A slow start to the sixth running of the Fibonacci Stakes as just one Analyst gains a *base* Trifecta out of the gates!
Jimmy V takes the early lead with 6 Trifecta points after netting the only *base* Trifecta.
He is followed by a mob of Analysts with *lame* Trifectas (3 Trifecta points). Craft Brew, Wise Orangutan, Sponge Mom and The Bookie vie for second place with 1 Correct Home Team Pick each. The Strategist, Woody and KateTDid trail by only a head in a tie for sixth place with no Correct Home Team Pick in the first Leg.
The rest of the Analysts struggled to make a break from the gates. Little Tuna leads the back of the field in ninth with 0 Trifecta points and 1 Correct Home Team Pick. Big Tuna, Roxy Trot, B-Reezy, and Atwork bring the rear with 0 Trifecta points and 0 Correct Home Team Picks.
The Analysts have submitted papers to Claim the Home Teams. The Claim Box for Fibonacci Stakes VI is:
Home Teams for Fibonacci Stakes VI
Slate of Games
Slate of Games for Fibonacci Stakes VI
The Fibonacci Stakes looks to be wide open this year as the Slate of Games features 48 games over 5 Legs but relatively few head-to-head match-ups. The most challenging may be the 4th Leg when only 8 total games and 3 head-to-head games are available for selections. Several playoff-caliber teams go on Bye weeks during the Stakes, limiting the potential for Fibonacci bonuses during the month!
Leg 1 features one head-to-head competition between B-Reezy and Craft Brew. Leg 2 then pits last year’s AoY champion, The Strategist, against this year’s front runner, Atwork. In addition, B-Reezy sends a raid party to Little Tuna and Wise Orangutan seeks gold against Sponge Mom. Leg 3 again has only one head-to-head, Woody – oh my – wades upstream to face Jimmy V. Leg 4 then has three more match-ups to determine whether The Strategist has a prayer against Big Tuna, Little Tuna can rope Roxy Trot, and Atwork strikes it rich against Sponge Mom. In Leg 5, The Bookie attempts to buffalo Little Tuna and B-Reezy sails west to face Wise Orangutan.
Bye weeks will limit the following teams as Picks for Fibonacci bonuses: Rams (Leg 2), Saints (Leg 2), Patriots (Legs 2 and 3), Packers (Legs 3 and 4), Seahawks (Legs 3 and 4), Chiefs (Legs 4 and 5) and Vikings (Legs 4 and 5). These teams are in or coming out of a Bye Week in these Legs.
Alternatively, several un-Claimed teams are eligible for Fibonacci bonuses during the Race: Titans (Leg 1 to Leg 2), Steelers (Leg 1 to Leg 2), Falcons (Leg 2 to Leg 3), Dolphins (Leg 2 to Leg 3), Lions (Leg 2 to Leg 3), Broncos (Leg 3 to Leg 4), Eagles (Leg 3 to Leg 4), Giants (Leg 4 to Leg 5), Ravens (Leg 4 to Leg 5), and Texans (Leg 4 to Leg 5). The un-Claimed teams must be taken in both Legs (and Win the second) to yield Fibonacci bonuses.
Home teams owned by an Analyst are in bold. The team at the left is the visiting team; the team at the right is the host (playing at home). There are many featured games: two Thursday night games and ALL three Thanksgiving Day games, as well as all five Sunday nights (subject to flex scheduling) and Monday night games.
Picks
Remember: Every Analyst has a bias for his or her Home Team and may NOT Pick their Claimed team to lose. Analysts do not have to pick his or her Home Team to win.
Email picks in private to The Bookie before each Leg (week) of the Race. Thursday Night games are due by 2pm on Thursdays. Thanksgiving Day games are due on Wednesday evening. All Sunday and Monday Picks are due on Saturdays at 2pm. Receipt of Picks is flexible per The Bookie’s discretion in special circumstances. No Picks for games after kickoffs are accepted.
Four Analysts dropped Home Teams before the start of the Preakness. First, B-Reezy Claims the Vikings. Second, KateTDid Claims the Colts. Third, Wise Orangutan Claims the Seahawks. Fourth, Woody Claims da Bears.
The leader board continues to change from week-to-week in the Marathon of the Ass!
