Things I think I think

 

Randomness in a string... I think we are at a sweet spot regarding roster size. 17 players, given the parameters of our lineup configurations and the way bye weeks are running in the NFL, seem right to me. I haven't checked on the number of waiver pickups but I'd be willing to bet we are ahead of prior seasons. Some of that is due to injuries no doubt. But I feel like there is more talent on the open market. More claims = more fun as far as I'm concerned.

Another factor in the number of claims is that more teams are still in the hunt than is normally the case. I'm typing this before Week 11 is done but looking at the standings thru 10 weeks compared to last season is eye-opening. We have two teams more than three games off the division lead. In 2023 we had five. 

League Things... 'Live by Thursday Night, Die by Thursday Night' I turned on the Philly-Washington game and Jimmy O had 15 points against me with his two players. The game was winding down so I went to bed feeling pretty good. Wake up Friday morning and the holes have 33 points. Apparently, while I was sleeping, Barkley ran for 900 yards and two TDs in a couple of seconds. Oh well. 

In poker, they say "All you need is a chip and a chair." In the Hughes League, you need four wins and the division games coming up. Three teams in the last two seasons have made the playoffs with 7-7 records. 

Things I Thought I Thought... But It Appears Was Wrong About...  I looked back over the past four seasons (2021-2024 to date) and checked how bye weeks affected scoring. The chart below (you'll need to click to enlarge) is fairly self-explanatory. I'm trying to figure out what to make of it. For simplicity, all scores and scoring averages are rounded to the nearest whole number. Make of it what you will.