When the season began, Rich Calderon was going to be the champion. It was a forgone conclusion, thanks to a trio of great keepers and two of the top 13 picks in the draft. With a record tying 12-1 record in the regular season, he certainly had the look of a team that fulfilled his destiny. Yet, soon after we crossed the mid-point of the season, a new team slowly emerged and before you Rich knew what hit him, he relinquished the label of favorite to me.
But which of us will win it all? Or will one of the other scrubs pull out an upset?
The regular season is behind us. Those results now mean very little. It’s now a eight team, seven game, single elimination tournament and as we always say in Robioland, “Just make it the playoffs and win three games.”
#1 The Dick-Taters vs #8 Keep Calm and Kerryon
2019 RECORD
Rich C: 12-1
Eric: 6-7
2019 SCORING
Rich C: 1,550 points per game (2nd)
Eric: 1,270 (9th)
2019 BREAKDOWN
Rich C: 98-45 (10-3 vs Eric)
Eric: 59-84
CAREER PLAYOFF RECORD
RICH C – Despite some early struggles, Calderon has rebounded in the postseason lately. He’s 13-10 overall, which is fifth best in the league. He’s one of just four players who averaged over 1,400 in the postseason. He’s 7-5 in the quarterfinals, struggling at first as a higher seed. Three times between 2003-12 he was seeded #2 and all three times he lost in the quarterfinals. However, since 2013, he has two championships, both as a two seed (2013, 2016). He’s one of five teams to reach the finals at least four times and he’s made it that far in three of the last six seasons. Overall, he’s 2-2 in the finals.
ERIC – After missing the postseason in 10 of his 14 years in the league, Eric has now made it to the party five straight years. Of course, getting there is only half the battle. Winning is its own struggle and “struggle” is the only word to use for Eric’s postseason career. He’s just 3-8 overall in the playoffs. Two of those wins came in 2012, when he reached the title game and nearly pulled off a victory over me. In 2017, he shocked the three-seed, but fell in the semifinals. Other than that, Eric is 0-6 in the other quarterfinal’s games. Of course, it doesn’t help that he’s typically the lower seed. He’s been a 6-seed once, a 7-seed once and a 8-seed three times.
PLAYOFF HISTORY BY SEEDS
1-SEED IN POST
29-16 overall | The 29 total wins and nine trips to the finals are a league best. Four #1’s have gone on to win the championship, but the last two lost in the title game and the last time a #1 won it all was Bob, back in 2014. Lastly, here is a stat for you…a top seed, who wasn’t also the scoring champ, has never won a championship before.
8-SEED IN POST
5-21 overall | While the 8-seed has pulled off five upsets in the quarterfinals, they are 0-5 in the semifinals, having never reached the title game. Also, the days of 8’s beating 1’s seems to be a think of the past. See below…
#1 VS #8 IN QUARTERFINALS
The #1 seed has won six straight. The last 8-seed to beat a 1-seed was Burrier upsetting Griff in 2012. Before that, it was even steven. Between 2003 and 2012, the seeds were 5-5 in the quarterfinals.
RICH C vs ERIC | THIS SEASON
Calderon and Eric faced off twice this season. Back in the season’s opening week, Rich easily walked away with a 1,609-1,202 victory. Hopkins led the way with 364 and Mark Andrews chipped in with 276. Rich smartly benched Aaron Rodgers (his second round pick) and had yet to figure out how good the Pats D was. As for Eric, Cam Newton bombed with just 68 fantasy points and only Josh Jacobs hit the 200-point mark, leading all scorers with 346. Second on his team? Gostkowski, who finished with 190 points. Three players on Eric’s team, Gostkowski, Newton and Kerryon, would be on the IR when these two teams faced off again.
That would be week 12. The week proved to be a brutal one for Calderon, who got just 102 from his quarterback (Wilson), while Gurley and T. Williams combined for just 74 points. Yet, he still found a way to win, thanks to a pair of 300-point efforts. Chubb dominated the scoring with 388, while Hopkins delivered 308. The Texans’ receiver’s two best games both came against Eric. Speaking of, Vozzola got 260 from Ridley, but that’s it. Meaning, in two games against Rich, only two players scored over 200. Five players failed to crack 100, including Josh Jacobs (72 points). Eric earned the weekly low score, falling to Calderon, 1,202-857.
RICH C vs ERIC | CAREER
Calderon now leads the all-time series 14-8, having taken three straight and six out of the last seven, dating back to 2015. In 22 career meetings, Eric has scored over 1,500 three times against Rich. Calderon has done it seven times. Oddly enough, these two have only managed to have a weekly high score against one another just once. Rich did it back in week 13, 2012.
RICH C vs ERIC | POSTSEASON
These two have faced off just twice in the playoffs; in back-to-back season no less. In 2016, 2-seed Calderon dominated 7-seed Eric in the quarterfinals, in route to his second career championship. The following season, Rich struggled with points that year, finishing 7th, but still managed to earn the 3-seed with eight wins. Eric, the 6-seed, was actually the favorite heading into the contest and the results matched the prediction. Vozzola earned just his second career playoff win, taking down Rich by just 29 points, 1,433-1,404. Eric would fall to Bob in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Rich fell to 2-4 in the quarterfinals, when seeded three or higher.
