The Postseason Report
Gentlemen – This was an interesting season, with favorites cleaning up week after week, and lots of success across the board for the FMFL. Totals were at an all-time high, and only two weeks later in the season (Week 14 and 18) were landmines in a smooth year for most franchises.
Some traditional powerhouse franchises that have thrived on underdogs struggled to gain momentum, while our division winners are mostly new faces that should make the playoffs quite interesting.
Here’s a breakdown of how the league did as a whole each week:
Week 1: -$1,700
Week 2: -$800
Week 3: +$2,500
Week 4: +$1,900
Week 5: +$1,400
Week 6: +$2,900
Week 7: +$2,900
Week 8: +$4,500
Week 9: +$600
Week 10: +$4,600
Week 11: +$3,000
Week 12: +$5,400
Week 13: +$5,900
Week 14: -$9,900
Week 15: +$4,200
Week 16: +$1,000
Week 17: +$4,400
Week 18: -$4,900
That’s a cumulative total of +$27,900.
Disclaimer: The following is a completely biased report of the 2024 FMFL season. The views, opinions, and observations that follow are those of the Executive Director and are completely subjective.
East Division
Babe
Final Total: $2,800
Winning Percentage: 0.615
Fines: $300
Wild Card Bet: Week 8 – Denver – Won
Recap: Babe had a solid lead for most of the season and although things got shaky in Week 18, the rest of his division crumbled and he won the East title.
Grade: A
Biff Tannen
Final Total: $2,100
Winning Percentage: 0.587
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 8 – Detroit – Won
Recap: A strong showing for Biff, who at times threatened to make a run at the division, but in the end makes another playoff appearance with a wild card berth.
Grade: A-
Bud Fox
Final Total: -$100
Winning Percentage: 0.438
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 10 – Minnesota – Won
Recap: Subpar year for Bud Fox, who despite winning his wild card bet just couldn’t put it together in 2024.
Grade: C-
Donnie Jeffcoat
Final Total: $700
Winning Percentage: 0.569
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 18 – Washington – Lost
Recap: Donnie was a few breaks from making the playoffs and had his postseason dreams dashed in Week 18. His winning percentage was strong throughout the second half and gives him something to build on in 2025.
Grade: B
Mr. Marbles
Final Total: $500
Winning Percentage: 0.563
Fines: $1,200
Wild Card Bet: Week 15 – Baltimore – Won
Recap: A curious year for Marbles, who won 56% of his bets and nailed his wild card bet. Two weeks of no bets did him in and were the difference between being a playoff contender and being on the sidelines.
Grade: C
Neon Boudeaux
Final Total: $1,000
Winning Percentage: 0.603
Fines: $600
Wild Card Bet: Week 1 – NY Jets – Lost
Recap: Not many franchises win 60% and miss in the playoffs, but poor money management and a crucial no bet week late in the season will keep Neon to pondering “what if” all offseason.
Grade: B
OJ
Final Total: $1,900
Winning Percentage: 0.594
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 18 – Tampa Bay – Lost
Recap: OJ had a strong second half and looked to make a big move in the final week of the season. When his wild card bet failed, he had to hang on for dear life but backed his way into the playoff field.
Grade: A-
Patrick Bateman
Final Total: -$500
Winning Percentage: 0.486
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 18 – Seattle – Lost
Recap: PB never got his act together completely in the second half. In a year when many favorites continued to win, the contrarian Bateman couldn’t overcome the squares’ success.
Grade: D
North Division
Karl Farbman
Final Total: $1,100
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 13 – Dallas – Won
Recap: A few glimmers of hope in the second half of the year for Farbman, but mainly it was middle of the road when it came to picking games as his dead even winning percentage shows.
Grade: B+
Karl Hungus
Final Total: $2,400
Winning Percentage: 0.630
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Week 9 – Buffalo – Lost
Recap: Hungus shot up the leaderboard in the final months of the season and was able to capitalize on the rest of the North’s shortcomings to win the North title.
Grade: A
Kenny Powers
Final Total: -$1,100
Winning Percentage: 0.429
Fines: $1,200
Wild Card Bet: Week 11 – Detroit – Won
Recap: Inconsistent picks and a few weeks of no bets spelled doom for Kenny, who will look to bounce back next season.
Grade: D
Kiko Garcia
Final Total: -$1,300
Winning Percentage: 0.447
Fines: $1,200
Wild Card Bet: Week 8 – Denver – Won
Recap: Kiko followed a similar trajectory as Kenny Powers, falling short of preseason hopes for another playoff run.
Grade: D
Luther Lavay
Final Total: $1,500
Winning Percentage: 0.548
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 4 – Atlanta – Won
Recap: Luther had a pretty clean season with no fines, a winning wild card bet, and a decent winning percentage. There were a couple of picks that didn’t fall on his side and if just one of those did, he’d be in the playoffs.
