2017 UMassBallers Season Revue - Fur a Meowment Like This

Well, it was a rough year in football with lots of injuries, political drama, and replay controversy, but above all, it was technically a season of pro football. And with that season, the UMassBallers played a virtual game of points based on player statistics where, each week, the team with more points versus its competitor would be credited with a win, until finally, in Week 16, we would have a champion. The name of that champion? Smackycat!

Smackycat was one of two elite teams in UMassBallers this year along with Bear Down, who scored well above 100 points per week, but in the end, smackycat brought home the trophy with a better performance in Week 16. The only other team that scored a decent amount of points was the defending champion Chicago Ferrets, but let's be real, they used up all their good luck last year.

Our feline overlord wasn't the only interesting storyline from the fantasy season though - click below to take a look at all the hindsight analysis of the draft, recaps of game-changing transactions, and other rando happenings in TDZ's annual UMassBallers season synopsis!

2017 Roster Freak Out - Week 14 (Playoffs Rd 1)

The RFO is certainly stumbling into the playoffs and team confidence is at an all-time low. After a sub-50pt performance in Week 13, the team needs to make some drastic changes.

Wondering where all the good selections have gone...

Since this is a playoff week, my task becomes even more daunting - I have to outscore one of the 4 playoff teams playing this week to move on to Round 2. Considering I've never gotten past Round 1, my odds of success are about 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000.

via GIPHY

2017 Roster Freak Out - Week 13

Well, it was a rough Week 12 for the RFO, and I think we all know who to blame: massively overpaid QB Joe Flacco.

But in Week 13, may the RFO rise like a phoenix from the ashes of Joe Flacco's ineptitude. May it stand tall against the performances of much better rosters and emerge triumphant!

2017 Roster Freak Out - Week 12

UMassBallers, I can't even keep track of all the wins for the RFO in recent weeks - deserved or not. I'm gonna guess that I'm 7-4 because I seem to remember the RFO had the same record as Doge Flutie. Excuse me, playoff-bound Doge Flutie.

Real-time depiction of Doge's fantasy football effort.

If there's one thing I learned from this season, it's to not even try in fantasy football, because it's all random. Life's too short to scour the waiver wires and make terrible trade proposals when you could be sitting back enjoying belly rubs.

2017 Roster Freak Out - Week 11

Oh man, remember when I scored 92 points last week? So good.

So I watched Season 2 of Stranger Things, and I realized just now that it's basically an elaborate allegory for how fantasy football is the Upside-Down of regular football. On the surface, you have these real people playing their hearts out, making the most of their talents and work. But underneath is a shadowy realm of betting that leeches off of the real game, and we're all a bunch of demogorgons feeding off of the events and misfortunes of the people playing the real game. And let's face it, for the vast majority of us, but especially Doge, fantasy football really is an Upside-Down hellscape.

Not sure how this fan's Melvingordon fits in...

Welp, I guess I solved the show - oops, spoiler alert.

2017 Roster Freak Out - Week 10

The RFO struts into Week 10 with an above .500 record, just like Doge Flutie, which is on pace to secure the #2 seed and a bye. What incredible, talented teams, just barely edging out the competition, week after every other week.

Hang 10 in Week 10.

Let's see if I can keep the good times rolling.

2017 Roster Freak Out - Week 9

A great win for the RFO last week, overcoming many teams on bye and somehow only selecting people whose names would work for Halloween puns. It's incredible how I'm 4-4 despite minimal effort because I'm bending over backwards to handle things at work.