How many teams does your league send to Playoffs? (1 Viewer)

[ahill84006]

We are expanding to a 12 team league from 10 teams. I was wondering how many teams you guys that have 12 team leagues send to the playoffs.

Some owners think 4, some 6. Is sending half of your teams too many??

We haven't decided yet to use the 2 divisions of 6 or 3 divisions of 4 setup. Which one of those works better for you too????

Any help would be appreciated!!!

 

[cdwood]

The 12 team leagues that I'm in have 3 divisions of 4 teams, the division winners plus 1 wild card team make the playoffs. If you expand the playoffs to 6 teams then chances are really good that you'll be sending a .500 team to the playoffs and will be using tie breaking formulas to determine who that 6th team is. I don't see the point in rewarding .500 teams.

We are expanding to a 12 team league from 10 teams. I was wondering how many teams you guys that have 12 team leagues send to the playoffs.

Some owners think 4, some 6. Is sending half of your teams too many??

We haven't decided yet to use the 2 divisions of 6 or 3 divisions of 4 setup. Which one of those works better for you too????

Any help would be appreciated!!!

 

[Liltee8869]

I run three 12 team leagues at Antsports. We have three divisions of 4 teams and send 6 to the playoffs. I have to say i haven't had any troubles and i love running them this way. If were you that is the direction i would go in!

 

[Eli2Shockey]

my league is 12 teams , two divisions...send 4 to playoffs

we send

2 divisions winnner

1 with best record besides these two

1 with most points besides these three

 

[Zer0Dawg]

Well, some say in a 3 division league, the division winners plus 1 wild card so that there are no byes and that everyone can play each team in the leage plus their division rivals twice.

Some say byes are fine, the NFL thinks it's ok, so the division winners plus 3 wild cards.

The league I run, everyone plays in the post season. The division winners plus 3 wild cards play to get to the superbowl and those teams normally get a payout. The bottom 6 play to get to the toilet bowl which determins their draft spot next year.

It all depends on your philosophy on how the game should be played. do you want byes? do you want the season to end after the 13th week or the 14th week? do you want the bowl game to be on the 16th week or the 17th week? does it matter that everyone plays every team in the league? there are pros and cons to each decision, it's up to you to decide which is best for you.

 

[cdwood]

The league I run, everyone plays in the post season. The division winners plus 3 wild cards play to get to the superbowl and those teams normally get a payout. The bottom 6 play to get to the toilet bowl which determins their draft spot next year.

I'm not a fan of the bottom 6 playing to get to the toilet bowl to determine their draft spot. Assuming that the prize is 1st overall draft spot, doesn't that reward teams for tanking it in the playoffs?

 

[stugnut]

We are also moving from 10 to 12 teams this year and I had the same questions.

1. For those of you with 12 teams/3 divisions and a 13 week regular season, do you play all division rivals twice and everyone else once, with one double header, or do you play division rivals twice, and 7 other teams once? I'm leaning towards the double header schedule and having it the last week of the season to keep it interesting down to the end.

2. How do you handle the playoff structure (byes, wildcards, who plays who)? If you want three weeks of playoffs, don't you have to send 6 teams?

 

[DOVCommish]

12 team league, 3 divisions. We send 5 to the playoffs (division winners get a bye) w/ the wild card game between the 4/5 seeds.

You get a .500 team in once and a while but nothing that ever stood out as an issue. Actually, I think we've had more .500 division winners than .500 playoff teams and in 13 years we had one anomoly - a 7-7 team won the title and finished 9-7. Beyond that, I think the lowest # of wins for a champ (14 week season w/ playoffs) is 11 wins.

In my opinion, you have to send less than half of the teams to the playoffs. That 6th team is pretty much guaranteed to be nothing but mediocre.

 

[Johnny Ice]

3 divisions of 4 teams. Division winners and 1 wildcard make the playoffs.

 

[JohnnyU]

Fantasy Legends I and II

12 teams 2 divisions, 13 weeks regular season, playoffs weeks 14,15, and 16, 6 teams to the playoffs. Division winners get a 1st rd bye. 2nd and 3rd best teams from each division play in Round 1 of the playoffs.

 

[Zer0Dawg]

The league I run, everyone plays in the post season.  The division winners plus 3 wild cards play to get to the superbowl and those teams normally get a payout.  The bottom 6 play to get to the toilet bowl which determins their draft spot next year.

I'm not a fan of the bottom 6 playing to get to the toilet bowl to determine their draft spot. Assuming that the prize is 1st overall draft spot, doesn't that reward teams for tanking it in the playoffs?

