USAFL fans, we have reached the final four! For the first time since the divisional structure was implemented, a Premier Division team failed to reach the semi-finals. Three teams for the United States Division and the division champion from the Commonwealth will all promote next season, but not before one is crowned USAFL Champion.
The Strokes and the Whitefish both come into this week off of upset victories and look to repeat history as the lower seeds typically find a way into the USAFL Bowl and send a season’s worth of effort from the top seeds down the drain.
The Koalas enjoy the strongest re-debut season for a general manager in USAFL history. Two seasons removed from stepping away from the league, former Team with No Name GM Emily N came back with her father Craig to step in as interim GM for the Koalas. Although Emily displayed some success with her own franchise with two consecutive playoff berths and an 8-5 record in 2020, her campaign with the 2022 Koalas could be a history-making affair. They will need to first defeat a D.C. Whitefish team set on winning their second USAFL Championship and raising the title in this 20th USAFL season.
Key Matchups:
The Koalas hold a statistical advantage in both season average and expert projections this week, although the last time these two teams met in Week 9, the Whitefish dealt a crushing blow to the Koalas 151 to 111. The Whitefish also posted a perfect lineup last week with a 100% accuracy score. This chess match between Emily and Sam will reside in two key pieces, the passing game for the Koalas and the run game for the Whitefish as both rely on big plays from the Bengals this week.
Joe Burrow vs. Joe Mixon
Burrow had a slow start in Tampa Bay but tallied 26 fantasy points on 27 completions for 200 yards and four touchdowns. He should be an elite QB1 at home against a Patriots D that is 18th against fantasy QBs. Mixon on the other hand has only 20 fantasy points over the last 2 weeks and will have a much tougher time against the Patriots run defense who ranks 7th overall.
Tyreek Hill vs. Everyone
The D.C. Whitefish will need a monster day from Hill and above average outputs from the rest of the squad to secure a win this week. Luckily for the Whitefish, Hill has posted three consecutive Top-10 finishes and he looks to be an elite WR1, even against a Packers D that is 6th against fantasy wide receivers over the last 5 weeks. Hill has recorded a touchdown in five of his last six games to bring his touchdown total to seven on the season. The superstar receiver continues to demand big time targets while averaging 109.2 receiving yards per game this season.
Comments