It’s that time of the season again, it’s wildcard weekend folks! Congratulations to the seven teams who have made it to the tournament to crown our 2025 BFFL champion. Our playoff seeds are as follows:
1. Philippine Garbage Dumps (BYE)
2. Da Moon’s HUGE Craters
3. Jedi Knights
4. Moore on the Run
5. Uur UPS
6. Sacramento Wolfpack
7. Gandalf the Goat
With the PGD finishing in the #1 position, they earn the coveted bye week and will watch from the sidelines awaiting the lowest seeded team as the remaining six teams battle it out to advance to the semi-finals. Let’s break down our three matchups.
#7 Gandalf the Goat at #2 Da Moon’s HUGE Craters
Da Moon’s Huge Craters finishes with an impressive 10-win season, one of the best in franchise history and look to earn a second Superbowl title a decade after their first championship. Gandalf the Goat, by virtue of a strong divisional record and points scored, slide into the final playoff spot. As one of the most successful franchises in recent history, the Goat won back to back championships in the early 2020s and are looking to stamp their dynasty with a third championship in five years. Both teams met previously in Week 7 where Da Moon eeked out a close win by just two points. Will their rematch in the playoffs be another close margin game? Let’s break down the positions.
QB: Baker Mayfield is coming off his worst stretch of the season where he has finished at QB18 or worse for three straight weeks. Next on the docket is a trip to Atlanta and a chance for Mayfield to bounce back. In Week 1, Baker Mayfield put up 28.58 fantasy points and finished as the QB12 on the season. The Goat will have two strong options, but one with a significantly better matchup. Joe Burrow after returning from injury looks like one of the best two or three quarterbacks in the league and has another matchup against a Ravens defense he torched on Thanksgiving. I like both quarterbacks and their matchups but nobody plays better meaningless December games than Joe Burrow. I give the edge to Gandalf the Goat and Joe Burrow.
RB: James Cook and Kyren Williams pack a punch as one of the stronger RB tandems left in the playoffs. Both are ranked RB6 and 8 respectively on the season. The matchups don’t really matter for these elite high usage backs as they both operate in strong offenses that average a ton of points, giving them ample opportunities. The only thing that could really blow the roof off this lopsided matchup is any explosive runs leading to long touchdown runs, a stat that James Cook has shown great proficiency in this season. On the other side of the ball, the Goat will bring a banged up Josh Jacobs and Breece Hall. While Jacobs has been as consistent and as steady as a touchdown bet in the league, I don’t believe Hall is in the caliber of the other three running backs in this matchup. I’m taking Da Moon to win the running back matchup by a large margin.
WR: This is really where the matchup will be won as there is no clear winner. The Goat will bring back some bye week starters with guys like Stefon Diggs and Ricky Pearsall alongside options such as Courtland Sutton and Romeo Doubs. Right now I am projecting a Sutton/Diggs/Pearsall lineup that could be decent but nothing elite. Da Moon spent significant draft capital on their running backs and quarterback and have not had elite talent at the receiver position all season long. They will roll out Zay Flowers, Kyle Pitts and Alec Pierce. It’s not really a class of world beaters on either side but I have to give the slight edge to Goat.
Verdict: Despite winning two out of three positional matchups, I think the running back advantage is massive for Da Moon and will push them over the top. I will take Da Moon’s HUGE Craters to beat Gandalf the Goat 80-78.
#6 Sacramento Wolfpack at #3 Jedi Knights
Both squads look to compete for their first championship in BFFL history. After a strong start to the season, the Wolfpack have been challenged with injury and huge dips in production from star players whereas the Jedi Knights have bounced back from a slow start to execute several trades and begin steamrolling opponents en route to their division championship. Their Week 8 matchup was won by the Jedi Knights. Will this matchup have the same result?
QB: Drake Maye has looked like a legitimate MVP candidate all season and frontrunner for fantasy breakout player of the year. His year 2 leap has taken the fantasy and NFL world by storm as he currently has his Patriots at the #2 seed. Coming off a bye week, he will be facing Buffalo who he struggled against in Week 5, but this time at home. The Jedi Knights traded away Caleb Williams and have handed the keys to Justin Herbert who will return to Arrowhead against a desperate Chiefs defense he torched in the season opener. Herbert’s numbers have declined recently and I think Maye is on a magic carpet ride this season, so I am giving the edge to the Wolfpack.
