Gotham City Fantasy SportsEstablished 2024 · Chaos era 2026
Gotham Gazette
The Newspaper of Record for Gotham City Fantasy Sports
Volume III · Issue 4Week 4 · October EditionTuesday, October 6, 2026
OCTOBER HAS ENTERED THE CHAT · SALEM DESK OPEN · BLACK CATS WELCOME · CURSES SUBJECT TO WAIVERS
Week 4 • The witching hour arrives

THE COVEN FORMS AT 3–1. CATYN BREAKS THE CURSE.

Three Boston Tea Party teams sit at 3–1. Four Great Molasses Flood teams are trapped at 2–2. Catyn finally wins and drops 256.44. George starts two injured players and wins anyway. October is behaving perfectly.

By the Gotham Gazette Sports Desk · Salem Bureau temporarily activated
Halloween fantasy football illustration showing Loose Endz, Zaddy Dan, and Hail Mary George as a 3-1 coven around a glowing football cauldron while Catyn breaks the 0-3 curse.
Three teams at 3–1. Catyn's curse is broken. The black cat has declined further comment.

October opened with the Boston Tea Party division forming a full coven. Loose Endz, Zaddy Dan, and Hail Mary George are all 3–1. No séance was required. The standings simply did this on their own.

Catyn provided the week's happiest haunting. Balls? I'm In! entered 0–3, then produced 256.44 points, the highest total of Week 4 and 75.44 above Yahoo's projection. CeeDee Lamb scored 50.85. Jake Bates scored 56.67. Apparently the curse did not break so much as explode.

George chose a different path. Hail Mary George left Justin Jefferson and Terry McLaurin in the active lineup with zeroes and still beat Mike 188.93–144.71. His boyfriend Dave C spent the week making actual roster moves, started a newly added Bears defense for 22.50, and also won. Same household. Two schools of witchcraft.

Henny was busy too. Spencer Shrader and the Ravens defense, both part of the churn around his lineup, combined for 71 points. Mariah Carey still lost to Dave C because fantasy football occasionally rewards excellent process with a small envelope containing nothing.

And once again, the dead are speaking from the bench. Alex had enough points sitting behind his starters to flip his loss to Bobby. Henny had a 56.20-point receiver on the bench in a 27.81-point loss. Dan won while leaving several huge scores unused. Gotham's benches are officially haunted.

THE RESULTS

Week 4 finals from Yahoo
WinnerPointsOpponentPointsMargin
Loose Endz220.13Hailee Steinfeld's Husband155.10+65.03
Hail Mary George188.93Ball Hogs144.71+44.22
Balls? I'm In!256.44Dolly's Dolls201.58+54.86
Bobby's Juicemen207.80Love the Puca hate the game182.09+25.71
Pass Rush David207.37Mariah Carey179.56+27.81
Zaddy Dan170.39Wonder Waah149.59+20.80

AROUND GOTHAM

Six matchups, twelve managers, several questionable rituals

Loose Endz make it three straight; Reichard apparently owns a broomstick

Loose Endz 220.13 • Hailee Steinfeld's Husband 155.10

Pat moved to 3–1 behind a balanced lineup and a completely unbalanced kicker. Will Reichard scored 66.67, nearly 30 percent of Loose Endz's total by himself.

Dave B got 53.62 from Javonte Williams and 27.80 from James Cook, but Kyler Murray, Emeka Egbuka, and Dalton Kincaid combined for only 17.26. The reigning champion is now 1–3. Somewhere, last year's trophy has started making noises at night.

George leaves two injured players active and still beats Mike

Hail Mary George 188.93 • Ball Hogs 144.71

Justin Jefferson and Terry McLaurin both remained in George's active lineup and produced zero. George still won by 44.22 because Jahmyr Gibbs, Bhayshul Tuten, Brock Bowers, Cairo Santos, and Seattle's defense decided roster discipline was optional.

Mike got 49.53 from Bijan Robinson and 32.06 from Bryce Young, but three starting skill-position players finished below five points. Ball Hogs has gone from 2–0 to 2–2. George is 3–1. Please do not use this matchup as evidence that injury reports are unnecessary.

Catyn breaks the curse with the week's biggest spell

Balls? I'm In! 256.44 • Dolly's Dolls 201.58

Catyn beat projection by 75.44 points. CeeDee Lamb gave her 50.85, Jake Bates added 56.67, and every active non-defense starter reached at least nine points. After three straight losses, Balls? I'm In! finally won and did so with the highest score in Gotham.

Farrar scored 201.58 and lost, because his schedule remains an elaborate character-building exercise. Puka Nacua returned with 34.02 and Zay Flowers added 30.80. Dolly's Dolls is 1–3 with 762.03 points scored and a league-high 918.17 points allowed. If there is a curse in this league, Farrar may have the stronger legal claim.

