NFL
By: Randall Slifer
No big deal, I won Team NBS media’s fantasy football league in the first year I was graciously invited into the league. Now I know you may be asking: how did you do it? There was plenty of tough competition with sports writers all over the place. I know, I know, but call me the Jacksonville Jaguars because I came in hot at the end.
As you can see, I was 5th in total points, but still wound up with the championship. My team overall got hot late because there were some early injuries and some rookies who needed to develop into their roles later in the year. It was not just a fluke of getting hot, but a strategic bout to know it matters at the end, not the beginning.
I had to run through playoff opponents such as Matt Brunelli, who had players like Jamyr Gibbs, Jordan Love, and Nico Collins. It was no match for the entire league, which gave me a combination of Bijan Robinson, Jaxon Smith-Njiba, and Brock Bowers (Michael Mayer in the picture as I used him when they shut down Bowers). I mean, what was everyone doing while they were drafting?! Must have been focusing on their soap operas over drafting good players. I was able to get Emeka Egbuka in the 7th round, and it was my biggest steal of the league. I rarely used free agency during the season, only for defenses and kickers. That shows how well I drafted from the beginning.
The final bout was against the company’s owner and the league commissioner, Joe Cordoso. He had studs in James Cook, Josh Allen, and Jameson Williams. He was 3rd in points scored and held onto 1st place for most of the regular season. The playoffs had a 2-week matchup, and that did not do boss man any favors. The final week was week 18, when Buffalo rested most of their starters and laid a goose egg, bringing me the glorious championship.
Some notable opponents outdid the expectations. I only beat Greg Rector by 1.5 points, which would have changed the trajectory of the playoffs. Joe put up a valiant effort to project to be 7th in the league, finishing in 2nd place. It was no match for ESPN projecting me in 4th place (great draft, clearly), and I finished as the top dog in the league.
This league was a lot of fun, with very competitive players at the helm. I want to thank JSN, Brock Bowers, Bijan Robinson, and, certainly, myself for drafting one of the best teams in 2025. Will they continue the fantasy football league next year after this dismantling? I would certainly hope so, because a fantasy football dynasty has started, and it’s only been year 1.
