The 27th edition of the Robioland Football Playoffs is upon us, and once again we find ourselves staring into the chaotic abyss of fantasy football destiny—an abyss that, last year, casually swallowed the two regular-season juggernauts, Rich Calderon and myself. We strutted in like kings and got slapped around like tourists who didn’t read the sign that said “Beware of Wild 7-Seeds.” Michael Evangelist—the 7-seed, waltzed out with the mug.
This year? Whole different beast. Sure, CBS will tell you someone’s a favorite and someone’s an underdog, but that’s cute. There are no true underdogs this postseason. Anyone can beat anyone and no result should shock you. For the first time since 2013, our leading scorer didn’t average 1,500 points per game, which tells you everything about how tightly packed this chaos bracket is.
Even the top two seeds arguably have tougher matchups than seeds three and four in the, which is exactly the kind of nonsense energy you expect from a season where half the league forgot how running backs work. Buckle up. Let’s get ridiculous.
#1 Class of 2029 (Robio) vs #8 The Dick-Taters (Rich C)
2025 RECORD
Robio: 11-3
Rich C: 6-8
2025 SCORING
Robio: 1,453 PPG (3rd)
Rich C: 1,372 PPG (5th)
2025 BREAKDOWN
Robio: 103-51 (8-6 vs Rich C)
Rich C: 75-78-1
CAREER PLAYOFF RECORD
Rich C – Calderon enters the postseason for a 10th straight year—the longest active streak and second-longest all-time. This run began in style with his 2015 championship win over Jeff. Prior to that, Rich had a reputation for disappointing as a top seed. He famously became the first 8-seed to beat a 1-seed (Robio) in 2003, but went 0-3 as a 2-seed in 2008, 2010 and 2012. From 2003–2014 he made four semifinals, two title games, and won the 2013 championship over Griff. He added that second mug in 2016, then made back-to-back finals in 2018–19. But as he aged, the playoff magic faded. Since 2020, he’s lost in the semifinals twice (2020–21) and gone 0-3 in his last three quarterfinal appearances, including two sub-1,000 games. Nineteen playoff trips and two titles is impressive—yet starting to feel light.
ROBIO – Technically, I’m still the postseason king. My .675 career playoff winning percentage (27-13) tops the league, and my 1,510 PPG trails only Neatock. I’m 13-5 in the quarterfinals, still the best mark ever—but once upon a time I was 13-1, the only loss coming to Rich in 2003. Since then, I’ve dropped four straight quarterfinal games, including back-to-back losses to Michael. Fortunately, Michael isn’t here this year. If I get out of the quarters, history says I’m gold: 9-4 in semis, 5-4 in finals, an all-time record nine title appearances and five championships won.
#1 VS #8 IN THE PLAYOFFS
Despite last year’s defeat, the top seed is still the place to be: 36-21 all-time, including 19-7 vs the 8-seed. The 1-seed leads all seeds in semifinal wins (11), though it’s just 5-6 in title games. Notably, the five 1-seeds who won the championship were also scoring champs. No 1-seed lacking the scoring title has ever won a mug. This year’s number one? Me. I didn’t earn the scoring crown.
As for the 8-seed: 7-19 in quarterfinals, only three wins since 2013, and 1-6 in semis, with Eric’s 2021 miracle as the lone breakthrough. Overall: 9-26 (.257), the worst of any seed.
ROBIO vs RICH C | THIS SEASON
Rich and I have faced off twice this year, including just last week—and I’ve won both matchups. The first meeting was tight. With Robinson, Nacua, and Pearsall all topping 200 points, plus 170 from my kicker Reichard, I eked out a 1,344–1,300 victory. Calderon had 296 from James Cook and 229 from Garrett Wilson, but Herbert managed only 192, and Barkley produced just 110 fantasy points.
In Week 14, I won again—this time in dominant fashion, by 824 points. As I locked down the weekly high score, Rich suffered the weekly low. Tony Pollard, making his only start for me, led my backfield with 442 points, but Nacua topped my team with 454. Rich got 304 from Barkley, but nobody else hit 200. With Herbert on the bench, Tyrod Taylor contributed -26 points, and four others failed to reach 100.
ROBIO vs RICH C | CAREER
With my sweep this season, I’m now 18–11 against Calderon. Rich’s .379 winning percentage against me is his lowest against any opponent. It wasn’t always this way—he actually won four of our first six meetings. I then went 6–1 from 2007–2012, but between 2013–2017, Rich bounced back, going 4–1 as I failed to top 1,300 points in any of those games—twice producing a weekly low. Since 2018, however, I’ve dominated, winning nine of the last 11 matchups and topping 1,500 points six times.
ROBIO vs RICH C | POSTSEASON
Rich and I have met three times in the playoffs. Our first meeting, in 2003, made history: Calderon became the first 8-seed to defeat a 1-seed, 1,953–1,535. It would be 16 years before we faced off again—this time in the title game. Rich was the top seed at 12–1, while I was the scoring champ and the 2-seed. Unfortunately for him, my 2019 squad proved to be the greatest ever, and I cruised to a 1,900–1,234 victory. To make matters worse, I also defeated Rich in his league’s title game that same year. The following year, we met again in the semifinals. I won once more, I won again, 1,762–1,298, before ultimately falling to Jeff in the finals.
