If you’re reading this column, you probably made it to the playoffs. Congratulations. Perhaps I can be of assistance in helping you take home the title. Bring on the questions!
More Fantasy Q&A: Playoff Strategy and Playoff Sleepers
Q: My league runs a cumulative scoring playoff system. We have a 6-team playoff field battling it out over the next two weeks for the highest score. The top 2 teams go to the Super Bowl in Weeks 16 and 17. Any advice on how to navigate this system? - Trent
A: I love this setup. You have qualified for the postseason andyou can’t get bounced out in the first round by a team that plays out of its mind and beats you by a handful of points. On the other hand, you can’t have the lucky day either. You need to try and capture as many points in two weeks as possible. My advice is don’t straddle the fence from a strategy perspective. Go for the high risk/high reward approach or play it safe. If you try and blendthe two, you could get the worst of bothworlds. An example of playing with fire would be starting two defenses in leagues where defenses can either make or break you. An example of playing it safe would be starting a guy like Julius Jones (starter) over a guy like Reggie Bush (you never know what you are going to get.) Finally, if you go for it this week and you get hammered, you HAVE to go for it again next week. But if you play it safe this week in your matchupsyou can turn around and roll the dice next week to go to the big dance.
Q: I have David Garrard, Vince Young and Jason Campbell to choose from this week in the playoffs. Who should I start? - Derrick
A: Derrick, for full disclosure purposes, I must cop to my Washington allegiance. But Jason Campbell is probably your best bet this week. Garrard gets Miami and Young gets St. Louis. I just don’t know how much faith to place in Garrard at this point and the Titans will lean heavily on Chris Johnson against the Rams. The Redskins, however, have no running back to lean on. Last week they threw it 42 times and rushed it 25. The Raiders have a decent run defense which will look better against Washington’s patchwork line and 4th string running back. Campbell will almost certainly be asked to throw it a lot again, and at 66%, he is the 7th most accurate passer in the league (nestled between Kurt Warner and Tom Brady.) The Skins have some young receivers gaining confidence and are becoming a little more unpredictable in their play-calling. Campbell could have another huge fantasy performance this week.
Q: Last year, I picked up Davone Bess off the waiver wire and he actually helped me down the stretch. He has rotted on my bench this season (I showed maybe a little too much loyalty to him in the draft) and I wonder if I should give up on him for the playoff run on the heels of his blowup game against the Patriots. - Chris
A: Yeah...a tough call indeed. If it was me, I would keep him. Chad Henne, like most young quarterbacks, is going to remember Bess now and get more and more comfortable with him. He has had at least six catches in three of his last five games. He is not seeing the end zone a lot, but upcoming matchups against Jacksonville, Tennessee and Houston are favorable for both Henne and Bess.
Q: Is Devin Thomas for real? - Pat
A: OK, so I picked two Redskins-related questions to answer today...sue me! But this question is intriguing because the Redskins have done a good job of burying their young receivers the last year and a half. Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly and Fred Davis were all 2nd round picks last year and they all barely saw the field. Devin Thomas has emerged this season though. Unlike Fred Davis, who is benefiting from Chris Cooley’s injury to get on the field, Thomas has played his way to the top of the Redskins depth chart. He is a big receiver, unlike the other guys Washington has featured over the last few years (Moss and Randle-El.) More importantly, he has developed an understanding of the offense and his role in it. Thomas has improved in all areas--route-running, yards after the catch, and blocking. The team trusts him to be on the field in most every situation. This all contributed to his most recent outing against the Saints, where he caught 7 passes for 100 yards and 2 TDs. I suppose you have to temper your enthusiasm a little bit since he has not gone over 4 catches or 50 yards all season. But since Jason Campbell is being asked to throw so much more (look above), it makes sense to pick up a guy like Devin Thomas and see if he can keep it rolling in the playoffs.
See More:
