Perfect Player Haters: Any Three Picks of Steelers, Broncos, Chargers, and Jaguars (18 points).
Player Haters: Any two of Steelers, Broncos, Chargers, and Jaguars plus a winning Home Team (12 points).
Headed into the final Leg (5), we have a four way tie at 24 points as well as six more Analysts with 18 to 21 points. That means we have far too many possible outcomes to consider in a comprehensive scenario.
Assuming that at least one leading Analyst reaches 27 to 30 points (+1 *lame* or *base* Trifecta), what follows are brief statements on the relative strength of Tiebreakers for each Analyst vis-a-vis the current leader (Mo Money). See the Tiebreakers grid at the bottom of the post to verify Analyst strength of Tiebreakers.
Mo Money (1st place; 24 points): She leads with 3 Correct Home Team Picks and 2.0 forced turnovers per game. She also has first Tiebreaker over Atwork* and B-Reezy. Her Buccaneers are on a bye in Leg 5, however, so she cannot improve her advantage. If she reaches 30 Trifecta points, she will remain at 3 Correct Home Team Picks and 2.0 forced turnovers per game — which we treat as the bar for others to Win on Tiebreakers.
Roxy Trot (2nd Place; 24 points): She controls second place with 2 Correct Home Team Picks and 2.3 forced turnovers per game. She also has first Tiebreaker over KateTDid, but loses to Little Tuna in a two-way tie on first Tiebreaker. Her Bills play this week so she can reach 3 Correct Home Team Picks to tie Mo Money. She also will need 2 forced turnovers to Win, or 1 forced turnover to Tie Mo Money for first place.
Jimmy V (3rd Place; 24 points): He holds third place with 2 Correct Home Team Picks and 1.3 forced turnovers per game. He also has a first Tiebreaker over Woody, but loses to Big Tuna on first Tiebreaker. His Cardinals play this week so he can reach 3 Correct Home Team Picks, but he will need 5 forced turnovers in order to reach Mo Money’s 2.0 per game, and possibly more turnovers to reach Roxy Trot’s or Little Tuna’s forced turnovers per game.
Little Tuna (4th Place; 24 points): She holds fourth place with 1 Correct Home Team Pick and 2.3 forced turnovers per game. She also has first Tiebreaker over Roxy Trot and KateTDid. Her Titans play this week so she can reach 2 Correct Home Team Picks. She will lose in a tie with Mo Money (second Tiebreaker), win in a tie with Roxy Trot (first tiebreaker) and likely win in a tie with Jimmy V unless he Correctly Picks his Cardinals to Win this week. And, see Sponge Mom below.
Craft Brew (5th Place; 21 points): He is in sole possession of fifth place with 1 Correct Home Team Pick and 1.3 forced turnovers per game. He reaches 27 with a *base* Trifecta without Player Hater Picks (+6), or 33 points with 2 Player Haters Picks (+12). In a tie at 27 points, he will lose to Mo Money (3 Correct Home Team Picks). He also is at a disadvantage to Roxy Trot and Jimmy V (2 Correct Home Team Picks before Leg 5) and to Little Tuna on forced turnovers per game (2.3 before Leg 5). Correct Picks and forced turnovers in Leg 5 will determine his outcome in a tie.
Sponge Mom (6th Place, 18 points): She holds sixth place with 4 Correct Home Team Picks and 2.3 forced turnovers per game. She also has first Tiebreaker over Bookie and faces Little Tuna in Leg 5. No Analyst can equal her current Correct Home Team Picks, so she holds the tiebreakers over all Analysts except Little Tuna (pending outcome of Titans-Rams game). In order to reach 30 points, however, she needs two Correct Player Hater Picks for 12 points. She could aim for 24 points (1 or 0 Player Hater Picks) and hope that no other Analyst scores more than 24 points.
