Fantasy Football Playoffs Setup - I want your opinions

[spleen1015]

I started running a fantasy league with a friend about 10 years ago. We elected to go with the standard ESPN league setup when it started and we have stuck with that ever since. After this weekend, I think it is time for us to change how we handle the playoffs.

First, the current setup...

10 team league, 2 5 team divisions
You play each team in your division 2 times = 8 games
You play each team in the other division once = 5 games
8+5 = 13 games = Regular Season is through Week 13

Each division winner and the 2 next best teams make the playoffs, seeded, you know what I mean.
Each round of the playoffs is 2 weeks long, Weeks 14 and 15 1st round and Weeks 16 and 17 are the Championship.

I want to make a change so that we're not playing the Championship on Week 17. I run 2 leagues with this setup and in both leagues, the 2 teams were left scrabbling to get guys into their lineups. At that point it is almost luck more than anything else when you have a good Week 17. You're leaving more to chance, anyway.

I need your opinions on how to change things. For 1 of the leagues, going to 12 teams is not an option. I might be able to do it in the other, so let's just say your only constraints for ideas are it has to be for 10 teams and no games on Week 17.

[Lathum]

Week 17 should never be played in fantasy football. If it is a free league, ok, whatever. If it is a money league I wouldn't go near it.

[molson]

I just won a championship in a free league during week 17. Though I did feel all smart going through the waiver wire for players who were going to actually play and put up good days, and it was pretty interesting, it's really is a completely different kind of competition, and shouldn't make up the championship game. Maybe in a perfect world, week 17 could be some kind of "pro bowl/exhibition" fantasy week, after the championship, to determine some kind of keeper/draft incentive for next season. Though I doubt many people would want to do that.

[albionmoonlight]

One tweak for spleen's league would be to have the first round of the playoffs be week 14 and the championship be weeks 15 and 16.

[cubboyroy1826]

Week 17 championships stink. You have a stud player that has carried you all year and then his team decides to sit him for the last game. A week 17 championship game turns in to who can work the waiver wire better.

[PackerFanatic]

I like albion's suggestion - if you still want a 2-week round, doing round 1 on week 14 and round 2 in weeks 15 and 16 would be the best.

[PurdueBrad]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

One tweak for spleen's league would be to have the first round of the playoffs be week 14 and the championship be weeks 15 and 16.

We are a 14 team league and the top 2 teams get a bye week 14, the other four playoff teams face off that week (so #3 vs. 6 and #4 vs. 5).

Week 15, the winner of 4-5 plays the #1 seed and the winner of 3-6 plays the #2.

Week 16 is the championship

And screw week 17, it's a waste.

[Mustang]

I'm confused. If you play 13 games, the division winners and 4 others make the playoffs, wouldn't weeks 14 (4 wildcards and a bye), 15 (4 teams left) and 16 (championship game/consolation game) be playoff games?

I don't understand the week 14-15 and then 16-17?

In a money league, there is no reason to play week 17 as the championship game. Many of the leagues I've been in use week 17 as an 'all play' week where you play the entire roster and then get some kind of small payout (like around 5%)

[PackerFanatic]

There's only 4 playoff teams in his setup (2 division winners and 2 wild-card teams) so there are only two rounds.

[PackerFanatic]

One league that some of my co-workers are in do an "all-star game" in Week 17. Pretty neat idea that I am going to try and implement in the league I run.

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by Mustang

I'm confused. If you play 13 games, the division winners and 4 others make the playoffs, wouldn't weeks 14 (4 wildcards and a bye), 15 (4 teams left) and 16 (championship game/consolation game) be playoff games?

I don't understand the week 14-15 and then 16-17?

In a money league, there is no reason to play week 17 as the championship game. Many of the leagues I've been in use week 17 as an 'all play' week where you play the entire roster and then get some kind of small payout (like around 5%)

The playoff matchups span 2 weeks, total points for 2 weeks.

[spleen1015]

I have to see if ESPN will let me make Round 1 just one week and Round 2 two weeks.

The other idea I am entertaining is to just have the regular season end after Week 12 and have the playoffs Week 13-16. That would means you would only play 4 teams in the other division.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

The playoff matchups span 2 weeks, total points for 2 weeks.

why not just change that and make them each 1-week?

Or make the spanned weeks overlap - Round 1=14+15 and then Round 2=15+16

In the case of the second option you just have everyone input their lineups for 15 like they're still playing and do the knocking-out after it...

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

why not just change that and make them each 1-week?

Or make the spanned weeks overlap - Round 1=14+15 and then Round 2=15+16

In the case of the second option you just have everyone input their lineups for 15 like they're still playing and do the knocking-out after it...

The playoffs have always been 2 weeks. I don't know why. It is just what ESPN had when the league was first created a long time ago. I like it this way, but don't know why.

This is an interesting idea. I doubt the website will let me do it though.

[DaddyTorgo]

I don't think the website would necessarily let you. You'd probably have to do it longhand I imagine.

I dunno...was just something I thought of as far as "maintaining both as two weeks" without having to cut out any games.