Halfway through the season, teams that forcast that their teams wont make it to the playoffs purposely lose their remaining games to get better positioning in the draft anyways. The toilet bowl prevents that.Tanking to get to the toilet bowl makes no sense because every spot in the playoffs except the first round losers get some cash, and let's face it, we're all in it for the cash.

BTW the toilet bowl is actually for positioning in a NBA style lotto for those first 6 picks. Works out pretty well so far.

 

[stugnut]

12 team league, 3 divisions. We send 5 to the playoffs (division winners get a bye) w/ the wild card game between the 4/5 seeds.

Does that give two weeks of playoffs (week 14/15?)

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

sending half your teams to the playoffs is too much.

 

[OldMilwaukee]

One of the 12 team leagues I am in uses this formula, which I like;

3 Divisions of 4 teams. 13 week regular season with one double header week (after the bye weeks) so that everyone plays division opponents twice and non division once.

5 Teams make the playoffs. 3 division winners which are the first three seeds and two wild cards, which are the 4th and 5th seed. Week 14 the 6th plays the 3rd the 5th plays the 4th, with the first two seeds receiving a bye. Week 15 the semi's with lowest vs highest seed and week 16 is the Superbowl.

 

[pmcdade]

We send the top 6 teams with no divisions. Its a three-week playoff with a wildcard between the 3rd and 6th place teams and the 5th and 4th placed teams while the 1st and 2nd placed teams get a bye. Last year we had the 6th place team win the whole thing... very exciting.

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

We send the top 6 teams with no divisions. Its a three-week playoff with a wildcard between the 3rd and 6th place teams and the 5th and 4th placed teams while the 1st and 2nd placed teams get a bye. Last year we had the 6th place team win the whole thing... very exciting.

Here's how I see it -- most everyone who has been playing for a while agrees that FF is a combination of luck and skil. The more teams you send to the playoffs, the more you factor luck into the equation, and I'd rather skill be rewarded over luck.

 

[BigRed]

We are expanding to a 12 team league from 10 teams. I was wondering how many teams you guys that have 12 team leagues send to the playoffs.

Some owners think 4, some 6. Is sending half of your teams too many??

Well duh. 3 divisions is stoopid too because it just increases the odds of a weak div. meaning some weak/lesser team gets in just because they were lucky enough to be in that div and win the div title.

 

[Andrew74]

In my opinion, you have to send less than half of the teams to the playoffs. That 6th team is pretty much guaranteed to be nothing but mediocre.

The league I am in has 3 divisions and we send 6. You do see some .500 teams in that 6th slot, but since our league is competitive, those aren't bad teams. I was the 6th team last year, and honestly had the best team in the league. My points scored was 100-125 more than any other team, I just got screwed over by the schedule. I think the 4 or 6 team debate depends on how deep the league is.

 

[Yenrub]

12 team league, 3 divisions. We send 5 to the playoffs (division winners get a bye) w/ the wild card game between the 4/5 seeds.

You get a .500 team in once and a while but nothing that ever stood out as an issue. Actually, I think we've had more .500 division winners than .500 playoff teams and in 13 years we had one anomoly - a 7-7 team won the title and finished 9-7. Beyond that, I think the lowest # of wins for a champ (14 week season w/ playoffs) is 11 wins.

In my opinion, you have to send less than half of the teams to the playoffs. That 6th team is pretty much guaranteed to be nothing but mediocre.

My league does this as well. In 10 years we have had one sub .500 team make the playoffs (that team was 3rd overall in scoring and ended up winning the championship)

 

[AeroFANatic]

12 team league, 3 divisions. We send 5 to the playoffs (division winners get a bye) w/ the wild card game between the 4/5 seeds.

You get a .500 team in once and a while but nothing that ever stood out as an issue. Actually, I think we've had more .500 division winners than .500 playoff teams and in 13 years we had one anomoly - a 7-7 team won the title and finished 9-7. Beyond that, I think the lowest # of wins for a champ (14 week season w/ playoffs) is 11 wins.

In my opinion, you have to send less than half of the teams to the playoffs. That 6th team is pretty much guaranteed to be nothing but mediocre.

My league does this as well. In 10 years we have had one sub .500 team make the playoffs (that team was 3rd overall in scoring and ended up winning the championship)

12 teams, 4 division. Play everyone in your division 2x, everyone else 1x for a 13 week schedule. 1,2 get byes. 3 plays 6, 4 plays 5. The seeds that get in are - division winners (4), next best record, and for the 6th spot...whoever else has the most points regardless of record. This allows a team kicking ### all year points wise...but unlucky with record...to get in when they should.Top 2 teams get the byes, and everyone else has to play one extra game so really 6 of 12 getting in is no big deal.

