AFFL Finals Preview: Hartan v Grabbers United

There has been much smack talk this season from team Hartan. They have used Hulk Hogan meme's and lengthy what's app messages to thrash the "weak" Mazoon division and have become this years "team everyone loves to hate." This Sunday, they either back-up their season-long tsunami sized trash talk and walk-off into the sunset with a big middle finger to the league, or be forced to endure 12 managers pissing on their fantasy grave with joy. Yes, this game has build-up galore.

Grabbers and Hartan are the 1 and 2 seeds respectively, and there is no doubt that they deserve to play for the 2015 AFFL title. Both teams are division winners. Both managers made great trades to prepare for the playoffs. Both have put up a helluva lot of points in their respective semi-final games. These teams have remained near the top of the league for the majority of the year and will now square-off to determine who will be the new AFFL title holder and get their name engraved on the AFFL trophy.

Below is a break-down of both teams, their history, the storylines, and prediction on just how this final will go down. Even though Grabbers was predicted to win the title at the beginning of the playoffs, that doesn't mean the new prediction will follow suit. Let's get to it.

Eliminate the Asterisks

Hartan

Highest previous finish: AFFL Champion '07 (10 team league)

Last Four seasons: Finished 4th place. Never has finished top 3

Story trying to be told: Erase the asterisks associated with the 2007 title and become a champ in the current 12 team format. 

Over the past eight seasons, Hartan has managed to be a team of underachieving consistency. Every year team two-face is near the top of the standings, makes the playoffs, then manages to fall apart during the semi-final match. This year marked the fourth straight season that Hartan had made the semi-finals, and a loss to Jaj Cousteau in 2015 would have started the "they're jinxed" discussion. However, Hartan managed to break-through, with a huge day from Drew Brees, and reach the final for the first time since 2007. Kudos to them for a job well done.

Since 2007, Hartan has had a monkey on their back. They have failed to reach the finals since winning the title on the arm of Tom Brady. But that was when the AFFL was a 10 team league, and anytime the Hartan title ever comes up, an asterisks is placed next to it, marking the "easier" title from a downsized league. Because of this, they haven't been thrust into the elite of the AFFL. The three years of semi-final losses and multiple seasons finishing in 8th place gave them a persona of a team that was "a consistent loser," and a "non-threat."

The truth is that making the semi's four straight seasons is a feat that no other team has achieved. Is Hartan a dynasty? Without a title, no, but this year they have a chance to put a crown on the top of their recent success and make three fourth place finishes look like a winner. 

Road to the Final

Hartan's road to the final really began last season, when they elected to select Odell Beckham Jr. in the 16th round of the draft. Locked and loaded for 2015 with an 8th round keeper in ODBJ, Hartan began the season with a powerful WR duo in Aj Green and ODBJ, but the rest of the team was uninspiring. One of the criticisms of a Hartan draft is that they are too conservative in their draft strategy, and the beginning of 2015 was evidence of this. However, they are excellent when it comes to the waiver wire and trades, and picking up Dion Lewis helped alleviate the fantasy dud that would be Andre Ellington. This move was a crucial part of the team starting the year 4-0 and taking the lead in the race for the Dolma Division. As the leader, Hartan deemed themselves the Hulk-Hogan of the AFFL, and proceeded to torment managers with Hulk Hogan Meme's to accentuate their dominance over all. It got annoying quickly, but they've been going strong with it all year. 

While Dion Lewis was a brilliant play, it was also offset by the blunder of dropping Cam Newton. Had Hartan held onto the current MVP of the NFL they would no doubt be the overwhelming favorite to take the crown. Dropping Cam also led to a week 5 loss to the Atomic Bomba and a relinquishing of the Dolma division lead. It was evident that Hartan and Bomba would be battling it out for the Division crown.

Entering week six with a 4-1 record and byes about to hit, Hartan could have gone either way. A loss to the Bomba could have derailed the team and ruined their morale. "Same old AFFL story," pundits began to say, "Bomba gonna take charge now and win this thing." However, Hartan hunkered down and knew that a week 11 rematch with the Atomic one was a chance to reclaim the Dolma throne. Nothing had been lost, and there was everything to gain.

