A Football Life, League Championship

AFL Championship Game

Eric Meyer (8-5) at Danny Hatcher (9-4)

Position	Pts		Position	Pts
QB Jay Cutler, CHI	14.0		QB Matt Ryan, ATL	22.9
RB Eddie Lacy, GB	19.1		RB Jamaal Charles, KC	6.9
WR Dez Bryant, DAL	31.8		WR Alshon Jeffery, CHI	15.4
WR Demaryius Thomas, DEN	20.7		WR Odell Beckham, Jr., NYG	35.2
TE Larry Donnell, NYG	1.9		TE Travis Kelce, KC	11.9
Flex Mark Ingram, NO	13.6		Flex DeMarco Murray, DAL	23.9
D/ST Green Bay Packers	7.0		D/ST Cincinnati Bengals	23.0
K Cody Parkey, PHI	11.0		K Shayne Graham, NO	7.0
Total	119.1		Total	146.2

In the final game of A Football Life’s second season, Danny Hatcher repeated as league champion thanks to some very timely performances by his players. His team put up 140 points in his semifinal matchup and did it again in the title game.

Jamaal Charles had a short day but Odell Beckham, Jr.’s big game against the Redskins helped Danny off to a quick start early. The Bengals defense blanked the Browns and put up 23 fantasy points and Matt Ryan nearly equaled that with a solid performance against the Steelers.

To Eric’s credit, his team fought hard. His wide receivers slightly outscored Danny’s, as did his running backs and his kicker. His advantage their was not enough, however, to overcome the 9-point gap at QB, 10-point gap at TE and 16-point gap at team D/ST.

Still, Eric had a terrific season. After starting 0-2 his team won 8 of 12 before the championship loss. He managed that run despite having the second hardest schedule based on opposing points scored.

Danny, on the other hand, had the league’s easiest schedule by that standard. But nobody can say he failed to earn his spot in the playoffs. He had the second highest point total in the league this regular season and his squad stepped it up big time in the playoffs.

Congratulations to Danny Hatcher, the champion of A Football Life in the league’s first two seasons. The quest to dethrone him will begin in 37 ½ weeks when the 2015 AFL draft begins at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 6, 2015.

A Football Life, Conference Championships

We’ve reached the conclusion of the 2014 fantasy football season. Danny Hatcher and Eric Meyer will face off this week in the final game, the AFL Championship.

Here is how they advanced:

AFC Championship Game

Danny Hatcher (AFC East Champ, 9-4) at Cory Puffett (AFC West Champ, 10-3)

Position	Pts		Position	Pts
QB Matt Ryan, ATL	32.4		QB Andrew Luck, IND	23.3
RB Jamaal Charles, KC	24.9		RB Tre Mason, STL	8.6
WR Alshon Jeffery, CHI	17.9		WR Emmanuel Sanders, DEN	8.6
WR Odell Beckham, Jr., NYG	24.3		WR Josh Gordon, CLE	2.3
TE Travis Kelce, KC	11.8		TE Jimmy Graham, NO	3.7
Flex DeMarco Murray, DAL	35.6		Flex Golden Tate, DET	6.6
D/ST Cincinnati Bengals	-8.6		D/ST St. Louis Rams	35.0
K Shayne Graham, NO	3.0		K Justin Tucker, BAL	4.0
Total	141.3		Total	92.1

NFC Championship Game

Sean Kennedy (NFC West Champ, 7-6) at Eric Meyer (NFC East Champ, 8-5)

Position	Pts		Position	Pts
QB Peyton Manning, DEN	3.6		QB Jay Cutler, CHI	28.5
RB C.J. Anderson, DEN	25.9		RB Eddie Lacy, GB	25.9
WR Brandon Marshall, CHI	7.3		WR Dez Bryant, DAL	10.6
WR Steve Smith, BAL	15.8		WR Demaryius Thomas, DEN	1.9
TE Antonio Gates, SD	5.4		TE Larry Donnell, NYG	4.4
Flex Stedman Bailey, STL	5.5		Flex Mark Ingram, NO	5.4
D/ST Denver Broncos	11.0		D/ST Minnesota Vikings	11.8
K Matt Prater, DET	11.0		K Cody Parkey, PHI	2.0
Total	85.5		Total	90.5

Story:

The AFC Championship was largely uncompetitive. The St. Louis Rams defense kept the score close during the early Sunday time slot, but the damage done by DeMarco Murray and Alshon Jeffery on Thursday night was too much for Cory to overcome. Danny rode Murray, Jeffery and Jamaal Charles to victory.

Looking to keep Danny from winning his second AFL title in as many years will be Eric Meyer. He entered Monday night trailing Sean by 20.9 points with only Eddie Lacy yet to play. The Falcons defense could do little to slow him, though, as Lacy carried his team to victory in the NFC Championship game, scoring 21 points in the first half alone.

League Championship

AFL Championship

Eric Meyer (8-5) at Danny Hatcher (9-4)

An incredible first half performance from Eddie Lacy on Monday night, with just a bit of cushion in the second half, brought Eric back from a 20.9-point deficit in the NFC Championship game and sets him up for a worst to first opportunity in the 2014 fantasy championship (he tied for the worst record in A Football Life in 2013).

To finish his quest, however, he’ll have to go through Danny, the defending champ coming off a 141.3-point outing in the AFC championship. Eric won the regular season meeting, 110.1-92.3 in Week 10.