2019 Week 11 Huntingten Homies Newsletter

POWER
RANKINGS

1. Chip
2. Andy
3. Andre
4. Grant
5. Ridge
6. Hedgehogs
7. Nick
8. Stephen
9. Thad
10. Jeffrey
11. Urchins
12. Connor

Letter from the Commissioner

HuntingTen Homies!!!

Ahh it is time. For most of us it’s time to be disappointed. Disappointed in what could have been our
season to win. Disappointed that we didn’t make that trade. Disappointed we didn’t start that player on
the bench that scored 50 by themselves.
This year is crazy with 1 determined playoff team going into the final weeks of the regular season and
only 2 teams officially eliminated. The last couple weeks is about to be crazy and I am excited to see how
close it will be. This means it’s likely that a team that has won 6 games is likely not going to make the
playoffs.
I know this can get competitive to some, but I just want to thank you all for being friends. I know a lot of
us aren’t best friends but it’s such a good group of guys and it’s likely that you are in this league with
one of your best friends and that guy might be best friends with someone else in this league and so on.
It’s a web of best friends and it is such a unique dynamic and I look forward to the texts on Sunday and
Monday. I look forward to my phone buzzing and seeing one of the several Bengals fans discussing the
wretchedness that is the Cincinnati Bengals (HOWEVER I like their odds this week). I really do care about
all you guys and have your backs through whatever.
I hope that you all have had a good year playing so far and here’s to the rest of the season.

BOL everyone!

Stephen Richbart (Big Steve)

Strength of Schedule

Ridge has faced the toughest schedule through 11 weeks while CONNOR has had the easiest schedule.
That is crazy since Connor is 3-8!!!!

Alternate Schedules

Team Urchins Andre Andy Chip Connor Grant Jeffrey HedgehogsNick Ridge Stephen Thad

Urchins 4 45 4 42 4 5 64 3 4
6
Andre 67 6 9666 7 95 6 7
5
Andy 8 96 7 96 6 6 76 5 3
7
Chip 9 9 9 10 10 8 7 7 95 8 5
6
Connor 4 4 3 53 21 3 41 5 5
5
Grant 9 6 9 7 95 66 75 3 4

Jeffrey 3 4 6 4 5 24 5 72 3

Hedgehogs 4 5 7 4 7 5 6 6 54 5

Nick 6 75 7 86 5 56 36

Ridge 7 66 8 96 7 7 75 5

Stephen 3 63 6 75 4 4 4 45

Thad 5 64 5 52 3 5 5 4 45

Here, as usual, you can see how many wins you would have with someone else’s schedule. There are
quite a few interesting different scenarios here, but you have the record you have so deal with it.

Luckiness

Not many teams have a substantial amount of luck, it is really just Chip. Grant and Ridge do have
significant misfortune though.

Eliminated

Connor – Connor was eliminated from playoff contention 2 weeks ago, but due to the lack of newsletter
you all didn’t know about that. At this point it should be crystal clear that he isn’t making the playoffs.
Jeffrey – Despite winning last week, Jeffrey was also eliminated from playoff contention two weeks ago.
Jeffrey could find his way into a five way tie in fourth by finishing at 6-7, but when that happens I believe
the tiebreaker goes to points, and Jeffrey just trails by too many points to make up for it in two weeks.
Urchins – Alec’s best case scenario finds him in a seven way tie at 6-7, but his situation is worse than
Jeffrey’s in relation to total points. Alec is out of playoff contention in the same way WVU is out of the
bowl scenario. 5-7 teams sometimes go to bowls, but the tiebreaker is the teams GPA. ESPN would give
Alec 99.9999999999% to lose.

Chip Last Week

Week 11

Hey guys. After a week’s hiatus from predicting, I’m back and still very middle of the road at picking
these games. As it stand right now, my record is 9-15 thanks to an 0-6 week in Week 8. Yikes. But we’re
set to turn it around this week.
I’m going to keep it shorter this week, while hopefully providing some insight at the same time. I’m
writing this before any games have been played this week, so we’re looking at a clean slate.
Alvin and the Nose Rings (9-1 L) v. Daddy’s Darlings (6-4)
ESPN Prediction – Tie

I would imagine most of you are surprised to see this isn’t Game of the Week. After all, it was
last year’s championship, as well as the year before. Well, truth be told, Andy and I have both pretty
much clinched playoff spots, so this is more for seeding than anything else.

I come into this matchup with a fuller team than Andy, with his team not having Saquon for the
week because of a bye week. But I don’t think that’s going to matter much because CMC is going to run
all over the Falcons and give me my second loss in as many weeks.
WINNER – Daddy’s Darlings

Melbourne Sea Urchins (4-6) v. Team Nolan (5-5)
ESPN Prediction – Team Nolan (-8.6)

This is what we call a ‘loser leaves town’ game, meaning that whoever loses this game is likely
out of the playoff race. There’s a lot like that this week, but we’ll start with this one.

