Another year, another season is done. 6 teams get to still submit line ups, 6 of us get at least one more week. Here is a little sneak preview for the 2019 playoffs.

#1 seed - Chippenham Packers

A last minute trade meant I had to re-write this section (thanks guys)

The three stars of the Packers line up are Michael Thomas, Dalvin Cook and Dak Prescott. Thomas is the WR2 on the season and you could make an argument that he is the best receiver in the league. He is backed up by solid production from Allen Robinson, Kenny G and Smokey Brown with all 4 players normally having high floors.

Cook is finally having the season he has been threatening to have since the first couple of games of his rookie season, but a shoulder injury that might limit him this week shows the importance of getting the bye. Aaron Jones is a little harder to predict, he has had a 45 point week this season but 3 of his last 4 games have not topped 6 points and matchups against the Bears and Vikings aren’t ideal.

There was a moment where Dak was in the discussion for MVP this season but ever since his hip-flex warm up, the Cowboys have gone 1-3 (1-4 by the time this is out) and as an Eagles fan who had to put up with the bullsh!t fans saying Dak»>Wentz, we are seeing that there isn’t much difference between them when their surrounding talent plays at the same level. Get past week 15 where he faces the Rams and he has the Eagles in the final and that is nice matchup.

If everything happens as expected, good players get lots of points and not injuries, then the Packers are in a great position to become the 4th team in 4 seasons to have their name on the trophy. Probably the Man City equivalent.

#2 seed – Gateshead Spartans

I know I’ve said this before but UKD championships have been won on the backs of RBs and the Spartans have by far the best one this season. McCaffrey has 71 more points than the 2nd place RB so far this season and 100 points more than 3rd place! This might be necessary as the WR and TE corps is not exactly star studded.

DJ Moore is peaking at just the right time but faces the Seahawks in week 15 and the next best receivers are possession guys, Edelman and Landry, who, like Moore, are in situations that are just right for the Spartans to try and be the first double winner. Edelman is the only receiver than Brady trusts and Landry has a Mayfield that is playing better than he was at the start of the season.

TE is a weak spot for the team with Olsen and Graham nursing injuries and Fant not quite stepping up in his rookie season. Having Aaron Rodgers, the 2nd highest scoring QB, is enough to offset this though and having spent $200 on Blough, the backup is locked in. Maybe Fitzpatrick is the playoff QB though as he has the Giants and Bengals in weeks 15 and 16. Carrying on the Premier league theme, the Spartans are the Liverpool of a couple of years ago, with 3 or 4 world beaters that they hope is enough to just destroy teams and not get into a scrap.

#3 seed – Coventry Eagles

I remember being in the Brewdog pub last year, holding onto my new trophy and showing off the strength of my team, especially at the WR position, that I was stacked for several years to come. A year is a long time in fantasy football and since then, AB retired, Hilton has barely played and Julio has suffered with the Falcons season. Kamara hasn’t been as electric as the year before and the gambles on the likes of Breida, Cohen and Samuel haven’t paid immediate returns.

Enough pieces are there to make it back to the playoffs, Wentz is QB6, Adams is WR1 and Kelce is TE2 but for the last month, the scores have gotten lower and lower which is not a trend you want to carry into the playoffs.

A lot of things have to go the Eagles way to be a back-to-back champ and it could happen if a couple of players could have a score which threatens the highest point scorer of the week, but in all likelihood wins will come from scraps rather than blow outs.

Manchester United, not just because I’m a fan, but they have a couple of elite players and can still put on a show, just not with any consistency.

#4 seed – Oxford Pythons

The surging Pythons! 2 weeks ago, I bet Olly would have said his chances of making the playoffs were slim but now they’re the league’s champion of choice along with the Bandits. All this has been made possible by the ridiculous form of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry who are the 1st and 6th best players in the last month. Jackson has the Bills, Jets and Browns whilst Henry has the Raiders, Texans and Saints and none of these matchups are scary.

Depth is also there in Lindsay, Montgomery, Hill, Woods and Doyle (even better with Ebron on IR) but Olly has to be hoping that the magic sticks around for just 3 more weeks and he can be the UKD champ.

Leicester is the first team to come to mind in terms of the pluckiness and surprise surge but maybe more Arsenal, relying on a couple of players to drag the team forward.

#5 seed – Irish Flyers

Last year’s runners up made the playoffs again but don’t look like the powerhouse they were the previous December. Circumstances have conspired to keep their win total lower than what it should be with Barkley playing with a clearly still damaged ankle, Gordon holding out and now having to share with Ekeler, Mixon playing behind a terrible o-line (that even when the Bengals try and fix it, it gets injured) and Sanders who should be getting more touches than he does.

Evans is the standout WR on the team and Kupp is a great WR2 but past that it is very slim pickings. QB is not a strength when Tannehill is probably your best option and the TE position is a Ertz injury away from being a disaster.

Tottenham, a team that looks great on paper but are failing to live up to expectations.

#6 seed – Nottingham Bandits

The preseason favourite manages to sneak into the playoffs as the highest scoring team of the season but this team should have secured a first round bye and probably would have without an injury to Mahomes or Roethlisberger.

Mahomes is the QB5 on the season even though he missed 2 games but the wildcard game is against the Patriots. Backup QB Brees doesn’t have it too much easier with the 49ers though!

