Headhunters 2: The Tenacious Ten

## Introduction

What better way to follow up two weeks of nailbiting eliminations with a third week in a row that featured multiple teams on the ropes. Four teams finished within four points of each other, and three got to celebrate by moving on to week nine. One team, however, saw their season lost five different ways. More on that below, but first we say goodbye to a team that was handily defeated in week nine, and it was statistically the best team in the league.

## In Memoriam: Neck-Fix and Chill

In one of the biggest upsets and biggest letdowns in Headhunters history, the league's top team became the lowest scorer in the blink of an eye.

The ultimate grinder, Neck-Fix and Chill gave it all they had in 2020. They won bid after bid, only to have guys go down to injury week in and week out.

One of this team's greatest finds was Justin Herbert, who took over when Dak Prescott went down with a terrible season-ender. Then, even though it really isn't THAT big a deal, they lost Sony Michel to IR. Sure, not the best RB, but a starting member of the team.

Bring in Odell Beckham Jr. to add a weapon to a weak WR group. Goes down for the season in his first game with Neck-Fix.

The final nail in the proverbian coffin was George Kittle breaking his foot late in his game on Sunday. The man had already missed time with an injury, and his 6.10 in week eight was not going to do it for Chill.

Similar to the other eliminated team, the win was on the bench just waiting to be plugged in. Marvin Jones Jr. went off for 19.50, his best game of the season, and Dalton Schultz nearly doubled Kittle's total.

This is a cruel league. When it gets to this point in the season, even the best teams can have an off day. This was the best team based off total points scored in 2020, but they had a really bad day and injuries became insurmountable.

Everyone deserves a second chance, but this league does not offer second chances. Only severed heads.

Neck-Fix and Chill:

## In Memoriam: Henry VIII

In seriously one of the most devestating losses of my entire 11 year history of playing fantasy football, I felt my life sucked out of me not once, not twice, not thrice, not fourice(?), but FIVE different times. Let's review:

#### **1PM Game**

The first gut punch was rooting for Damien Harris all afternoon. Carry after carry, I saw my total rising. Well, turns out I forgot to swap him into the flex spot over Cole Beasly.

I was so pissed I almost did something really shitty and used my Commish tool to swap him in. I didn't, but I was really tempted, because I genuinely believed I had done it. But I genuinely didn't do it and that would have been cheating and I may be a whiny baby, but I'm not a cheater.

#### **425PM Game**

Then it was the first of four more life-sucks. Aiyuk catching a garbage time TD with minutes left in the SF/SEA contest. I just knew that it took Coach out of the hot seat and put me squarely in it. And just one fucking time, I really didn't want to have to do this, but here we were.

#### **Sunday Night Game**

 Fulgham went HAM on Saturday night, which was great for me! Except I needed him to go just two more points HAM. JUST FUCKING TWO. But that's okay, because CeeDee Lamb was playing like shit. Soul Suck 101, your guy plays well all game while your opponant's guy sucks all game, only for opponant's guy to catch five thousand catches in garbage time. Dallas running a two minute drill down a billion points, dumping the ball off to CeeDee over and over and over again until with 10 seconds left he caught a tiny pass to send Papa ahead of me. Okay, so fuck you.

#### **Monday Night Game**

  Time for the final bit of soul and life to be sucked out of me. After being so depressed during the day that I had to stop working and lay down in bed, I had to watch as Gronk was shut out in the first half only to come back and catch a TD in my fucking face to give Zach and Chantel the victory almost simultaneously. I was devestated, but I crunched the numbers. Hey, Brady still needs 9 points. There's only a full quarter left. If he doesn't throw a TD maybe I have a chance. SOUL SUCK 101 PEOPLE. Brady TD on the next drive and that was that.

I really love this league and I like that it's not matchup based...until it comes down you to beating one of four teams. Then it's like having four matchups, and they all beat you by less than 3 points.

It figures that the fun new twist I added comes back to nab me and I was eliminated the exact same week as a year ago, with CMC and Michael Thomas both ready to come back in five fucking days after being out the entire season.

But all that being said, this was the team that got bailed out by the non-elimination, so it's only right they should meet their fate in this way.

