Fantasy Index

Fantasy Index Blackout

November 04, 2026

Desperado Wins Blackout

This was the week for Kirk Cousins to “let someone love you before it’s too late” and our winner, Darlene Haney of Gilbert, AZ was one of just 5-percent of entries to rise to the moment. Desperado landed three other top scoring players including Harold Fannin at 5-percent and had a solid outing from another 5-percenter, DJ Moore, who finished as the WR5.

Week 9 of the Blackout competition is LIVE!

I have a lot of respect for Darlene for not only selecting some unexpected players, but for getting great outings from them. In total her entry included six players with a selection rate under 15-percent, and Spencer Shrader was the only bust. The Blackout remains reticent on Bucky Irving at just 12-percent, but he strapped on some goggles and churned out his third big week in the last four.

Desperado also included the QB6, Trevor Lawrence, as did just about every entry in the Blackout. At 77-percent I’ve got to conclude that Lawrence was just a bit too obvious in this week’s pool. Not that I’m bothered by being fleeced so soundly by the crowd. That certainly isn’t related to the Week 9 player pool’s aggressive Blackout rate, I just thought it had been a while since I gave you all a challenge.

Take a look at this week’s winning roster :

Week 8 highest score
Darlene Haney, Gilbert, AZ
(Maximum-points picks in bold)
% StartedPositionNameTeamScore
76.82%QBTrevor LawrenceJAC23.50
4.84%QBKirk CousinsLV30.65
39.45%RBDerrick HenryBAL14.00
12.11%RBBucky IrvingTB23.00
4.50%WRDJ MooreBUF18.60
44.98%WRTee HigginsCIN37.50
47.75%WRParker WashingtonJAC3.60
4.84%TEHarold FanninCLE25.40
26.64%TEHunter HenryNE6.00
8.65%PKSpencer ShraderIND1.00
18.69%PKJason MyersSEA3.00
14.19%STTampa Bay BuccaneersTB8.00
7.61%STGreen Bay PackersGB10.00
Total204.25

I want to give a special shout out to team Jeffrey B. who is the only manager to finish in the top 100 for seven out of the eight weeks this season. He’s managed it the last seven weeks in a row and has only one finish outside the top 55 in that span. Josh Jacobs powered him to a 37th place finish this week, moving Jeffrey B. into 3rd in the overall rankings.

The most popular roster managed just 52-percent of the available points this week and included only one top scoring player. Javonte Williams and Parker Washington were the real busts but there were plenty of disappointing outcomes on the chalk. Here is a look at the Wisdom of the Crowd score for week 8 :

Week 8 Wisdom Of The Crowd Score
(Maximum-points picks in bold)
% StartedPositionNameTeamScore
76.82%QBTrevor LawrenceJAC23.50
28.37%QBJayden DanielsWAS17.15
47.06%RBJavonte WilliamsDAL6.70
39.45%RBDerrick HenryBAL14.00
47.75%WRParker WashingtonJAC3.60
44.98%WRTee HigginsCIN37.50
43.60%WRJustin JeffersonMIN14.30
39.45%TET.J. HockensonMIN15.80
26.99%TEDallas GoedertPHI7.20
53.98%PKWill ReichardMIN1.00
32.53%PKEvan McPhersonCIN5.00
30.10%STWashington CommandersWAS9.00
30.10%STSeattle SeahawksSEA3.00
TOTAL157.75

The Blackout included seven top scoring players this week, but once again, fate proved a crueler game maker than I could hope to be. Anyone betting that Cam Ward would finish as the QB1 should probably be putting together their next lineup from a beach somewhere. If you bet that with Jacoby Brissett being benched, Gardner Minshew would lead a Montana-esque comeback and produce the RB1and WR2 then a beach isn’t good enough, you should be on a yacht! Alas, both Ward and Tyler Allgeier didn’t appear on a single entry, so back to work for the lot of us. Here is the max points roster:

Week 8 Perfect Score
(Blackouts in strikethrough).
% StartedPositionNameTeamScore
n/aQBJoe BurrowCIN50.10
n/aQBJosh AllenBUF31.45
0.00%QBCam WardTEN31.30
4.84%QBKirk CousinsLV30.65
0.00%RBTyler AllgeierARI36.10
13.49%RBBhayshul TutenJAC29.90
44.98%WRTee HigginsCIN37.50
n/aWRJa'Marr ChaseCIN31.10
13.84%WRMichael WilsonARI26.80
n/aWRPuka NacuaLAR25.00
n/aWRJaxon Smith-NjigbaSEA23.80
3.11%WRMatthew GoldenGB20.90
n/aTEBrock BowersLV28.20
4.84%TEHarold FanninCLE25.40
n/aTETrey McBrideARI20.20
18.34%TEDalton KincaidBUF18.60
1.04%PKJason SandersNYJ15.00
1.38%PKDrew StevensWAS13.00
0.69%STTennessee TitansTEN11.00
0.69%STBuffalo BillsBUF10.00
6.57%STLas Vegas RaidersLV10.00
07.61%STGreen Bay PackersGB10.00
Total306.15

Alpha Dogs held onto the top spot for second week by just sneaking into the top 100 behind a Chuba Hubbard/Jaylen Warren powered roster. Long time leader Matt G. tumbled to 13th with his 2nd consecutive finish outside the top 250. This was not the week for starting multiple Falcons. Viva Murillo! is hanging in there at 11th after consecutive finishes outside the top 240 to follow up the back-to-back 3rd and 1st place rosters that vaulted him into the top 5. Andy Richardson finished 10th this week with his 3rd top 100 roster in a row. He’ s cracked the top 150 overall with plenty of time left to keep climbing. Here is a look at the Top 25 overall through eight weeks:

Top 25 Overall
RkTeam NameScore
1Alpha Wolves1,457.10
2Relm1,448.90
3Jeffrey b.1,446.55
4SHAMROCKS1,411.15
5Naugatuck Riverrattlers1,407.20
6Physically Unable to Perform1,403.95
7Flying Shoulderpads1,402.05
8Jim V.1,399.85
9Bruce C.1,399.80
10Steve K.1,399.55
11Fantasy Index (Viva Murillo!)1,392.35
12Therapy1,391.75
13Matt G.1,390.25
14Juggernauts1,389.15
15Brack Varnon1,388.40
15Texas Armadillo1,388.40
16FIUSER08241,387.75
17David B.1,387.60
18Bandits261,386.45
19FYFFL1,386.35
20Stephanie N.1,386.15
21Purple Cobras1,385.30
22Joe Kapp1,384.10
23Scott K1,383.25
24fallfromgrace1,382.10
25Rodeo Clowns1,379.30

Here’s a look at the Top 25 from this week :

Top 25 Week 8
RkTeam NameScore
1Desperado204.25
2The Fighting Mascots204.10
3Physically Unable to Perform202.30
4Echern201.35
5Pro VK199.40
6Bandits26195.35
7Roughriders195.30
7ESQUIRE195.30
8South Bay Borrachos195.20
9Fantasy Index (Andy Richardson)193.75
10Dewey Sharks190.90
11Holy Rollers190.25
12Beaver Cleaver189.35
12Brack Varnon189.35
13Bruce C.189.00
14SlappyWhite187.35
15FYFFL187.30
16SCOTT P.186.85
17O Club186.75
18Serving Crow186.70
19Ed From Philly186.10
20Dumpster Fire185.65
212murf1185.35
22The Watch Dog185.30
23Steve T.184.85
24Rogersrippers183.45
25GREG S.183.40

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