Fairest way to rank teams for the playoffs (1 Viewer)

[TheNext0]

Some of the owners in my league are voicing their displeasure with the way we currently earn playoff spots. We have a 10 team league, split into two divisions, 6 teams make the playoffs. The two top division winners get a first round bye, then we select 2 wildcard teams from each division. The wildcard teams are chosen by record then points.

Some are arguing that this doesn't represent the top 6 teams in the league appropriately. Our options include:

1. Keeping it the same with divisions.

2. Using a Power Ranking system. 33% record, 33% total points, and 33% 'breakdown record' (total record vs. everyone, every week). Top 6 in Power Ranking make the playoffs, total points is the tie-breaker.

3. Keeping the divisions, naming two division champs who make the playoffs, but filling out the remaining 4 spots based on record and points regardless of division. (So, essentially, 5 teams could make it from one division).

Anyone have any thoughts? My personal preference is to try to reward the best teams, and ease the week-to-week luck factor a little bit. I think the Power Ranking system would be the best for that.

 

[EBF]

I like to pick the division champs by record and the rest by total points. That way the games still count for something, but the best teams aren't kept out of the playoffs if they happen to get stuck in a tough division. Total points is usually the best indicator of team strength IMO.

 

[Ted Lange as your Bartender]

I'd go with #3 - which division teams are in is kind of arbitrary beyond the teams who actually wins their divisions.

 

[Warhogs]

Hmm. The fairest way may be to make 1 division and have each team play head to head against all teams each week but that is messy and I don't like it. Who ever said that it has to be fair? The NFL does not worry about a different system to be fair to all teams on determining playoff births. I can't believe any team can complain about a system for determining who makes the playoffs when 60% of the league qualifies. If you can't be in the top 60% of the teams no matter what method is used for determining playoffs you should just shut up.

 

[Jersey35]

I posted this in the other related thread:

When I designed my league nearly 10 years ago, I was disillusioned by the high impact of luck in fantasy head-to-head arrangements, yet did not want to lose the "fun factor" of these leagues. What we've done is the following:

Award up two wins, losses, or ties each week
One win, loss, or tie is for the head-to-head matchup
One win, loss, or tie is for scoring in the top or bottom half of the league for that given week
Playoffs are determined by overall record with overall points scored being the first tie-breakerThis simple system has served us extremely well the last decade, and will hopefully continue to do so into the future. It basically weights head-to-head (heavily luck related) and points scored (far less luck related) equally.

If you don't want to go this far, I echo a combination of what the other two posters said:

Choose top two division winners based on record, then regardless of division, award the remaining slots based on total points (with head-to-head being the rarely needed tie-breaker). This ensures that a) the best teams are making the playoffs (head-to-head alone does not generally measure the best teams) and b) you lose none of the fun of head-to-head matchups (you still give incentive to winning the division by giving top seed). Just be certain to match the top seeds with the lowest point getters.

I still prefer the above solution, however.

Good luck!

* Edited to remove confusing reference to "Victory Points" in other thread.

 

[B Maverick]

3. Keeping the divisions, naming two division champs who make the playoffs, but filling out the remaining 4 spots based on record and points regardless of division. (So, essentially, 5 teams could make it from one division).

Dont see any reason to make it more complex then this. Win games and you are in. Simple as that. Works for most sports, why not FF.

 

[I Am Rick James]

Hmm. The fairest way may be to make 1 division and have each team play head to head against all teams each week but that is messy and I don't like it. Who ever said that it has to be fair? The NFL does not worry about a different system to be fair to all teams on determining playoff births. I can't believe any team can complain about a system for determining who makes the playoffs when 60% of the league qualifies. If you can't be in the top 60% of the teams no matter what method is used for determining playoffs you should just shut up.

Missing the point? I agree with the original poster about finding a fair system. My 10 teamer had big problems last season as the 4 best teams were in the same division. The second best team had a 10-3 record and wasn't rewarded a bye. The 4th best team went home and the rest beat each other up and the winner lost to the 7th best team (losing record) in the finals.So get lost while the rest of us attempt to fix this. I think I have found a format that would be ideal for a 10 teamer. Go divisionless for the first 9 weeks and in week 10, set up even divisions accordingly. It works perfect with 10 teams as you would play everybody at least once, and your division opponents twice. The only problem is will the website allow the commish to set up the divisions in week 10.All 14 teamers should be divisionless as you play all opponents just once.