Week 17: Finger Bowl 23 preview

Just a Fantasy (9-6-1) at Ham N Eggers (10-6)

At Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh

Playoff records: Fantasy owner Newton (6-7); Eggers owner Miazga (7-8-1)

Finger Bowl records: Newton (0-2); Miazga (1-4)

Head to head: Eggers 60, Fantasy 43 (Week 5); Eggers 55, Fantasy 18 (Week 14)

The skinny: The 2016 Finks League championship features the Duerson Division champion (Eggers) against the runner-up (Fantasy)... The Eggers hope to defend their 2015 championship and become the league's first back-to-back champ since Goff won Finger Bowls 16 & 17... In his 19th season, Miazga has set three postseason league records with his sixth Finger Bowl appearance, his sixth consecutive playoff appearance and his ninth playoff appearance... The Eggers won Finger Bowl 22 with a 31-24 win over Quags... The Eggers' 89 points in the semifinals is an unofficial high for a Finks postseason. The regular season record for a single game remains 90 points scored by Simo's Chicago Blitz in 1995. ... Newton last appeared in the championship at Finger Bowl 13 in 2006 as the owner of Eye of Newt... He lost to the Ponz Scum, 34-19, in that final and also appeared in Finger Bowl 11.

In other postseason action, the Brawlers (9-7) meet the Distillers (10-5-1) for third place.

Projected starters: Fantasy -- Prescott, Blount, Powell, Evans, Crowder, Hauschka; Eggers -- Cousins, Peterson, D. Johnson, Beckham Jr., Kelce, Gostkowski.

The pick: Eggers 45, Fantasy 25

Week 16: Semifinal boxscores

Ham N Eggers 89, Dublin Brawlers 32

BRAWLERS (32)

Brady NE 12
McCoy BUF 11
Freeman ATL zero
Adams GB 6
Mitchell NE  zero
Janikowski OAK 3

EGGERS (89)

Cousins WAS 20
L. Bell PIT 17
D. Johnson AZ 21
Beckham Jr. NYG 7
Kelce KC 13
Gostkowski NE 11

Just a Fantasy 38, Lockport Distillers 21

FANTASY (38)

Prescott DAL 12
Blount NE 12
Powell NYJ zero
Evans TB 9
Crowder WAS zero
Hauschka SEA 5

DISTILLERS (21)

Brees NO 8
D. Murray TEN zero
Rawls SEA zero
Crabtree OAK 3
Fitzgerald AZ zero
Crosby GB 10

Week 16: Semifinal previews

Dublin Brawlers (9-6) at Ham N Eggers (9-6)

At Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Playoff record: Herigodt, Brawlers (3-1); Miazga, Eggers (6-8-1)

Head to head: Brawlers 28, Eggers 23 (Week 7); Eggers 65, Brawlers 60 (Week 12)

The skinny: Eggers owner Miazga won his first Finger Bowl title in 2015 and will attempt to become the first repeat champion since Goff's Serkus from 2009-10.... This semifinal marks the first playoff battle between the league's only husband-wife owners, which should make for interesting football watching this weekend at the family's Elmhurst home.... The Brawlers-Eggers finshed 1-2 in their division in 2015.... The Brawlers and Eggers also reached the postseason in 2011 when the Eggers placed second... The Eggers are powered by their RB combination, among the best in the NFL this season.

Projected starters: Eggers -- Cousins, D. Johnson, L. Bell, Beckham Jr., Eifert, Bryant; Brawlers -- Brady, McCoy, Freeman, Adams, Mitchell, Janikowski.

The pick: Eggers 45, Brawlers 30.

Just a Fantasy (8-6-1) at Lockport Distillers (10-4-1) 

At East Campus Field, Lockport, Ill.

Playoff record: Newton, Fantasy (8-6-1); Cassidy, Distillers (3-2-1)

Head to head: Tied 28-28 (Week 13)

The skinny: It could be another close battle after the two teams provided the only draw in the league this season.... The Distillers raced out to the best record in the league, but could be hampered by the unknown injury status of RB M. Gordon SD.... Distillers owner Cassidy won a Finger Bowl title in 2011. Fantasy's Newton seeks his first league title since joining in 2002. He placed second in '06 and '04.

Projected starters: Distillers -- Brees, Rawls, D. Murray, Fitzgerald, Crabtree, Crosby; Fantasy -- Prescott, Blount, Powell, Evans, Crowder, Hauschka.

The pick: Distillers 40, Fantasy 35.

Week 15: One playoff berth remaining

With the Distilers clinching the title for the Seau Division championship, all of the intrigue in the Finks League playoff race comes down to the Seau runner-up. Entering Week 15, the Brawlers and Cats meet to decide the last playoff qualifier.

The Brawlers get in with a win in Week 15 over the Cats. The Cats hope to force a tie and would need to count on the points scored tiebreaker on the season. The Brawlers already hold the season advantage with a 41-32 victory over the Cats in Week 2.

Week 14: Tie gives divisions leaders a break

In a battle between division leaders in Week 13, the 2016 season's first tie between Just a Fantasy and the Lockport Distillers, 28-28, wrapped up playoff berths for both teams. Fantasy clinched a postseason berth in the Duerson Division while the Distillers clinched the Seau Division championship.

Entering Week 14, there are three teams battling for one playoff spot in the Seau Division. Someone is bound to survive into the postseason between the Cats, Serkus and Brawlers. Much will be decided this week as Serkus (6-7) faces the Brawlers (7-6). In another key battle, the Cats (7-6) will play the Distillers.