Interesting dynamic / strategy in FFPC (1 Viewer)

[Caesar]

For those familiar with the FFPC rules, you know the #1 seed goes to the best record, #2 seed is most points not already qualified #3 seed is best record not already qualified, and #4 seed is most points not already qualified.  We have a Main event league with an interesting dynamic going into week 11, which is the final week of the regular season for FFPC main event (and FBG, of course).  I am not going to say which is my team because I'm just looking for overall feedback on how different people would approach this situation. 

Team A      8-2     1519 pts (current 1 seed)

Team B      8-2     1420 pts  (current 3 seed)

Team C     6-4      1471 pts   (current 2 seed)

Team D     6-4      1438 pts    (current 4 seed)

Team E     6-4      1379 pts

All other teams are essentially eliminated.  One team has outside chance but would have to make up 55 points in one week.  Not an easy task, but not impossible either.

Main goal here is to get the #1 or #2 seed for the $2K payout.  Minor goal is to get the sweep bonus of most points AND best record for an extra $1K.

Team A plays Team C in week 11

Team B plays Team D in week 11

Team E plays some scrub.... probably a win.  Just curious if anyone wants to share thoughts.

 

[shadrap]

dude,

give us some hints on what we should be looking at.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

he was standing on a block of ice.

 

[Caesar]

dude,

give us some hints on what we should be looking at.

Sorry.   I guess because I am invested in it, I see it.  I am likely overthinking it.

Most of the time, in FF, you strategy is to just get as many points as you can and win, but in this case, Team C actually wants to lose this week, unless he thinks he can beat Team A by 49 points, which isn't likely. 

If Team A loses, and Team B wins, Team C just lost 2K by winning.  Whereas, if Team A wins, that team is the one seed (collects the sweep bonus) and Team C likely wins total points as the #2 seed, winning $2K.  Assuming he can maintain that total point lead after Team A's top score.

Team B is locked into the playoffs, but a win only helps him if Team A loses. He is not likely to win total points, so can't win the #2 seed. 

Team C can't lose by too much, or he could be knocked down to the 4 seed, or even worse, knocked out of the playoffs. So, tanking isn't really an option. 

Are the playoffs themselves more important than automatic berth into the championship round and $2K? 

So, lets say Team C is down 5 points with just a kicker left to go.  Its seems reasonable that most kickers will get 6 points in a week.  What if team C substitutes a kicker in on bye for the Monday night game because winning the game would mean losing the 2 seed?  is that ethical?  its certainly sound strategy, but it just seems to go against FF etiquette. 

What if team D had Amari Cooper (it doesn't) going into Monday night was outscoring Team C by 25 points.  Does team C still start a kicker on bye? 

Is it ever ok to start a player on bye?  I just found this interesting as I was studying the league going into the final week. 

 

[Long Ball Larry]

why would team C want to lose? why wouldn't he just want to score as many points as possible in order to maintain the 2 seed?  

 

[Caesar]

why would team C want to lose? why wouldn't he just want to score as many points as possible in order to maintain the 2 seed?  

A showdown between the two highest scoring teams in the league, and it doesn't seem likely he would make up a 48 point deficit in one week.  Granted, losing the two seed hinges on Team B also winning.  That would make it look like this

Team B  9-2      4th in points  #1 seed

Team A 8-3     1st in points   #2 seed

Team C  7-4     2nd in points   #3 seed

Team D   6-5    3rd in points    #4 seed

This would of course be assuming nobody overtakes anyone in the points race, which given the differentials, seems possible.

 

[ragonkforce]

Football is crazy man

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

So, lets say Team C is down 5 points with just a kicker left to go.  Its seems reasonable that most kickers will get 6 points in a week.  What if team C substitutes a kicker in on bye for the Monday night game because winning the game would mean losing the 2 seed?  is that ethical?  its certainly sound strategy, but it just seems to go against FF etiquette. 

It's weird that the highest point total gets a higher playoff seed than the 2nd-best record - but if those are the rules of the league, and if C can win by losing, that's exactly what he should be trying to do. It's not "tanking", and it's certainly not unethical.

That said, my leagues' playoff spots are set similarly (2 division winners, highest point total as 3-seed, next-best record as 4-seed) ... and every time I've seen an owner try to "backdoor" his way into a different seed by jerry-rigging his lineup, it's always backfired on him. It wouldn't surprise me to see C start a couple guys on MNF to try and give himself this flexibility, only to have them get declared late inactives or put up zeroes while the guys he benched go buck-wild in the Sunday games, knocking him out of the playoffs. Karma can be a real ##### sometimes.

 

[jeaton6]

Team C should do whatever is necessary to maintain then 2 seed. Are there rules that will be enforced if you start a kicker/player on a bye week? 

If you can lose money by winning this week then that's an issue with the rules and you need to do what you have to in order to counteract that.