They responded to the loss by winning four of their next five, including a blow-out victory against Vosgee gyank where they put up over 169 points. The offensive explosion was a showcase of just how high a ceiling this team had, and gave the league notice that this team was for real. But just when things hit a high note, disaster struck. Dion Lewis went down with a torn acl, leaving the Hartan veil thin at the RB position. The loss of Lewis lead to their lowest output of the season to that point, albeit in a win against Grabbers, and things began to look shaky again. Would this be the final blow to Hartan?  The Atomic Bomba match-up was coming around the corner and the roster looked depleted. The future of Hartan looked eerily similar to its past: winless.

By now,  Hulk Hogan meme's were being posted double time, but the production on the roster wasn't reflecting that sort of dominance. Enter, HBK. Just before the trade deadline, Hartan managed to plan for the future despite the present looking grim. Gambling that they would get the bye in the playoffs, they traded for Drew Brees and Stefon Diggs giving away Phillip Rivers and AJ Green. It was a bold move at the time, as the Bomba match-up loomed around the corner, but a move that proved to pay-off big time later on.

Hartan would lose to Bomba week 11 and to Hangin' week 12, but managed to hold onto the Dolma division crown by beating Awesomeness week 13. It was their first Division Title in their history, and meant that they would get a pass directly into the semi-final game where they could possibly play against the Bomba a third time. Instead, they faced the current champion Jaj Cousteau. (dum, dum, DUM!)

 

Semi-final game

Jaj Cousteau is a team nobody likes to play. Truly a wild card in any match, the Jajman had a team that was fairing well thanks to Blake Bortles and Allen Hurns. The two erupted week 14 to take out the Bomba, and had a positive match-up once again in week 14. Add to that Antonio Brown and his consistent point production, and Jaj Cousteau was a team that was deadly.

But the match-up couldn't have gone better for Hartan. Despite Antonio Brown doing everything humanly possible to keep Cousteau in the match, nearly all the major players on the Cousteau line-up put up a dud. Javrious Allen was benched after a fumble and finished with -.2. The Carolina defense fell apart late against the NYG and finished with negative points. The match-up was over midway through Sunday, when ODBJ caught a TD against the invincible Josh Norman, and put Hartan up for good. All that was left was a three hundred yard, three TD performance from Drew Brees on MNF to seal the deal. The ticket to the finals was stamped. Hartan had done it. He was in.

Now the question remains, can they win it? It has been a road of ups and downs and injuries for team two-face. They have managed to avoid the pitfalls and gotten lucky at the right times. Heading into the final has them on the doorstep of greatness, but there is another team that has something to say about how the Hartan story will end. Enter the Grabbers.

Rocky Balboa is Back

Grabbers United.

Highest previous finish: 2nd place. Lost in finals 2012

Last Four seasons: Only 2 playoff appearances.

Story trying to be told: To win the title and cap an incredible rise from being on the bottom of the AFFL for years.

Grabbers United's history is riddled with years of disappointment and let down, with a few bright spots in between. They haven't enjoyed playoff success many times over the years, making the post-season only twice over their 9 year career. However, despite the lowly beginning, Grabbers has been one of the fastest risers in the league, after their first playoff and finals appearance in 2012. A return to the playoffs happened in 2014, with a fifth place finish, and now Grabbers finds himself in the finals again. In so doing, he becomes only the fourth franchise to make the finals twice in the current twelve team format (Bomba, Prime Time, Awesomeness are the others). Its a feat that is a testament to the great managerial job Grabbers has done over the last three seasons. His knowledge and instincts have grown leaps and bounds, and this young Jedi has become a kin to the AFFL force and has used it in 2015 at will.

With three trips to the playoffs in four seasons, and two finals appearances, Grabbers has elevated his teams status closer to elite status. The one thing that will get you that status is a title, and Grabbers is salivating at the chance of doing so. The story that he is writing is one of redemption. Having lost a chance at such an honor for years, Grabbers can now lay to rest the years of disappointment and write a new chapter for the future. He could become the sixth unique team to win an AFFL title, and become the newest manager to have his name etched into the AFFL trophy. It would be the AFFL's version of Rocky, a team that was in the dumps, that climbed the mountain against all odds. Needless to say, he has a lot of support around the league.

Road to the Finals

Grabbers has three children. The highest number of kids of any AFFL managers household. It is no doubt that those kids played into his AFFL karma over the past three years. This season was one that saw a Grabbers roster seemingly void of talent, win week after week. It baffled experts and infuriated managers. However, like a microcosm of his own history, Grabbers would transform into an AFFL butterfly late into the season to legitimize his chances for a finals birth.

