On the Virtues of Dynasty Playoff Leagues

Sons of the Tundra 3/30/07: But while I'm on the subject of dynasty playoff leagues, please allow a slight tangent. I realize I'm in the minority with playoff leagues, but as knowledgable as most of the guys on this board are, you should really give playoff dynasty leagues some consideration. Not only does the format incorporate so much more strategy, it also ratchets up the competition level several notches while simultaneously removing a good portion of the luck factor inherent in week 14-16 playoffs (when you win a championship, you know you've really earned it). Even better, it dovetails perfectly with the dynasty concept AND allows you to stay involved during the best games of the NFL season, namely the playoffs.

Sons of the Tundra 4/7/07: When I referred to playoff dynasty leagues, I was talking about a league that has a 17 week regular season with "x" amount of teams going to the playoffs during the NFL playoffs. In my 12-team leagues, the top 6 teams go to the playoffs. The top 3 regular season teams do get a set amount of dollars based on where they finished, but the bigger money is in the playoffs.

The top 6 teams must come up with a playoff roster, which is where the strategy & competition really kicks up a couple of notches. Most guys make a couple (or a series) of trades with the non-playoff teams to acquire impact playoff players...giving up draft picks and promising young players in the process. I try to have my playoff base built during the season, so I don't have to worry about giving up guys like Larry Fitzgerald or Steven Jackson if the non-playoff teams are into price gouging.

The playoff point totals are cumulative, and the winner isn't usually determined until after the Super Bowl is over. Your starting lineup is the same format as a regular season game except you lose a position if that player's team goes home. i.e. if you started Larry Johnson in round one, you lost a RB spot when the Chiefs lost to the Colts. If you had LT2 and didn't want to worry about losing that RB spot, you don't start anybody at LT2's spot in round one. As long as your player keeps winning, you can plug a different player into that position the next week if you so desire. I think this part is a lot like the non-dynasty playoff leagues that a lot of guys participate in.

Homefield advantage is awarded based on regular season wins. #1 seed starts out with 18, #2 with 15, #3 with 12 and so on. But this can be tweaked depending on how much weight you want to give to the regular season.

Like I've said before, it really forces you to use more strategy. It keeps you very involved during the NFL playoffs. There's much less luck involved than those crummy week 14-16 playoff leagues. It creatively adds a much needed parity to dynasty leagues by forcing the better owners to give up quality to get quality playoff players in return. On the other hand, tearing your team apart for a championship run is far from mandatory. I try to keep a strong nucleus of good young players, and use my depth and draft picks to add a key playoff piece here and there.

When you earn a championship banner, you know you've had to fight tooth and nail to get it.

Anymore, I figure Week 14-16 playoffs are for re-draft leagues with old friends. There's too much luck, not enough strategy involved and it fails to take advantage of the most important games of the NFL season. I don't know if I could go back to a non-playoff dynasty league at this point. You invest so much more in a dynasty playoff league.