Baby Got Back | The Rich Calderon Story
Let’s just sum up Rich’s 2019 season with something easy. Rich led the league with five All-Robio players. Those players were Chubb (10th round keeper), Andrews (11th round draft pick), the Patriots DST (12th round draft pick), Russell Wilson (8th round draft pick) and Harrison Butker (14th round draft pick). Yes, I know two of these are a kicker and a DST and one was a keeper, but five All-Robio players, all after the 8th round? There are people in this league who haven’t drafted that many ARPs after the 8th round for their entire careers.
Anyhow, Rich is the reason why I’m not willing to guarantee victory for myself. There is just too much talent on this team to ignore. Yet, why isn’t Rich the greatest team of all-time. Surely, with all this back-of-the-draft talent, his team should have averaged 2,000 per contest? Well, Rich didn’t quite nail the top half. In round one, Todd Gurley has just five 200-point games and only two since week six. Antonio Brown in round two was a gamble that refused to pay off. In the third, Aaron Rodgers is a fine quarterback, but with Wilson starting so many games, it means only one of Rich’s top three picks actually contributes a ton to this team.
Uninvited Guest | The Eric Vozzola Story
Eric doesn’t belong here. He clearly stole Jeff’s invite, dumped him in a truck and walked in. But we’re all on to him, like Tom Cruise at the Orgy in Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. Just look at the resume. He’s not only ninth in scoring, but three times he failed to hit 1,000; all three times were weekly low scores. He broke 1,500 just twice all year, earning one weekly high score. He never won two in a row. Yet, thanks to a season sweep of Bob and a 51-point victory over Jeff in week seven, Eric is here, sucking down all the refreshments, stealing all our coke.
His end of season roster even screams, “early pick in next year’s draft.” His squad is riddled with injuries. Cam Newton was gone after two. Gostkowski would soon follow and eventually Key Johnson would be gone as well. Yet, Josh Jacobs became a semi-star. Calvin Ridley did just enough and Dak Prescott made us all forget about Cam. Even Kelce delivered an All-Robio award. Week in and week out, Eric scraped together a roster that managed to always win every other game. Maybe he’ll get lucky and Delvin Cook will be out and Alexander Mattison will be a sleeper in the quarterfinals.
#2 Freaks & Zeke vs #7 Dudelove
2019 RECORD
Robio: 11-2
Michael: 6-7
2019 SCORING
Robio: 1,675 PPG (1st)
Michael: 1,369 PPG (6th)
2019 BREAKDOWN
Robio: 122-21 (10-3 vs Mike)
Michael: 72-71
CAREER PLAYOFF RECORD
Robio – While I haven’t spent a lot of time in the playoffs lately, when I have made it in the past, I’ve proven to be nearly unstoppable once there. I’m 22-8 in the postseason. The 22 wins are a league high and the .733 winning percentage is a league best. I’ve average 1,489 PPG, which is second most. I’m a stunning 11-1 in the quarterfinals. The only time I’ve lost in the quarters was when #8 Calderon stunned #1 me back in 2003. I’m also 7-4 in the semifinals and my four championships are tied for a league high (4-3 overall in title game)
Michael – This is Mike’s first year in the league, thus his first year in the postseason.
PLAYOFF HISTORY BY SEEDS
2-SEED IN POST
23-15 overall | Six champions have come from the two seed (the most of any seed) and they are 6-1 in the title game. The only 2-seed to reach the finals and lose was Griff way back in 1999. After taking a 8-year break from winning it all, the 2-seed has dominated lately. They won three straight titles from 2015-17 and four out of five (2013-17), beating the #1 seed in 2016, 2017. However, last year, Neatock began his title defense by knocking off an old foe, 2-seed Bob.
7-SEED IN POST
21-17 overall | The years between 2005-2011, that’s known as the era of the 7-seed. A surprising three champions came from the 7-spot during that time, as the 7-seed reached the finals five times during that seven-year period. After a little dry period starting in 2012, Matt got the 7-spot back on track, winning it all last year. He became the fourth 7-seed to win it all, tied for second most with the top seed. Oddly enough, the 1, 2 and 7 seeds account for 14 of the 20 champions in this league.
#2 VS #7 IN QUARTERFINALS
The 7-seed actually holds a slime 11-9 lead over the 2-seed. Between 2002-14, the 7-seed dominated, winning 10 of 13, but then the 2-seed got back on track, winning two of three, before Matt ran through 2-seed Bob last year.
ROBIO vs MICHAEL | THIS SEASON
Less we forget, there was a time when Evangelist meant winning and back in week three, the D-Love’s produced one of the more impressive victories this season had to offer. That week, it was a battle of undefeated teams and thanks to two 400-point efforts (492 from Keenan Allen & 450 from Mark Ingram), plus another 346 from Dalvin Cook, Mike walked away with a not-so-stunning (at the time), 1,824-1,657 victory over me. I got “just” 300 from Lamar Jackson, while three others broke 200 (Elliot, Engram and Packers DST). Yet, Aaron Jones managed only 23 yards and Michael Thomas hit 54 yards, as my team came up short, despite breaking 1,600.
Fun fact: Keenan Allen and Mark Ingram’s point totals that week remain their season high, while the Bears’ 252 was their second best game of the year.
ROBIO vs MICHAEL | CAREER
You just read about it. Michael leads the all-time series, 1-0. Oddly enough, I went 0-3 against Pattini, so I’m o-4 in my career against Molly’s replacements.
ROBIO vs MICHAEL | POSTSEASON
This will be our first postseason meeting.
