interesting playoffs league

[Cooner]

just joined in a league/pool for the playoffs with some interesting rules, here's how it works.

each player scores the points they put on the board, no yardage points. Rushing, recieving, passing, return TDs worth 6, extra points/field goals worth 1 and 3, safeties/2point conversions of passing, receiving, and rushing worth 2.

There are twelve positions on your team:
2xQB, 3xWR, 3xRB, 1xTE, 2xK, 1xDEF/Sp Teams.

Note there are also twelve teams in the playoffs. Choose one and only one player from each playoff team to make your team. At the end of the super bowl, most points wins.

Still working on my lineup, but I'm using techniques similar to Kensat's listed here:

http://fantasyfootballcafe.com/forums/v ... p?t=128570

My own games predictions look very similar to Kensat's (but I'm taking Pitt over NE). From the teams who play three, I'm planning on taking either 2xQBs and 1xRB or 1xQB and 2xRBs, since QBs and RBs should score the most points for their teams. The interesting picks may come from the teams that will only play 1 game, and lose it (since there have to be at least four of them, and I have five of them predicted). Obviously the DEF should come from that pool, and I think the kickers should as well, since in a loss the kickers may be even MORE likely to get some field goals and have good days. I'm thinking my TE will come from one of those as well (read, Crumpler).

Any other thoughts on general strategies?

And what do you think of the league style?

[Arlo]

Interesting format - I like it.

I wouldn't dismiss kickers, though. We're used to all but ignoring in fantasy games, but that's because there's little positional scarcity to be found at kicker, not because they don't put up points. In a format like this, I'd look for kickers who'll be around for more than one game.

One other point to consider might be how many teams you're playing against. The higher the number, the more attractive playing underdogs becomes.

Good luck, and let us know which players you decide on!

[matmat]

Interesting format - I like it.

I wouldn't dismiss kickers, though. We're used to all but ignoring in fantasy games, but that's because there's little positional scarcity to be found at kicker, not because they don't put up points. In a format like this, I'd look for kickers who'll be around for more than one game.

One other point to consider might be how many teams you're playing against. The higher the number, the more attractive playing underdogs becomes.

Good luck, and let us know which players you decide on!

agreed. In fact, in a score-only tally, I believe that kickers figure prominently:

http://www.nfl.com/stats/leaders/NFL/TPTS/2004/regular

[Cooner]

i thought about kickers a lot, simply because a kicker always leads the league in scoring. In the end I decided to go against big kickers mainly because on a game by game basis, it seemed to me that good teams shouldn't have a kicker as their leading scorer. First thing I thought was David Akers, but then I thought, well, McNabb should get two TDs a game easily, which is better than Akers should be able to do. While Vinatieri might have been a great pick, it seems that giving up Dillon, who I'm predicting to have three TDs in two games (about the same as Vinatieri's totals), seems silly. So I saved kickers for teams who didn't have a player I liked otherwise, teams like Denver. Unfortunately those are also the teams I expect to lose in their first game.

In the end, here are my choices (already sent in... though a little more thought makes me regret not bumping up my kickers a bit...)

My picks for winners: St Louis, GB, Indy, and SD first round, all of whom lose in the second except GB over Atlanta. Philly and Pitt in the Super Bowl, Pitt wins.

Given that, here are my choices:

QB:
McNabb- QBs should carry a team in this style league: McNabb will get a few in the air and a few on the ground, plus he plays 3 games.

Manning- his two game production could easily out-do any QB's 3 games

RB:
Bettis- assuming the Steelers win the SB, Bettis will be in the end zone a lot.

Dillon- the only player from NE guaranteed to put up some points, though maybe should have considered Vinatieri longer...

LT2- see TE pick

WR:
Javon Walker- consistent player, should get a few TDs in 3 games. Also, see TE pick

Holt- the obvious choice out of St Louis.

Moss- despite expecting Minny to lose their one and only game, IF they win, Moss WILL score. A lot. This is a bit of a hedge my bets pick.

TE: Crumpler. Had a tough time deciding effectively between Crumpler, Walker, and LT2 or Gates, DJackson, and Green. (The DEF and kickers also got moved around a bit.) Green will probably get more games, but I'm a bit nervous of Farve taking over the team and ignoring the run like has been known to happen at times. I'm also a bit nervous that GB loses to Minny, or Atlanta. Also, the idea of playing a Seahawks WR just sounds bad. And LT2 is a TD machine (almost previous years' Holmes-like had he not been hurt.)

DEF: J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. Really rather useless unless you're really high on several special teams TDs... I'm not.

K:
Brown
Elam


edit: the problem with looking for kickers with more games is that I would replace them with WRs. And the WRs I've picked I feel are pretty certain to score at least a TD a game (Holt, Walker), while the teams I've chose for kickers don't have any WRs I'd trust to get into the end zone even once.

edit 2: seeing as I heard of this league fourth-hand, I'm hoping that means it's decent sized. That's part of the reason I'm leaning on Bettis and the Steelers. Oh, and cause they're gonna win!

[Arlo]

Looks like a solid squad. To Gates or not to Gates is a tough call...