At the halfway point, Atwork heads into the far turn with a one length lead. He sets a record for Trifectas in the first eight weeks of a season with 6 Trifectas, 21 Correct Picks.
Jimmy V separates from his closest contenders to take sole possession of second place with 5 Trifectas and 17 Correct Picks.
In a contest for third place, Craft Brew and Roxy Trot (4 Trifectas, 19 Correct Picks each) are running just ahead of The Bookie (4 Trifectas, 18 Correct Picks) in fifth place.
In a dead heat for sixth place, Big Tuna, B-Reezy and Little Tuna make up the middle of the field with 3 Trifectas and 18 Correct Picks each.
Both Sponge Mom and Woody pick up their pace and remain tied for ninth with 2 Trifectas and 16 Correct Picks each.
The Strategist (1 Trifecta, 13 Correct Picks) finally notches her first Trifecta to move into eleventh place, leap frogging KateTDid (1 Trifecta, 12 Correct Picks) in twelfth and Wise Orangutan in last place (1 Trifecta, 10 Correct Picks).
Trifectas
Standings after Week 8 of Analyst of the Year VI
Tiebreakers
Tiebreakers after Week 8 of Analyst of the Year VI
One Analyst jumped out of the gates with what would prove to be the only Player Haters *base* Trifecta in the sixth running of the Preakness. Heading into the home stretch the Analyst had a comfortable 9 point lead with a favorable Slate of Games to protect his lead. And the winner of Player Haters Preakness VI is….
Atwork! Leading wire to wire, Atwork Wins with 27 points, almost double his closest competitors.
Vying for the Place, The Bookie (15 points) and B-Reezy (15 points) end in a photo finish. On second tiebreaker (Home Team Picks), The Bookie (1) noses past B-Reezy (0) for Place!
No less than six Analysts finished with 12 points, separated by only tiebreakers. Roxy Trot (4 Correct Home Team Picks) edges out the rest of the competition for fourth place. Each with 2 Correct Home Team Picks, Sponge Mom (2.3 turnovers per game played [tpgp]) takes fifth, just nose hairs ahead of Woody (1.3 tpgp) in sixth and Big Tuna (0.8 tpgp) in seventh. With 1 Correct Home Team Pick each, Jimmy V (1.5 tpgp) finishes in eighth place inches ahead of Craft Brew (1.3 tpgp) in ninth place.
Little Tuna (9 points, 1 Correct Home Team Pick) ends in tenth place, just in front of The Strategist in eleventh place (9 points, 0 Correct Home Team Picks). Wise Orangutan runs a desperate race for twelfth place, while KateTDid (0 points) takes les vacances in last place.
Trifecta Points
Standings after Leg 4 of Player Haters Preakness VI
Tiebreakers
Tiebreakers after Leg 4 of Player Haters Preakness VI
Standings after Leg 3 of Player Haters Preakness VI
Atwork has a 9-point lead (more than a *base* Trifecta) on his nearest challengers. B-Reezy and The Bookie currently have a 3-to-6 point lead on most of the field for Place.
The Slate of Games in Leg 4 presents two problems. First, there are only 4 games featuring un-Claimed teams so a Player Haters Trifecta for 12- or 18- points will be less likely. But also, with four head-to-head games and eight games total, a *lame* Trifecta for 3 points may be more difficult for the leaders.
Scenarios
Eighteen points is the maximum possible in a Leg of the Player Haters Preakness, and that is only possible with 3 Player Hater Picks.
For the Win: The Strategist and KateTDid are eliminated.
Atwork is in a strong position due to the Slate of Games and his 9-point lead with 3 Correct Home Team Picks. He can eliminate all Analysts with a 12-point Trifecta (2 Player Haters), but a *lame* Trifecta for 3 points is almost as unbeatable due to Atwork‘s tiebreaker advantages. Only B-Reezy, The Bookie, Craft Brew* and Roxy Trot* can best him and only with a Perfect Player Haters Trifecta (18 points) if he earns 3 points. [*The Packers must lose to the Chiefs in Leg 4 for either to have a possibility to win on tiebreakers.]
If Atwork earns 0 points this week, then…B-Reezy and The Bookie can Win with a 12-point Player Haters Trifecta (two Haters). Craft Brew needs a 12-point Player Haters Trifecta AND the Chiefs to beat the Packers. All other Analysts with 6 points require a Perfect Players Haters Trifecta (18 points) to Win.