Four Years Too Early – The Robio Murray Story
I wasn’t supposed to be this good. Yeah, I hit hard with my first two picks, keeping Bijan Robinson in round one and grabbing Puka Nacua in round two, but after that, the rest of my draft felt like a bust. My second back was going to be a rookie, either Henderson or Croskey-Merritt. My second best receiver (Pearsall) was best known for being shot. My two quarterbacks, Maye and Prescott, both finished outside the top-15 the year before. My tight end (Warren) was a rookie with a Giants castoff QB throwing the ball. Nothing I just said felt like a recipe for success, yet when the pot started to boil, my squad somehow proved to be a tasty dish.
I would lose my first game of the year, but I would never lose two in a row. I put up only two bad games all year, one of which was really bad, 740 points in a week 8 defeat to Michael. I topped 1,500 in half my games, leading the league in weekly high scores (4). I ended up winning my final six games of the regular season, finishing 11-3, third in points. It’s the third time in the last four years I’ve finished with double digit wins and this was my fifth career top-seed.
Dicks & Decisions | The Rich Calderon Story
One thing we knew at the start of this season was that Rich had really good running backs in Saquon Barkley (1st-round keeper) and James Cook (2nd-round pick). What we couldn’t have foreseen was the depth he would end up with at that position. He also drafted starters like Jaylen Warren and Travis Etienne, then later added Rico Dowdle—who delivered one of the best two-game stretches ever by a running back. And yet, all that depth (four running backs finishing among the top 13) never translated into the Taters dominating the league. Why?
Well, Barkley struggled. I mean, he really fell off this year. Last season, in our regular season, he posted 4,590 points. This year? 2,632. That’s a 1,958-point drop for a player who wasn’t hurt and didn’t miss a single game. This decline forced Rich into a nightmare nobody wants to live in: Roto-RB.
Decisions are hard in fantasy, and Rich found himself guessing wrong at the wrong times. But honestly, most of his real struggles came at the beginning of the year—when running back rotation wasn’t even his problem. Instead, he endured inconsistent quarterback play, shaky wide receiver production (particularly from DeVonta Smith), and spent the early weeks waiting for Rashee Rice to return from suspension. Add in an injured George Kittle for much of the season, and it was a messy offensive puzzle.
The results were rough. After a solid Week 1 win over Burrier, Calderon proceeded to drop his next five games. It’s funny: with all the talk about Burrier trying to crash the postseason after starting 0–5, I somehow overlooked Rich’s equally awful start and subsequent recovery. Maybe it’s because I simply prefer not to think about the last time Rich started a season 1–5 and still made the playoffs as the 8-seed (more on that later). Regardless, his turnaround this year coincided with Rice’s return. Calderon won two straight with his top wideout in the fold, including his record-breaking Week 8 demolition of Colby, 2,546–2,114.
But that would be peak Dicks for 2025. The rest of the way, it felt like the best players on his team were consistently on his bench. He never topped 1,500 again and failed to score even 1,200 in four games. Still, he managed to go 3–3 down the stretch, thanks largely to a three-game winning streak against three of the four worst teams in the league (Rob M, Matt, and Rich B). After dropping his final two games against tougher opponents, he finished 6–8. It was his first losing season since 2018—but it was just good enough for 8th place.
For this squad to win a championship, it’s simple: it needs to do three times what it has done only once all season—beat a playoff team. Rich is 5–0 against the four non-playoff teams. Against the teams in the postseason? He’s 1–8.
#2 Football? (Jeff) vs #7 Brooklyn Libtards (Colby)
2025 RECORD
Jeff: 10-4
Colby: 6-8
2025 SCORING
Jeff: 1,363 (6th)
Colby: 1,478 (2nd)
2025 BREAKDOWN
Jeff: 85-69
Colby: 94-60 (9-5 vs Jeff)
CAREER PLAYOFF RECORD
JEFF – Since 2016, you could argue that no one has been a better postseason performer than Greenblatt. Prior to that season, he was 0–3 lifetime in the playoffs. But a run to the title game that year changed everything. Since then, he’s reached the postseason six times over the last nine years, and in that stretch he’s undefeated in the quarterfinals (6–0) and a strong 4–2 in the semifinals. His four title-game appearances are the most since 2016. Unfortunately, he has just one championship to show for it—the 2020 crown—and has lost his last two title games, including last season against Michael. Overall, Jeff is 11–8 in the playoffs; his .579 winning percentage ranks fifth, and his 1,450 points per game is the fourth-highest in league history.
COLBY – While Colby pulled off an impressive quarterfinal victory over top-seeded Calderon last year, he fell short of becoming the league’s first ever back-to-back-to-back champion, losing in the semifinals. Still, he joined an exclusive club with Bob, Matt, and me as the only managers to win seven straight playoff games—a feat that, naturally, requires winning two titles. Before this run, his postseason record sat at just 7–11. He had reached the semifinals five times and the title game twice (2005, 2015), losing to Griff both times. Now, his overall record has climbed to 14–12. His .538 winning percentage ranks seventh in the league. He’s 8–6 in the quarterfinals, 4–4 in the semifinals, and 2–2 in the title game.
#2 VS #7 IN THE PLAYOFFS
While the 2-seed generally enjoys the better overall record, the 7-seed holds a slight edge in head-to-head matchups, leading 15–11. The 7-seed has won four of the last five, including three straight, highlighted by last year when Michael captured a championship from the 7-spot. Overall, the 2-seed is impressive in the postseason: 28–20 (second-best playoff record), 8–3 in the semifinals, and an incredible 7–1 in the finals. The seven championships via the 2-seed are the most of any seed: Robio ’00, Bob ’04, Calderon ’13, Griff ’15, Calderon ’16, Matt ’17, and Robio ’19.
