Getting Ready For Fantasy Football Playoffs

So you’ve managed to navigate the wavy seas of the Fantasy Football regular season — complete with its mandatory bye weeks, surprise injuries and variety of other pitfalls — and made it into the playoffs. Congratulations! The real work is about to begin. The natural temptation is to simply employ the same managerial strategy that got you here, which is not necessarily a bad idea. That being said, a game in the Fantasy Football playoffs should be researched and scrutinized a bit more than a regular season affair. After all, it’s really only the playoffs that matter, and here are a few tips to help you succeed.

Fantasy Football Playoffs

Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner has done Fantasy owners just fine this season, but diligent fans noticed that backup Jacquizz Rodgers got a large helping of touches in Week 12 against the Buccaneers. This suggests that the Falcons may be pulling the reins back on their primary horse in hopes of preserving him for a postseason run.

Philadelphia Eagles newcomer Bryce Brown only has a tiny fraction of the experience of a back such as Turner, but his motivation levels are through the roof, given the fact that starting running back LeSean McCoy will likely be out for the rest of the year.

The Fantasy Football playoffs kiss of death is mistakenly starting a player that ends up sitting down in a preemptive move for the playoffs, so be sure to be on top of the news in the hours leading up to the kickoffs.

Injured by Association

Most Fantasy owners approach injuries in a pretty straightforward sense. If a player is questionable or doubtful, the best move is to put him on the bench for that week. But what about players whom that player depends upon being questionable, doubtful or even ruled out? Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice is a powerful grinder that eats up yardage and compiles statistics, but take away one or two of his stellar offensive linemen and his production decreases dramatically.The same goes for wide receivers and quarterbacks. A banged up offensive line is a recipe for an unproductive offense that does not produce numbers sufficient to win games in the Fantasy Football playoffs. Many sites feature game day injury reports that are updated to the minute and will provide Fantasy owners with the valuable information they need in crunch time. There are also rumors of a possible Ray Lewis return.

Whether or Not About the Weather

Any fan of the National Football League knows that December football means mud, rain, snow and overall unpleasant conditions. Inclement weather can wreak havoc on passing games and drastically lower the Fantasy Football playoffs output of quarterbacks and wide receivers. There are little feelings that are worse for a Fantasy Football owner than tuning in to watch your starting quarterback and starting wide receiver, only to find out that the field is covered in 2 inches of snow.

The ideal situation for Fantasy Football owners who have made their league’s playoff bracket is to start as many players as possible, who will be playing inside of domes or west of the Mississippi River.

While it is true that a Fantasy owner can think a bit too much and get their decision-making process tied up in knots, it is very important to be aware of all of the elements that could factor into any given players performance in any given game before making your final decisions.

Mike Jones lives and breathes sports, and although in his European hometown football doesn’t involve touchdowns, he knows American football. His tips and opinions are wanted by many fellow Europeans who are looking for tips and expert opinions to help them win their competitions on their favorite daily fantasy sports sites. You can thank him after you win.