RB: I don’t think any two running backs have disappointed more than Ashton Jeanty and Kenneth Walker for different reasons. Yet their high usage rate makes them a threat each and every week. The Jedi Knights will be bringing the #3 RB Christian McCaffrey in an incredible matchup opportunity against the Titans. His complementary back Woody Marks is the worst RB in the matchup, but not terrible and possesses enough usage in a matchup against Arizona to be decent enough. The high ceiling of McCaffrey more than makes up any deficiencies in the RB2 spot and I expect the Jedi Knights to win this positional matchup comfortably.
WR: This is a real clash of the Titans as you have the #1 receiver in JSN vs Puka Nacua who before his injury looked like the best receiver in the league. At their healthiest and peaks, it really is an incredible matchup to ponder. JSN’s consistency and high touchdown upside makes him virtually unstoppable against any matchup and pushes his team’s ceiling higher than any other receiver could. Brian Thomas Jr, Ladd McConkey and AJ Brown are excellent complimentary players despite all three of them being on “down years” after expectations set from last season and their draft position this season. The Wolfpack will be blanekd by options such as Xavier Worthy, Khalil Shakir and Wan’Dale Robinson. I think Worthy and Robinson will be the WR2 and WR3 for this matchup. You have to give the advantage to the stronger talent pool for the Jedi Knights.
Verdict: Winning two out of three positions and being able to weather a slight disadvantage at QB, I like the Jedi Knights to win this week 95-85.
#5 Uur UPS at #4 Moore on the Run
This is another matchup where both squads are looking for their first franchise championship. Both squads stayed consistently strong all season long and in contention for their respective division championships which remained competitive down to the wire. As fortune would have it, both teams did meet earlier this season in Week 8 where Uur UPS took home the victory. Now let’s see how both teams fare in the wildcard rematch.
QB: Nobody’s season has been more tumultuous and highly scrutinized than the defending Superbowl MVP Jalen Hurts who is coming off his worst performance of the season with a catastrophic -14 point game. Hurts will be getting a huge stimulus package with a Week 15 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders who have been a fantasy goldmine for opposing teams. Moore on the Run has a real problem at quarterback as they must decide between the washed up Kirk Cousins or backup Marcus Mariota, both of whom are coming off negative point games. While Cousins’ offensive weapons are better, I am projecting Marcus Mariota to get the start against the Giants. The edge here goes to Hurts who should see a few tush pushes on the goal line to get over the hump.
RB: Outside of Drake Maye I think the biggest fantasy breakout or fantasy steal of the draft is Javonte Williams who is currently ranked RB7 and comfortably in a workhorse position on one of the league’s most electric offenses. And he’s not even the best running back on his own fantasy team: that belongs to Bijan Robinson (RB5) whose elite talent is handcuffed only by his quarterback and playcaller’s inefficiencies. Moore on the Run has D’Andre Swift who I really like elevated by this Bears new offense and offensive line but they are lacking at the RB2 spot. It would be interesting to see Monangai and Swift both take the start, but you really have to be a believer in the Chicago Bears at home against a stout Cleveland defense. This one isn’t particularly close as all the upside lies with Robinson and Williams and Uur UPS.
WR: Jaylen Waddle has been on a tear the second half of this season and is currently ranked WR9. With Ceedee Lamb’s availability in jeopardy due to a concussion suffered last Thursday, that is really the X factor swinging this matchup. Uur UPS will rely on Devonta Smith, Emeka Egbuka and Tyler Warren. While Warren has finished to fail inside the top 5 since Week 6, his steady targets and a new quarterback may be his saving grace in this matchup. It’s hard to predict Devonta Smith with the ups and downs of the Eagles. If Lamb is heathy, I’m giving the edge to Moore on the Run. If Lamb is ruled out, this one goes to Uur UPS.
Verdict: The QB matchup is too lopsided for me to even consider the alternative; I like Uur UPS to win 90-80.
Good luck to all teams in wildcard weekend!
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