Your league's rules to get "best" teams in the playoffs (1 Viewer)

[bluewings]

In my main league we still use win loss records from single head to head match ups to decide who gets in the playoffs.

12 teams, 2 conferences, 4 divisions of 3 teams each, each division winner (4) by win-loss record gets in, and 1 wild card team from each conference which has the best record of the non division winners in that conference gets in, so 6 of 12 make the playoffs

if our playoffs were held today the team with the highest scored points so far would not make our playoffs. He has a 3-4 record. My team has scored the 3rd most points and I'm just 4-3 and would squeek into the playoffs as the last wild card team. One division leader with a 6-1 record has scored the 8th most total points so far.

I know some leagues have "Victory Points" where you get points for scoring say the seconds highest for the week and losing your H2H match up that same week and then some combination of H2H and Victory points decides playoff teams. Other leagues go to a pure total points system to determine playoff teams.

It seems that the dumb luck of your H2H fantasy schedule shouldn't control which teams make the playoffs, but weekly H2H seems more a little more fun on a weekly basis than a pure total points system. In my league some strongly do not want to change saying win loss record is more like real football and we've always done it that way. Of course fantasy ain't real football.

I believe other leagues have different rules to make sure the high point scoring teams with bad win loss records in H2H get in. Share your league's rules to get the "best" teams into the playoffs.

Thanks!

 

[weebs]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

 

[dleto]

My league allows 6 teams into the playoffs. The best record from each of our 2 divisions who both get a bye in the first round of the playoffs, with the other 4 teams being the best records regardless of division who play each other in the first round of our playoffs. The only thing that matters for the playoffs is H2H record unless there are ties in which case we use points for as our first tiebreaker, and points against as our second tiebreaker.

 

[kcmast]

12 team league. 6 playoff teams.

2 - division winners

3 - next best records

1 - most points scored that isn't already in.

 

[Hu-Tang Clan]

12 team league, no divisions, top 6 get in. We play with Victory Points and you get 2 points for a win and 0 for a loss. Then top 4 scoring teams in the week get 2 more points, middle 4 teams get 1 and bottom 4 get 0. This is our first year of trying this and so far it's been fun.

 

[cstu]

12 team league. 6 playoff teams.

2 - division winners

3 - next best records

1 - most points scored that isn't already in.

This is a good rule to have.

 

[Alkahsu]

Division winners making the playoffs is about the worst setting you can have. It allows for the possibility of worse teams making the playoffs, not better teams.

 

[mr roboto]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

Let me know the next time your magic football players can physically line up and beat your opponents magic football players. The best way to determine the best team is by doing an All-Play format. But like weebs here most people think that h2h is more like 'real football.'

 

[weebs]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

Let me know the next time your magic football players can physically line up and beat your opponents magic football players. The best way to determine the best team is by doing an All-Play format. But like weebs here most people think that h2h is more like 'real football.'

You must also play ppr

 

[cstu]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

Let me know the next time your magic football players can physically line up and beat your opponents magic football players.The best way to determine the best team is by doing an All-Play format. But like weebs here most people think that h2h is more like 'real football.'

You must also play ppr

Excuse me, I'll get off your lawn.

 

[mad sweeney]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

 

[mr roboto]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

Let me know the next time your magic football players can physically line up and beat your opponents magic football players. The best way to determine the best team is by doing an All-Play format. But like weebs here most people think that h2h is more like 'real football.'

You must also play ppr

No I don't. Why does that matter?

 

[Daywalker]

12 team league.

We have a 7-0 team that is 9th in points. 30 points from last in points. We are rooting for him to go undefeated and finish last in points.

 

[weebs]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

Let me know the next time your magic football players can physically line up and beat your opponents magic football players. The best way to determine the best team is by doing an All-Play format. But like weebs here most people think that h2h is more like 'real football.'

You must also play ppr

No I don't. Why does that matter?

Your reasoning sounds like someone who would want to award points for catching a ball for 0 yards.

 

[FF Wiseguy]

We instituted a guaranteed playoff spot for the top scoring team. It gets a little convoluted, but here's how it works:

- If the top scoring team does not make the playoffs, they are given the 6th seed, and the 6th seed based on W-L record is eliminated from playoff contention.

- if this rule is enforced, the 3rd seed (top 2 get byes) gets to choose their opponent, between the 5th side and the top scoring "6th seed."

