Format: Playoffs
You have your league assembled, divisions set, coaches invited and your scoring matrix designed . but have you given any real thought to the road to the championship? That is, how is your playoff system going to work?
It doesn't matter what format your league has, your playoff system need to be a consideration from day one. Depending on the size of your league, you could start the playoffs as early as week 13, or simply decide to have a single championship game at the end of the year between divisional champions. For those commissioners that do not care for the playoff method for determining the league champion, you can simply have a single division with the ring being awarded to the best record.
Like most decisions at this stage, the choice is yours and there is no single best answer. Largely, the decision comes down to personal preference and league opinion. Given the choices, let me highlight some of the considerations.
Multi-week Playoff: In this format, playoffs will begin as early as week 13 or as late as week 16, depending on whether or not your league will be active in the final week of regular season, week 17; many leagues elect not to play this week due to the resting of players by playoff-bound teams. Depending on the size of your league and the number of divisions, the playoff week commences with X number of teams in a single elimination format. Other teams play simply to determine draft order. The advantage of this scenario is that the stress and importance of playoff weeks is much more intense, with all the marbles on the line. The downside to this approach is in the fact that, for those coaches out of the playoffs, the season is essentially over and there exists very little to "fight" for. And for the dominant teams in your league, it is sometimes difficult to end a season prematurely based on a bad game (yes, that can happen at any point). In the end though, you still end up with two teams going head-to-head in week 16 or 17 for the right to call themselves the champion . which we know is only half as valuable as the smack talk license that is garnered.
Single-week Playoff: In this configuration, the two divisional champions play in the final week of the season (week 16 or 17) for the right to wear the crown. In formats containing only a single division, you can elect to have the top two teams square off for the ring, but this is an unusual format and not one we would recommend. If you are to have a final week championship game, it is recommended that you have a two-division configuration. For purposes of the following rookie draft and draft position, the winner of the championship game receives the ring/trophy and the loser receives 2 nd place (or pick #9 in a 10 team league) regardless of the standings. It can occur where the loser of the championship game finished, based solely on overall record, in 3 rd place. Ignore this occurrence and be sure to award the last two picks in the first round of the rookie draft to the two divisional champions.
No Playoff - Best Record: This format does work well in configurations containing only a single division of teams, whether 8, 10, 12 or more. In leagues containing more than 10 teams, we recommend a divisional format as opposed to the single division format - this tends to improve playability and competition. You want as many of your coaches to be competitive throughout the year to ensure that enthusiasm and interest stays at a high level. In a single division format teams can quickly fall from contention . and potentially lose interest. In a no playoff format, all games through week 17 (or 16) are played and the best record at the end of the regular season is awarded the ring. Common tie-breakers should be in effect in which head to head record is the first tie-breaker, followed by total fantasy points. The advantage of the 'No Playoff' system is that all teams get the benefit of playing straight through week 17. For diehard fantasy coaches like those most likely to play dynasty football, having a vested interest all the way through week 17 is enough to keep many interested and competing.
Like most format decisions, the choice is up to you based on your likes and dislikes. Being that this is a significant consideration, however, you should discuss this topic with all of your coaches to make sure that there is agreement before implementing a playoff system.
While no playoff systems have the benefit of all teams playing through week 17, playoff systems give teams without the best record at least a decent shot of winning a championship. The flip-side to this is the fact that you must be prepared for a weaker team to walk away with a ring due to unfortunate circumstances or a bad week. Furthermore, teams not in the playoffs have a protracted season, which is not fun for the diehard coach.
One note about a single week playoff system: a significant consideration is the fact that many NFL teams do rest their star players during the final week, which can play havoc on a fantasy starting roster. This is why many commissioners that choose this method choose to have their championship game during week 16, instead of week 17, to reduce the chances of this impact. Again, the drawback is the fact that a game is essentially removed from the schedule and the impact is not necessarily completely eliminated. If you choose this method, understand that at some point during your reign as commissioner, the single week format will cause a controversy due to rested players. To counter that effect, a coach with good depth will still be able to field a competitive team placing more emphasis on depth within your league.
By involving all of your coaches from the beginning, you can choose a format that will pay dividends for many years.