The Return of Robio | The Robio Murray Story
The last five years have been the most brutal half decade of my fantasy life. After missing the postseason in four out of the last five seasons, I was desperate for anything. A simple 7-6 record and semifinals exit would have been good enough (obviously the latter could still happen). Yet, a trio of good keepers (Kupp, Jones, Conner), the first overall pick (Elliot), a solid draft, led by the League MVP (Jackson), followed by decent work on the wire and on the trading block (Gordon, Julio, Lutz, Ravens) and what I got was a record breaking performance.
I won 11 games, including my final nine and my 1,675 points crushed the scoring record. Also, that scoring record wasn’t a fluke. I accounted for 10.02% of all scoring in this league (so far). Last year, Colby’s record breaking pace accounted for 9.24%…the lowest in league history for a leading scorer. My 10.02% is just the second time since 2003, the leading scorer accounted for over 10% of the league’s scoring. In fact, I’ve done it the last three times (2003, 2008, 2018) and no other current league member has done it (three former league members did it pre-2002).
The Tale of Two Seasons | The Mike Evangelist Story
For a month, everything was coming up Michael. In those first four games, he averaged a stunning 1,661 points per game. That team had two great backs (Cook, Ingram), the league’s best receiver (Allen), a good enough quarterback (Goff) and a top-3 kicker (Zuerlein) and defense (Bears). However, it’s all been downhill since then. Oddly enough, all that dominating came against awful competition. Other than a win over me, Mike’s other three wins came against the three worst teams in the league that combined for just seven victories. It’s like he blew his load on the fat chick.
Mike would win just two of his final nine. He would break 1500 just once more (1,509 in a week eight win over Neatock). While technically Mike is 6th in scoring, which isn’t too shabby, since week five, he’s averaging just 1,239 points per game, or two games worth of Lamar Jackson stats. When he ended the season with a defeat to 2-win Colby, I’d say he officially fell backwards into the playoffs, but that would be an insult to falling.
#3 Kamara Sutra vs #6 He Wentz Thattaway
2019 RECORD
Don: 9-4
Matt: 7-6
2019 SCORING
Don: 1,291 PPG (8th)
Matt: 1,390 PPG (5th)
2019 BREAKDOWN
Don: 63-80
Matt: 72-71 (7-6 vs Don)
CAREER PLAYOFF RECORD
Don – He basically has two playoff runs and that’s it. In 2006 and 2008, he finished as a low-scoring 7-seed, but in both years, he somehow managed to win his final three games and earn two championship mugs. Other than those two years, Don is just 3-9 in the postseason (9-9 overall). He’s not terrible in the quarterfinals, going 5-6, winning five of his last eight, dating back to 2006. He’s 2-3 in the semifinals, but he hasn’t won a game in the semifinals since 2008, going 0-3 in that time.
Matt – Thanks to back-to-back title runs and four overall (tied for most ever), Matt is sort of Mr. December in this league. Overall, he’s 15-6. The .714 winning percentage is the second highest in league history (the highest since 2003). He’s benefitted from winning during the era of high scores, so his 1,532 points per game in the playoffs is easily the highest. Overall, in the quarterfinals, he’s just 6-5, but he’s 9-2 once he escapes round one. He’s 5-1 in the semifinals and 4-1 in the finals. The single defeat was by a single point to Bob in 2014. If he could’ve gotten one more yard from his receiver on Monday night, he’d be the only five-time champion.
PLAYOFF HISTORY BY SEEDS
3-SEED IN POST
20-19 overall | Has reached the title game seven times (tied for second most), but has managed to win just two titles and those championships happened a long time ago (Robio in 2002 and Burrier in 2003). The 3-seed has lost the title game in 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014.
6-SEED IN POST
11-19 | The second worst seed to be, based on a .367 winning percentage. While the six-seed isn’t too bad in the quarterfinals, they have struggled beyond that, going 2-7 in the semifinals and have lost both games in the finals (2001 and 2015).
#3 VS #6 IN QUARTERFINALS
Overall the #3 seed leads the series, 11-9, but they have dropped their last four meetings. In 2015, #6 Colby beat #3 Eric. The following season, #6 Robio defeated #3 Don. In 2017, #6 Eric upset #3 Calderon. Then last year, #6 Don took down #3 Colby, who was coming off a regular season where he broke the all-time scoring record.
DON v MATT | THIS SEASON
These two faced off back in week five and Don escaped with a 27-point victory. Kenny Golladay led Don’s squad with 254, but only two players in total cracked 200. For Matt, he wasted away 490 from Fournette and 728 from his backfield (Barkley had 238). Even Wentz had a decent 312. Yet, none of his passes went to Agholor, who was shutout at the WR2 spot, which is still 60 points better than the Ravens DST managed against a bad Browns offense.
DON v MATT | CAREER
Don actually leads the all-time series, 12-10. It helps that it took five years for Matt to earn his first win against Don, dropping his first four (2003-2006). In fact, the senior Vozzola took seven of their first eight meetings. Lately, Matt has found success, taking five of seven, until Don escape with a win this year.
DON v MATT | POSTSEASON
Despite playing together in this league for 16 seasons, these two have never met in the playoffs. That’s partly due to the fact both are two who have been known to miss the postseason from time to time. Don has failed to qualify seven times in 18 seasons, while Matt has missed the playoffs six times in 16 years.
High Seeds and Misdemeanors | The Don Vozzola Story
Every year there is one. There’s always some team that has no business winning a ton of games that ends up earning a high seed. That team this year…Donnie. Of course, it helps that Don’s opponents only scored the 10th most points, but that’s common among high seeds. Myself and Calderon are last and second-to-last in opponents points.
