The Lanniesters beat the Fightin' Longshanks 194.50-113.10 in Week 5, which is exactly the kind of performance you'd expect from someone who got dismantled by 85 points the week before and decided never again.
Lannie came out swinging. Patrick Mahomes threw for 29.90 points. Kyren Williams ran for 31.10. David Montgomery added 18.25. Jake Ferguson caught passes worth 27.40 points. Even Ladd McConkey, who'd been practicing his disappearing act all season, showed up with 14.90.
This wasn't just a win. This was a statement game. The "I'm not actually that bad at fantasy football" game. The "last week was a fluke" game. The "Jacob got lucky and I'm still here" game.
And it worked. Lannie put up 194.50 points, nearly matching the 195.55 that buried him seven days ago. The Lanniesters are now 3-2, sitting in the middle of the pack and very much alive in the playoff race.
Ryan and the Fightin' Longshanks, meanwhile, drop to 2-3 after getting thoroughly outclassed in every phase of the game.
Jayden Daniels threw for 19.45 points. De'Von Achane ran for 16.60. Cam Skattebo added 14.40. Matthew Stafford contributed 29.45 in the superflex. These are all acceptable performances that would've been fine in a competitive game. This was not a competitive game.
The problem wasn't any one player—it was the bottom of the lineup. Hunter Henry managed 7.60 at tight end. Darius Slayton put up 4.10. AJ Brown contributed 9.30. Wan'Dale Robinson added 8.20. None of these are disastrous, but they're not winning you weeks either. And when your kicker and defense combine for 4.00 points, you're not beating anyone who scores 194.
This was a statement game. The "I'm not actually that bad at fantasy football" game.
The Longshanks now sit at 2-3, firmly in the middle of the standings chaos. They're not out of it, but they're not in control either. The Lanniesters, on the other hand, just put up back-to-back weeks of 110 and 194 points, which is the kind of volatility that makes you wonder if Lannie's roster is powered by coin flips.
The all-time series between these two now stands at 8-9, with the Longshanks barely holding the edge in a rivalry that dates back to 2007. This week wasn't close enough to be interesting, but it was decisive enough to matter.
Welcome to Week 5, where Lannie reminded everyone he can score points when his players decide to cooperate, and Ryan learned that 113 points gets you exactly nowhere when your opponent drops 194.