Grade: B+
T-Ferg
Final Total: $1,700
Winning Percentage: 0.551
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 12 – Green Bay – Won
Recap: A mere winning percentage tiebreaker kept T-Ferg from the postseason, who will be ruing what happened in the final weeks to keep him out.
Grade: B+
The Notorious ABT
Final Total: $1,700
Winning Percentage: 0.622
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 18 – Minnesota – Lost
Recap: ABT led the division for many weeks and faded in the end, and also nearly lost out on the playoffs with a horrid Week 18. But he did make it via tiebreaker, but one wonders if he can shake off last week as the lights get brighter.
Grade: B+
Thine
Final Total: -$3,900
Winning Percentage: 0.412
Fines: $1,900
Wild Card Bet: Week 13 – Detroit – Lost
Recap: I’m not mad. Just disappointed.
Grade: F
South Division
Bayonnaise
Final Total: $1,700
Winning Percentage: 0.600
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 17 – Dallas – Lost
Recap: Bayonnaise was another victim of the tiebreaker keeping him out of the postseason, but he can point to his Dallas bet in Week 17 at what kept him from the big prize.
Grade: B+
Boss Hardigan
Final Total: -$500
Winning Percentage: 0.513
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 17 – Dallas – Lost
Recap: One day a forensic team will unmask who was really picking for Boss Hardigan during the 2024 season.
Grade: D
Judge Smails
Final Total: $3,200
Winning Percentage: 0.652
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Week 10 – Minnesota – Won
Recap: If you asked Smails at the beginning of the year how he would feel to finish +$3,200 with a 65% win rate, he would have been thrilled. He lost the division only because of a historic performance by another franchise. His confidence should be high heading to the playoffs.
Grade: A
Rick Moranis
Final Total: -$800
Winning Percentage: 0.490
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Did Not Use
Recap: A weak performance this season that fizzled out and demoralized Rick to the point that he didn’t even use his wild card bet. He picked the division five months ago and then came in last.
Grade: D-
Shecky
Final Total: $3,900
Winning Percentage: 0.615
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 18 – Detroit – Won
Recap: Not much else to say – Shecky did it all this season. He managed his bets, avoided betting the Browns (mostly), and topped it off with a Week 18 to give him a share of the record for greatest regular season in FMFL history.
Grade: A+
The Beard of Zeus
Final Total: $1,400
Winning Percentage: 0.596
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Week 16 – Tampa Bay – Lost
Recap: The Beard can add his name to the list of franchises that had a few bad breaks down the stretch that prevented him from making a run at the postseason.
Grade: B
Waldo Geraldo Faldo
Final Total: $500
Winning Percentage: 0.588
Fines: $700
Wild Card Bet: Week 8 – Baltimore – Lost
Recap: Waldo quietly had a very solid second half of the year, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a slow start and some fines.
Grade: C+
Yaz
Final Total: $2,200
Winning Percentage: 0.556
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Did Not Use
Recap: Yaz got hot in November and December and wisely went conservative down the stretch to punch a ticket for the postseason.
Grade: A
West Division
Blossom Russo
Final Total: $200
Winning Percentage: 0.645
Fines: $1,800
Wild Card Bet: Week 9 – Buffalo – Lost
Recap: Blossom claims she is retiring from the FMFL. The league needs her. She isn’t bad at picking games (64% this year!). She just needs to set a calendar reminder to bet each week.
Grade: C
Chalky Studebaker
Final Total: $600
Winning Percentage: 0.549
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Week 18 – Tampa Bay – Lost
Recap: The final tally makes it look like Chalky never had a chance, but he was a Week 18 wild card bet from making the playoffs.
Grade: C+
Chris B. Corey
Final Total: $2,300
Winning Percentage: 0.578
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 10 – LA Chargers – Won
Recap: CBC is the odds on favorite for the playoffs give his tenacity, gambling addiction, and lack of ethics.
Grade: A-
Don Mattingly
Final Total: $3,300
Winning Percentage: 0.589
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Week 17 – Detroit – Won
Recap: The Donald silenced all doubters by hanging in the race until the home stretch when he pulled away and won his first division title.
Grade: A
Larisa Oleynik
Final Total: -$600
Winning Percentage: 0.500
Fines: $100
Wild Card Bet: Week 14 – Buffalo – Lost
Recap: Larisa gained some momentum around the midway point but lost it all on her Week 14 wild card loss.
Grade: D
The Big Hurt
Final Total: $400
Winning Percentage: 0.526
Fines: $0
Wild Card Bet: Did Not Use
Recap: While the rest of the league was thriving, TBH didn’t have the recipe for success in 2024.
Grade: C-
The People’s Champ
Final Total: -$600
Winning Percentage: 0.479
Fines: $600
Wild Card Bet: Week 18 – Cincinnati – Won
Recap: The Champ improved his grade in the final weeks, but overall had a rough season (mainly because the Giants didn’t do well).