Of course, Don began the year with six straight wins. In helped that he faced both Burrier and Griff (four combined wins), caught Bob when he was struggling (week three), faced Masterson the week he barely hit 700 and happened upon Michael the week his season began to go to shit. Of course, Don is also the guy who failed to score 1,250 seven times this year, yet still went 4-3 in those games. He’s the guy who broke 1,500 just twice and somehow lost to Colby without Mahomes.
Don entered the season with what I believed to be one of the best trios in the league. Alvin Kamara, Joe Mixon and Tyreek Hill were all All-Robio talent. Yet, all three have failed to live up to expectations. Kamara has missed some time, but he’s simply not getting the touches needed to dominate. Hill has been hurt more than his son, missing a total of five games. Meanwhile, until recently, Mixon was the league’s biggest bust. Yet, some heroes emerged. Golladay somehow earned an All-Robio and Jarvis Landry is the best receiver in Cleveland. From time-to-time, his pair of Pats delivered some points (Brady, White), while Waller was one of the best free agent pick ups of the year.
Still, give Don anyone else schedule, other than mine, the most wins he would have gotten was six (and that’s just with Calderon and Neatock’s schedule). With everybody else’s he would’ve missed the playoffs.
Trials and Tribulations of a Three-peat | The Matt Neatock Story
There have only been two teams prior who had a shot at three-peat. I won it all in 1999 and 2000. In 2001, I started the year 0-4, but won nine of my last ten. I was ready to win that title as a two-seed. Instead, I was stunned by an overrated 6-seed in the semifinals. Bob Castrone was aiming for three in a row in 2013. The previous season, he managed to win it all, despite a 6-7 regular season (7-seed). In 2013, Bob struggled out of the gate. He dropped his first two and was actually 3-6 through nine weeks. However, he won three in a row, got to six wins and finished 6-7, once again earning the 7-seed. After stunning 2-seed Calderon in the quarterfinals, he came up 83 points shy in the semifinals to me.
So…what will Neatock do? Unlike Bob and I, Matt had no such struggles to begin the year. In fact, he won his first three, five of his first seven and was sitting pretty at 6-3 through nine games. Yet, a brutal defeat to last place Colby sent him on a three-week slide, that only ended when two-win Burrier arrived in town.
For Matt, it’s always been about that backfield. Fournette certainly delivered, earning an All-Robio award, despite being allergic to the end zone. The problem is, last year’s All-Robio back, Barkley, has failed to deliver much of anything. He has just one 300-pt effort and two 200-point games since week three (he missed three games to injury). If Barkley can somehow find a spark and come close to what he was doing in last year’s playoffs, folks can’t sleep on Matt. With Edelman and Moore, he’s got a pair of low-end WR1s. At kicker, he’s got one of the best and at DST, the Colts remain a top-10 unit. Even his Eagles, who have struggled with consistency all season long, have the greatest fantasy schedule one could ask for. Wentz and Ertz will face the Giants, Redskins and the Cowboys (at home).
#4 Two Headed Russian Attack vs #5 Xerxes I
2019 RECORD
Rob M: 8-5
Bob: 7-6
2019 SCORING
Rob M: 1,518 (3rd)
Bob: 1,425 (4th)
2019 BREAKDOWN
Rob M: 97-46 (7-6 vs Bob)
Bob: 71-72
CAREER PLAYOFF RECORD
Rob M – No one has had more trouble in the postseason than Rob. Overall, he’s just 4-13. His .235 winning percentage is a league low. His 1,475 points per game allowed is the second most in league history, which obviously plays a part in his demise. In the quarterfinals, he’s just 4-9. Worse yet, despite the fact he’s now produced a league best nine straight winning seasons, he’s dropped five straight in the quarterfinals and has just one win in round one since 2007 (1-8). Even worse than that…he’s 0-4 in the semifinals and is the only non-rookie league member to not reach the finals at least once.
Bob – If there is an opposite to Rob, it’s Bob. While Masterson can’t catch a break in the postseason, Bob has owned the breaks. He’s 20-10 overall in the postseason. The 20 victories are tied for second most and his .667 winning percentage is third best. He’s averaged 1,470 points per game (3rd best), while his foes have averaged just 1,268, which is the lowest ever. He’s a solid 11-3 in the quarterfinals (twice losing to the eventual champ). In the semifinals, he’s had a few bumps, going just 5-6, although his 11 trips to the semifinals is tied with me for most (in four less seasons). He’s 4-1 in the finals, finally losing his first one in 2017 to Matt.
PLAYOFF HISTORY BY SEEDS
4-SEED IN POST
13-18 overall | The 4-seed has struggled to escape round one. In fact, they’re almost as bad as the 8-seed, but once they escape that tough first round, they’ve been pretty solid, going 4-1 in the semifinals and 3-1 in the finals. Griff in 2005, Bob in 2010 and myself in 2012, have all won titles as the 4-seed.
5-SEED IN POST
Like I said, the 5-seed has dominated the quarterfinals, but unlike the 4-seed, once it escapes, it tends to falter. They are just 5-10 in the semifinals (the 10 loses are the most of any seed in that round) and are just 1-4 in the finals, including last season when Calderon lost to Neatock. Speaking of Matt, he was the last person to be a 5-seed and win it all. That year was 2007.
#4 VS #5 IN QUARTERFINALS
The 5-seed is a stunning 15-5 in the quarterfinals. They have won six straight. the last 5-seed to lose was Molly losing to me in 2012. If you go back to 2006, the 4-seed has lost 10 of the last 12 meetings in the quarterfinals, including last year, when #4 Masterson fell to Calderon.