The second part was put in place to prevent the 3rd seed from being forced to play a better opponent than the 4th seed. As LM, I instituted this clause. Not sure if it is necessary, as I don't know that the 3rd seed deserves to choose their opopnent, and it makes things much more complicated. But it felt like the most fair way to go, so I instituted it.

 

[mr roboto]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

Let me know the next time your magic football players can physically line up and beat your opponents magic football players. The best way to determine the best team is by doing an All-Play format. But like weebs here most people think that h2h is more like 'real football.'

You must also play ppr

No I don't. Why does that matter?

Your reasoning sounds like someone who would want to award points for catching a ball for 0 yards.

Talk about a non sequitur...

 

[Vector]

I know that the best part of FF is the H2H matchups every week and the trash talk and rivalries it produces. That said, it is also a common occurance that the 2nd or 3rd highest scoring team any week will be matched against the highest scoring team. It's uncanny how many times that happens.

One way I have seen to try to average that out while still maintain the fun of H2H matchups is to give a combined record for a single week. You obviously get the win or loss from your H2H scheduled matchup, but in addition you get a second win or loss due to your all-play record for the week.

For example, You lose 145 - 140 to your scheduled opponent you are 0-1, but your all play record for the week is 10 - 1 (could also go down to 6 - 5). You then receive a "win" for that so your weekly record is 1-1 rather than 0-1.

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

I do Top 3 records + Highest Total Points remaining teams. Has worked out well. Keeps teams interested longer from my experience.

VIctory Points also works well, but not all websites support.

 

[Leonidas]

I think dividions are stupid, and they only serve to make it worse.

I got rid of divisions in every league I commish as of this year.

The best I can do with simple, free software like Yahoo, is to have no divisions and use points scored as the tie breaker.

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

^That's dumb.

In real football you have direct control, input, and say over how many points your opponent scores.

Or did Kansas City lose last week because Denver scored more points?

 

[Vector]

I've also been trying to work out a scoring system for IDP leagues where offensive scoring is separate from defensive scoring. Your offense is paired with the opponents defense and vice versa. The point differentials are combined to determine the outcome of the match.

The difficult part here is coming up with an equitable scoring system that allows direct offense to defense correlation.

 

[Nucker101]

I enjoy single H2H per week and always will, the luck part of FF does make it a bit more fun. It makes it a little more interesting to focus on who your opponent is starting that week and knowing which players to root against. Even with a bad team you still go into every week with some hope. The odds of one of the top 3 or 4 highest scoring teams not making the playoffs in a 12 team, 6 playoff format is pretty slim. I've never been in a league where one of the top 3 scoring teams missed the playoffs in that format. I believe 2 years ago I was in a league where the 4th highest scorer did not make the playoffs, but his team also had some ridiculously high scoring weeks and a couple of stinkers as well, consistency should mattter.

 

[Sarnoff]

Wrong. WRONG.

We draft our teams, manage them throughout the year, make waiver pickups, drop players, set weekly rosters, etc. Just like one of you "guppy" leagues. BUT, at the end of the season, we feed each weekly lineup into an all-play, Monte Carlo simulator that runs each week's lineup against each other lineup for that week, TEN THOUSAND TIMES, and then gives us the results. We used to just run a hundred Madden simulated games until we got access to the simulation program. Now we truly know who really deserves to be the best team, best manager, without any of the "fluke" plays that kill you poor commoners.

 

[Woogie Lee]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

Well because in Fantasy Football, I can't control how much the other team scores. I can only score the most points possible.....that's it.

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

Heartbreak, amazement and jubilation are part of the experience.

 

[ghostguy123]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

Well because in Fantasy Football, I can't control how much the other team scores. I can only score the most points possible.....that's it.

In the NFL, the 12 best teams generally do not all make the playoffs. They can't control their schedule, and can't control if they get a team in their best day or not, or if their opponents are at full strength or have injuries.

If you are just going to give it to the 6 teams who score the most, that take a LOT of things out of the equation that make it fun with head to head matchups.

But really, no sense in complaining. Just find a league you like. There are a million of em out there, all different styles.

 

[Johnny Blood]

We don't do any of these. Instead we have equal prize money for playoffs and scoring. Actually we devote more money to scoring if you include the weekly prizes.

