NFL.com fantasy playoffs challenge

[SenorBeef]

Last year's thread (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=591916)

You pick a non-exclusive fantasy lineup (meaning there's no draft, anyone can pick anyone else) in the playoffs. Every week you keep the same players, a multiplier goes up in your score. So if you pick Drew Brees and he wins, the next week you'll get his points x2, and if he's still in at that point, the next week his points x3. Or you can switch your picks every week.

So it's both a fantasy and playoff prediction contest.

Sign up page (http://challengegames.nfl.com/landing/playoffchallenge?icampaign=PC_HP_more_now_signup&module=HP11_more_now)

SDMB league (http://challengegames.nfl.com/playoffchallenge/leagues/26826)

If that doesn't work, search for league "sdmb" and the password is cecil.

You know what they should have? At bars with those trivia console things, during football games they have a competition where you pick the play design (run left, pass deep right, etc) and get rewarded on accuracy and streaks. If you're going to be at the computer watching the game anyway, that'd be fun to play. Anyone know what I'm talking about, and if they have something like that on the internet anywhere?

[SenorBeef]

If you want another playoff challenge, there's the playoff prediction contest (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=637192) we've been doing for a few years.

[SenorBeef]

There's a new twist this year - you can select a player who's on a bye week. You'll get zero points for them this week, but you'll get 2x points for them the next week since it will be your second week with that player. If you're very confident one team will make it to the superbowl, it may not be a bad choice.

[Omniscient]

I'm in. Some tricky choices in week 1.

[It's Not Rocket Surgery!]

I signed up.

[Fear the Turtle]

There's a new twist this year - you can select a player who's on a bye week. You'll get zero points for them this week, but you'll get 2x points for them the next week since it will be your second week with that player. If you're very confident one team will make it to the superbowl, it may not be a bad choice.

Nice. I didn't see that. May need to go back and rethink some of my guys.

[SCSimmons]

You know what they should have? At bars with those trivia console things, during football games they have a competition where you pick the play design (run left, pass deep right, etc) and get rewarded on accuracy and streaks. If you're going to be at the computer watching the game anyway, that'd be fun to play. Anyone know what I'm talking about, and if they have something like that on the internet anywhere?
Something like this (http://www.buzztime.com/qb1.html)?

[SenorBeef]

Yeah, that's what they have at various bars, I was just hoping there was a computer version that we could play together as a contest.

[dalej42]

I'm in as Phoenix Redbirds.

[Ellis Dee]

I'm in. Saw no decisions at all in wildcard round; I'm expecting a lot of similar scores.

[Omniscient]

Bump to get a few more people in before kickoff today.

[Hamlet]

I'm in. Saw no decisions at all in wildcard round; I'm expecting a lot of similar scores.I'm in also. And I agree. It seemed to me almost every decision (outside of WR #2) was an easy call. But then, this is the NFL, and fantasy football at that. So expect the unexpected. Unless that unexpected is Tebow throwing for 300 yards and 3 td's with no picks, because there's no way in hell that is happening.

[SenorBeef]

There are decisions to be made considering that you can pick bye week players without losing the multiplier effect. Drew Brees vs Aaron Rodgers is a tough decision for instance - if NO make the superbowl you can get an entire extra week out of him, but if you're convinced GB is going to the superbowl, it's worth taking 0 points in week 1 because you'll be getting 4x points by the superbowl to more than make up for it.

[SenorBeef]

Huh, looks like I'm the only one who didn't go with Drew Brees.

[SenorBeef]

I kept going back between Michael Turner and Arian Foster, figuring Foster was more valuable but I predicted that Turner was more likely to go deeper into the playoffs. Bah.

I'm the only one who took the Aaron Rodgers long term strategy. I'm working under the prediction that Brees will make the NFC Championship game but Rodgers will make the superbowl, so the trade off is

Rodgers 0 x 1, divisional games x 2, championship x3, superbowl x4
Brees wildcard x 1, divisional games x 2, championship x 3

If my prediction is correct, Rodgers should significantly outscore Brees in total on account of the 4x multiplier. Also went with Jordy Nelson for the same reason. Two people did go long with with Ray Rice picks, which in retrospect I should've done too.

I do have significant investment in the Saints too with Sproles, Colston, and Graham.

Steelers D failed catastrophically. -2 for the entire playoffs. I think we all took that though.

Don't forget to update any position where you had a player eliminated.

[Fear the Turtle]

The only problem with this reasoning is that you could have said similar things for Brees last year, and we all remember what happened in Seattle. If the Giants can pull the upset, and the Saints take care of the Niners you are seriously behind the 8 Ball.