ROB M vs BOB | THIS SEASON
How could we forget? Bob and Rob played the highest scoring game in league history. Bob scored 2,507 points; breaking Masterson’s 16-year-old record of 2,501 points. In defeat, Rob scored 2,105 points, obviously the most ever scored by a team in defeat. One day, we’ll be telling our grandkids about this game. Of course, that game was just one of 13 each played this season. This one matters, as the loser will go home.
ROB M vs BOB | CAREER
Bob leads the all-time series, 14-11. Masterson use to dominate Bob back in the day. He won their first two meetings and actually won five of their first six games against one another. It took Bob five years to beat Rob in the regular season. Hell, he would lose five straight to Rob in the regular season between 2011-14. Lately tough, Bob has been turning Rob into his bitch. In fact, Castrone has won seven straight against Rob, who last beat Bob in week one of the 2014 season.
ROB M vs BOB | POSTSEASON
Of course, Rob might have dominated Bob in the regular season all those year, but in the playoffs, it was all Castrone. These three have faced off three times in the postseason, all in the quarterfinals and this won’t surprise anyone, Rob didn’t win any of them. Back in 2004, two-seed Bob, riding a five-game winning streak, easily dispatched 7-seed Masterson in round one, 1,825-1,494.
Fast forward to 2011 and things are different. Rob is the 2-seed, having become just the third person in league history to average over 1,500. This was his season. Finally. Yet, Bob wouldn’t let him have it. In the final seconds of a Rams defeat, Steven Jackson ran the ball and handed Bob a stunning two-point victory, 1,625-1,623. This would prove to be Rob’s worst defeat in Robioland, while it was just a stepping stone for Bob to win his third career title. The 1,625 points Bob scored were the most he scored since week four and he wouldn’t touch that total for the rest of the playoffs.
Finally, in 2016, Rob and Bob faced off in the 4/5 game. Both won eight games, but Rob earned the 5-seed thanks to a third-place finish in points. Bob was one of the worst at scoring, finishing 9th. Of course, none of it mattered. In the quarterfinals, Masterson failed to show, producing his lowest postseason point total ever, as Bob cruised to a 1,351-745 victory.
The Regular Season Prince | The Rob Masterson Story
It’s a bit shocking at this point. Here is Rob, who after so many struggles early on in this league, has now produced a record nine straight winning seasons. He won eight games this year and is third in scoring, averaging over 1,500…yet, I have no faith he’ll win it all. Part of it is history. Rob has just two quarterfinals wins since the 2004 season, while Bob is 11-3 during that same week. Like I wrote above, history has told me that Bob is undefeated against Rob in the postseason. Also, history has told me it sucks to be the four seed, just 5-15 in the quarterfinals. History just sucks for Masterson.
Of course, Rob’s team this season also tells me I should be worried. At times, this squad has dominated, averaging a stunning 1,828 in his six best games. Yet, this same team scored just 1,253 points per game in his other seven contests. Injuries of course have been an issue. While McCaffrey has dominated the league, nearly becoming the third running back to average 400 per game, other important pieces have struggled to stay on the field. Drew Brews missed half the season and has struggled lately. Marlon Mack has looked great, but he’s gone for now. Even Amari Cooper, who hasn’t missed any time, has been playing banged up. There is no doubt, a full healthy Rob squad would be among the elite, but this team hovers just outside that honor.
The King of Kings | The Bob Castrone Story
Bob is back in the playoffs, because Bob. The dude simply refuses to not be apart of the postseason. During this amazing 14-year run, there have been some close calls. Bob once produced three straight losing seasons, but always managed to squeeze in and even managed to win a title as a 6-7 seven-seed (2011). Yet, after dominating the regular season the past five years (51-14), even Castrone had to feel the panic when he looked at the standings and saw an 0 before the 4. Of course, some panic and falter, Bob just Bobs. He traded for Aaron Jones (later for Kittle), changed his team name and took over. He would erase his 0-4 start with four straight victories. He would win seven of his next eight, earning a pair of weekly high scores and cruising to the 5-seed.
Yet, despite all this success and earning the award for “best second half turnaround,” we’re still not sure if Bob has the pieces in the backfield to make another run. At wide receiver he’s set. Godwin took home first-team All-Robio honors and there is no doubt Adams would have some hardware if he hadn’t hurt his big toe. Kittle when healthy can dominate and even Kirk Cousins can deliver again this postseason. Yet, that backfield.
Le’Veon Bell has never looked like the old Bell and asking for 200 seems like a lot (he’s done it three times since week three). Aaron Jones, of course, is the X-factor. When he’s on, he’s dominating. In fact, 67% of his points this year came via just four games. In his other eight games? He’s failed to hit 100 five times, including his last two.
I hate predictions. I have no clue what is going to happen and I’m too tired to do any real homework. Having said that…
QUARTERFINALS
LOSER!
#1 CALDERON vs #8 ERIC (+249)
Eric needed a miracle and he got one in week thirteen and sadly, his reward will be just another quarterfinals exit. His best player (Jacobs) is banged up, his second best player is a tight end (and that can’t be good) and his entire team has tough matchups, except for Alshon Jeffery, who is less receiver and more a lost autistic kid roaming around the grass. Calvin Ridley could be the kind of performer who shocks the world with 130 yards and two scores against a Panthers D that’s pissed off their coach just got fired, but even he’s dealing with a toe injury. I just don’t see it.
