FANTASY FLUKISM: BAD GAME, MANY TOUCHDOWNS

by wwtb?, Pacifist Viking

In the Browns’ 33-30 victory over the Seahawks on Sunday, Jamal Lewis had 20 carries for a mere 37 yards. That’s 1.85 yards per attempt, which nobody would describe as anything near good. Lewis also had 4 receptions for 67 yards, which is pretty solid, but I don’t think it negates the fact that Lewis did next to nothing in the running game to help his team win. Any reasonable person would have to say Lewis had a bad game: 20 carries for 37 yards is, simply put, bad.

And yet Jamal Lewis was one of the highest fantasy points scorers on Sunday because he rushed for 4 touchdowns.

And that brings us to yet another Fantasy Flukism: the Bad Game with Multiple Touchdowns.

Adrian Peterson rushed for an NFL record 296 yards on Sunday, and added a 19 yard reception and 3 touchdowns. But in touchdown heavy fantasy leagues, Peterson scored just a few more points than Lewis, who had a dreadful 37 yards. Peterson averaged 9.87 yards per carry, hauling the Vikings to victory. Lewis averaged 1.85 yards per carry, cherry picking touchdowns off of Derek Anderson’s 364 yards passing. It’s a pretty good argument for making fantasy football scoring systems heavily dependent on yards rather than touchdowns. In one league I’m in, Jamal Lewis of the 37 yards rushing scored just 2.44 points fewer than Adrian Peterson, he of the 296 yards rushing.

Larry Johnson also had a lousy game against the Packers. His 53 yards rushing came on 19 carries, and a 2.8 yard average isn't doing much to help one's team. But one of Johnson's 19 carries was for a touchdown, and since he added 42 yards receiving and another touchdown, his fantasy score was good while his actual performance was bad.

If you're the owner of a Bad Game, Many Touchdowns player, you smile; if you're beaten by the owner of a Bad Game, Many Touchdowns player, you scream and holler and cry.

Sunday featured a Garbage Time Touchdown Flukism, too.

With 5:51 left in the game and trailing the Cowboys 38-10, Donovan McNabb threw a touchdown pass on 4th and 3. No touchdown could be more meaningless in reality, but McNabb’s touchdown likely won some people a fantasy matchup.

Patrick Ramsey also connected with Brandon Stokley for a TD on Sunday with 2:31 left while down 44-0. But that’s hardly a Fantasy Flukism, since no earthling was so unfortunate as to start Ramsey, and I doubt very many started Stokley. And if you did, may God have mercy on your soul.