2015 began swimmingly for the Grabbers, as the team started off winning three of their first four games. Their point totals were erratic, and hardly ones that gave anyone the sense that they were a serious contender in the title race. With two outings of 78 and 60 total points, it was clear to most that Grabbers would be an up and down team without much pop from the roster. A nine win season wasn't going to happen without some changes, so things were a bit of a mystery for the franchise.

Sass is Boss

This couldn't have been more evident than the week 6 match-up against BDiddy. Grabbers escaped with a narrow 119.68-118.78 victory. It was indeed a lucky win, and prompted Grabbers to claim that despite his 5-2 record, he is "the worst team in the league." Frequently pandering for a lower place in the weekly power ranks, Grabbers tried all that he could to turn the jinx tide in his favor and harness some AFFL karma. It worked, as he won the next two games in a row, all while scoring 105 and 93 points in consecutive weeks. It became quite clear that the schedule Grabbers had was helping him immensely, and that the AFFL karma was on his side from the beginning.

Still, Grabbers wasn't in any position to make the playoffs, nor was he even a favorite to take the division title. Cobra Kai and a fast rising Awesomeness, not to mention a stubborn Jaj Cousteau were all hovering around the top of the division and looked to be the more likely candidates to make it to the top of the division race. Something had to be done in order to quell Grabbers lack luster point production. The team had pulled off waiver wire pick-ups and managed supremely to this point, consistently starting players that were the correct calls, but how long could that go on.

Then disaster struck as Andrew Luck was lost for what would be the season. Grabbers was now faced with a line-up that had only one stud on it, Gronkowksi, and he was injured as well. If the finals were to come, they certainly weren't going to come with the current roster. Grabbers then looked for a trade.

After stubbornly holding out on trades for most of the season (and demanding way to much during negotiations as well) Grabbers struck a deal with Cobra Kai: Gronk for Cam Newton and Greg Olsen. It was a superb move, as Gronk hadn't been spectacular all season, and Cam had just began to tear things up. With the trade, Grabbers now had a legit QB and lost very little at the TE position. With the return of Sammy Watkins to relevance and the emergence of Darren McFadden, the team was putting up their highest totals of the year by seasons end.

Grabbers finished the season winning three straight, and posting 153 and 146 point totals the final two weeks of the season to capture the Mazoon division crown. Their high point production was a direct result of the trade for Cam Newton, and it has continued right through the playoffs.

Semi-final Game

Grabbers had a pass to the Semi-finals, where an old champion had resurrected from obscurity. Awesomeness found himself in the semi's for the first time in 5 seasons, and was one of the hottest teams in the AFFL. Grabbers had his work cut out for him, as the match-up did not exactly favor the Mazoon division champ.

It became quite clear early on in the match that this was going to be a high scoring affair. Grabbers had players go on Saturday evening, with Marshall, Dmac and the Jets defense giving him the early lead. None of those players did anything spectacular, however, they set a nice cushion for Grabbers to begin with.

Once Sunday hit, Awesomeness went to work, with Kamer Aiken and Jordan Reed exploding for huge days. With two players, Awesomeness cut heavily into the lead, and this became a race to 150 points. Soon, the KC defense would join in, with a pick six, putting Awesomeness in striking range of Grabbers. Down only 20 points, with three players left, Awesomeness took the advantage over Grabbers late into the early games.

Grabbers however found his answer once again in the same players that carried him to this point. Sammy Watkins showed up for a huge TD to stretch the lead some, and Cam Newton caught fire, throwing 5 touchdown passes against the NYG. The 160 point total was enough to hold off the 130 points put up by Awesomeness. Had Awesomeness played Desean Jackson and Danny Woodhead, they would have reached the final, but it was not to be. This was the year of the Grabbers, a team that had managed to a 'T' and had pulled off successful move after successful move.

Now the question remains, who wins the final?

Finals Breakdown

Both these squads have stud Quarterbacks, solid Wide Receivers, and good running backs. They are complete teams, that haven't too many holes. However, both will be relying on plug-in players for different reasons. This will dramatically effect the outcome of the match. Whichever team gets the most out of their plug-in guys will without a doubt be crowned champion.

Injuries for both teams will directly impact this game as well. While Grabbers comes into the match-up relatively healthy, Hartan has a few key players that are either out or questionable to play. The top of this list begins with Drew Brees. Brees has been on fire of late, and with Cam Newton on the other side of the match-up, Hartan will need a big outing from the QBposition. They managed to pick up Kirk Cousins in case Brees can't go, but relying on Cousins isn't ideal.