Henry VIII:

## New Releases

1. Michael Thomas
2. Christian McCaffrey
3. Tyler Lockett
4. Mark Andrews
5. Robert Woods
6. Justin Herbert
7. David Montgomery
8. Darren Waller
9. Travis Fulgham
10. Robby Anderson

Basically just listed my entire roster because my team was somehow nasty even though it was also the worst team.

## Week Eight Bidding Results

Last Year's most expensive week six player: Evan Engram ($185)

* For the second week in a row, Guilloteam is the week's top bidder. Last week, it was $400 on Dalvin Cook. This week, another $369 for Kelce (nice).
* The 2nd-4th highest bids went to players who did not play in week eight.
* The 5th highest went to a player who DID play but was so bad it was almost like he didn't (Amari Cooper).

## Money Spent Per Week

With only ten teams left by week 8 of last season, the bids started to taper off a little bit, while in 2020 things are just starting to heat up.  17 players is obviously the most in a single week and the $1938 is the most spent in a single week in headhunters history.

## Week Eight Results

* Biggest Climber: The Guilloteam (^7)

* Biggest Faller: Neck-Fix and Chill (v9)

## 2020 Draft Dodgers

A huge swath of the middle of the draft has been eliminated. Last season, two teams who drafted between pick 8-10 finished in the top three. This year, none reached the top ten.

Meanwhile, the team with the first pick is eliminated a week after the team with the last pick.

## Kings of the Castle

### 1. The Guilloteam

Hey, you spend all your money, you better have a really stacked team. With Jacobs/Conner/Cook at RB and Kelce at TE, it's safe to say those two positions are locked in. But will guys like Tee Higgens and Stefon Diggs be enough to take this team to the championship?

### 2. FFDraftScott

51 points from DK Metcalf will make any team look elite, but breaking 200 still gets you in the top five at this point in the season. That may start to change next week and they will need more out of guys named AJ.

### 3. Ya Hate 2 See It

Is any team more under the radar than Hate 2 See It? Consistantly in the middle of the pack, they've slipped silently into the top 10. Now the spotlight will be on them.

### 4. Clydesdales

Starting to get active in the bid game, Clydesdales's patience may be rewarded as they are among the teams with the most remaining money.

### 5. Gore-ronavirus

Still making some aggressive moves to bring in at least one more big names, Gore is one of two teams within 50 points of the league leader (Scotty). This could be another top-three finish for the pain train.

## On the Chopping Block

### 10. Out of Luck

This is the second time this season that I've had to politely tell my dad to go fuck himself.

### 9. Last Coach Standing

Who did they spend their budget on? There isn't one person on this team I'd pay money for. Yet, $860 spent somewhere. And ultimately, they play on.

### 8. Carole Pigskin

I really don't know how much longer this team can survive with only $17 left in their budget.

### 7. It's Blitz! Track 2

It takes a little strategy and a lot of luck to win this league, and Blitz! used a bit of both this week. For the second week in a row, they gambled on not using their immunity idol, and it paid off, but just barely. If Gronk drops that TD reception, it is likely over for the defending champ.

### 6. Hasta Laviska Baby

Lost out on Monty last week, will they pursue him again in week nine?

## Narrow Defeats

Margin of Defeat for Last Place Teams:

Yeah no comment.

## Rulers of the Kingdom

2020 first place finishers:

Guilloteam becomes the second team to repeat and does so by posting the year's best score thus far.

## Dungeon Dwellers

2020 teams that finished second-to-last, narrowly avoiding elimination:

Out of Luck has been flirting with death for a few weeks now and is the team that needs to be on alert for the grim reaper in week nine.

## Dead Money

Keeping track of all the cash that never got spent by teams that are now eliminated.

Dead Money

## Chasing History

As we pass the midway point of the season, many teams are going to start setting top-10 single season points records, with Scotty and Carole already breaking the top-10.

I'm not going to lie, I'm not entirely sure why I made this chart. I just started doing it and thought, man there's no going back now. So there it is.

Next week we'll start tracking the all-time total points scored (2019 & 2020 combined).

## Remaining Budget

Total remaining: $4036 out of $10,000 (40%)

See you all next week and happy bidding.