The 7-seed is 15–11 in the quarterfinals and 9–6 in the semifinals. Their nine trips to the finals are second only to the 1-seed. In championship games, the 7-seed is 5–4, including Don twice (2006 & 2008), Bob ’11, Matt ’18, and Michael ’24, compared with the 1-seed’s 5–6 mark.
JEFF vs COLBY | THIS SEASON
Jeff and Colby faced off twice this year, with Jeff winning both. Their week two matchup was a tight battle, with Jeff escaping by just 24 points. Justin Fields (66) and Marvin Harrison (54) underwhelmed, but Achane and St. Brown carried the day, combining for 728 points, while Hubbard added 214. Colby had a monster 490 points from Jonathan Taylor but was hampered by Road Josh Allen (206), plus Hall (76), McConkey (96), and Andrews (8), who all failed to contribute meaningfully.
In week 13, Jeff’s victory was easier, as Colby barely cracked 1,000 points. Josh Allen, again on the road, scored 248, and Taylor had an average-for-him 242. Colby also got only 16 from Odunze, 72 from Ferguson, and 41 from the Rams D/ST. Jeff, despite losing St. Brown to injury, leaned on Love (404), Achane (328), and Williams (220), combining for 952 points.
JEFF vs COLBY | CAREER
Jeff and Colby were once partners before splitting to start the 2009 season. Jeff won their first meeting, but then struggled, losing four of the next five, and six of seven. By 2016, Colby led the series 6–2. Since then, Jeff has been dominant, entering this postseason matchup on a four-game winning streak over Colby and winning 10 of the last 12 meetings dating back to 2016.
JEFF vs COLBY | POSTSEASON
They’ve met only once in the playoffs—last year’s semifinals. Jeff, the 4-seed, was coming off a win over 5-seed Bob, while Colby, the 8-seed and two-time champion, was chasing a three-peat after knocking off 1-seed Calderon. Jeff took control, delivering a 1,800–1,265 victory, ending Colby’s title hopes. Jeff would later fall to Michael in the championship game.
Damn You, McBride! | The Jeff Greenblatt Story
Jeff is basically Danny McBride in This Is the End, because this is our postseason party and nobody knows how he got here—and based on the damage he’s done in the playoffs lately, nobody really wants him here. And yet, here he is as the 2-seed despite being only sixth in points scored, simply because he won nine games. He opened the season 5–1 and never lost two in a row. He also did it while playing arguably the toughest schedule in the league: the three teams he faced twice were Don, Colby, and Bob—three of the top four scoring teams. His four defeats came against the top seed (Robio), the 3-seed twice (Bob), and the 4-seed (Don).
He never scored below 1,000. He never produced a weekly low. And he never lost to a bad or even average team. This squad shows up every single week. They may not dominate (only three games over 1,500), but if you want to beat Jeff, you need to beat Jeff—you’re not stealing a lucky low-scoring win here.
Of course, the heroes of this roster are De’Von Achane and Amon-Ra St. Brown. These two are studs, and you can’t win a title without studs. But what has made Jeff so good the last few years is the work he’s done on the waiver wire. Last year his big add was Hubbard. This year it was Javonte Williams. With Hubbard losing his starting job, Williams stepped in and nearly delivered an All-Robio season.
Yet heading into the quarterfinals, Greenblatt is relying on four free agents. He added Marcus Mariota to replace Jordan Love (who has to face the Broncos). With Drake London still out, he grabbed a suddenly red-hot Michael Wilson, who has strung together a great month of football. Earlier in the year he picked up Brenton Strange—a top-10 tight end whom Eric cut and Jeff quietly scooped up.
In the history of our league, only two champions have won the mug with four non-kicker, non-D/ST free agents on their roster: me in 2002 and Calderon in 2013.
Three Games, Two Stars, One Shot | The Colby Hall Story
What is it about Colby and struggling scoring crowns? Obviously he didn’t win it this year, but he still finished a close second. Had he taken the title, he would have become only the second scoring champion to finish below .500. The other? The same Colby Hall back in 2004. In fact, his 2023 squad—the one that actually did win the scoring title and won a lot of games—was his best ever, finishing 11–3. The rest of his teams that finished either first or second in total points have combined for a 19–23 record (including postseason losses).
While I wouldn’t compare this team to that 2023 squad, it certainly felt at times this year like he had the pieces to build a championship-caliber roster, especially with Josh Allen leading the way. Of course, that depended on a few things breaking his direction. For example: If Jonathan Taylor returned to his pre-injury All-Robio form. If Breece Hall could become a true feature back for the Jets. If Tyreek Hill could stave off Father Time. If Ladd McConkey continued to evolve after his strong rookie campaign.
Well, Taylor wasn’t just back—he was the best. And Hall did indeed become the feature. When Taylor was rolling and Josh Allen was playing at home, the Libtards dominated. Look no further than his early-season wins over Don and Bob. But the flip side was ugly: Allen on the road was often painful to watch, Hall ran hot and cold, and the wide receivers became a season-long headache. Hill destroyed his leg and was lost for the year. McConkey regressed. And both Rome Odunze and Jordan Addison proved too inconsistent to trust.
Inconsistency, really, could be the theme for this entire squad. How else do you explain a team that scored over 2,000 twice between Weeks 7–10, yet went 1–3 in that stretch? Sure, it’s unlucky to top 2,000 and still lose, but he also averaged just 1,242 PPG in the three games surrounding—and sandwiched between—those two explosive performances.
