We are in our 4th year of Splinterbowl, a Fantasy Football (NFL) league of Splinterlands players, and we just concluded the first week of the season.
This year we have 12 players (@aftersound, @bjangles, @bravetofu, @dejota, @ducecrypto, @xsuilx, @metafurico, @mondroid, @northtribe, @pladozero, @redxvipers, and @stever82).
Buy-ins were 3k SPS, so the pot is currently valued at ~$290. Let's see where it is when the season ends in a few months :) My prediction: over $500 at least.
Our draft took place a few days before the opening game of the season, and I got first pick (it was random, and I actually didn't really want the first pick...too much pressure!). I decided to take Ja'Marr Chase, the elite WR on the Bengals, who was the consensus number 1 pick. I hesitated because I typically prefer running backs and almost took Barkley or Bijan, but ultimately I felt I shouldn't deviate from the consensus.
Week 1 was horrible for Chase, who raked in just 26 yards on 5 targets in the debut game of the season. Abysmal. Of course it's just one game, and the Bengals have made it a habit of starting seasons slow. But it sucked.
After the weekend games, Stever and I were somehow neck in neck, with none of the players on either side really standing out. It came down to 2 players on Monday Night Football: JJ McCarthy, the rookie QB I picked as a huge gamble (I went no-QB till deep in the draft) vs WR DJ Moore on Steve's side. I needed McCarthy to score 7 more points than Moore to secure the win.
McCarthy then proceeds to do absolutely squadoosh over 3 quarters. Zilch. The guy was channeling his week-1 Ja'Marr Chase it seemed. And then the 4th quarter comes, and the Vikings started to get in a groove. They go on to score in 3 consecutive drives, with McCarthy willing the team on and scoring twice through the air and once on the ground.
Epic final quarter and showdown with Steve. This is what Football and Fantasy are all about!
To close out, here's a pickle playing football:
Images in this post were generated using Midjourney AI