jgirsby started the right quarterback for the first time this season and handed the desk's own franchise, which had a perfect lineup, its first loss. Elsewhere, a game was decided by 0.58 with 42.90 on the loser's bench, the champion's two backup quarterbacks both outscored her starter, and the desk went 2–3.
The accounting, which is less fun this week. Five picks in Thursday's late-filed preview; two held: jsdivine and mmcatee01. divinethought lost by 0.58. The desk's own franchise lost by 15.94. ITouchd0wnThere's pick was provisional on a quarterback being added. One was added, Justin Herbert for $5 on Friday, so the pick stands, and it lost. The desk is 8–7 on the season. The tape has not been placed back on leave. It has been placed on probation, and it knows why.
For two weeks this desk has written that jgirsby benches whichever quarterback is about to go off. In Week 3 he started Brock Purdy, and Purdy scored 39.28. Matthew Stafford scored 24.90 on the bench, which, for the first time, was the right place for him. The chair has been fixed. The week's high score, 150.38, came with Brock Bowers at 27.60, Michael Wilson at 25.90 and Evan McPherson, the $1 Wednesday replacement for Cameron Dicker, at 11.00.
Disclosure: the desk's own franchise set a perfect lineup. 0.00 points left on the bench, the only such lineup in the league. Lamar Jackson 24.44, Ja'Marr Chase 24.80, Derrick Henry 21.90, Kenneth Walker 21.30, and Terry McLaurin at FLEX for 19.70, the analytics department's Thursday call over Chris Godwin (5.50). Every decision was correct, and it lost by 15.94. The tight end gap was 23.80 (Bowers 27.60, Dalton Kincaid 3.80), which covers the margin by itself. The kicker gap was 10.00: McPherson 11.00, Trey Smack 1.00. The desk's first perfect lineup and first loss arrived in the same box score. jgirsby now leads the series 5–2, three straight.
The closest game of the season, and a lineup screen on both sides. The preview noted that alyssagenther now carries three quarterbacks for a lineup that uses one. She started Dak Prescott, who scored 20.94. Tyler Shough, the $6 Wednesday claim, scored 31.80 on the bench. Bo Nix scored 28.14 on the bench. Her two backups finished one-two among her quarterbacks, and she won anyway, because Garrett Wilson scored 26.70 and the other side of this game was worse.
The other side of this game: divinethought left 42.90 points on the bench, the widest gap in the league, and lost by 0.58. Drake London scored 28.40 on the bench, 3.10 of which he already had when the preview went to press Thursday, while Tetairoa McMillan started for 3.70. The San Francisco defense, claimed for $0 on Thursday, started and scored 1.00. The Minnesota defense, which scored 18.00 in Week 2, scored 17.00 on the bench. Either swap wins the game on its own. The desk picked divinethought on a 17.20 Thursday head start and would like the record to show that the head start was not the problem. alyssagenther leads the series 6–1.
The league's only unbeaten team is 3–0 and first in points at 465.44. CeeDee Lamb 20.20, Christian Watson 22.60, James Cook 19.40, and the Kansas City defense, a $0 Thursday claim, 9.00. Jordan Love scored 22.48 on the bench, the second straight week he has scored more than 17 points for a team that did not need him. The thermostat is holding at "title."
BrennaLynne's best possible lineup was 143.28. It would have won by 11.02. It is the second straight week her best nine would have beaten the opponent, and the second straight week it was on the bench. Matthew Golden scored 21.00 on the bench while Malik Nabers started for 7.60; Cam Skattebo scored 13.00 on the bench behind Omarion Hampton's 5.60. Zach Ertz, the Thursday afternoon pickup who started over Tucker Kraft, scored 1.90. Kraft scored 6.60 on the bench. BrennaLynne is 0–3, and the series is even at 4–4.
The week's biggest margin, 31.24, and the week's best individual score: Jahmyr Gibbs, 41.40. The quarterback carousel also stopped on the right number. Trevor Lawrence started and scored 25.78; Drake Maye scored 3.76 on the bench. After a Week 2 quarterback decision that changed after press time, Dawnieo left 0.10 points on the bench, the second-best lineup in the league. The series is even at 3–3.