KateTDid (7th Place; 18 points): She is in seventh place with 1 Correct Home Team Pick and 1.0 forced turnovers per game. She has first Tiebreaker over The Strategist, but loses on first Tiebreaker to Roxy Trot and Little Tuna. Her Chiefs play this week, so she can reach 2 Correct Home Team Picks. In order to reach 30 points, she needs two Correct Player Hater Picks for 12 points, however, she is currently disadvantaged on Tiebreakers to most Analysts ahead of her (note: she can Place if only two Analysts reach 30 points). A Perfect Player Haters Trifecta (+18 points) is a clearer, if riskier, path to Victory. Also, see Big Tuna below.
Woody (8th Place; 18 points): She is in eighth place with 1 Correct Home Team Pick and 0.5 forced turnovers per game. She loses on first Tiebreaker to Jimmy V. Her Browns play this week, so she can reach 2 Correct Home Team Picks. In order to reach 30 points, she needs two Correct Player Hater Picks for 12 points, however, she also is currently disadvantaged on Tiebreakers to most Analysts ahead of her (note: she can Place if only two Analysts reach 30 points). A Perfect Player Haters Trifecta (+18 points) is a clearer, if riskier, path to Victory.
The Strategist (9th Place; 18 points): She is in ninth place with 0 Correct Home Team Picks and 1.8 forced turnovers per game. She loses on first Tiebreaker to KateTDid and Big Tuna. Her Football Team is on a bye, so her Tiebreakers are locked in. She needs two Correct Player Hater Picks for 12 points to reach 30 total, but she is currently disadvantaged on Tiebreakers to all Analysts ahead of her (note: she can Place if only two Analysts reach 30 points). A Perfect Player Haters Trifecta (+18 points) is a clearer, if riskier, path to Victory.
B-Reezy (10th Place; 18 points): He is in tenth place with 0 Correct Home Team Picks and 0.5 forced turnovers per game. He loses on first Tiebreaker to Mo Money and Big Tuna. His Bears play this week, but he is not able to improve his Tiebreakers well enough to challenge the current leaders. He needs two Correct Player Hater Picks for 12 points to reach 30 total, and the rest of the field to fail to reach 30 points. A Perfect Player Haters Trifecta (+18 points) is a clearer, if riskier, path to Victory.
Big Tuna and all Other Analysts (less than 18 points): Each needs a Perfect Player Haters Trifecta (+18 points) to have a chance at the Win. Wise O. and Atwork can reach 33 points for the Win, while Big Tuna can reach 30 points and exercise his first Tiebreakers over B-Reezy, The Strategist, Jimmy V, and KateTDid (TBD, Leg 5 game) in the event of a tie at 30 points. Bookie can reach 24 points at most and cannot Win on Tiebreakers (Seahawks on a bye week).
* Mo Money’s first Tiebreaker (head-to-head) in Leg 2 / Week 2 is over Atwork, not The Strategist.
A completely unprecedented, extraordinary run, and shameless streak by Jimmy V! His shooting start has totally eclipsed Mo Money’s equally impressive string of five Trifectas in her first year!
Jimmy V breaks his own record for most consecutive Trifectas and ties his record for seven Trifectas in 8 weeks. He leads by two lengths (7 Trifectas). Sponge Mom (5 Trifectas and 21 Correct Picks) persists in second place, fending off Mo Money (5 Trifectas and 18 Correct Picks) in third place.
A handful of Analysts did not cede ground to the leaders this week. At 4 Trifectas each, The Strategist (20 Correct Picks) is in fourth position, Woody and Roxy Trot (19 Correct Picks) share fifth position, and B-Reezy (18 Correct Picks) holds seventh place.
Craft Brew (3 Trifectas and 19 Correct Picks) is in eighth place, followed by Little Tuna (3 Trifectas and 18 Correct Picks) in ninth. Former Champions Wise Orangutan (2 Trifectas and 17 Correct Picks) and Big Tuna (2 Trifectas and 15 Correct Picks) have fallen on hard times in tenth and eleventh position.
KateTDid, with seven straight weeks of 2 Correct Picks, clings to twelfth place with 1 Trifecta (from the first week!), while Atwork and Bookie (14 Correct Picks each) are appear to be committed to being the Analysts with No Claim entering the playoffs!