Nick has been the hottest team in the league since he got Tyreek Hill back. He’s gone from
calendar contender to playoff hopeful in a matter of weeks. Alec is also right on the verge of a
breakthrough, but I don’t think it comes this week. I have Nick making it five in a row and making the
playoff push a little more interesting.
WINNER – Team Nolan

Master Ki-Thadi-Mundi (5-5) v. Tanking for Tua (3-7)
ESPN Prediction – Tanking for Tua (-8.4)

Two of the tallest gentlemen in the league go head to head in this matchup. I’ve had to guard
both of them in the post in basketball, and frankly, it’s the closest I have ever come to being bullied.

This game is basically a must win for Thad. At .500, he’s on the cusp of a playoff birth. Jeffrey is
likely not going to make it (sorry Jeff, at least your basketball team is national champs and didn’t lose to
Evansville), so this feels like it could be a trap game. I’m going to go with Thad because it feels like his
team is going to ride the hot hand, having beaten me last week.

WINNER – Master Ki-Thadi-Mundi

Richard Sherman (3-7) v. Ruffles Have Ridges (4-6)
ESPN Prediction – Ruffles Have Ridges (-6.6)

This matchup is difficult to call. Both of these teams haven’t necessarily had luck on their sides
throughout the season, and if you look at their rosters, you’d think they were closer to the tops of their
respective divisions.

I’m going to give Ridge the edge here because I know how unlucky he has been, according to
Thad’s graphs, and it doesn’t seem like that should continue much longer. I’m still a bit confused on how
that’s calculated, but I trust Thad and his numbers. Shoutout Thad.
WINNER – Ruffles Have Ridges

NukTown OBJYNs (4-6) v. Davante’s Inferno (7-3)
ESPN Prediction – NukTown OBJYNs (-32.8)

At first glance, I had to doublecheck to see that line was right. But seeing as Andre’s best players
are all on bye this week, it checks out.

I have to go with Stephen just because of the misfortune of Andre’s bye situation. Starting QB,
both RBs and WR1 on bye? That’s never a great sign.

WINNER – NukTown OBJYNs

GAME OF LAST WEEK
Dalvin and the Chipmunks (4-6) v. Huntington Hedgehogs (6-4)
ESPN Prediction – Dalvin and the Chipmunks (-23.6)

Here we are. The Game of the Week. The Battle of the Furry Forest Creatures. The game we’ve
all circled on the calendars.

Not really, but this game has probably the biggest playoff implications of the week. If Grant
wins, he puts himself in a good position going forward to make the playoffs or to at least make things

interesting. If Matt wins, he potentially puts himself in a tie for second place in the division with Andre,
which puts him in a great position going into the last two weeks.

I’m giving Grant the edge for the sole reason that George Kittle likely not playing hurts Matt
pretty badly. I like the look of Grant’s receivers compared to Matt’s, and Dalvin Cook is always primed
for a big game. I like Grant this week to alter the playoff picture.
WINNER – Dalvin and the Chipmunks

Alright, that’s everything from me. Today marks a month until I’m back in the States, which is good
because the whole not-watching-football thing has been a real kick in the balls. Also, if you don’t watch
Brooklyn Nine-Nine, I would recommend doing that. Hilarious.

Apologies to Chip and everyone for no newsletter last week. I didn’t want Chip’s work to go to waste so
that was all from last week just to be crystal clear. He also has some predictions for this week that you’ll
wee later.

DK Awards

KILLER KONG – Chip wins the award given to the highest
scoring DK each week since he put up 28 DK points. That is
about double the average score.

DIDDY KONG – I’m going to give this one to Stephen this
week since he scored 8 points, which is about 7 points below
a target score, but he still won. Diddy win? Indeed.

HAIRLESS KONG – For a week, let’s let hairless kong be the hairless
kong. Every week I give this insulting award to one of the twelve of us,
but I don’t want to humiliate the beautiful skin body of this ape this
week.

CHIPREDICTIONS

WEEK 12
Hey hey everyone. We’re in Week 12 now, which is crazy to me. I remember the draft
like it was yesterday, when one of the player’s names that we drafted got stuck to Thad’s cat’s
butt. Fun times.
We only have two weeks left in the regular season, and the playoff picture still looks
relatively murky from what I can see. It’s like panning through the Ohio River. If the season
ended today, the four playoff teams would be myself, Andy, Andre and surprisingly Matt. I don’t
know exactly what the tiebreakers are, but from what I’ve gathered, I’m not the only one.
But enough speculation. I went 4-2 last week, bringing my season total up to 13-17. That
number would be better, but I put up an 0-6 a few weeks back, so that was cool. This week will
be a little shorter than what you’re used to, but hopefully will still be insightful.

