Week 14 Recap

Standings

AAAAAAND that’s the ballgame. 14 weeks and we have our playoff matchups. As with everything this year, the 2025 playoffs are a brand new experience. We have three groups this year, and I’ll handicap each of them for this week’s matchups.

Playing for a ring

Samantha, Blythe, Erik, and Ryan

Matchup 1: Samantha vs Blythe

Projected totals: Samantha -3.8

Samantha only had four losses this year. One to Erik, one to JB in Week 14, and two to Blythe. In those two previous meetings, Samantha only managed 112 points. Neither was a blowout and this one won’t be either.

Samantha’s team has two parts. The first is a bizarre combination of players who are…ok I guess? Devonta Smith, Chris Olave, and Nico Collins aren’t exactly in line for the Pro Bowl but they seem to have a very stable scoring floor. I really don’t understand it. The second part?

Yeah. Him. He’s an entire point per game better than JT and waaaay more consistent. CMC is literally the entire SF offense. He’s Samantha’s ride or die. That’s it, that’s the ballgame.

Meanwhile, Blythe has assembled a suicide squad. Bijan Robinson is CMC-light, Brock Bowers is the only functioning football player in Las Vegas, and Chimere Dike just keeps scoring points. Trevor Lawrence must have changed his conditioner because he doesn’t suck. He’s still at a 1 TD deficit against Mahomes on Samantha’s team…but has been on a hot streak as of late.

Prediction: Bijan will have Blythe learning the Dirty Bird, she goes 3-0 against Samantha

Matchup 2: Erik vs Ryan

Projected totals: Erik -1.5

These two split in the regular season, with neither breaking 100 in their last matchup.

This is an odd matchup. Ryan is the only team in the playoffs that had more points scored against him than he scored. He’s averaging 107 points a game and at this point, his entire team is Jonathan Taylor. If the rumors are true and Phillip Rivers is the chosen one…then buckle up. Ryan, you might want to NOT go the Seahawks game this weekend, you might be forced to watch your fantasy future get wrecked by the guy who should have been the Raven’s head coach. You better hope Lamar + Burrow get into a shootout.

Erik comes into the playoffs with the lowest point total of any playoff team. He averages a passing TD less than Ryan and nearly 2 TDs less than Blythe and Samantha. You wouldn’t know it by looking at his roster, but he does have bragging rights over Samantha from Week 9. He might have the #4 QB, but his best player is the 24th best scorer in all of fantasy football. He does own the Brandon Aubrey cheat code and the Denver defense so that’s something? Honestly, nobody really knows how you got to the party.

Based on the I'm just happy to be here vibes from both these teams I really don’t think the champ is coming from this side of the bracket.

Prediction: Taylor can’t save Ryan, nobody breaks 100 and Erik wins by a TD

Mid Middle

Megan, Tuesday, Morgan, and Chris weren’t good or bad enough to play for anything meaningful these next two weeks. The only thing good about your season is that you are safe from punishment but that’s about it. You aren’t even playing for pride these next two weeks.

As they say in the League, enjoy the Bahamas.

Playing for their Fantasy Lives

JB, Jon, Julian, Shannon

Like the top of the bracket, we have two teams that just had some bad breaks and two that are kinda busted

Matchup 1: JB vs Shannon

Projection: JB -17

JB smoked this matchup the first time. It wasn’t really Shannon’s fault, her entire team was Ja’Marr Chase for a while, and just ask Megan how that offense was working to start the season. Now that the Cardinals benched Kyler Murray, Trey McBride is probably the most valuable player nobody has ever heard of.

Shannon’s team has TERRIBLE matchups this week, while you couldn’t pick better matchups for JB’s team if you tried. I don’t think this one is going to be close.

Prediction: JB exceeds expectations in a rout

Matchup 2: Julian vs Jon

Projection: Julian -9.7

I really don’t know what to say about this one. I guess it’s positive that one of them will get out alive? For what its worth, this is a true meeting of equals.

Julian got tanked b/c AJ Brown had beef with everyone on the Eagles. Jon’s team fell apart when Rico Dowdle had to split carries with Chuba Hubbard again. Jon made the finals last year on a 60 yard field goal. This year, Julian has the #2 kicker and #2 defense and that might be enough.

Prediction: AJ Brown bails out Julian and Jon’s team goes full Uncle Rico - Julian by 3

Schedule Notes