Despite four possible opportunities, for the second Leg in a row, no Analyst hits the Perfect Player Haters Trifecta (18 points). A steady race by a handful of Analysts has produced a four tie at the top of the leaderboard! Second (Correct Home Team Picks) and Third (Forced Turnovers per Game) Tiebreakers separate the leaders!
At the head of the field with 24 points each, Mo Money (3 Correct Home Team Picks) leads, followed by Roxy Trot (2 Correct Home Team Pick and 2.3 forced turnovers per game) in second place and Jimmy V (2 Correct Home Team Picks and 1.3 forced turnovers per game) in third place. Little Tuna (1 Correct Home Team Pick) drops to fourth place after adding a *lame* Trifecta.
Craft Brew (21 Trifecta points) is alone in fifth position. He is followed by a group of five Analysts at 18 points; Sponge Mom (4 Correct Home Team Picks) in sixth; KateTDid (1 Correct Home Team Pick and 1.0 forced turnovers per game) in seventh; Woody (1 Correct Home Team Pick and 0.5 forced turnovers per game) in eighth; The Strategist (0 Correct Home Team Pick and 1.8 forced turnovers per game) in ninth; and B-Reezy (0 Correct Home Team Pick and 0.5 forced turnovers per game) in tenth place.
At the back of the field, Wise Orangutan (15 Trifecta Points and 2 Correct Home Team Picks) has an edge for eleventh position over Atwork (0 Correct Home Team Picks) in twelfth. Big Tuna (12 Trifecta points) is in twelfth place and Bookie (6 Trifecta Points) gets off the schneid with a *lame* Player Haters Trifecta!
1. I’m predicting the Lions first and only win will be this weekend!
2. I am tired of looking at Jimmy V’s streakin’ ass from behind, so I am shooting the moon for a Player Haters victory!
Perfect Player Haters: Any Three Picks of Steelers, 49ers, Broncos, and Saints (18 points).
Player Haters: Any two of Steelers, 49ers, Broncos, and Saints plus a winning Home Team (12 points).
Little Tuna, the Defending Champion, leads headed into Leg 4. So far, among the five Analyst on the the leaderboard, we have two Player Haters who have earned *bonus* points (Little Tuna and Roxy Trot) and three Streakers who have earned only *base* points (Craft Brew, Jimmy V, and Mo Money) in the first three Legs.
The maximum *base* points over five Legs is 30 points. If the streakers close out, the Haters and the rest of the field will need Player Hater *bonus* points to close the distance or to reach 31+ points.
The most an Analyst may earn in a single week is 18 points with a Perfect Player Haters Trifecta (3 non-Home Teams Win). To be in contention for the Win in Leg 5, an Analyst must be within 18 points after Leg 4.
Little Tuna is the only Analyst who can eliminate all other Analysts, but if and only if she earns a Perfect Player Haters Trifecta (+18) and the other Analysts earn no points!
The Analysts with 12 or fewer points face elimination if any of the Analysts at 18 points or more reach 30+ points (tiebreakers will likely favor the leaders). In the near turn (Leg 4), however, not even Bookie is eliminated! She can still finish with 36 points if her Perfect Player Hater strategy pays off in the final two Legs!
An astonishing streak of consecutive Trifectas has given us our first change at the top of the leaderboard! For seven seasons, no Analyst earned more than 4 consecutive Trifectas in a single season. With an unprecedented six consecutive Trifectas…
Jimmy V moves into sole possession of first place with 6 Trifectas and 19 Correct Picks. Sponge Mom, who led from the gates, drops to second place with 5 Trifectas and 19 Correct Picks. Wondering what all the fuss is about, Mo Money (4 Trifectas and 15 Correct Picks) ho-hums her way onto the short list of Analysts with four consecutive Trifectas and takes over third place.
