YOOPER BOWL VII
The Fighting Manx (10-5) (GM Griffin Lawson)
vs.
75 Years of Rebuilding (10-5) (GM Jeff Jacobson)
After four months of fantasy football it’s down to two teams, with 28 other teams looking on. At stake: $500, and the right to say you bested 29 other GMs in the ultimate fantasy football league.
This game has a lot of interesting details surrounding it, but I think the most important one is the fact that as of this preview each team had four players starting that are similar. (Dallas Cowboys D/ST, Marques Colston, Steve Smith, and Dallas Clark) What this means it is now a 5 vs. 5 battle, which of course changes everything.
The Fighting Manx are starting Tyler Thigpen, Kevin Smith and Steve Slaton at QB, RB and RB. While 75 Years will start Kurt Warner, Brian Westrbook and MarShawn Lynch at QB, RB and RB. Who would you rather have? Looking at these match-ups and the teams each is playing I tend to lean towards 75 years with the advantage. Kurt Warner has New England’s D to deal with but this is not the New England D of yesteryear, this D is not very good and Warner should be able to pick it apart, he is after all the 2008 UPFL MVP. Tyler Thigpen takes on an improved Dolphins D/ST and as good as Thigpen has been he will need to be spectacular to lead the Manx to the title, if he does that you can place him immediately into the Fantasy Football Hall of Fame. The RBs in this battle boil down to veterans vs. rookies. As Steve Slaton and Kevin Smith are rookies and Brian Westbrook and MarShawn Lynch are the veterans. With that being said I always roll with the veterans at this point in the season, but I could be wrong, I just feel the vets will pull this one out for 75 years.
The other match-up worth noting is Brandon Marshall vs. Anquan Boldin. Boldin has been a machine this year while Marshall has started to cool since a hot start. With Warner already in place at QB for 75 years, give them the advantage with this match-up also.
Kudos to both teams for making it this far, GM Griffin Lawson is appearing in his third YOOPER BOWL, which is simply amazing giving the size of our league. Is he happy with just being here? I doubt it, and I am sure he would like to win a YOOPER BOWL finally, but this will not be the year for the Buffalo Bills of the UPFL. Look for 75 Years to notch its first ever UPFL Championship, which would cap off an impressive comeback on the season for 75 years as they started the year off 1-4.
Good luck to both teams and I hope everyone enjoys the upcoming Holiday season, and let’s give a shout out to every GM who makes the UPFL, I think, one of the best Fantasy Football leagues around.
The Fighting Manx: 97 ** 75 Years of Rebuilding: 121
might need to update the prediction. Griff is mixing it up now and my guys are all questionable. Not feeling as good about it any more.