 

[Crimedogg32]

The 12 team leagues that I'm in have 3 divisions of 4 teams, the division winners plus 1 wild card team make the playoffs. If you expand the playoffs to 6 teams then chances are really good that you'll be sending a .500 team to the playoffs and will be using tie breaking formulas to determine who that 6th team is. I don't see the point in rewarding .500 teams.

We are expanding to a 12 team league from 10 teams.  I was wondering how many teams you guys that have 12 team leagues send to the playoffs. 

Some owners think 4, some 6.  Is sending half of your teams too many?? 

We haven't decided yet to use the 2 divisions of 6 or 3 divisions of 4 setup.  Which one of those works better for you too????

Any help would be appreciated!!!

totally agree with that, already enough luck in FF to not let .500 teams in and have a few lucky weeks and win the whole league that would make me

 

[fsufan]

No matter now may you send, the division winners or 2 teams with the best regular season record should get a first round bye. This is a reward for having a good regular season just like the NFL. This works great for 6 teams making the playoffs

 

[stugnut]

One of the 12 team leagues I am in uses this formula, which I like;

3 Divisions of 4 teams. 13 week regular season with one double header week (after the bye weeks) so that everyone plays division opponents twice and non division once.

5 Teams make the playoffs. 3 division winners which are the first three seeds and two wild cards, which are the 4th and 5th seed. Week 14 the 6th plays the 3rd the 5th plays the 4th, with the first two seeds receiving a bye. Week 15 the semi's with lowest vs highest seed and week 16 is the Superbowl.

Something isn't adding up right. You say you only send 5 teams to the playoffs, but in Week 14 you have "the 6th plays the 3rd". It sounds like you have 6 teams going to the playoffs. Or am i missing something?

 

[nittanylion]

First of all, congratulations on moving up to 12 Teams from 10. Everyone in your League will benefit from this, as position economies neccessitate more strategy in the draft, waiver wire, trades and starting lineups. You'll all become better players for it. Right on.

I'm in several 12 team Leagues:

3 Divisions of 4 Teams Each - The three Division Winners make the playoffs, and anywhere from 1-3 additional teams. My personal preference is that 4 Teams make the playoffs (Div Winners plus 1 WC), as to some effect it leaves marginal teams out of the playoffs. Your WC team could be either the non-Division Winner with the best record OR the team that scores the most points, if it's not one of the Division Winners - it's up to you.

4 Divisions of 3 Teams Each - The League I'm in that uses this format splits the Divisions into 2 Conferences. Each Conference has 2 3-Team Divisions. Division Winners get automatic berths, and the next best team in each Conference by Record and Points Scored makes it as WC Teams. I like this format a lot. The two 'best' Division Winners get byes, and the 'lesser' Division Winners play the WC teams in the first playoff round...you can make it more interesting by making the WC from 'Conference A' play the 'lesser' Division Winner from 'Conference B', and vice versa...or you could go with just the 4 Division Winners making the playoffs, if you choose...

2 Divisions of 6 Teams Each - Division Winners and next 'best' 2-4 Teams make the playoffs, depending on the League.

I, too, am a strong proponent of less than half the teams making the playoffs. Whether it's 4 or 5, you have to draw the line somewhere between the men and the boys...

Regardless of which format you choose, if you have WC teams, I'm a strong proponent of allowing the team with the MOST points scored, REGARDLESS OF RECORD be one of them, if he doesn't get an automatic Division Winner berth...W-L records sometimes aren't reflective of the 'best' teams...there's no question in my mind that the team that scored the most points is a strong team worthy of having a crack at the postseason...

Now, in the local high-stakes 12 Team League I run, 6 teams make the Postseason Tournament. This is because with so much money involved, people get a little bit salty about it being less inclusive. However, I model our Playoff Tournament after some of the National High-Stakes Leagues as follows:

The 6 Teams that make the Tournament carry their Scoring Average with them into the Tournament. Weeks 14-16, we run a 'rotisserie style' tournament, where your Weekly Scores get added successively to your Regular Season Scoring Average, for a running point total. In Week 17, it's back to Head-to-Head, 1 vs 2, 3 vs 4, 5 vs 6, each game playing for a different cash payout.

Some might like this, some not. I think it eliminates a lot of the luck associated with 6 teams making the playoffs, and the two truly best teams compete for the top prize. My guys are all vets, and understand the nuances of the system. They set themselves up during the draft, and during the season, to have squads that cover the contingencies of the Week 17 Championship Round...

...just something else to consider...