The suspension of ODBJ will also be a huge loss for Hartan, as the match-up was a positive one. Jeremy Maclin, Diggs, and Tyler Lockett are serviceable, but don't offer the upside that ODBJ did. We will safely say that without ODBJ, the Hartan WR core does take a hit.

One injury working in Hartan's favor is the one to Lesean McCoy. Having picked up Karlos Williams off the wire, the team now has a viable option to play in the flex should McCoy be ruled out. It is a crafty move by Hartan and one that could swing the match-up in their favor.

Here is the ultimate positional breakdown between the two teams and their history amongst one another. Our prediction follows.

Hartan vs Grabbers United

• Grabbers United: 108 ppw
• Hartan: 116 ppw

Hartan leads series 6-4 head-to-head

Grabbers 1-0 vs Hartan in playoffs.

Positional breakdown

QB Position

Drew Brees vs Jac/Kirk Cousins vs Phi vs Cam Newton vs Atl

The Qb match-up is as close to even as possible, barring Drew Brees playing. Both starters have the potential to go for 40 points, and it wouldn't be surprising if that happened. Cam Newton had 29 points two weeks ago vs. Atlanta, so he can be projected for a similar output. Brees plays a horrific Jags secondary, as does Cousins in Phi. Either should be a shoe-in for a similar outing as Cam. The only twist is the lack of a running game for Cam and the injury of Brees. Drew could be scaled back as far as pass attempts if he plays, while Cam will pick up some more yards on the ground.

Advantage: Grabbers

WR Position

Maclin, Lockett, Diggs Vs Marshall, Watkins, Randle

It was a terrible time for Hartan to lose ODBJ to a one game suspension. Not having the stud receiver in the line-up will force Hartan to rely on WR2/3 types with upside. The match-ups for these receivers play to their favor, but they will have their work cut out for them battling Marshall and Watkins. Both have been solid and offer more upside than the other three. Grabbers also has Ruben Randle, and can piggy back off the ODBJ for some points. Ultimately, this match-up is going to be won or lost by the hands of Sammy Watkins and Marshall. If both produce at the level they have been, this will be another gain for Grabbers.

Advantage: Grabbers

RB Position

Todd Gurley, James White, Karlos Williams, Ryan Matthews vs Darren McFadden, Denard Robinson, Duke Johnson

While Hartan doesn't have the upside at the WR, they do at the RB position. Both Gurley and White have been solid in recent weeks, but the key player of the group is Karlos Williams. Should he get the start, he has RB1 upside and could eat into Dmac's and Denard Robinsons total. Darren McFadden doesn't have a great match-up, but Denard does, against the second worst rush defense in the league. If Yeldon sits again, Denard should produce close to RB1 value as well. Still, with Gurley as the best player on the board, the edge goes to Hartan.

Advantage: Hartan

TE Position

Delanie Walker vs Greg Olsen

Delanie Walker is a good player on a bad team, but he gets a lions share of the targets weekly. He can take a short pass to the house at any moment as evidence of his week 15 outing. On the flip side, Greg Olsen is a mean machine. No other TE has produced like Gronk in the league, and Olsen is a weekly threat for 20+ points. With Cam Newton on fire, and the Falcons being a far better match-up for a TE than Houston, we have to lean slightly to Olsen here.

Advantage: Grabbers

Defense/Special Teams

Boswell, Minn Def vs Gano, Oak Def

Stephen Gostkowski is the only kicker that has been better for fantasy than Gano. While Boswell has been solid of late, the Carolina offense is a gift that keeps on giving. The kicker/Qb strategy is paying off big time for Sass, and should continue this week. On the defensive front, Hartan will look to take advantage of a Giants team missing their best player and start the Vikings. Oakland, while in a good match-up, isn't a great defense and could be in for a huge let down.

Advantage: Push

Final Verdict

In a year where close calls were the norm and line-ups fell apart and then came back to life, the AFFL crown will go to a team that has endured the most. Hartan is currently enduring the loss of players to the final minute, and Grabbers has managed that all season as well with the loss of Luck. There is something to be said about the AFFL Karma, it always gravitates towards teams that have had it the hardest and have survived. No team has had it harder. Losing Luck, putting up an anemic 1400 points. Three kids to manage at home. Grabbers is poised to be this years AFFL champion. Its been written in the fantasy book of the gods and shall soon be etched on an AFFL trophy. Mery Xmas Grabbers. Your Ass is the winner.

Winner: Grabbers United (144.13-121.22)