To win the championship, Colby will need to do something he hasn’t done once all season: win three straight games. Yet he’s had two separate three-game losing streaks since Week 7. He enters the playoffs having dropped six of his last eight, and due to health issues, he’s projected to be the lowest-scoring team in the quarterfinals. Can his two studs, Josh Allen and Jonathan Taylor pick up enough slack? Seems like he’s asking too much.
#3 Lolita Express (Bob) vs #6 Lamb Chops (Eric)
2025 RECORD
Bob: 9-5
Eric: 7-7
2025 SCORING
Bob: 1,481 (1st)
Eric: 1,288 (8th)
2025 BREAKDOWN
Bob: 99-54-1 (9-5 vs Eric)
Eric: 69-85
CAREER PLAYOFF RECORD
BOB – Last year, he returned to what had long felt like his second home—the playoffs—after a two-year absence, but failed to escape the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, that has become something of a theme since 2018. After losing his first title game to Matt in 2017, Castrone is just 1–5 in the postseason. The only time he’s reached the semifinals since 2018 was in 2021, when he then fell to the 8-seed and eventual champ Eric.
Before that stretch, though, Bob was a postseason, god-like force. From 2004–2014, he absolutely dominated, losing just twice in the quarterfinals and reaching four title games—winning it all in 2004, 2010, 2011, and 2012. He went 16–6 in the playoffs during that decade-long run.
Now, his overall postseason record stands at 21–14. His .600 winning percentage is still third-best, behind only me and Matt. He averages 1,438 points per game in the playoffs, fifth-best in league history. Meanwhile, his opponents average just 1,312 points—the second lowest postseason opponent average anyone has ever faced. For his career, he’s 12–6 in the quarterfinals, 5–7 in the semifinals, and 4–1 in the finals, with those four championships. But he hasn’t lifted a mug since 2014—a full decade without a title.
ERIC – The playoff résumé is… not pretty. He’s 7–12 overall, and his .368 winning percentage ranks ahead of only Burrier and Masterson. He averages 1,383 points per playoff game, with only those two and Don scoring less. The struggles start early: he’s 3–9 in the quarterfinals. Part of the issue is that his teams often run into buzzsaws—five of his quarterfinal losses came against 1-seeds, including his most recent playoff trip in 2023 when he fell to Colby.
But there is one glorious exception: 2021. That year, he knocked off 1-seed Masterson, then upset 2-seed Bob in the semifinals, and finally beat 6-seed Jeff in the title game—becoming the only 8-seed ever to reach the finals and win the championship. His only other real postseason success came in 2012, when he reached the title game but lost to me and Marshawn Lynch on Monday night. That game finished with a combined 3,844 points—still the highest combined score ever in a championship matchup.
#3 VS #6 IN THE PLAYOFFS
Recently, the 6-seed has dominated the 3-seed, winning eight of the last ten meetings. Overall, these two seeds have split their quarterfinals games, 13-13. However, once they escape the quarterfinals, the 3-seed is much better. Overall, the three is 23-25 overall (.449), but they are 8-4 in the semifinals (third best record). However, they are just 2-6 in the finals and those two championships were a long time ago…Robio ’02 and Burrier ’03.
As for the six seed, despite the recent success in the quarterfinals, the 6-seed is still just 17-25 overall. They are just 3-9 in the semifinals and they are 0-3 in the finals, remaining the only seed to never win a championship.
BOB vs ERIC | THIS SEASON
These to faced off back in week two, with both sitting at 3-2, but it was Bob who walked away with an easy, 1,562-1,087 win. Jayden Daniels had his only good game of the year that week, scoring 334 points, while Smith-Njigba contributed 384 and McCaffrey had a solid 282 points. Only his kicker (McPherson) struggled, scoring zero points. Eric got big digits from Patrick Mahomes (444), but Jeanty was the only other player to score over 200 points (232). Dobbins, Pitts and Diggs combined for just 162 points.
BOB vs ERIC | CAREER
Bob has dominated a lot of opponents, but not Eric, leading the series 14-13. Of course, it wasn’t so close in the beginning. Eric won the first one, but Bob won the next three. By the time 2018 was over, Bob had produced a pair of 3-game winning streaks and a four-game winning streak and led the series, 11-4. However, starting in 2019, Eric flipped the switch and has dominated Bob like no other person has. He won eight of their next ten meetings, including five straight between 2021-2024, before Bob’s win this year finally stopped the bleeding.
BOB vs ERIC | POSTSEASON
These two have faced off twice in the postseason and split those two contests. In 2017, Bob was the big dog, becoming just the second team to finish a regular season 12-1. He entered the playoffs as the 1-seed, having won 12 straight. Eric began the year 4-2, but then dropped four straight and finished the year 2-5, yet still managed to snag the 6-seed. In the quarterfinals, Bob struggled, scoring only 1,271 points, but still defeated 8-seed Burrier. Meanwhile, Eric shocked 3-seed Calderon with a 29-point victory. However, in the semifinals, Castrone came alive and easily crushed Eric, 1,900-1,195.
In 2021, Eric would turn the tables. That year, Bob again was solid, making his 16th straight trip to the postseason. He won nine, finished second and led the league in points. Eric struggled most of the year. He started the year 1-3 and ended the year 1-3, finishing with a 6-8 record. He only made the playoffs because Michael failed to set his lineup. He locked down the 8-seed for the 5th time in his career. In the quarterfinals, Castrone struggled again, but escaped with 30-point win over 7-seed Burrier, while Eric stunned the world, taking down 1-seed Masterson. A week after defeating the top seed, Eric would now have to face the scoring champ. No problem, as Bob’s boys failed to show and Eric walked away with a 1,514-955 victory. The following week, Eric defeated Jeff for his first and only championship.