Bobby gets back to .500; Alex's bench rattles its chains

Bobby's Juicemen 207.80 • Love the Puca hate the game 182.09

Bobby got 54.12 from Kyren Williams and 43.37 from Jonathan Taylor. Nico Collins returned with 41.55. The roster that spent two weeks leaving wins on the bench finally kept enough points above ground.

Alex, however, had KaMonangai's 55.37 on the bench. Starting him over either Christian McCaffrey's 27.73 or Ashton Jeanty's 28.78 would have changed the result. Week 4's political message is simple: check under the bed, check the closet, then check your bench.

Dave C casts several roster spells. One of them actually starts.

Pass Rush David 207.37 • Mariah Carey 179.56

Dave C spent the week working the wire. The newly added Bears defense started and delivered 22.50. Emanuel Wilson, another new arrival, erupted for 49.20 on the bench. Darren Waller also stayed on the bench. The transaction ritual was successful, if not fully utilized.

Henny also came prepared. Spencer Shrader scored 51.00 and the Ravens defense added 20.00, two lineup changes that absolutely paid off. Unfortunately, Tetairoa McMillan scored 56.20 on Henny's bench while Ja'Marr Chase managed 5.45. Excellent spellwork. Wrong candle.

Dan wins while his bench attempts a coup

Zaddy Dan 170.39 • Wonder Waah 149.59

Dan got 55.30 from Kenneth Walker and 48.72 from Chuba Hubbard, enough to survive Daniel Jones' 7.24 and Rashee Rice's zero.

Meanwhile, Drake Maye scored 43.21 on the bench, Brian Robinson 46.27, and Kaimi Fairbairn 51.00. Dan won anyway. Ben received 41.50 from the Giants defense but little elsewhere and fell to 2–2. The bench was louder than the game.

COVEN WATCH

The divisions have developed very different October energy

Boston Tea Party has three teams at 3–1

Loose Endz, Zaddy Dan, and Hail Mary George occupy three of the top four spots in the Yahoo standings. Pat leads the league at 897.28 points. Dan has 833.93. George has 799.81.

The division also contains Alex at 2–2, Dave C at 2–2, and Catyn at 1–3. In other words, even the division's sixth-place team just scored 256.44. This coven has no quiet members.

Great Molasses Flood is a four-team séance at 2–2

Wonder Waah, Bobby's Juicemen, Mariah Carey, and Ball Hogs are all 2–2. Bobby has 863.66 points and sits fifth overall. Ben is second in the Yahoo standings. Henny and Mike are both one game away from changing the entire order.

Farrar and Dave B sit at 1–3 beneath them, but Farrar has outscored two of the 2–2 teams. Nothing here is settled. The molasses is merely sticky.

THE ROSTER GRIMOIRE

Who worked the waiver cauldron, and did the potion work?

Dave C: lots of movement, actual payoff

Pass Rush David added Emanuel Wilson, the Bears defense, and Darren Waller around Week 4 while moving injured pieces and the Ravens defense out. The Bears defense started for 22.50. Wilson scored 49.20 on the bench. Waller scored 8.85 on the bench.

Verdict: the moves helped, and there was still more magic left unused. Dave C won 207.37–179.56 and moved to 2–2.

Henny: the new kicker and defense worked; the bench did not

Mariah Carey added Spencer Shrader and changed defenses before Week 4. Shrader scored 51.00 and Baltimore scored 20.00. Those were excellent moves.

The problem was not the transaction wire. It was Tetairoa McMillan's 56.20 on the bench. Henny lost by 27.81. The potion was correct. Somebody forgot to drink it.

Farrar and Mike keep shopping

Farrar's recent work included Austin Ekeler and Jordan Addison. Mike added Kalif Raymond and Ollie Gordon II. Neither team won Week 4, but both managers are actively trying to change the shape of their rosters rather than waiting for the fog to lift.

Transaction notes reflect the Yahoo log supplied October 6 and are not a complete season transaction history.

THE BENCH SÉANCE

The dead points are speaking again

Two losses could have been reversed by one lineup change

Alex: KaMonangai scored 55.37 on the bench. Replacing either Christian McCaffrey's 27.73 or Ashton Jeanty's 28.78 would have erased a 25.71-point loss to Bobby.

Henny: Tetairoa McMillan scored 56.20 on the bench. Replacing Ja'Marr Chase's 5.45 would have added 50.75 points, more than enough to reverse the 27.81-point loss to Dave C.

Dan: Drake Maye, Brian Robinson, and Kaimi Fairbairn combined for 140.48 bench points. Dan still won, so the Gazette has downgraded the offense from haunting to recreational necromancy.

Halloween editorial cartoon showing Hail Mary George celebrating a win despite two injured players remaining in the active lineup while Ball Hogs reacts in horror.
George left two injured players active and still won. Please do not attempt this ritual at home.

THE CHAOS DESK

October opens with a season high

Week 4 Chaos Index: 8.9

The formula remains unchanged: 40% outcome impact, 20% positional volatility, 20% scoring concentration, and 20% league-wide unpredictability.