Grade: D
Tony Montana
Final Total: $200
Winning Percentage: 0.594
Fines: $1,300
Wild Card Bet: Week 8 – Detroit – Won
Recap: Tony was in the playoff hunt, but the defending champ racked up the fines this season and it held him back from making a bid to repeat.
Grade: D+
Postseason Report: Total Wagers
Postseason Report: Winning Percentages
Postseason Report: Wild Card Bets
Postseason Report: Fines
Week 17 Recap
With just one week to go, here’s the latest on the playoff races:
East Division: Babe stumbled a bit and Biff closed the gap, but Tannen trails by $700 headed into the final week. OJ still has a glimmer of hope at the division with his wild card bet, but would need to be perfect and there to be chaos above him.
North Division: Two-horse race in the North as Karl Hungus pulls ahead of The Notorious ABT after Karl’s perfect week. He’s up by $200, but ABT has his wild card bet.
South Division: Judge Smails now has a $400 lead on Shecky and an $800 lead on Yaz. However, Both Shecky and Yaz can use their wild card bets in the final week.
West Division: Don Mattingly’s winning wild card bet puts him in the catbird’s seat in the West with a $400 lead on Chris B. Corey.
Overall Title: Judge Smails and Babe are deadlocked at $3,300 and Smails has the tiebreaker for now. Don Mattingly is just $100 back with six others in reach of the lead. It’s notable that Shecky, The Notorious ABT, and Yaz all have their wild card bets left and can take big swings at the overall title.
Wild Card Race: Bayonnaise dropped back in the playoff race, and OJ took his place. OJ now holds the last spot at $2,100. In addition to Shecky, The Notorious ABT, and Yaz, OJ also has his wild card bet. Of those within relative striking distance, Chalky Studebaker and Donnie Jeffcoat also has their big bet and can try to make a run at the final spots. A lot can happen in the last week, especially if there are common bets amongst those in postseason position.
Winning Percentages Through Week 17
Week 16 Recap
With two weeks remaining, here’s an update on the playoff races:
East Division: Babe continues his hot season with another perfect week and has a decent cushion on the rest of the pack, with Biff Tannen the closest competitor. OJ would need to hit on his wild card and have two perfect weeks to make a run at the division crown.
North Division: The Notorious ABT holds the lead and is the lone franchise in the division yet to use that wild card bet. However, Karl Hungus has kept the heat on, just trailing by $200 with two weeks left.
South Division: The South arms race continues, and currently Judge Smails has the percentage tiebreaker (64% to 60%) over Shecky for the division lead. Shecky still has the coveted wild card bet, as do Bayonnaise ($600 behind), and Yaz ($800 behind), so a lot can still happen in the last fortnight.
West Division: Don Mattingly and Chris B. Corey have been battling for the last month or so, with Don on top right now by $100. This looks to be a two-horse race, and the Donald still has his wild card bet.
Overall Title: Babe sits atop the heap right now, but there are several behind him that have wild card bets in their back pockets. We are approaching near historic totals for best overall finish (currently held by Boss Hardigan who finished 2021 at $3,900).
Wild Card Race: With the final spot held by Yaz at $2,000, we are at the highest last playoff spot in recent memory. Several in the wild card race are also vying for division crowns, too, with OJ just outside the playoff picture but still holding onto his wild card bet.
Week 15 Recap
Studs (+$500)
East: Biff Tannen; Mr. Marbles (wild card)
North: Karl Hungus; Kenny Powers; T-Ferg
South: Shecky; Waldo Geraldo Faldo
West: Blossom Russo; Don Mattingly; Larisa Oleynik; Tony Montana
Duds (-$500)
East: None
North: Karl Farbman; Thine
South: Bayonnaise; Rick Moranis
West: The People’s Champ
Other Notes:
– Shecky takes over the lead in the South with a perfect week
– The final playoff spot is currently at +$1,700
– Thine is -$1,700 over the last three weeks; The People’s Champ lost $500 for the second straight week
– No bets were placed on New Orleans, who covered this week
– The league was a collective +$4,200 in Week 15
Week 14 Recap
Studs (+$500)
East: None
North: None
South: None
West: None
Duds (-$500)
East: Biff Tannen; Bud Fox; Mr. Marbles; OJ
North: Kenny Powers; Kiko Garcia; T-Ferg; Thine
South: Boss Hardigan; Judge Smails; The Beard of Zeus; Waldo Geraldo Faldo
West: Chalky Studebaker; Don Mattingly; Larisa Oleynik (wild card); The Big Hurt; The People’s Champ; Tony Montana
Other Notes:
– Kenny Powers lost $500 for the third straight week; The Big Hurt lost $500 for the second straight week; Thine is -$1,100 over the last two weeks
– The final playoff spot is currently at +$1,400
– With four weeks to go, 15 franchises still have their wild card bet available
– The league was a collective -$9,900 in Week 14