Zeke, Chubb and Hunt are a fantastic trio of RBs but the Brown’s players schedule is a little tricky and that applies to OBJ as well. Godwin is the rare pre-season hype player than actually performed and he should be having JuJu for company but the Rudolph/Hodges combo has ruined his value.

Kittle is the best TE in the league this year to round off a great starting line up but luck has not been in the Bandits favour.

Mid-nineties Newcastle, score a bucketload but also concede a load!

The Buzzsaw - Gateshead Spartans

What’s the best way to enter the playoffs? By winning the buzzsaw and all that separated the top two teams was 0.5 points, so the Spartans are showing form just when you want to. The win against the Wombats knocked them out of the playoffs and secured a playoff bye but not enough to get the number 1 seed. James White won the Patriots RB random selection game and went off but it was subdued across the rest of the roster. Still, Chris won’t care what the score is as long as he gets the buzzsaw, he wins the league.

Wigan Wombats – 🏆
Chippenham Packers - 🏆🏆🏆🏆
Gateshead Spartans – 🏆🏆🏆
Derby Otters - 🏆
Nottingham Bandits - 🏆
Irish Flyers - 🏆
Oxford Pythons - 🏆
Oxford Seahawks - 🏆

Highest Point Scorer - Gateshead Spartans

As mentioned above, James White had himself a game against the Texans and was only one of two players that topped 30 points in week 13. DeVante Parker had a career day himself whilst the rest of the top ten had 6 QBs and Guice and Penny! Imagine in week 1 you were told that top 10 players to get into the playoffs would be Guice, Penny, White, Parker and Fitzpatrick!

Wigan Wombats – 🏆
Flitwick Fireflies – 🏆
Oxford Seahawks – 🏆🏆🏆
Nottingham Bandits – 🏆
Hereford Chargers - 🏆
Derby Otters - 🏆
Gateshead Spartans - 🏆🏆
Chippenham Packers - 🏆
Andover Sandslashers - 🏆
Oxford Pythons - 🏆

Unluckiest Loser - Andover Sandslashers

The Sandslashers put up the 3rd highest score of the week but came up against the 2nd highest score and the wombats put up the 4th highest score and faced the highest score of the week. The Flyers won with the 8th highest score of the week and make the playoffs. The Sandslashers might not feel so unlucky as it meant they get the 1.02 in the draft rather than the 1.03.

Oxford Seahawks – 🏆🏆
Andover Sandslashers – 🏆🏆
Hereford Chargers – 🏆
Coventry Eagles – 🏆🏆
Nottingham Bandits - 🏆🏆🏆🏆
Wigan Wombats - 🏆🏆

Closest Matchup - Flitwick Fireflies

This was probably the first week without and true nail-biters as the most matchups were decided by around 20 points. The closest ended up being between the Fireflies and the Otters with the Fireflies securing their 4th win of the season but still remain at the bottom of the standings. Would have been different if the Otters had started a TE…

Oxford Seahawks - 🏆🏆🏆
Oxford Pythons – 🏆🏆
Andover Sandslashers – 🏆🏆
Gateshead Spartans - 🏆🏆
Coventry Eagles - 🏆
Chippenham Packers - 🏆
Flitwick Fireflies - 🏆🏆

Most Impactful Injury - Coventry Eagles

Almost all of the playoff teams are free of injury issues, maybe a worry about OBJ but it’s my Eag;e’s WR corp is the one suffering. Julio’s injury massively reduces the chances of a win over the Bandits and Hilton continues to be a doubt. Last trophy is mine.

Gateshead Spartans - 🏆🏆🏆🏆
Oxford Pythons – 🏆
Irish Flyers – 🏆
Coventry Eagles – 🏆🏆🏆
Wigan Wombats - 🏆🏆
Derby Otters - 🏆
Oxford Seahawks - 🏆

Worst Decision - Wigan Wombats

Will Dissly went on IR how many weeks ago?! Yet playing either Goedert or Rudolph would have gotten the Otters a morale boosted season end win. Tanking? Ignorance? Showing off?

Penny and Deebo for Bell and Watkins would have gotten a win for the Wombats and a playoff place.

Barber and Duke in place of Murray and Davis would have been a win for the Seahawks and a probable place in the playoffs. I think I give this to the Wombats.

Nottingham Bandits - 🏆
Irish Flyers - 🏆🏆
Hereford Chargers – 🏆
Coventry Eagles – 🏆🏆
Wigan Wombats - 🏆🏆
Oxford Seahawks - 🏆🏆🌓
Flitwick Fireflies - 🏆🏆
Andover Sandslashers - 🌓

Roll of Honour

Andover Sandslashers - 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🌓
Chippenham Packers - 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Coventry Eagles - 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Derby Otters - 🏆🏆🏆
Flitwick Fireflies - 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Gateshead Spartans - 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Hereford Chargers - 🏆🏆🏆🏆
Irish Flyers - 🏆🏆🏆🏆
Nottingham Bandits - 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Oxford Pythons - 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Oxford Seahawks - 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🌓
Wigan Wombats - 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

Thanks Phil!

(A note from the editor)

I know I speak for the whole league when I say that these awards pieces add so much to the league over the season - thanks for doing it again this year.

UKD ❤️ Phil’s Weekly Awards