I also think some people are overly convinced that a higher point total means you are a better team. Let me give a ludicrous example to at least show that's not a logical truth. You could be the lowest scoring team for every single week except one, yet still be the highest scoring team for the season. Now, of course that is ludicrous, but it contains a kernel of truth. Head to head obviously increases luck but it also rewards consistency, grinding, and timely moves to account for weekly problems.

 

[ebsteelers]

Affl.com and fgc both use record, along with highest point totals....

Masters uses best record.

I do like the idea of most total points cause nothing sucks more than scoring the most points and being left out

 

[Warrior]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

Let me know the next time your magic football players can physically line up and beat your opponents magic football players.The best way to determine the best team is by doing an All-Play format. But like weebs here most people think that h2h is more like 'real football.'

You must also play ppr

No I don't. Why does that matter?

Your reasoning sounds like someone who would want to award points for catching a ball for 0 yards.

Weebs, do your leagues reward points for yards? Or just TDs?

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

Let me know the next time your magic football players can physically line up and beat your opponents magic football players.The best way to determine the best team is by doing an All-Play format. But like weebs here most people think that h2h is more like 'real football.'

You must also play ppr

No I don't. Why does that matter?

Your reasoning sounds like someone who would want to award points for catching a ball for 0 yards.

Funny stuff right there!

 

[Leonidas]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

Well because in Fantasy Football, I can't control how much the other team scores. I can only score the most points possible.....that's it.

In the NFL, the 12 best teams generally do not all make the playoffs. They can't control their schedule, and can't control if they get a team in their best day or not, or if their opponents are at full strength or have injuries.

If you are just going to give it to the 6 teams who score the most, that take a LOT of things out of the equation that make it fun with head to head matchups.

But really, no sense in complaining. Just find a league you like. There are a million of em out there, all different styles.

So, Kansas City lost last week because Denver scored more points?

 

[ShamrockPride]

16 team league

4 divisions

8 teams make playoffs

seeds 1-4 awarded to division winners

No re-seeding in playoffs. Hate re-seeding.

 

[Sarnoff]

We don't do any of these. Instead we have equal prize money for playoffs and scoring. Actually we devote more money to scoring if you include the weekly prizes.

I also think some people are overly convinced that a higher point total means you are a better team. Let me give a ludicrous example to at least show that's not a logical truth. You could be the lowest scoring team for every single week except one, yet still be the highest scoring team for the season. Now, of course that is ludicrous, but it contains a kernel of truth. Head to head obviously increases luck but it also rewards consistency, grinding, and timely moves to account for weekly problems.

In my other league, we have a perfectly fair system in which everyone gets a prize. The same prize. It's great.

 

[Steeler]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

This difference is that you can't directly control your opponents score in fantasy football. The only thing you can control is your own total points (by drafting well, trading well, working the WW well, and starting the correct players each week). H2H is fine, but I think the first tie breaker should be total points scored for the year for the reasons I just mentioned. Another method that is just as good is the "All-Play" record - the record of your team if you played every other team each week.

To the OPs question's question, maybe the easiest change would be for the wild card team from each conference to be determined by total points or "all-play" record.

 

[TheDirtyWord]

12 teams; 4 divisions. 13 game season.

4 division winners get in.

1 WC by virtue of best record and tie-breakers.

2nd WC determined same way as first WC if that team has a better than .500 record. If no team has a better than .500 record, then we revert to most points scored.

 

[nastynate]

Tried to talk my league into the top 6 pt scores for the week get Ws and the bottom 6 get losses. Shot down 5-6.

Anyone know a site where you can set the league like that?

 

[cstu]

We don't do any of these. Instead we have equal prize money for playoffs and scoring. Actually we devote more money to scoring if you include the weekly prizes.

I also think some people are overly convinced that a higher point total means you are a better team. Let me give a ludicrous example to at least show that's not a logical truth. You could be the lowest scoring team for every single week except one, yet still be the highest scoring team for the season. Now, of course that is ludicrous, but it contains a kernel of truth. Head to head obviously increases luck but it also rewards consistency, grinding, and timely moves to account for weekly problems.

While possible, I've never seen that happen. Usually there's a team who just has the bad luck of getting the most pointed scored against them and/or loses some close games.

 

[Johnny Blood]

We don't do any of these. Instead we have equal prize money for playoffs and scoring. Actually we devote more money to scoring if you include the weekly prizes.

