Tournament Recap: The Bitter-Sweet Terry
Ahh - the return of GPP entry makes my life feel like it has been plugged back into an electrical outlet, turned back on… all just to see the light flicker.
There really is no feeling that I enjoy more than weekly grind to breakdown a slate all to ride the positive and negative waves of emotion in seven hours of NFL action.
I felt good about this past weekend’s slate going in with the strategy that was really this simple:
Heavy exposure to the Atlanta-Dallas passing game while fading the rushing attack
Fade the Devante Adams chalk and leverage the field through Aaron Jones exposure
It is also worth mentioning that while I targeted the passing game in the ATL-DAL game heavily, I had less then 5% Julio Jones exposure on 50 lineups. Overall my core strategy for all entries was mixing in Calvin Ridley (35% exposure) and Hayden Hurst (20% exposure) while adding run backs with DAL WR’s CeeDee Lamb (42% exposure), Amari Cooper (16% exposure), and Michael Gallup (16% exposure) and vice versa. Of course, stacking the receiving options with both QB’s Matt Ryan and Day Prescott.
Between the heavy exposure to the ATL-DAL game that totaled 79 points (O/U on DK was 53), and the Jones leverage play (48.6 DK points), it ended up being a winning construction for week 2.
The Lineup I Was Tracking
If there is one thing that I’ve learned about playing GPP’s, it is to NEVER to get excited early in the day. Even if you’re running truly spectacular and clean as a whistle, keep your expectations low.
Yesterday I had the below lineup in multiple tournaments. The tournament shown is the $250K Three Point Stance - $33 entry. Overall, this lineup was running pretty clean heading into the 4:00 games (10 more points from Marvin and it would have been near perfect).
It was top 100 in the three point stance with CEH and the KC defense to go. Then… the news broke that Justin Herbert was starting and not Tyrod Taylor - “WHAT?!”
Rookie QBs in their debut always seem to be feast or famine. As I was hoping famine for Herbert and feast for the KC defense, that script turned quickly as Herbert drove right down the field to score 6 points. The game ended up being a grind and CEH scored below projections as well. Still, this lineup ended up good enough to cash in multiple tournaments.
The Better Lineup
Why is it that when your core hits it always end up being the lineup that you’re not following that creeps through the woodwork to be the better lineup? At least for me, that always seems to be the case, including this past Sunday.
As I was following CEH and the KC D from the lineup above, Terry McLaurin who I had 25% exposure to, started to get involved in Arizona. He had a couple catches which ascended one of my lineups to the top 150 in the 500K Slant - $9 entry.
Quickly, my focus turned to cheering for the Washington Football Team (WFT).
I need a Terry touchdown and the squad would jump to the top. Keeping a low expectation, 15 minutes later Scott Hanson tuned into Arizona for a highlight.
TERRY 20 YARD TOUCHDOWN.
Not only was that drive critical because of the touchdown, but it also put Terry above 100 receiving yards, which awarded the three point 100 yard receiving bonus. With eight minutes remaining in the game, the sweat was on as I jumped to 12th place. I needed the WFT to get the ball back. The Cardinal’s received the kick only to quickly punt back to the WFT. As hoped, Terry was going to have an opportunity. That’s when the cheering and “LFG’s!!!!” filled the basement.
On WFT’s first play after receiving the punt, Haskins dropped back, and sent one sailing. Thinking “Please be Terry. Please be TERRY!” as it was in flight while simultaneously calculating the distance in my head (it was a 40 yarder), the ball descended from its trajectory apex for number 17 to appear on the screen.
IT WAS TERRY.
Terry, searching for the ball, looked back over his shoulder at the last minute leaping for a diving catch. A very catchable ball and in his hands - A CATCH?!
NOOOOO - DROPPED!!!
As I was wound up building up to this moment, excited, my 120 lb German shepherd, Kato, thought it was time to play. I screamed “DAMN IT, TERRY!” falling back in the couch cushion with Kato jumping on me excited as if I just yelled “Time For Frisbee!!!!”
DAMN IT, TERRY.
DAMN IT, KATO.
Deflated and trying to not get mad at my innocent dog who just thought it was time for his nightly frisbee, I then watched two more incompletions; a dreaded three and out. The story goes that ARZ then had a 6:30 minute drive that ended the game leaving no remaining opportunity for Terry.
I have admittedly held player grudges in previous let down sweats when there have been drops (i.e Jared Cook’s Thanksgiving touchdown drop that cost FU winning the 2019 Wishbone Classic). Unlike Cook’s drop which was inexcusable, Terry’s was a very difficult catch. A catchable drop that cost me a potential top five finish (aka $5,000+), I hold no grudges on Terry. Terry made this lineup possible and for that I thank him.
I will remember this one as the bitter-sweet Terry entry as I finished 12th out of 65,359 entrants in the 500K slant, but could have finished top five. Overall, week two was a good week that I’ll count as a W.
P.S. We will be updating our DFSArena every Saturday. Check in for our plays and fades of the week!
