense decided not to show up on a short week. Jerome Ford scored 26.1 points, which is his second 20+ point scoring game of the season and highest point total of the season. Ford’s last 20+ point game came in week two. That’s a long time ago. Ford also had scored single-digit points in each of the first two playoff games. So yea, Vaghi just got lucky at the right time.
Justin Fields scored 25.22 points at the quarterback position for the Chicago Bears. Puka Nacu of the Los Angeles Rams, Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions and Dallas Goedert of the Philadelphia Eagles all surpassed their projected point totals. The Nacua one is extra hurtful because I have Cooper Kupp who fell below his expectations.
We also have to point out the transactional prowess of Vaghi. With just three dollars left in his free agent budget, he bid a dollar and acquired Zamir White. Plugging White into the flex spot was possibly the biggest pivot point; White was only projected 3.7 points, yet White scored 15.6 points for the second straight week and collected his third straight game with 15+ points.
This is one of those times where there is nothing left to do but acknowledge when someone pulls off the ultimate takedown. I didn’t think to pick up White, and it should have with Amari Cooper being ruled out and Clyde Edwards-Helaire projected for zero points. He made the GM move of the year (possibly) in the final week of the season.
Perhaps I should have picked up White to spell D’Andre Swift. How did the running back for the Philadelphia Eagles, going against a bottom five rush defense heading into the week, score only 7.6 points. It isn’t like there weren’t points scored either. There were LOTS of points. Fuck man, the game was 35-31 for christ sakes!
66 combined points between the Eagles and Cardinals and A.J. Brown only scored 9.3 points?? Less than 50% of his projected point total?? Fuck man, absolutely brutal. Brown only had three weeks with a single-point total, and this was his first since week 11.
And one last moan and groan on my side. Jamhyr Gibbs scored 5.3 points in the game against the Dallas Cowboys. He only had one catch. The last time he had one catch was in week 13, which was also the last time he had single-digit points. 5.3 points is Gibbs’ lowest point total in a game this season. Brutal timing.
Shout out Jayden Reed for putting up monster numbers on Sunday Night football for making it close.
FINALS ANALYTICS
GOOGLE SHEET LINK – Best Viewing Mode
- Vaghi outperformed his expectations by 29.52 points. Over the course of the semifinals and finals, Vaghi combined to outscore his projected point total by 105.12 points. That is essentially a full week of points. For the playoffs Vaghi outscored his projected by 87.2 points.
- While Lamar Jackson was the top quarterback of the week, Vaghi had great options himself. Justin Fields and Kyler Murray ranked third and fourth this week among fantasy QBs.
- The running back disparity makes me sad. 50.50 points for Vaghi and just 12.90 points for myself.
- Vaghi’s leading scored played in the the Thursday Night Football game. Credit to Jerome Ford for setting the tone.
- Charlestown Chiefs made the most moves this season with 29.
- I was second with 25 movies, and Vaghi and Bove each made 20 moves.
- Huntley made the fewest transactions of the season with seven. Teams Put Pete in the Hall and KC Rough Housers each only made eight moves.
- Vaghi had the most players in his IR slot throughout the season with seven. I had six weeks of IR worthy players.
- Vaghi played 63 different players this season on his way to the championship. The next highest was Michaud with 55 players and I played 53.
TRANSACTION COUNTER
ADDITIONAL STATISTICS
Margin Of Victory By Week
- Week One: 35.96
- Week Two: 25.74
- Week Three: 25.97
- Week Four: 27.31
- Week Five: 48.05
- Week Six: 18.00
- Week Seven: 37.48
- Week Eight: 22.20
- Week Nine: 29.89
- Week Ten: 22.17
- Week Eleven: 17.38
- Week Twelve: 32.87
- Week Thirteen: 25.66
- Week Fourteen: 29.62
- Quarterfinals: 14.15 *2 Matches
- Semifinals: 48.79 *2 Matches
- Finals: 23.78 *1 Match
- Average Margin Of Victory This Season Is 28.19
Average Team Totals Per Week
- Week One: 101.19
- Week Two: 117.54
- Week Three: 120.95
- Week Four: 118.77
- Week Five: 118.61
- Week Six: 107.77
- Week Seven: 111.97
- Week Eight: 123.68
- Week Nine: 104.25
- Week Ten: 113.925
- Week Eleven: 115.38
- Week Twelve: 128.12
- Week Thirteen: 115.93
- Week Fourteen: 113.21
- Quarterfinals: 104.79 *2 Matches
- Semifinals: 129.99 *2 Matches
- Finals: 135.33 *1 Match
- Average Team Total This Season Is 116.55
PUBLIC RELATIONS
“Congrats to Vaghi for taking home the title. I won’t lie, it hurts to be runner-up twice in a row. Stings a little bit extra. Thank you Lamar Jackson for at least keeping things interesting in the final game. We are onto full fledge fantasy basketball season then I will try to understand fantasy baseball and not embarrass myself again. For now I will wallow in self-pity and hope the Patriots beat the Jets.”
Jonathan Stanko – Manager of Look What You Made Me Koo
“Honored to reclaim the fantasy belt. Stanko put up a strong showing on the heels of Lamar, but my team kept its stride and had an overall outstanding week 17. Monkey Boys back in the saddle!”
Matthew Vaghi – Manager of Participation Trophy
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STANDINGS
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