As for Calderon, it’s another week, thus more decisions. This week, Aaron Rodger is back in facing the Redskins. Todd Gurley has a pair of 200-point efforts since week 11 and the Rams offense has look functional lately, so he Guice remains on the bench. Thielen appears to be back this week, but it also appears Rich is going to ride or die with Diggs. Is there anything easier than a cakewalk? Whatever it is, that’s what Calderon will do this week.
PREDICTION: Calderon by a mile.
LOSER!
#2 ROBIO vs #7 MICHAEL (+364)
If there is going to be a week my team will play below expectations, it will be this week. Fact is, my squad has matchup issues. Lamar travels to Buffalo, while Elliot heads to Chicago. Last time I checked, those towns are known for their D. Meanwhile, Michael Thomas faces the league’s top pass defense (49ers) and with Julio Jones expected to be out, I got Kupp up in Seattle. Fortunately, I’m playing Michael.
For Evangelist’s prayers to come true, he’s going to need monster games from his big three. Goff has looked good the past couple weeks and is looking for a little revenge against Seattle. There is talk of Dalvin Cook missing next week’s game. I’m doubting those reports for now. If he plays, he could run wild against a Lions D that couldn’t keep a grandmother from gaining five yards without a lead blocker. Lastly, Mark Ingram needs to do what he did back in week three the last time Mike faced me.
PREDICTION: No upset for Mike, as I make it 10 straight.
#3 DON vs #6 MATT (-90)
LOSER!
Don asking his big three (Kamara, Mixon and Hill) to finally play like a big three at this point is asking a lot. Hell, asking Matt Ryan to throw just one passing touchdown seems like it’s asking too much.
Matt is better than Don in nearly ever metric; passing, rushing, defense and even coaching rating, whatever the hell that is. All I know is, the past two weeks have been the first two weeks Matt’s full team has played together since the start of the season and they have looked good. Too good.
PREDICTION: It won’t be a blowout, but Matty Takes It.
LOSER!
#4 ROB M vs #5 BOB (-53)
How good is this match? Bob is only a 53-point favorite, but I’m not so confident this game will be this close. At running back, during a typical week, my money is on Rob, even without Mack. However, this week, Bob’s runners will face off against the Redskins (Jones) and Fins (Bell). Both bad teams are coming off wins, which just smells like a letdown to me.
Worse yet for Masterson, Brees and Cook could not have asked for a tougher matchup. Sure, the game is in New Orleans, but the 49ers are great at stopping the pass by simply sacking the quarterback a bunch. For Rob to have any shot, he’s going to need his under appreciated hands to outperform Bob’s pair of Godwin and Adams. Seems like I’m now asking for too much.
PREDICTION: Bob. Because Bob.
SEMIFINALS
LOSER!
#1 RICH C over #6 MATT
Neatock will be confident and giddy and might even attempt a trash talk or two. You might even find humor in one of the remarks. He’ll remind us all that he’s done it before, including the last two championship games. He might even believe what he’s saying, since Barkley will becoming off his best game of the year. However, quite quickly on Sunday he will learn one simple fact…Calderon is not Don. This game will be over by the end of the 1pm games and Rich will secure a second straight easy win, leading all scorers in points both weeks.
PREDICTION: Calderon Goes Back-to-Back Title Games.
LOSER!
#2 ROBIO over #5 BOB
Bob will compete. That’s what Bob does. Aaron Jones will go off. I’ll be scared often on Sunday and I’ll be trailing heading into Monday. Yet, this is no longer 2014 Bob. This is post-2015 Bob. This is a Bob I no longer fear in the playoffs. This is a Bob that does amazing things in the regular season, only to fall to teams like Colby in 2015 or Calderon in 2016 or Matt in 2017 and Matt again in 2018. In 2019, it will be Robio. A 300-point effort by Michael Thomas on MNF will help me escape a tougher than expected semifinals game.
PREDICTION: Robio Escapes With a Win.
FINALS
LOSER!
#2 ROBIO over #1 RICH C
It’s 2009 Calderon League all over again. For those who don’t know..I’m in Rich’s fantasy football league. In 2009, he went 12-1 in the regular season. His only defeat was to me. He earned the top seed, finished second in scoring (to me) and reached the title game…where he lost to me. This season, Rich went 12-1. His only defeat was to me. He earned the top seed and finished second in scoring (to me). History…it’s repeating itself.
In typical fantasy football irony, Calderon, who would have beaten me for three straight weeks (Wk 13, quarters, semis) has just an average week for him. Meanwhile, Lamar, rested from a 10-day break, scores a title game quarterback record, 572, leading me to an easy fifth career title. The curse is lifted with a 1,942-1,448 victory.