No Crumbs Left Behind | The Bob Castrone Story
I could argue that Bob had the most cookie-cutter, championship-caliber team imaginable. Meaning: if you were designing the blueprint for how to win a mug, this is basically it. First, walk into the draft with one great keeper. He did that with Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Round 10—who ended up as the league’s top wideout. Second, nail your first-round pick. You need a stud anchor, and he got one when four other managers inexplicably passed on Christian McCaffrey, who went on to earn a First-Team All-Robio spot.
Third, find your quarterback later. Never burn a high pick on a passer. Bob kept Jayden Daniels—whom he drafted in Round 6 the previous season. Daniels didn’t work out, but keeping him allowed Bob to avoid wasting premium draft capital on the position. Fourth, once the season starts, you’ve got to work the waiver wire. Bob did exactly that when he scooped up Matt Stafford, who finished as the third-best QB in fantasy.
Fifth, be patient. A.J. Brown was an absolute bust early in the season. A lesser manager would have cut him and sent death threats to his mother. Bob did not. He held firm—and eventually, even as the Philadelphia offense crumbled, Brown returned to playing like a WR1. And finally, when the moment is right and another team’s season is basically cooked, go poach one of his key players to patch your lone remaining weakness. Castrone did exactly that when he contacted Michael and landed Kyren Williams for keeper value.
While this “cookie-cutter” championship-level team never went on a true dominant run—despite facing the second-easiest schedule in terms of opponent scoring—Bob also never lost two in a row. His few losses always seemed to come when his opponents were running hot. He lost to Griff in Week 1, which kick-started Coomer’s six-week winning streak. He lost to Colby in Week 5 when Mr. Hall was about to take the lead in scoring. He lost to Burrier in Week 8, right as Burrier was recovering from his 0–5 start. And then he lost to me in Week 11, square in the middle of my six-game heater.
Fortune Favors the Barely | The Eric Vozzola Story
I didn’t love the Lambs when the season started. Mahomes hadn’t looked like an elite fantasy QB for the past couple of years. Eric’s best player was supposed to be a rookie running back on a bad offense. Alvin Kamara had been good last year, but expecting a repeat performance felt like a big ask. CeeDee Lamb could be dominant if healthy, but Kyle Pitts at tight end was laughable, while Zay Flowers remained stuck in a run-first—then run-it-a-couple-more-times—offense.
Yet Eric started the year 2–0. Even through eight weeks he was 5–3. No, he wasn’t dominating—he’d topped 1,500 only twice—but Mahomes was playing like an MVP, and Lamb, who had been hurt, was back. Jeanty was doing enough, and with Tyreek Hill out for the season, Jaylen Waddle was putting up low-end WR1 numbers. Still, this squad’s ceiling felt low, and so were their scoring outputs. With Jeanty struggling and no second back to help, Eric would never hit 1,500 again, and he dropped four of his final six games. He finished at .500 and grabbed the 6-seed over Colby and Calderon, who had more than 2,000 and 1,000 points more than Eric, respectively. This team feels less like a quality playoff squad and more like a group that simply benefited from Mike, Rob, Matt, and Burrier being so bad.
#4 Cankles McTaco Tits (Don) vs #5 Real Men Produce Porn (Griff)
2025 RECORD
Don: 8-6
Griff: 8-6
2025 SCORING
Don: 1,434 (4th)
Griff: 1,342 (7th)
2025 BREAKDOWN
Don: 91-62-1 (9-5 vs Griff)
Griff: 73-81
CAREER PLAYOFF RECORD
DON – The old man’s postseason history is incredibly easy to summarize. In 2006 and 2008, as a 7-seed both times, Don went on two miracle runs—winning two championships while going a combined 6–0. Outside of those outlier seasons, he’s just 3–10 in the playoffs.
He averages only 1,203 playoff points per game—the lowest in league history by a wide margin. The second-lowest team is Burrier, and even he averages 64 more points per game. Making matters worse, Don’s opponents average the lowest scoring output in the league (1,297 PPG), meaning he’s consistently facing soft competition—yet outside of those two magic runs, he still can’t find ways to win.
And then comes the truly brutal stat: four times Don has entered the playoffs as the higher seed—just like this week. In 2005 he was the 1-seed, in 2007 the 2-seed, in 2016 the 3-seed, and in 2019 again the 3-seed. With those squads, he went 0–4 in the quarterfinals.
GRIFF – It’s been so long since Griff has entered a postseason with a legitimate chance to win a game or two that it’s easy to forget he was once one of the most dominant playoff performers in league history. From 1999 through 2015, Griff went 20–12 overall, 9–5 in the quarterfinals, and an incredible 8–2 in the semifinals. His eight title-game appearances were a record at the time. Yes, he struggled to win the big one—going just 2–6 in championship games—but he still claimed two titles, in 2005 and 2015 (both over Colby).
But that was then, and this is now. Since 2016, Griff has appeared in the postseason only twice, and both visits lasted just a single week. He lost in the 2017 quarterfinals to 2-seed Matt, then again to Matt in 2023—this time as the 2-seed himself.
Even so, the career numbers remain impressive: he’s 20–14 overall, his .588 winning percentage ranks fourth, and his 1,398 playoff points per game ranks seventh. And that .800 win rate in the semifinals is still the best in league history among teams who have played at least three semifinal games (Michael is 2–0, but in a much smaller sample).
