Don’t give Jack any locker room material, his team doesn’t need any extra motivation to pin on the big board. Back to back weeks Jack has exposed some early predictions about the matchups and because its Jack, of course he is going to save them. He always saves screenshots for moments like this. We were all curious if Jordan had any thoughts on the matchup for week 12 but Jordan declined to answer.
Ezra weighed in on the future of Jordan’s team, mentioning that the Piranhas will have “a future first round exit”. Words were exchanged, but in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we’re going to let that one fly. Let’s hope that doesn’t carry over to the annual Turkey Bowl this weekend.
The playoff picture became a little clearer after this weekend and with only three weeks left in the regular season, there is only one race at the top of our wish list. The surging red-hot Avalanche is only a step behind a stumbling cold HSG. Only one game out of the mix, the Avalanche cannot be stopped. Will anyone be able to stop them?
This week the recap has been broken down into winners and losers. Thanks for your concern.
On to the recaps!
WINNERS
MISFITS 168.12
Uhhh, where was this all season? Scoring the highest point total on the week, the Misfits dominated HSG to earn their second win of the season, snapping their five-game losing streak. For those that have been waiting all season for a reoccurrence, (I know I have) we finally got another victory poem from Ben. It reads,
While I eat dessert
Tim is really hurt
He trades away the win
And thinks about what could have been
Ever hear of Tommy DeVito?
The man is no longer incognito
Lawrence goes and scores the most
Giving the Misfits a chance to boast
Chaos is what this manager brings
But most importantly, he leaves a sting
Some of Ben’s best work might I add. Lawrence (36), DeVito (28), Warren (23) and the Bills defense (23) paved the way for the 168-point performance. Still eliminated from playoffs, the Misfits can play spoiler the rest of the season, which is exactly what they plan to do against the Sandstorms. Will another poem be on tap next week?
ICECAPS 167.20
The second highest scorer on the week, the Icecaps have all but locked in the first round bye. As the only team that has clinched the playoffs, six starters scored over 18 points in the win to separate themselves from the league. Herbert (31), Tua (21), Hill (23), Aiyuk (23), Montgomery (18) and Barkley (28) will make it hard for any team to take down the Icecaps going forward. I will reiterate a sentiment I made about this team earlier because it rings true. This Icecap team may be the strongest team in league history. Destined for a championship, it would be a fantasy manager coaching malpractice if this team does not win it all this season. Anything short of raising a banner will be the result of Jack mismanaging this roster come crunch time. Otherwise, I don’t see a flaw in this squad. Don’t mess this one up Jack.
PIRANHAS 149.86
The Piranhas can breathe a little easier after winning and moving to 7-4 on the season. Needing only 14 points from Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith on Monday night, it didn’t look good in the first half. Have no fear, the Piranhas were able to put the Squatches away in the second half. Getting solid performances from Tank Dell (24), Devin Singletary (19) and the Washington defense (16), it made the path to the postseason that much easier. The Piranhas haven’t clinched a spot by all means, so the upcoming weeks are still critical. Unfortunately, the juggernaut Icecaps await.
THUNDER 133.80
Needing a net ten points on Monday night, the Thunder got 30 to cap off the weekend with their second straight win. Getting some quality starts from Purdy (33), Brian Robinson (17) and the Miami defense (19), the Thunder took one step closer to the postseason. Trading for Brock Purdy may be one of the stronger moves on the season and gives the Thunder a chance to make a splash with the duo of Mahomes and Purdy. The only thing the Thunder has their eyes set on? A first round bye. The Squatches travel to the Trop next week.
AVALANCHE 110.26
You do not want to face this team right now. Despite having the lowest total the Avalanche have scored in the last month, it didn’t stop them from getting their fifth straight win. Gibbs (18) led the way against the reeling Sandstorms, inching the Avalanche closer to a playoff berth. Left for dead in October, the Avalanche have rattled off five straight wins after starting the year 0-6. Only one game out of a playoff berth behind HSG, the next three weeks should be thrilling. Whatever happens this season, the Avalanche proved you can never be counted out until you are officially eliminated. Launching a playoff bounty attack on the league, the Avalanche appear to stop at nothing until the postseason is achieved. A chance to get to .500 can be a reality with a win against GWW in week 12.
LOSERS
GWW 134.94
“Cya in the championship Jack”. While they had a solid week, GWW ran into the Icecaps to remain in second place. The best decision this team made was finally benching Gabe Davis (0) at the right time. Allen (29), St. Brown (16), CMC (18) and the Dallas defense (23) will still be enough every week for GWW to be a contender for second place, behind the Icecaps of course. Also of note, this squad bolstered their wide receiver depth but opted to start Marquise Brown (1) instead of DK Metcalf (16). Hopefully they learn for the playoffs. A chance to stop the Avalanche in week 12 awaits, something no team has been able to do recently.
SQUATCHES 131.30
Eliminated from the postseason, it’s a disappointing season for the 2022 champion. A season riddled with a difficult schedule, that surely will be a talking point for a league median. Until then, the Squatches can look to spoil other team’s postseason aspirations in the near future. The league’s loudest team has been silenced and it’s only week 12. The league’s quest for its first back-to-back champion will have to wait yet another season.
HSG 114.10
Oh, how quickly things change in the BBL. HSG is definitely the biggest loser after week 11. Barely scoring over 110 points, it should make Tim feel better than he would have lost to six other teams this week, not just the Misfits. Half the roster scored in single digits on the down week. After starting the season 5-0, HSG has gone 1-5 over the last six weeks and is now on the fringe of making the postseason. Glancing over their shoulders, that bounty attack from the Avalanche looms… aggressively. No stranger to making trades, when you look at this team, there doesn’t appear to be any weaknesses in the roster construction. So, does that mean it comes down to roster mismanagement? Perhaps. Next week against HCTM will be very telling.
HCTM 112.62
Also eliminated from the playoffs, it has been a disappointing season for the champion of the 2021 season. When Joe Burrow exited the game on Thursday, it was a sign of things to come for HCTM. There isn’t too much to address with this team, the only thing on their mind is to avoid last place. A chance to really impact the playoff picture awaits next week when HSG visits.
SANDSTORMS 91.28
Sandstorms gonna sandstorm. The Sandstorms have had back-to-back uninspiring weeks to drop to 7-4. Fortunately, they should still be able to make the postseason barring a catastrophe. Seven starters scored less than eight points in the sub 100 performance. Lamar Jackson won’t be able to carry this team alone as the Sandstorms will look to avoid a three-game losing streak when they battle the Misfits. The Sandstorms should be careful, this has trap game written all over it. The last thing this team needs is a poem about getting beat by the worst team in the league.
CONCLUSION
Just as a heads up, the trade deadline is December 2, 2023. Plan accordingly.
Have a happy Thanksgiving! The Books Boss League is thankful for all the laughs, friendships and memories shared over the years. Thanks to all who make the Books Boss League possible! Enjoy the holiday everyone!
Cheers!
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