Outcome impact: 9.0. Remove kicker and defense points from the existing Week 4 totals and two winners change: Dave B passes Pat, and Mike passes George. Two additional losses, Alex and Henny, reverse with one obvious bench swap.

Positional volatility: 10.0. Starting kickers ranged from 2.00 to 66.67, a 64.67-point spread. Starting defenses ranged from 1.50 to 41.50, a 40-point spread.

Scoring concentration: 8.5. Reichard scored 66.67, Bates 56.67, Shrader 51.00, and Catyn's CeeDee Lamb 50.85. Several teams received enormous portions of their totals from one or two lineup spots.

League-wide unpredictability: 8.0. Catyn went from 0–3 to the week's high score, George won with two inactive zeroes, three teams formed a 3–1 division logjam, and four teams in the other division landed at 2–2.

THE BOARD

Power rankings after Week 4

Record matters. Total points matter. So does the ability to avoid being cursed by your own bench.

01

Loose Endz

3–1 · 897.28 PF · unchanged

Three straight wins and the league's highest point total. Pat keeps the top spot, with Will Reichard apparently serving as familiar, warlock, and kicker.

02

Zaddy Dan

3–1 · 833.93 PF · unchanged

Dan wins while an entire second starting lineup screams from the bench. Strong roster. Terrifying depth. Mild lineup-poltergeist problem.

03

Hail Mary George

3–1 · 799.81 PF · up 1

George won with two zeroes in active slots. We cannot rank that process highly. We can, unfortunately, rank the result.

04

Bobby's Juicemen

2–2 · 863.66 PF · unchanged

Bobby has the second-most points in the entire league and is finally back to .500. The offense remains too productive to bury.

05

Love the Puca hate the game

2–2 · 758.52 PF · unchanged

Alex had enough talent to win and left enough of it on the bench to lose. The roster stays high. The séance is scheduled.

06

Pass Rush David

2–2 · 724.70 PF · unchanged

Dave C's aggressive roster work earns a win. First-year manager, four weeks in, already treating the waiver wire like a day trader with espresso.

07

Wonder Waah

2–2 · 721.77 PF · down 1

Ben has lost two straight after a 2–0 start. The record is ordinary now, but the underlying roster remains competitive.

08

Balls? I'm In!

1–3 · 742.11 PF · up 4

You score 256.44 and you get to leave the basement. Those are the rules. Catyn's first win was the week's loudest.

09

Dolly's Dolls

1–3 · 762.03 PF · down 2

Farrar has more points than several teams above him and 918.17 points against. Some managers have a bad record. Farrar has a haunted house.

10

Mariah Carey

2–2 · 678.47 PF · down 2

Henny's roster moves were good. The lineup outcome was not. A 2–2 record keeps him in the Great Molasses traffic jam.

11

Ball Hogs

2–2 · 620.50 PF · down 1

Mike has lost two straight after 2–0 and owns the lowest point total among the four 2–2 teams in his division. The cauldron needs seasoning.

12

Hailee Steinfeld's Husband

1–3 · 628.98 PF · down 1

The reigning champion falls to 1–3. Dave B has not been bad enough to panic. The standings have been bad enough to consider it.

THE WAIVER COVEN

Available-player snapshot supplied October 6

The top of the available list is quarterback-heavy. That is useful if you need one, and less useful if you are trying to replace a running back with a pulse.

QB · Waivers Oct. 7 · 30.15

Jacoby Brissett

Highest Week 4 point total on the supplied available list. Quarterback help exists if your starter has become a seasonal decoration.

QB · Waivers Oct. 7 · 26.97

Aaron Rodgers

Another productive available quarterback. Role is obvious. Matchup and weekly ceiling are the questions.

QB · Waivers Oct. 7 · 25.55

Sam Darnold

Gotham continues to have more usable quarterbacks available than most leagues have functioning kickers.

RB · Waivers Oct. 7 · 12.36

Will Shipley

The more interesting non-quarterback near the top of the list. Running back roles can change fast, so usage matters more than this one score.

WR · Waivers Oct. 7 · 11.37

Malik Washington

A receiver worth checking for targets and route participation. October is when depth begins turning into starts.

WR · Waivers Oct. 7 · 11.19

Quentin Johnston

Still hanging around the available pool. At this point the decision should be about role, not whether the name looks familiar.

NEXT WEEK IN GOTHAM

Week 5 matchups · Yahoo projections as of October 6

Week 5 projections are an October 6 Yahoo snapshot. They are forecasts, not hexes. Please act accordingly.

CORRECTIONS & OTHER APPARITIONS

Last week we wrote that Catyn's path out of 0–3 existed and needed to begin immediately. She scored 256.44. The editorial department will stop giving Catyn instructions now.

We also said George's returning Brock Bowers made him more annoying. George has since won with two injured players left active. We regret giving the universe ideas.

Week 4's Chaos Index is 8.9, a new season high. Happy October.