YOUR 2019 CHAMPION
PAST CHAMPIONS
| YEAR | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS* | SEED | RUNNER-UP | TiTLE | TOP SEED | SCORING |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Robio Murray | 14-3-0 | 1,504 | #1 | #2 Griff | 1,872 - 1,234 | Robio | 11-3 | Robio | 1.487 |
| 2000 | Robio Murray | 13-4-0 | 1,399 | #2 | #4 Griff | 1,448 - 1,197 | Rick | 11-3 | Rick | 1,478 |
| 2001 | Jason Carpenter | 14-3-0 | 1,509 | #1 | #6 David | 1,273 - 920 | Jason | 11-3 | Jason | 1,558 |
| 2002 | Robio Murray | 11-6-0 | 1,487 | #3 | #1 Molly | 1,841 - 1,112 | Molly | 10-4 | Justin | 1,440 |
| 2003 | Richard Burrier | 11-6-0 | 1,441 | #3 | #5 Griff | 2,011 - 1,036 | Robio | 9-5 | Robio | 1,456 |
| 2004 | Bob Castrone | 13-4-0 | 1,334 | #2 | #1 Griff | 1,216 - 1,169 | Griff | 10-4 | Colby | 1,442 |
| 2005 | Griff Coomer | 11-5-0 | 1,526 | #4 | #7 Colby | 1,882 - 739 | Don | 9-4 | Griff | 1,488 |
| 2006 | Don Vozzola | 10-6-0 | 1,214 | #7 | #3 Robio | 1,617 - 844 | Rich B | 10-3 | Molly | 1,356 |
| 2007 | Matt Neatock | 10-6-0 | 1,334 | #5 | #7 Rich C | 1,444 - 811 | David | 11-2 | Don | 1,421 |
| 2008 | Don Vozzola | 9-7-0 | 1,242 | #7 | #5 Robio | 1,216 - 1,041 | Molly | 10-3 | Robio | 1,464 |
| 2009 | Matt Neatock | 13-3-0 | 1,553 | #1 | #3 Griff | 1,608 - 1,384 | Matt | 10-3 | Matt | 1,497 |
| 2010 | Bob Castrone | 12-4-0 | 1,368 | #4 | #1 Robio | 1,283 - 948 | Robio | 12-1 | Rich C | 1,443 |
| 2011 | Bob Castrone | 9-7-0 | 1,340 | #7 | #3 Rich B | 1,590 - 1,283 | Molly | 10-3 | Molly | 1,536 |
| 2012 | Robio Murray | 10-6-0 | 1,407 | #4 | #3 Eric | 1,973 - 1,871 | Griff | 10-3 | Eric | 1,503 |
| 2013 | Rich Calderon | 13-3-0 | 1,407 | #2 | #5 Griff | 1,496 - 1,270 | Robio | 10-3 | Robio | 1,499 |
| 2014 | Bob Castrone | 13-3-0 | 1,594 | #1 | #3 Matt | 1,495 - 1,494 | Bob | 10-3 | Bob | 1,551 |
| 2015 | Griff Coomer | 12-4-0 | 1,522 | #2 | #6 Colby | 1,333 - 1,049 | Bob | 11-2 | Bob | 1,507 |
| 2016 | Rich Calderon | 12-4-0 | 1,532 | #2 | #1 Jeff | 1,846 - 1,180 | Jeff | 11-2 | Rich C | 1,532 |
| 2017 | Matt Neatock | 12-4-0 | 1,581 | #2 | #1 Bob | 1,537 - 1,119 | Bob | 12-1 | Matt | 1,509 |
| 2018 | Matt Neatock | 9-7-0 | 1,410 | #7 | #5 Rich C | 1,631 - 1,578 | Marc | 10-3 | Colby | 1,584 |
| 2019 | Robio Murray | 14-2-0 | 1,715 | #2 | #1 Rich C | 1,900 - 1,234 | Rich C | 12-1 | Robio | 1,675 |
EVERYTHING PLAYOFFS
STANDINGS:
| Team: | Wins-Loses: | Pct: | PT's For: | Point Avg: | PT's Against: | Opp PPG: | Quarters | Semis | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robio Murray | 25-8 | .757 | 50,336 | 1,525 PPG | 41,611 | 1,261 PPG | 12-1 | 8-4 | 5-3 |
| Matt Neatock | 16-7 | .696 | 34,882 | 1,517 PPG | 30,963 | 1,346 PPG | 7-4 | 5-2 | 4-1 |
| Bob Castrone | 20-11 | .645 | 45,243 | 1,459 PPG | 39,650 | 1,279 PPG | 11-4 | 5-6 | 4-1 |
| Griff Coomer | 20-13 | .606 | 45,749 | 1,386 PPG | 44,833 | 1,359 PPG | 10-5 | 8-2 | 2-6 |
| Rich Calderon | 15-11 | .577 | 36,775 | 1,414 PPG | 35,883 | 1,380 PPG | 8-5 | 5-3 | 2-3 |
| Don Vozzola | 9-10 | .473 | 24,965 | 1,314 PPG | 25,529 | 1,344 PPG | 5-7 | 2-3 | 2-0 |
| Michael Evangelist | 0-1 | .000 | 831 | 831 PPG | 1,692 | 1,692 PPG | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Colby Hall | 7-10 | .412 | 22,202 | 1,306 PPG | 23,469 | 1,381 PPG | 5-5 | 2-3 | 0-2 |
| Jeff Greenblatt | 3-5 | .375 | 9,862 | 1,232 PPG | 11,830 | 1,479 PPG | 2-3 | 1-1 | 0-1 |
| Richard Burrier | 6-11 | .353 | 21,344 | 1,186 PPG | 23,701 | 1,317 PPG | 3-9 | 2-1 | 1-1 |
| Eric Vozzola | 3-9 | .225 | 15,558 | 1,297 PPG | 18,669 | 1,556 PPG | 2-7 | 1-1 | 0-1 |
| Rob Masterson | 5-14 | .263 | 25,761 | 1,356 PPG | 28,306 | 1,490 PPG | 5-9 | 0-5 | 0-0 |
RECORD BY SEED:
| Seeds: | W-L: | Win Pct. | Quarters | Semis | Finals | Best Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Seed | 31-17 | .646 | 17-4 | 10-7 | 4-6 | 4 titles (Robio '99, Jason '01, Matt '09, Bob '14) |