ITouchd0wnThere's week is covered straight, in the Injury Report below. De'Von Achane was hurt on his third carry and finished with 1.70; Justin Jefferson left with an ankle injury after 5.20. Herbert, claimed Friday for $5 with Caleb Williams out, scored 14.74, and Chase McLaughlin, a Saturday claim, kicked for 12.00. Chris Olave (19.70), Bhayshul Tuten (17.00) and Trey McBride (16.50) did the rest. 2–1.
mmcatee01's first win, and it came with two lineup decisions the desk will note for the file. Joe Burrow scored 28.58 on the bench while Patrick Mahomes started for 19.94, and Luther Burden scored 19.80 on the bench behind TreVeyon Henderson's 3.90. It did not matter. George Kittle, benched for 18.00 in Week 2, started this time and scored 26.20. And the kicker: Brandon Aubrey 10.00, sammyyy29's kicker 5.00. The belief system has now outscored the opposing kicker in two straight weeks, and it would like to be asked how.
The grief paragraph belongs to sammyyy29 for the second straight week: 97.34, the week's lowest score, 0–3, and last in points at 277.48. The front office's Thursday work was mostly correct. Bryce Young, claimed for Herbert, scored 15.64; Herbert scored 14.74 for someone else. The best possible lineup was 100.74, only 3.40 away. The Green Bay defense, added Thursday afternoon, scored −2.00. And the tight end file advances as foretold: Dalton Schultz was claimed and started over both Isaiah Likely and Jake Ferguson, and Ferguson scored 9.30 on the bench to Schultz's 6.00. Three weeks, three tight end decisions, three benched tight ends who outscored the starter. The series stands 5–3, sammyyy29.
No jokes in this section. Status is as of Tuesday and will move; check the official reports before setting a lineup.
The desk wishes every one of them a quick recovery, and Achane a full one.
Twenty-five completed transactions since the last issue and $42 in winning bids, most of it already itemized in the preview. The scoring: alyssagenther's $6 on Tyler Shough returned 31.80 on the bench, and her $12 on Denzel Boston returned 8.10 on the bench. She has now spent $39 of the league's $64: 61% of the money from 10% of the teams. jgirsby's $1 on Evan McPherson returned 11.00, against the desk. divinethought's $0 on the San Francisco defense returned 1.00, and the rest of that story is above. jgirsby and sammyyy29 both bid on the Cincinnati defense; $1 beat $0.
The loop of the week: sammyyy29 released Justin Herbert for Bryce Young at 3am Thursday. At 2am Friday, ITouchd0wnThere claimed Herbert for $5. Young outscored him by 0.90. Two teams exchanged a quarterback and sammyyy29 won it without being asked. Late additions: ITouchd0wnThere released Jake Bates and claimed Chase McLaughlin (12.00); jgirsby added Dontayvion Wicks for $1; D1LLIGAF added Kyler Murray as quarterback depth (12.42, bench). Actual trades: none. Four teams, mmcatee01, divinethought, sammyyy29 and BrennaLynne, have yet to spend a FAAB dollar. The desk respects the discipline.
mmcatee01 (1-2) vs jsdivine (3-0) — the belief system against the only unbeaten team. The kicker is ready. The desk is less sure about the quarterback decision.
divinethought (2-1) vs BrennaLynne (0-3) — the last two owners of the league's widest lineup gap (50.40, then 42.90). The winner will be whoever plays their bench.
jgirsby (1-2) vs sammyyy29 (0-3) — the chair, now fixed, against a tight end decision that is not.
ITouchd0wnThere (2-1) vs alyssagenther (2-1) — two 2–1 teams, one of which owns three quarterbacks. The desk recommends starting the one with the most points.
D1LLIGAF (2-1) vs Dawnieo (2-1) — the desk's own franchise against the week's best individual score. The preview will be filed Wednesday. The desk has said this before.