Playoff fantasy football is a different game than the kind you play during the regular season. Some folks win plenty of titles, then flop in the playoff contests. Others excel at the postseason game but never quite dominate the regular one. It’s fun, and different.
At least it’s fun when you have good idea of your strategy. I’ll have to figure one out before this weekend, because it looks wide open to me.
I’ve tried all kinds of strategies, with mixed success. I tend to be a more conservative risk-taker in most things, so I’ve tried to hedge my bets a bit in playoff games. As a result, I’ve pretty much perfected the art of finishing in the middle of the pack.
In a playoff game, you have to pick two teams you think will be there at the end, and hope you picked right. If you play a game where you can only choose one player from each team, the highest-scoring positions should come from those teams. The kicker and defense can come from a one-and-done team. But the main guys need to be the ones who will be there in February.
I usually have a decent idea of who I like in the playoffs. Even if I’m wrong, I had a strategy and played it out. But what about this season? Does anybody look infallible? I guess you could choose the Packers, but they’re one of two teams who don’t even play the first weekend. They’ll play three games at best. And while Kansas City’s first-round matchup looks pretty nice, they haven’t been as reliable recently. Three of their last four games have been decided by six points or less. They smashed the Steelers a few weeks ago, but things are often tougher the second time around.
And even if they win, then what? You could make a case that they’d face any of the three possible opponents (a New England win automatically sends them to Tennessee), and any of them could beat Kansas City. The Bills could go to the Super Bowl, or get bounced in the first round. Same with the Raiders, Bengals and Patriots. None of these teams I mentioned look like a shoe-in to be there at the end. But one of them will, unless it’s the Titans. I find myself forgetting the top seed in the conference.
On the other side, do you have any confidence that the Cowboys will beat the 49ers? Or that the Rams will defeat the Cardinals? The way the Buccaneers have been losing players, doesn’t Philly have a chance?
And while Green Bay probably has the better team, I could see San Francisco, Los Angeles, Arizona or Dallas keeping it close. A turnover or special teams play here or there, and the Packers could be finished. And so would your fantasy fortunes.
I think these games could go either way, but Las Vegas disagrees (I don’t mean the Raiders). Three games have point spreads of six or more, including a whopping 12.5 between Kansas City and Pittsburgh. So maybe I’m wrong, and there’s a general feeling about how these games should go. If you have that feeling, go with those teams.
But if you don’t, pick two anyway and hope for the best. Load up on those guys and maybe it works out. My experience has been that hedging your bets loses those bets, so don’t be like me. Pick the finalists and reap the rewards.
These circumstances make for a frustrating week as far as fantasy goes, but as a football fan I’m pretty excited. I’m going to watch most of these games with no idea who has the advantage. I feel like anything could happen, so I plan to enjoy seeing it play out.
In the most recent Fantasy Index magazine, on the very last page, I predicted the Packers would defeat the Bills in the Super Bowl. I might as well stick with that call. Whatever combination you choose, I hope it’s the right one. Good luck this week.
Does this field seem especially competitive to you, or do you see clear favorites? What’s your favorite type of playoff fantasy football game? Share your thoughts below.