FantasyGodz

Here we go! It's time for the post season tournament, starting with the Elite Eight:

1)UCLA vs 8)Baylor

It kind of feels like Deja Vu seeing UCLA at the top of the standings after one year removed from a three-peat. Shaun's four horses have all played in over 51 games, and the Bruins have been led by Gilgeous-Alexander(45.8). The other three stars all average over 35 fppg: James(41.8), Curry(37.8) and Sengun(36.5). Also having fine years are Markkanen(34.4) and Derozan(33.4). This team looks definitely should be in thr Final Four, where they will face the winner between OSU and Gonzaga. Now Baylor on the other hand has had a rough go of it this year. Dean's team is definitely capable of putting up big numbers in a single period, but sustaining the level of production has yet to be seen this year. The Bears will need to have one of the busts in production if the ant to even sniff a chance at beating the Bruins. Fox(38.8) and Maxey(37.4) will need to be in the upper 40's, plus Kuzma(33.6), Ingram(33.4) and Herro(31.4) will have to live up to preseason expectations. Even then, it will likely not be enough. One thing is for sure ~ almost every year we see upsets in the Elite Eight..  could Baylor actually pull it off?

2)UConn vs 7)North Carolina

We all knew the Doncic trade that John pulled off early in the season with Wake Forest would have some impact, but an Eastern Conference title? Yes, sir. Doncic(54.7) has really carried the Huskies. along with Mitchell(42.1). UConn has a pretty deep team behind them, with five other guys averaging 30+ fppg. Adebayo37.0), Jackson(32,5), Murray(32.2), Porzingas(31.1 and Allen(31.1). John looks to have a pretty easy Elite Eight matchup with Embidless and Lavineless UNC. Ryan jumped out to a solid start with the returning MVP, Embiid(55.2). But, with him going down for the rest of the season, the Tar Heels look to rest of the team. Brunson(39.1 has been phenomenal, and Towns(25.3), George(33.1) and Rozier(32.4) have been very solid. Beating UConn however looks like it will take a Herculean effort. The winner of this game will win a trip to the Final Four against Memphis or Michigan.

3)Memphis vs 6)Michigan

Masom is looking for back to back championships, but the road will not be an easy one, with the possibility of having to play both Conference champions if he gets by Michigan. The Tigers are putting up three 40+ fppg players, with hopes of them taking him back to the Finals. Jokic(49.4) leads the way and is nearly averaging a triple double. Tatum(41.9) and Booker(40.33) are both great compliments to the Joker, with Leonard(36.4) having a strong campaign himself. It's hard to believe that this team finished with just a single win a couple years ago ~ it's definitely been a remarkable turn-around. Micheal missed the draft, yet comes in as the (6) seed, and The Wolverines round out a very strong top six in the league. This matchup truly has all the makings of an upset, and it would not surprise me to see Michigan in the Final Four. This team actually had five guys over 36 fppg and on, Durant(42.5) over 40 fppg. Haliburton(39.1) and Edwards(38.6) are having career years, plus Barnes(36.9) and Banchero(36.2) are also having stellar seasons. Mike's team could be the dark horse, and this matchup is definitely one to watch!

4)Ohio State vs 5)Gonzaga

Another matchup that really could go either way is this one. David has been plugging a way all year, and as always, improved his team along the way. The Buckeyes' star player is undoubtedly Davis(44.4). But this squad has six others over 30 fppg, and a roster that has the ability to put up big numbers. Lillard(36.9), Cunningham(35.0). Siakam(34.1) along with both Bridges(Miles 33.2 and Mikal 31.5). What makes this team scary is all five of these guys have put up 50 fp games this year. The Bulldogs led the league in scoring this year(9528) but finished with a mediocre 8-4 record. Being an at large team is something Troy has not been used to, but what he has been used to is collapses in the post season. Whether it's by injury, leave of absence, DNPs or pointing guns at people, something always happens. With news on Sunday that Young will miss the tournament with an injury was sadly not surprising. But, Gonzaga still has a lot of fire power, and will fight until the end. Young(41.5) will surely be missed, but with Antetokounmpo(50.9) playing well and Sabonis(43.2) having a beastly campaign, there is definitely a chance at a title run. Irving(37.9), Williamson(34.6), Brown(33.0) and Harden(32.8) may not be the most reliable guys in the league, but Troy is really hoping they can be for a few weeks. But first and foremost, a date with OSU is no doubt gonna be a close one.