In the middle of the field, The Strategist now finds herself surrounded by five other Analysts with 3 Trifectas each. Craft Brew and The Strategist share fourth place with 17 Correct Picks each. They are trailed by Woody, Little Tuna, and Roxy Trot with 16 Correct Picks each in sixth position. B-Reezy follows closely in ninth place with 15 Correct Picks.
At the back of the field, Wise Orangutan and Big Tuna (2 Trifectas and 14 Correct Picks each) share tenth place. With 1 Trifecta each, KateTDid (15 Correct Picks) sits in eleventh position, fending off Atwork and Bookie (12 Correct Picks each) — the two leaders for the Analysts with No Claim entering the playoffs!
A high scoring, if overly nonviolent, Run of the Black Eyed Analysts through the back stretch…But, another punch to the glazzies moves last year’s defending champion to the top of the leaderboard!
Little Tuna adds a Player Hater *base* Trifecta (12 points) to move into first place with 21 Trifecta Points. She is trailed by four Analysts at 18 Trifecta Points, separated by tiebreakers. In second place, Mo Money (3 Correct Home Team Picks) moves ahead of Jimmy V (2 Correct Home Team Picks) in third place. Roxy Trot (1 Correct Home Team Pick and 2.5 forced turnovers per game) holds fourth position by a nose over Craft Brew (1 Correct Home Team Pick and 2.0 forced turnovers per game) in fifth position.
Sponge Mom slips to sixth place with 15 Trifecta Points. She is followed by a set of contenders tied at 12 Trifecta Points each. At the head of the fray, Big Tuna (1 Correct Home Team Pick and 1.7 forced turnovers per game) edges out KateTDid (1 Correct Home Team Pick and 1.0 forced turnovers per game) and Woody (1 Correct Home Team Pick and 0.7 forced turnovers per game) for seventh place. At the back of the fray, The Strategist (0 Correct Home Team Pick and 2.0 forced turnovers per game) beats back Atwork (0 Correct Home Team Pick and 1.7 forced turnovers per game) and B-Reezy (0 Correct Home Team Pick and 0.7 forced turnovers per game) for tenth place.
Wise Orangutan (9 Trifecta Points) falls to the penultimate spot, while Bookie (0 Trifecta Points) ponders whether all this hate is worth the effort!
1. Two benefits of playing games: It will teach you not everything goes as planned. It will boost your vocabulary. WFTL HAS TAUGHT ME MANY NEW WORDS. AS NOTHING GOES AS PLANNED.
2. If you can’t beat ’em, pick their Home Teams!
Perfect Player Haters: Bengals, Raiders, Saints (18 points)
Player Haters: Any two of Bengals, Raiders, Saints plus a winning Home Team (12 points)
Seven Analysts earn a Trifecta in spite of a Slate of Games featuring five Head-to-Head competitions in nine games total. The seven includes the two front-runners who continue on a blistering — and now record-setting — pace down the back stretch!
Sponge Mom soaks up half the glory by earning a record 5 Trifectas in the first six weeks of a Season. Not to be outdone, Jimmy V shares the record — while also quietly becoming the first Analyst to earn 5 straight Trifectas! Sponge Mom continues to hold first place on Correct Picks, 17, over Jimmy V, 16. The Strategist clings to third place with 3 Trifectas and 15 Correct Picks, but Mo Money is on her tail in fourth place with 3 Trifectas and 12 Correct Picks.
Wise Orangutan, Craft Brew, Woody, Big Tuna, B-Reezy, Little Tuna, and Roxy Trot contest fifth position at 2 Trifectas each. Craft Brew commands fifth place with 14 Correct Picks, over a bunch with 13 Correct Picks: Wise O., Woody, Big Tuna, Little Tuna, and Roxy Trot in sixth place. B-Reezy cruises in eleventh place with 12 Correct Picks.
The back of the field trails with 1 Trifecta each: Atwork, Bookie and KateTDid. KateTDid holds an edge over the rest of the backfield with 13 Correct Picks, making Atwork and Bookie the leaders for Analysts with No Claim entering the playoffs!
