Week 15's installment of the DDWPIPOTCFFBE (Diamond Dynasty Weekly Preview In Pursuit Of The Chalice For Fantasy Baseball Excellence)

Week 14 – Ben is fading, new contenders for 1^st, and the stage is set for the biggest match-up this year.

**I'm making an addition to the column. I'm going to try to rank the match-ups in terms of interest and importance, kind of like a “what to watch for” like they do on ESPN. It'll be the number in asterisks. 5 match-ups every week, “1” being the #1 best match-up of that week. I think this is easier than ranking it, like a 5 star match-up, if that makes sense. If someone wants to do that though, be my guest! Or if people want me to do that, let me know.**

The Match-Up: Richie (7^th) vs TJ (3^rd) *3*

Well, who saw this coming? After 12 weeks of dominance, Adrian drops his match 2 weeks ago to last-place James, and last week he loses again, to Richie (then 8^th)! The win pushes Richie up to seventh, leap-frogging Ben and pulling him just 3 games out of a playoff spot. Richie has won four out of his last five weeks, and he seems to be hitting his stride at just the right time. Unfortunately for him, TJ (3^rd) cannot claim the same success. He's tied his last two weeks, but that makes for five weeks in a row without a victory. That being said, he's only 2.5 games out of first place. He has a favorable schedule over the next month, going against Richie (7^th), Jarrett (9^th), Ben (8^th), and James (10^th), before closing his year with the top teams in the league. TJ crushed Richie in week 6, 9-1.

The Match-Up: Kurt (4^th) vs. James (10^th) *5*

Kurt's had an interesting month of fantasy baseball, losing 1-9 then winning 9-1, losing 3-7 and, last week, winning 7-3. His .500 record has kept him locked in at 4^th place, and he is the only manager since I started keeping stats for these articles (week 10) to neither drop a spot or advance a spot in the standings. He has, however, closed the gap to a mere 6 games for the top seep, and he is definitely a player for snagging an all-important bye week come September. James couldn't keep the magic going last week as he dropped a close on to Drew, 4-5. He sits in the cold, dark DD basement for yet another week. Tough match-ups against Kurt (4^th), Alex (6^th) and Colin (5^th) will surely test his will. Kurt took care of James in week 6, 7-2.

The Match-Up: Alex (6^th) vs Ben (8^th) *2*

Despite only outscoring his opponents 16-13 over the last three weeks, Alex has gone 2-0-1 and has a hold on the last playoff spot. After losing four weeks in a row, he has come back strong. With Ben (8^th) and James (10^th) on the horizon, he has a chance to dig his heels in before facing Adrian (T-1^st), Drew (T-1^st) and Kurt (4^th). Ben is really struggling, mired in a 5 week losing streak. He's dropped from 5^th to 8^th during the streak, and things get harder before they get easier. He has Alex (6^th), Colin (5^th), and TJ (3^rd) coming up, so we'll all get to see what Ben is made of. Ben beat Alex in week 6, 6-4.

The Match-Up: Colin (5^th) vs Jarrett (9^th) *4*

Colin has been playing very well over the last two months, racking up a 6-2-2 record over that span. His play has helped him sit safely in the 5 hole, and he's only 11 games out of first. I wouldn't be surprised if he's right in the thick of things for the top two seeds in a few weeks – he has Jarrett (9^th), Ben (8^th), and James (10^th) on tap, so that 11 games could melt away pretty quick. Jarrett is still hanging around, only 7.5 games out of 6^th place. He dropped a tight one to Alex last week, 4-5. With plenty of weeks left on the season, he's certainly got a shot at sneaking into the playoffs. Colin edged Jarrett in week 6, 6-4.

The Match-Up of the season: Ali Adrian (T-1^st) vs Frazier Drew (T-1^st) *1*

Can you feel it? The energy! The excitement! I only wish it was week 22. Adrian's out-of-nowhere two week losing streak has given Drew the chance to be king of the mountain. Drew has been white hot, winning 4 in a row and 6 of his last 7. I thought last week that we might have a good match up (last week - If everything goes according to plan, we'll have a heavyweight bout on our hands next week when Drew squares off against Adrian (1^st) for the lead in the standings) but tied for first?! AND the meeting is tonight? The stars have aligned, my friends. Play your numbers and hold all tickets, first place is on the line in the DD! (for week 15).

In case you missed it, the meeting/BBQ/beer drinking/HR Derby viewing party will be held at the Maimonis residence tonight, any time after work. See y'all there!