Sneaky playoff strategy

[Plindsey88]

Teams are playing for a lot more than the division win come week 16... Most of the time, the battle for home-field advantage is still pretty hot and heavy by the time week 16 rolls around.... Indy may be far enough out ahead of everyone else to have home-field locked up by week 16, but Seattle will not have home-field in the bag by week 16. They're going to be competing against Atlanta or Carolina for that prize, and I don't think there is any way Alexander is riding the pine before week 17....

[footballchick23]

So my understanding of the logic so far is that if you have Edge, the moment Indy loses pretty much guarantees Rhodes some serious playing time, so pick him up? Our playoffs are Week 13-16, so if Indy hasn't lost by then, I'll probably pick the guy up anyway.
Do you guys really think they'll sit Edge Week 15 against SD or are we just speculating about Edge sitting Week 16 and 17? I understand the strategy and all, but they have some pretty decent opponents Week 14-16 in JAX, SD, and SEA.

[eaglesrule]

they'll be sitting if 15-0.

could you imagine how "Stat driven" they would seem to the fan base in general? Chasing a record and risking a championship? Imagine if Peyton got hurt? The whole concept is patently absurd IMO. The team could still go undefeated anyway.

They are still playing Arizona. They could just play ball control with rhodes, and play stokely and the tight ends more.

No way they risk it IMO. Plus, the weak before, both teams might be playing plain vanilla -- as indy plays seattle.

[ngub12]

if they sit peyton in those weeks how much value will rhodes actually have? seriously if stokely is your #1 and sorgi is the qb, i really cant see rhodes doing that much damage.

[a4ce]

I don't have Edge but I'm picking up Rhodes anyway. I have the bench room and you never know. I have SA and Morris so that base is covered. If you have the room, why not take a chance?

I personally think that if the Colts have home field advantage locked up, they rest their studs for the playoffs. C'mon, undefeated vs getting to the Super Bowl. No brainer.

[Timbathia]

I think the more likely scenario is by around week 16 SA and Edge will be sitting in the second half. I would expect them to start no matter what, but if Seattle or Indy take a decent lead into the second half it would be crazy to not let Morris and Rhodes give them some rest and get some work in. If this happens then all of them will be risky starts.

That being said, if you have the roster space definitely pick up Morris and/or Rhodes. Certainly cant hurt and the upside is there.

[charliebrown327]

If the Colts are undefeated, wont you think they will go for the 16-0 mark? Meaning not benching their players, the way I see it is they wont bench their players unless they lose at least one and have home field advantage. Manning is obviously going after Marino's records one after the other.

Marino didn't come to the Dolphins until long after the perfect season, which was quarterbacked by Bob Griese and Earl Morrall.

[UNDEFEATED]

This is a GREAT strategy. I used it last year.

In my situation I picked up Cincy's dst for a week 17 championship game.

Cincy's opponent was philly. They were going to sit Mcnabb and Westbrook. Cincy's dst scored 20+ points for me.

I also distinctly remember that the Chargers did not start Brees or LT in week 17 and their replacements played well.

[octagon999]

Usually "sneaky" strategies never work out like you think, for the same reason that Wile E. Coyote never gets the Road Runner. Usually they are too clever by half.

Still, I picked up Rhodes. Seemed like a good idea.

[MadScott]

It's not a bad strategy at all. Whether or not the team is undefeated at the time probably isn't as important as to what the health of Edge and SA are at that time of year. I can almost guarantee that if things are sewn up for both as far as playoff position/seed and either of those two is knicked up or hurt, there's no way that they are going to sack up and play. It wouldn't do the team any good to risk further injury.

I also don't think you are going to see what happened last year again with the Eagles as it was a farce and I've got to believe the NFL was none to happy about it. Better put, I'm sure Las Vegas expressed it's displeasure with the situation and made it known.