| 2nd Seed | 26-15 | .634 | 10-11 | 8-2 | 7-1 | 7 titles (Robio '00, Bob '04, Rich C '13, Griff '15, Rich C '16, Matt '17, Robio '19) |
| 3rd Seed | 20-20 | .500 | 11-10 | 7-4 | 2-5 | 2 titles (Robio '02, Rich B '03) |
| 4th Seed | 14-19 | .424 | 6-15 | 4-2 | 3-1 | 3 titles (Griff '05, Bob '10, Robio '12) |
| 5th Seed | 22-20 | .524 | 15-6 | 5-10 | 1-4 | 1 title (Matt '07) |
| 6th Seed | 12-20 | .375 | 10-11 | 2-8 | 0-2 | No titles |
| 7th Seed | 21-18 | .539 | 11-10 | 6-5 | 4-2 | 4 titles (Don in '06 & '08, Bob in '11, Matt in '18) |
| 8th Seed | 5-22 | .185 | 4-17 | 0-4 | 0-0 | Never past semis |
TITLE GAMES:
| Year | Seed | Winner | Seed | Loser | Score |
| 1999 | No. 1 | Robio Murray | No. 2 | Griff Coomer | 1,872 - 1,234 |
| 2000 | No. 2 | Robio Murray | No. 4 | Griff Coomer | 1,448 - 1,197 |
| 2001 | No. 1 | Jason Carpenter | No. 6 | David Hightower | 1,273 - 920 |
| 2002 | No. 3 | Robio Murray | No. 1 | Molly Coomer | 1,841 - 1,112 |
| 2003 | No. 3 | Richard Burrier | No. 5 | Griff Coomer | 2,011 - 1,036 |
| 2004 | No. 2 | Bob Castrone | No. 1 | Griff Coomer | 1,216 - 1,169 |
| 2005 | No. 4 | Griff Coomer | No. 7 | Colby Hall | 1,882 - 739 |
| 2006 | No. 7 | Don Vozzola | No. 3 | Robio Murray | 1,617 - 844 |
| 2007 | No. 5 | Matt Neatock | No. 7 | Rich Calderon | 1,444 - 811 |
| 2008 | No. 7 | Don Vozzola | No. 5 | Robio Murray | 1,216 - 1,041 |
| 2009 | No. 1 | Matt Neatock | No. 3 | Griff Coomer | 1,608 - 1,384 |
| 2010 | No. 4 | Bob Castrone | No. 1 | Robio Murray | 1,283 - 948 |
| 2011 | No. 7 | Bob Castrone | No. 3 | Richard Burrier | 1,590 - 1,283 |
| 2012 | No. 4 | Robio Murray | No. 3 | Eric Vozzola | 1,973 - 1,871 |
| 2013 | No. 2 | Rich Calderon | No. 5 | Griff Coomer | 1,496 - 1,270 |
| 2014 | No. 1 | Bob Castrone | No. 3 | Matt Neatock | 1,495 - 1,494 |
| 2015 | No. 2 | Griff Coomer | No. 6 | Colby Hall | 1,333 - 1,049 |
| 2016 | No. 2 | Rich Calderon | No. 1 | Jeff Greenblatt | 1,846 - 1,180 |
| 2017 | No. 2 | Matt Neatock | No. 1 | Bob Castrone | 1,537 - 1,119 |
| 2018 | No. 7 | Matt Neatock | No. 5 | Rich Calderon | 1,631 - 1,578 |
| 2019 | No. 2 | Robio Murray | No. 1 | Rich Calderon | 1,900 - 1,234 |
RECORD BOOK:
| RECORD BREAKING FEAT | STAT | INVOLVED | WHEN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most points scored in a single game by a single team | 2,501 | Rob M | 2003, Quarterfinals |
| Highest combined score, both teams | 3,844 | Robio over Eric, 1,973 - 1,871 | 2012, Title Game |
| Lowest points scored in single game by single team | 568 | David | 2003, Quarterfinals |
| Lowest combined points by two teams | 1,745 | Jeff over Rich B, 905 - 840 | 2016, Quarterfinals |
| Lowest points score in a playoff win | 905 | Jeff | 2016, Quarterfinals |
| Most points scored in a playoff loss | 1,871 | Eric | 2012, Title Game |
| Largest playoff ass-kicking | 1,182 | Rob M over Molly, 2,501 - 1,319 | 2003, Quarterfinals |
| Smallest margin of victory | 1 | Bob over Matt, 1,495 - 1,494 | 2014, Title Game |
| Most points in one post-season | 5,684 | Matt | 2017 |
| Most points scored in a title game | 2,011 | Rich B | 2003 |
| Lowest points scored in title game win | 1,216 | Don | 2008 |
| Lowest points scored in the title game | 739 | Colby | 2005 |
| Biggest title game ass-kicking | 1,143 | Griff over Colby, 1,882 - 739 | 2005 |
| Greatest upset by record | 5 games | (7-7) Rich C over (12-2) David | 2007, Semifinals |
| Most points scored by a runner up | 5,017 | Rich C | 2018 |
| Lowest scoring championship run | 3,832 | Jason | 2001 |
| Lowest scoring runner up | 2,382 | Rich C | 2007 |
| Most Points Scored by a Quarterback | 1,432 | Lamar Jackson (Robio) | 2019 |
| Most Points by a Running Back | 1,662 | Todd Gurley (Matt) | 2017 |