I look forward to the playoffs every season. Not only is the best football played at this time, but for obvious reasons, my workload dwindles significantly, so I have more time to actually enjoy the football.
But I always have another itch to scratch… because fantasy football isn’t over.
Every year, I use MyFantasyLeague to run a one-and-done playoff contest for me and my friends (many of whom you know through Fantasy Points).
The rules are simple.
You pick a starting lineup of 10 players every week: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 2 RWT FLEX, 1 PK, and 1 DST. PPR scoring with 4 points per TD and -2 per INT. You get 3 points per field goal and 1 per XP, and return TDs (but not yards) count.
You can pick any player from any team for your lineup every week… except you can only use a guy ONCE throughout the playoffs. So if you use Josh Allen this week, you can’t use him again. So you want to both maximize your score any given week… but make sure you have enough good players left for each subsequent week. And we dwindle from 14 teams available in Playoff Week 1… to just 2 for the Super Bowl.
THIS YEAR IN MY POOL, I’VE MADE SCORING IN THE SUPER BOWL 2X… SO IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE PLAYERS WHO ADVANCE.
In other words, you have to predict both this week’s games and next week’s games. And much like DFS, you want to avoid being too chalky to create variance on the field. So there’s a lot of strategy involved.
I also pay out weekly prizes in addition to the playoff-long grand prizes.
So, I figured I’d write a quick article about my strategy in this contest for those of you doing something similar. Some of the other guys on staff who participate will follow with their picks, as well.
Joe Dolan
Quarterback (Start 1, Max of 1)
No analysis here. I’ve planned to start Patrick Mahomes here all along — I have to, so I can guarantee the NFC’s starting QB will be available to me in the Super Bowl.
Already Used: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson
Running Back (Start 2, Max of 4)
I’m trying to straddle the line here. I have a top-10 team in the contest, so I have a shot to cash, but I also need to score some this week to give myself a chance to enter Super Bowl week with a dog in the fight.
So despite the fact that I think the Bills will win, I am using James Cook. I want to get a potential big game from him, and if things play out the way I believe they will, I should still have the Bills’ secondary RBs to use next week.
By the same token, I’m saving Saquon. I don’t want to miss on a double score in the Super Bowl that I think everyone will have in their lineup. So Washington’s RBs — Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler — come on down.
Already Used: Josh Jacobs, Bucky Irving, Derrick Henry, Jahmyr Gibbs, Kyren Williams
Wide Receiver (Start 2, Max of 4)
AJ Brown has a pristine matchup against the Commanders’ single-high, man looks. I can use him in this beautiful spot and still save DeVonta Smith for next week.
Xavier Worthy has emerged as a consistent option for the Chiefs, and the Bills will be down safety Taylor Rapp (hip), who was a key defender in two-high looks in the Bills’ win over the Chiefs earlier this year.
Olamide Zaccheaus scored twice against Philly earlier this year.
Already Used: Puka Nacua, Justin Jefferson, Terry McLaurin, Nico Collins, Rashod Bateman, Khalil Shakir, Jameson Williams
Tight End (Start 1, Max of 3)
I’m going to go down swinging, stacking Mahomes with his top-two options in Worthy and Travis Kelce. I have both NFC TEs ready to go in the Super Bowl.
Already Used: Isaiah Likely, Mark Andrews
Kicker and DST (Start 1 Each)
Jake Elliott is struggling, but I don’t care, because I have both AFC kickers ready for the Super Bowl.
I also completely misread my board last week. I used the Eagles… after having already used Washington’s defense. And now, I have to hope and pray I pick the right AFC defense to advance to the Super Bowl. So I’m using the Chiefs Defense, as I think Buffalo will win. A completely unforced, stupid error on my part.
Graham Barfield
Quarterback (Start 1, Max of 1)
Coming soon.
Running Back (Start 2, Max of 4)
Coming soon.
Wide Receiver (Start 2, Max of 4)
Coming soon.
Tight End (Start 1, Max of 3)
Coming soon.
Kicker and DST (Start 1 Each)
Coming soon.
Tom Brolley
> 282.3 points, 58.96 behind first. I failed to pick up much ground on the first-place team but I at least jumped to the middle of the pack to improve my chances of climbing into contention.
Quarterback (Start 1, Max of 1)
Patrick Mahomes (KC) — Mahomes has accounted for multiple TDs in 7-of-11 games since DeAndre Hopkins joined the offense. The Bills have allowed quarterbacks to account for multiple TDs in nine of their last 11 games after Lamar Jackson posted 254/2 passing against them last week. Mahomes completed 23/33 passes for 196 yards, 3 TDs, and 2 INTs in a loss to Buffalo in Week 11.
Players used: Josh Allen, Jayden Daniels
Running Back (Start 2, Max of 4)
James Cook (Buf) — Cook has scored 1+ TDs in 11 of his last 14 contests and he snapped a three-game run without a target last week. Joe Mixon muscled out 18/88/1 rushing and 2/12 receiving against the Chiefs last week. Cook managed just 27 scrimmage yards on 14 touches against the Chiefs, but he scored 19.7 FP by scoring 2 TDs and catching 5 passes in the matchup.
Austin Ekeler (Was) — Ekeler has turned in 14/74 rushing and 7/67 receiving and leads the backfield in route share (42% to 27%) in the postseason. Ekeler turned in 8/89 receiving and 2/7 rushing in his lone game against Philly in Week 11.
Players used: Derrick Henry, Jahmyr Gibbs, Kyren Williams, Bucky Irving, J.K. Dobbins
Wide Receiver (Start 2, Max of 4)
Marquise Brown (KC) — Hollywood failed to snag either of his 2 targets against the Texans but he promisingly finished with a season-best 72% route share in his third game. He paced the Chiefs in YPRR (2.60) and TPRR (.43) in Weeks 16-17 in his first two games back from his shoulder injury. Rashod Bateman turned in 4/66/1 receiving on 5 targets in this matchup last week.
Dyami Brown (Was) — Brown led the Commanders in receiving yards for the second straight postseason game, turning in 6/98 receiving on 8 targets against the Lions. He’s quietly posted 3+ receptions in his last six games after failing to hit that mark in his first 12 contests.
Olamide Zaccheaus (Was) — Philadelphia deploys the second-highest rate of Cover 4 (21%) and the highest rate of Cover 6 (16.6%), and Zaccheaus averages 2.41 YPRR and .30 TPRR on 56 routes against those coverages. Zaccheaus propelled Washington’s passing game against the Eagles in Week 16 with 5/70/2 receiving.
Players used: Rasod Bateman, Khalil Shakir, Xavier Worthy, Puka Nacua, Nico Collins, Terry McLaurin, Jalen McMillan
Tight End (Start 1, Max of 3)
Travis Kelce (KC) — Kelce arrived at the postseason party with 7/117/1 receiving on 8 targets against the Texans. He’s reached 71+ yards in 14 straight postseason games from 2020-23, and 5+ receptions in 16-of-17 games in 2019-23. He posted 5/75/2 receiving on 6 targets against Buffalo last postseason.
Dalton Kincaid (Buf) — Kansas City deploys the second-highest rate of two-high coverage (61.7%), and Kincaid averages 2.53 YPRR and .30 TPRR on 116 routes against the coverage. The Chiefs gave up the most receiving YPG (70.1) and the second-most receptions per game (6.2) to TEs in the regular season.
Players used: Sam LaPorta, Mark Andrews
Kicker and DST (Start 1 Each)
Zane Gonzalez (Was) & Philadelphia Eagles D/ST
Players used: Jake Bates, Joshua Karty, Baltimore Ravens D/ST, Kansas City Chiefs D/ST
