Splinterbowl Week 1 Recap

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.