#4 VS #5 IN THE PLAYOFFS
Over the last four years, the 4-seed has taken four of the last five games against the 5-seed in the quarterfinals. However, prior to that, the 5-seed had won seven in a row over the 4-seed. In fact, overall in the quarterfinals, the 5-seed is an unbelievable 17-9 against the 4-seed. The 17 victories is two less than the 1-seed has over the 8-seed.
Oddly enough though, beyond the quarters, the 4-seed has been more successful. Overall, the 4-seed is just 16-23. They are 8-17 in the quarterfinals, but 10-5 after that first round, going 6-3 in the semifinals and they’ve won four of their six games in the finals, including Griff ’05, Bob ’10, Robio ’12 and Colby in 2022).
Meanwhile, the 5-seed is 27-24, but are just 6-11 in the semifinals and they have won just two of their six title games. They were Matt ’07 and Jeff ’20.
DON vs GRIFF | THIS SEASON
These two faced off in week nine, in the heart of Griff’s six-game losing streak. Don walked away a winner, 1,502-1,363, despite only getting 56 points from Gibbs. Instead, he relied on Brissett (312), Jacobs (260) and Adams (240). Evan his defense (Broncos) and kicker (Fairbairn) topped 150 each. Griff got 384 from a returning Lamar Jackson and Marvin Harrison surprised us all with 252 points. Yet, neither of his other receivers (Jefferson, Pickens) topped 160 and Kraft’s season ended that week with a 40-point effort.
DON vs GRIFF | CAREER
The two remaining Florida men have faced off 28 times since Don joined the league in 2001 and neither has been able to go on a run against one another. Griff’s longest winning streak over Don is just three games, which is better than Don’s, who has only mustered up three career two-game winning streak. Overall, Griff leads the series, 16-13. He had won five of six between 2020-2024, before falling to Don this year.
DON vs GRIFF | POSTSEASON
These two have combined for 52 years of Robioland Fantasy Football, yet they have never faced off in the playoffs. That’s stunning. In fact, Griff has never faced either Vozzola in the playoffs. Among non-Michael veterans teams, the only matchups that have never happened in the postseason are: Don has never faced Eric or Jeff and we’ve never been given a Masterson vs Colby game in the playoffs.
Heatwave or Heartbreak? | The Don Vozzola Story
2025 Don Vozzola is the true definition of “under the radar” in fantasy. He’s the four-seed, he’s fourth in points, but is anyone talking about this squad as a legitimate title threat? Not really. Why is that? Well, it’s Don—who has treated the postseason like a Larry Bird illegitimate child. On top of that, he never really went on a run, waiting until the final three weeks to finally win three straight. He’s also never been part of the “scoring champ” conversation, even though he’s hit 1,500 points seven times this year, tied for the most in the league.
Yet we probably should be dropping his name into any championship discussion. First, he has two excellent running backs: the elite Jahmyr Gibbs and Josh Jacobs, who finished tenth among all backs despite missing a game. And to form a true three-headed monster, you need a third piece—and that third piece is Davante Adams. The Rams wideout has been a touchdown machine and earned an All-Robio honor while leading all receivers in TDs. Add in a steady Dallas Goedert and a stud D/ST (the Broncos), and you’ve got a team that’s going to be a tough out.
The only real question mark is at quarterback. With Kyler Murray out, either Jacoby Brissett or Bo Nix is the guy. Brissett has been good, but he’s facing the Texans this week. That leaves Nix. And while he has shown flashes—including a 542-point eruption against the Giants—he’s gone five straight weeks without a 300-point game. You don’t need an elite QB to earn a mug, but it certainly makes life easier if Don manages to make the right call each week.
Palm Trees to Playoff Pleas | The Griff Coomer Story
So yeah, this was some 14-week ride, right? In what may go down as one of the nuttiest seasons in league history, Griff started it like an absolute boss. He ripped off six straight wins, including three games over 1,600 points. Sure, he had only one functioning back in Ken Walker, but Lamar was playing great, Emeka Egbuka was the league’s top rookie, George Pickens was out of his mind with Lamb sidelined, and Kraft was dominating the tight end position. That 6-0 start was the greatest start ever for Coomer. But… there’s always a “but” with modern-day Griff.
Lamar got hurt, and so did Kraft, who was lost for the season. Baker struggled to fill in, and even when Jackson returned, he was a shell of himself. Once Lamb came back, Pickens went right back to being mediocre. Worse, Walker found himself truly stuck in a full-on timeshare with Zach Charbonnet. Griff fell in Week 7. And Week 8. And again, and again, and again, and again. Just like that, he became the first manager ever to win six in a row and lose six in a row in the same season. Suddenly, there was a real chance he could miss the playoffs for the eighth time in the last ten attempts.
The bleeding finally stopped with a solid Week 13 win over Calderon, followed by a victory over last-place Michael. Griff finished 8-6 and grabbed the 5-seed, but he was only seventh in total points—a surprisingly low mark considering he averaged 1,577 points per game over the first five weeks. Since then? He’s averaged 1,211 points per game, worse than anyone not named Michael. He may be back in the postseason, but can Griff truly be a threat averaging numbers like that?
ODDS TO WIN IT ALL?
If you want to do good in fantasy football, you’d best avoid the Fantasy Pros web site, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun with all the information. Below are the percentages that Fantasy Pros gives each team to win it.