For the Place: No Analyst is eliminated.
Atwork is assured of a Place unless two or more Analysts earn Player Haters Trifectas (see above). Otherwise, The Bookie and B-Reezy have the inside rail, while Craft Brew and Roxy Trot have the outside rail. The Bookie currently has the tiebreaker advantage, so she only needs to outscore B-Reezy AND hold onto her tiebreaker advantage (+1 Correct Home Team Pick). B-Reezy needs to outscore The Bookie OR tie her with Correct Home Team Picks (+1) while holding onto the third tiebreaker advantage (turnovers per game played). Craft Brew needs to outscore both by at least 3 more points in order to Place outright or to force a photo finish on tiebreakers (Correct Home Team Picks or turnovers per game played).
The rest of the field needs to overcome the 6+ point lead currently held by B-Reezy and The Bookie. If either scores any points or Craft Brew scores 6+ points, that will require a 12-to-18 point Player Haters Trifecta.
If the these three front running Analysts fail to score more than 12 points total after Leg 4, Place may come down to a photo finish on tiebreakers. A few Analysts have head-to-head advantages over particular Analysts in the event of a tie (first tiebreaker, see full Standings). Otherwise, a photo finish favors Roxy Trot who has the strongest tiebreaker record (3 Correct Home Team Picks and 4.0 turnovers per game played). Several other Analysts have 1 Correct Home Team Pick to their advantage and can add to that this week. The Strategist has the strongest position for third tiebreaker [5.0 turnovers per game played] heading into Leg 4. Tiebreakers are subject to change after Leg 4 games based on head-to-head outcomes, Picks, and turnovers forced by Home Teams.
Movement on the leader board as four Analysts make a play for the inside lanes down the back stretch of the Marathon of the Ass!
Atwork (5 Trifectas, 18 Correct Picks) continues to set a blistering pace in Season VI. He runs a full length ahead of his nearest challengers.
With 4 Trifectas each, tiebreakers clearly sort out the top of the leader board for the first time. Craft Brew (17 Correct Picks) moves into sole possession of second place, just ahead of The Bookie (16 Correct Picks) in third place and Jimmy V (14 Correct Picks) in fourth place.
B-Reezy has quietly moved up the field in the past three weeks. He is now in a dead heat with Roxy Trot and Little Tuna for fifth place — each boasts 3 Trifectas and 16 Correct Picks.
Perennially front runner Big Tuna uncommonly falls to the back of the field in eighth place with 2 Trifectas and 15 Correct Picks.
He leads a pack of Analysts with 1 Trifecta each, separated by tiebreakers: Sponge Mom and Woody tied for ninth (13 Correct Picks each), KateTDid in eleventh (11 Correct Picks), and Wise Orangutan in twelfth position (9 Correct Picks).
The Strategist (0 Trifectas and 10 Correct Picks) remains in last place.
Trifectas
Standings after Week 7 of Analyst of the Year VI
Tiebreakers
Tiebreakers after Week 7 of Analyst of the Year VI
Several Analysts regain their footing around the near turn to add a *base* Trifecta to their totals. The front runner, however, kept up his pace to build a comfortable lead down the home stretch!
Atwork (21 points) adds a *base* Trifecta to hold onto first place with a 9-point lead over his nearest contenders.
Also notching *base* Trifecta, The Bookie (12 points) moves into second place, nosing out B-Reezy (12 points) in third place with 1 Correct Home Team Pick. Craft Brew (9 points) moves into contention with a *base* Trifecta to hold fourth place alone.
In the middle of the field, seven Analysts are in a tight contest for fifth place with 6 points each. Tiebreakers don’t produce a clear leader, but Sponge Mom and Little Tuna have head-to-head tiebreakers over Jimmy V and Woody, respectively. Roxy Trot leads the midfield with 4.0 turnovers per game (third tiebreaker), Big Tuna and Wise Orangutan lag with 1.0 turnover per game. Too close to call around the near turn!
Trotting around the track, The Strategist is in twelfth place with 3 points while KateTDid trails with 0 points.
Trifecta Points
Standings after Leg 3 of Player Haters Preakness VI
Tiebreakers
Tiebreakers after Leg 3 of Player Haters Preakness VI
 | Home Team Claims){kind=link}