Master Ki-Thadi-Mundi (5-6) v. Team Nolan (6-5)
ESPN Prediction – Master Ki-Thadi-Mundi (-7.0)

What a turnaround Nick’s team has had. From 1-5 and facing a surely medical-themed
calendar shoot to closing in on a playoff spot in a matter of weeks, Nick’s team is not to be
truffled with right now. Five wins in a row have him nipping at Matt’s heels for the last playoff
spot.

Thad’s team has also been sneaky good the past few weeks. I didn’t realize it until the
other day, but apparently Jameis Winston is a top 10 fantasy QB???????? I was, and still am
shocked by that. But anyway, Thad sits a game back of first place in his division, so he could still
make some noise.

This week, I’m going with Nick. His team has been the hottest in the league as of late,
and he could very easily sneak into a playoff spot. Despite needing to change his team name, I’m
rolling with Dr. Nolan this week.

WINNER – Team Nolan

Daddy’s Darlings (6-5) v. Tanking for Tua (4-7)
ESPN Prediction – Daddy’s Darlings (-2.1)

These teams are interesting to me because they somewhat parallel one another. Two
headlining players who carry the team and a decent supporting cast whose performances come
and go. Obviously Andy has Saquon and CMC, while Jeffrey has Michael Thomas and Zeke.

Andy’s team looked like the Panthers last week, with McCaffrey carrying the load and
the rest of the team faltering to an extent. Jeffrey’s team was carried by strong WR and RB play,
a la Saints. So basically, this week is Saints v. Panthers. Loose, broken logic, but we’re going to
ride with it. What makes it even better is the Saints play the Panthers this week. Life imitates art.

I’m taking Jeffrey this week. I think Thomas goes off against the Panthers and the Saints
manage to *contain* McCaffrey.

WINNER – Tanking for Tua

Richard Sherman (3-8) v. Alvin and the Nose Rings (10-1)
ESPN Prediction – Alvin and the Nose Rings (-16)

First v. last. That’s the matchup we’re looking at this week.
Connor has gotten unlucky with injuries and such this year. Adam Thielen going down
hurt, as did Will Fuller and Evan Engram. He would likely be in a different position if his team
had stayed healthy all year. Also, Todd Gurley has looked like a shell of himself.
My team is weird to me. Very boom or bust. This week, I’m without Kelce and Ekeler,
which were my two big scorers last week, I think. So that could make this matchup interesting.
But I’m going to pick myself. Kamara seemed to get his act together last week, so
hopefully that keeps up this week.
WINNER – Alvin and the Nose Rings

Dalvin and the Chipmunks (5-6) v. Ruffles Have Ridges (5-6)
ESPN Prediction – Ruffles Have Ridges (-34.3)

Oh boy. Grant is this week’s Andre from last week. All of his good players are on bye,
and his best starting RB this week is questionable to play (James Conner).

I’m going to keep this prediction pretty short because I think it’ll be tough for Grant to
overcome the odds this week. Which is a shame, because this game is a pretty important one for
playoff implications. But that’s all good, because Grant had a video go viral on Twitter this
week.

If I even need to say it, I’m taking Ridge this week. His team is just more full.
WINNER – Ruffles Have Ridges

Melbourne Sea Urchins (4-7) v. Davante’s Inferno (7-4)
ESPN Predictions – Davante’s Inferno (-11.5)

Before I start my analysis and predictions, I want to first congratulate Alec on getting into
med school. Job well done, sir.

Now, onto the important stuff. Alec’s team is odd to me because it has really high highs
and really low lows. It’s the Jekyll and Hyde of this league, and I’m sure I’ve made that
comparison before. It’s interesting to me. Andre’s team is just consistently good when healthy.
It’s a nightmare matchup for just about anyone.

I think I’m going to go with Andre this week. Despite Nick Chubb and Jarvis Landry
playing Miami, I think Andre bounces back from a loss last week to get the win.

WINNER – Davante’s Inferno

GAME OF THE WEEK

NukTown OBJYNs (5-6) v. Huntington Hedgehogs (6-5)
ESPN Predictions – NukTown OBJYNs (-14.4)

Marshall’s favorite sons do battle this week, with a likely spot in the playoffs on the line.
It doesn’t get any bigger than this.

Health concerns make this contest a bit questionable. Each team has a couple of guys
listed as questionable which could sway the contest either way. Stephen has Robert Woods,
Sterling Shepard, Josh Jacobs and Odell with Qs by their names, whereas Matt has Alshon
Jeffrey, Chris Thompson, George Kittle, Auden Tate and Emmanuel Sanders with Qs. So those
are all injuries to look out for.

Stephen picked up a win last week, but Matt outscored him and still lost his contest. This
matchup is about as close a call as they get. But I think I’m going with Stephen. I think his team
rocks up enough to make this playoff chase really interesting.

WINNER – NukTown OBJYNs

Alright gents, that’s all I have for now. It’s exciting that I likely only have one or two more of
these to write from London, then I’m back home. The people here kinda suck, which makes me
miss my pals. Anyway, enjoy the Turkey Bowl for me, and I’ll see you guys soon.