- Class of 2029 (Robio) – 21%
Heavy favorite? Projects the top QB and RBs for the postseason. - Football (Jeff) – 9%
Hates Jeff’s quarterback and kicker. Who hates a kicker? - Lolita Express (Bob) – 18%
Second best odds, thanks to the wideouts and the backs are projected to be second best. - Cankles McTaco Tits (Don) – 11%
Top-3 backs, D/ST and kicker. Hates the wideouts. - Real Men Produce Porn (Griff) – 7%
If Burrier was in the playoffs, Fantasy Pros would give Rich higher odds than Griff. - Lamb Chops (Eric) – 9%
Loves Eric’s D/ST, but showing little love for Mahomes for some reason. - Brooklyn Libtards (Colby) – 12%
All in on the QB and backs, but hates everything else. - The Dick-Taters (Rich C) – 13%
He’s the eight-Seed, but Fantasy Pros gives Calderon the third best odds due to backs and bench.
X-FACTOR
The X-Factor isn’t the best player on each team—though sometimes he is—but rather the player who, in my mind, is most critical to helping a team win three straight when it matters most.
Class of 2029 (Robio) – TreVeyon Henderson
With Stevenson out, Henderson morphed into an elite running back, dropping 420 and 366 points in Weeks 10 and 11. But once Stevenson returned, the Patriots forced a timeshare even though Henderson was easily the more productive back. The result: just 162 and 172 points the last two weeks. If he doesn’t get the bulk of the touches, I’m going to regret trading Bucky Irving. Badly.
Football (Jeff) – The Quarterback
The QB spot has been hit-or-miss all season, and one bad week in the playoffs can erase months of good work. Jordan Love has flashed lately (700 points over his last two), but he heads to the bench vs. Denver. His next two matchups (Bears, Ravens) would be far better. In comes Marcus Mariota, replacing an injured Jayden Daniels. Mariota has been solid whenever he’s filled in and gets the 30th-ranked fantasy pass defense. Is this a sharp decision… or galaxy-brain overthinking?
Lolita Express (Bob) – Kyren Williams
Williams has been all efficiency all season—at least 198 points in nine different games, plus a 352-point eruption in Week 5. But over the last two games, Blake Corum has suddenly carved into his workload. Corum has touched the ball 20 times, put up 212 yards, and scored three touchdowns, outscoring Williams 604 to 458 in that span. Is this noise… or a real trend? For Bob’s sake, Williams needs the volume—especially near the goal line—if RB2 is going to avoid becoming a liability again.
Cankles McTaco Tits (Don) – WR2
The WR2 spot has been a revolving door all year thanks to Quentin Johnston’s ability to be aggressively bad. DJ Moore was once on this roster, but he’s barely better and now gone. Don has churned the wire relentlessly in search of an answer. This week, he turns to Darius Slayton, fresh off a 162-point outing and now facing a soft Commanders secondary. Behind him sits Johnston, plus Alec Pierce, and newly added Jayden Reed—who’s good, but not yet ready to return. Don must solve this puzzle if he wants a deep run.
Real Men Produce Porn (Griff) – RJ Harvey
Once Dobbins went down, the job became Harvey’s, and after a shaky start, he’s delivered with 244 and 260 over his last two games. With Walker trapped in a constant timeshare, Harvey can become the RB1 Griff desperately needs. The problem: his next three opponents—Packers, Jaguars, Chiefs—are currently the 6th, 3rd, and 8th-best run defenses in fantasy. The volume is there, but the matchups are brutal.
Lamb Chops (Eric) – Ashton Jeanty
Plenty of teams have won titles going three-wide, so Eric absolutely can too. But that lone running back must be a stud, and Jeanty hasn’t been one. He monopolizes touches in Vegas, sure, but his 3.5 yards per carry tells the story—he has been rough, especially over the last 6–7 weeks. Still, he has shown ceiling: a 460-point game and three others over 200. Eric needs that version, not the one he’s been forced to play lately.
Brooklyn Libtards (Colby) – A Medical Doctor
Outside of Skattebo, Colby avoided major injuries most of the year, but now? Nearly everyone is hurt. Breece Hall has already been benched for Devin Neal. Jordan Addison, Ladd McConkey, and Jake Ferguson are all questionable. On the bench, Aaron Jones and Rome Odunze are also questionable. Even if they play, will they be anywhere near 100%? Colby doesn’t need a waiver-wire gem—he needs a physician.
The Dick-Taters (Rich C) – Calderon’s Brain
With a deep bench, Rich has to make correct decisions weekly—and this year, as his bench points have repeatedly shown, that has not been a strength. This week alone he had decisions at every position except tight end: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, defense. And you know my rule: decisions = playoff demise. The biggest question for Rich isn’t talent—it’s whether he picks the right names.
PREDICTION TIME
Heading into the quarterfinals, the favorite to walk into the semifinals is the scoring leader, Bob Castrone. The highest seed with the lowest odds? Me, the top seed. Good times.
QUARTERFINALS
#1 RICH C vs #8 COLBY (+79)
While I feel good about my team, I don’t love my chances in this game. Am I just being negative? Maybe—but it’s justified. I’ve had double-digit win teams in two of the past three years, yet neither escaped the quarterfinals. I haven’t tasted quarterfinal success since 2020. Worse yet, the last time Calderon started 1–5 and still made the playoffs, it was his first year (2003), and he—an 8-seed—had his best game of the season and knocked me out as the 1-seed. That was a dynasty-killer.
Of course, this isn’t just me playing mind games with myself. This is a #1 vs #8 matchup, but among the four quarterfinal games this week, this one is projected to be the closest. And I get it. With Barkley, Cook, Rice, and Kittle, Rich has the pieces to put up massive numbers. The only thing keeping him from being the favorite are Cook’s and Rice’s matchups, as they face the top run defense and second-best pass defense.