I also think some people are overly convinced that a higher point total means you are a better team. Let me give a ludicrous example to at least show that's not a logical truth. You could be the lowest scoring team for every single week except one, yet still be the highest scoring team for the season. Now, of course that is ludicrous, but it contains a kernel of truth. Head to head obviously increases luck but it also rewards consistency, grinding, and timely moves to account for weekly problems.

In my other league, we have a perfectly fair system in which everyone gets a prize. The same prize. It's great.

That sounds truly horrible. In my league very few people end up breaking even much less profiting.

 

[⚡DEADHEAD⚡]

Play against the weekly average in addition to H2H. We moved to this several years ago and love it.

Got rid of the kicker too. Even better.

 

[Hooper31]

12 team league. 6 playoff teams.

2 - division winners

3 - next best records

1 - most points scored that isn't already in.

This is what we've done for close to 20 years.

 

[TheWick]

Victory Points is the answer.

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

This difference is that you can't directly control your opponents score in fantasy football.

Yes. This. A thousand times this. How is it that there are people out there who still can't understand this?

It's very simple: With 4 playoff spots, the two division winners, the highest total points (among the remaining teams), and the best All-Play record (among the remaining teams) qualify for the playoffs.

With 6 playoff teams, it's the top 2 teams in each division, highest total points, and the best All-Play record.

Problem solved, in about 30 seconds' worth of tweaking the commissioner settings.

 

[weebs]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

Let me know the next time your magic football players can physically line up and beat your opponents magic football players.The best way to determine the best team is by doing an All-Play format. But like weebs here most people think that h2h is more like 'real football.'

You must also play ppr

No I don't. Why does that matter?

Your reasoning sounds like someone who would want to award points for catching a ball for 0 yards.

Weebs, do your leagues reward points for yards? Or just TDs?

Yes. Why wouldnt it? Yards gets a team closer to the end zone. Catching a pass for .4 yards does not deserve points.

 

[SameSongNDance]

Victory Points and facing the league average is awesome, IMO. It really depends on your preferences and whether or not you want to mitigate luck however. Arguing over which is "better" is absolutely pointless.

 

[Topes]

Fairness is overrated in fantasy football.

The Butthurt Quest for Fairness is the source of some of the worst rules in the history of fantasy football.

 

[Leonidas]

I would like to do a double-header setup. Each week you face two opponents, and get two wins/losses.

Same basic principle of H2H, but it spreads out the volatility and keeps you from having a guy who scores 104 points only get a loss while a guy who scores 65 points only gets a win (as happened in my league last week).

 

[spodog]

That said, it is also a common occurance that the 2nd or 3rd highest scoring team any week will be matched against the highest scoring team. It's uncanny how many times that happens.

Unless your league has only been around for a few years, I'd bet it's no more likely statistically than the 11th highest scoring team eeking out a win over the 12th highest scoring team on any given week. It's just that those games get very little attention, so they don't seem notable.

 

[spodog]

Victory Points and facing the league average is awesome, IMO. It really depends on your preferences and whether or not you want to mitigate luck however. Arguing over which is "better" is absolutely pointless.

At the water cooler: "Hey, congrats there Joe, you really kicked the sh*# out of that league average score this past weekend, way to go!"

 

[mr roboto]

We had h2h for years in dynasty. Many people felt this wasn't the best way to evaluate the best teams. So we went to all-play. Much better way to evaluate a ff team but it does take a but of the excitement out of it.

In a h2h redraft, I won a game 59-59 because my bench scored 7 more points than his. We tied for lowest points that week. There were literally 10 other teams that would have beat me.

 

[Ghost Rider]

We play three games a week in our local league. With that many games a week, the best teams will usually finish in the money.

Also, 12-team leagues should never have more than four teams in the playoffs, otherwise it is just silly.

 

[Woogie Lee]

Dumb. In real football its head to head and if you don't out score the other team you lose. I don't see why magic fb should be different.

Well because in Fantasy Football, I can't control how much the other team scores. I can only score the most points possible.....that's it.

In the NFL, the 12 best teams generally do not all make the playoffs. They can't control their schedule, and can't control if they get a team in their best day or not, or if their opponents are at full strength or have injuries.

If you are just going to give it to the 6 teams who score the most, that take a LOT of things out of the equation that make it fun with head to head matchups.

But really, no sense in complaining. Just find a league you like. There are a million of em out there, all different styles.

I'm not saying that. I think a hybrid of scoring points and some type of double header action each week is the best way to reward the best teams.