Good luck, fellas!

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**The Waiver Wire is Active

Need to make some last minute adjustments to your team? Well, the waiver wire is active this week.. so get your bids in by Sunday night at midnight. Remember, it is a blind auction bidding process, and any ties will go to the lowest ranked team from last year. Future weeks it will be the lowest current ranked team that will win the tie-breaker.

** I will shuffle the schedule in the coming days, since we have had the same schedule the last couple of seasons..

*All banners(below), team names and e-mail addresses have been updated.

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Manage your team how you want. Switch your active starters or use a bench player to cover a DNP. Just remember, once you have reached the maximum games for each position in the week, all other games will not count. This gives every team an equal chance to have 19 starts.

Remember In weekly matchup tie-breakers, there is no home court advantage. The players will decide the outcome by awarding the win to the team with the highest scoring player, then 2nd highest, etc..

**Review of how the league works

We will still have our normal lineup of a center, two guards, two forwards and a utility spot. Each guard will get a max 3 starts per week. Each forward will get a max 3 starts per week. The center will get a max 3 starts per week. Any additional starts that exceed the position limit will be wiped away. You will have the option to replace one of those players any time during the week by swapping and active starter, or with someone from your bench. What this means is if there is an injury, or a DNP, we can now replace them with a player that plays the same position and not forced to take a zero! 

Even better, the utility spot will get 4 starts! So if you have an elite star that has 4 starts...  put him as your utility! This will give your team exactly 19 starts every week, just like your opponent. If your utility player doesn't have a 4th start, just replace him with a bench player(any) on a day that he doesn't play. The cool thing is, we get to involve our bench to fill the utility start, or cover a DNP or injury from another spot. This may seem a little confusing, but once we play a couple weeks and get used to it, I think we will get the best and fairest games ever..

The tournament will run the same way as this regular season format, and will only be the top 8 teams... This will give the teams options if they want make a couple deals and build for next year. This means, bonus money for the Elite Eight, and we play a three week tournament.

It will cost $10 per team in our league to pay for the service. It has a link on the league page there, so simply send the money through card or paypal. Plus, you get THIS webpage for free!

Waiver Wire

All waiver wire pickups are done by bidding on them through our Fantrax league page. Highest bidder wins! The waiver wire deadline weekly is 11:55pm (Eastern Time) on Sundays. Then, bidding for the next weeks starts on Monday.

Rosters & Money

I have added another page link at the top of this page, which will take you to the spreadsheet with all players, and team money. This makes it easy to see what your team salary total is to avoid going over the $300 salary cap. 

The Groupme chat room can be used throughout the season to encourage interaction within the league. If you choose not to take part for any period of time, remember that you can simply go to settings, and mute the conversation, or put into office mode to avoid notifications.

*Also, remember there is an emergency bid(e-bid) league option. For example, if you pull up your team on Sunday, and realize you have a DNP that will not allow you to reach the 19 start max, you may pick up a player from the player pool, and drop one of the players on your team($5). You must contact me before the start of the game for the player you want to use an e-bid on. My goal is to give all teams a fair opportunity to get 19 starts. Check the rules section on this.

Commissioner's Note

It is my goal to make this fantasy league an enjoyable experience for everyone. If you ever have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me. My only two requests for all of you is to be respectful to one each other, and to stay active in the league for the duration of the season. Check your player's status for injury, and set your lineups. Interaction within the league is encouraged, but in no way required. Thanks guys, and good luck!