At quarterback, he’s rolling with Stroud over Herbert—and I can’t blame him. The Chargers won the other night, but Herbert looked shaky at best. Stroud has shown he can feast on weak opponents, and the Cardinals just got hammered by the Rams.
For me, there are no real decisions outside of D/ST. I could start Pollard, but I’m sticking with what got me here, even though Henderson is sharing carries. His matchup against the Bills at home coming off a bye is too tempting. Maye also gets the start over Dan, even though Prescott is much better at home. I’m going to need massive performances from my big three—Robinson, Collins, and Nacua. Their matchups are solid, so if one disappoints, it’s a fluke.
Still, I can’t shake this bad vibe. I think Rich gets big numbers from Stroud and from Kittle against the Titans. Cam Little should light up the worst defense against kickers, too. And look for Barkley to deliver—coming off arguably his best game of the year, he’s at home against a Raiders team that’s mailed it in. Rich shocks me in the highest-scoring game of the quarterfinals.
WINNER: The Dick-Taters, 1,748 – 1,588
#2 JEFF vs #7 COLBY (+129)
As I said, with his health issues, Colby is projected to score the lowest total this week. The key players he needs healthy are Jordan Addison and Devin Neal. Addison draws the Cowboys’ defense, and we’ve all seen how that’s gone for opposing QBs and WRs. Neal, who’s also questionable, has increased his scoring each of the last three weeks and topped 200 last weekend. At least he has a favorable home matchup against the Panthers.
But everything ultimately hinges on Colby’s two studs: Josh Allen and Jonathan Taylor. The problem is Allen is on the road—and while the Patriots’ D isn’t great, he’s historically worse away from Buffalo. Taylor, meanwhile, may be playing with a quarterback older than half the members of this league. Either one could shock the world with 400 points. But both?
Jeff will be without London, and Achane is questionable, but I think he plays. If Mariota can put up 250, Jeff should coast. This roster is just so balanced. Achane is the star, but Williams should add another 200+. St. Brown will feast on the Rams’ pass defense, and Michael Wilson has been a stud lately—though he draws his toughest matchup this week with Houston. The Buccaneers D/ST is average, but the Falcons with Kirk Cousins are awful. And I even like Jeff’s kicker in what should be a high-scoring dome game.
CBS has Jeff as a 59% favorite, and it’s hard to disagree.
WINNER: Football?, 1,420 – 1,198
#3 BOB vs #6 ERIC (+277)
Castrone, the scoring champ, enters the quarterfinals as the biggest favorite. His 1,593 projected points are the highest of anyone. His team is healthy, and aside from Kyren Williams, he couldn’t have asked for better matchups. Every player—other than the Rams back—faces a bottom-nine defense against their position. Stafford should score big in a shootout with Detroit, McCaffrey will own the Titans, and AJ Brown should keep rolling. I even like the Jaguars D/ST against whatever poor soul the Jets trot out at quarterback.
Meanwhile, both Mahomes and Lamb have brutal matchups, facing the Chargers and Vikings—both top-three pass defenses. The Eagles’ run defense hasn’t been good, but I’m not confident Jeanty can capitalize. I do like both Waddle and Williams, but unless Eric gets a 450-point game from Mahomes and 300+ from Lamb (who might not even play), I don’t see him posing much of a threat.
WINNER: Lolita Express, 1,648 – 1,114
#4 DON vs #5 GRIFF (+129)
The NFL schedule did Don no favors. Both of his quarterbacks face tough defenses (Nix vs the #7 pass D, Brissett vs the #1 pass D), and his running backs face top-five defenses as well. The same is true for Goedert, who draws the fourth-best defense against tight ends. But at wideout, kicker, and D/ST, he’s got cupcake matchups. Personally, I think his backs are matchup-proof anyway.
Griff has his own issues. Both of his running backs face top-10 defenses, and Pickens gets the Vikings, who are third against the pass. The Seahawks face a top-five offense—though not really, with Daniel Jones out. The key for Coomer will be his hometown team. Baker Mayfield hasn’t been great lately—he has just one 300-point game since Week 7, and he hasn’t thrown multiple TDs since Week 10 as the Bucs have leaned heavy on the ground game. With Bucky Irving back, that won’t change. This has crushed Emeka Egbuka, who’s averaged just 64.5 points per game over the last month. If those two can’t deliver at home against the Falcons, Griff’s playoff stay will be short.
In the end, I trust Don’s backs more, and I think someone—his defense or Slayton—has one of those “I can’t believe that dude scored 280” games to push him through.
WINNER: Cankles McTaco Tits, 1,390-1,298
SEMIFINALS
#2 Jeff vs #8 Rich C
With me out of the way, the path has been cleared for Jeff. Calderon still has the pieces, but a poor lineup decision costs him just the amounted he needed to beat Greenblatt.
WINNER: Football?
#3 Bob vs #4 Don
Don will keep this one close, especially when Gibbs delivers a 400-point effort against the Steelers, while Stafford will struggle some against the Seahawks. However, McCaffey and Smith-Njigba will prove to be too much.
WINNER: Lolita Express
FINALS
#2 JEFF vs #3 BOB
Greenblatt is the higher seed, but Bob is the scoring champ and has already beaten Jeff twice in 2025. In the history of the league, only once has a team swept another team in the regular season and ended up facing them a third time in the finals. That was this league’s first season, when I swept Griff in the regular season and then faced him in the title game. Well, I made it a clean sweep back in 1999 and so will Bob. These two teams are the two most balanced, but Castrone has the elite.
WINNER: Lolita Express wins Bob his fifth career championship
