Monday, Dec. 17, 2001

Week 14 observations

In the playoffs, stick with the players who got you there

By Steve Soucie, Contributing writer

Lineup decisions get tougher and tougher as the postseason picture develops. One misstep could mean the difference in these big games. In most leagues, inferior teams do not qualify for the playoffs, and you don’t get many breaks.

When and if I am fortunate enough to reach my league’s playoff bracket, I always try to subscribe to several lineup rules when filling out the unit for the biggest game of the season.

1. If you have a tough decision on your lineup, and it is between two players — one of whom you have played most of the season and another whom you have not, go with the player who got you to the playoffs in the first place. I know from nasty experiences that losses are a lot easier to swallow if your top players just didn’t get the job done than if you lose as a result of playing an upstart who was then promptly outscored by your regular starter. That hurts. That is not to say that you shouldn’t go with a hot play, but make sure you’ve got a real good reason before benching an established starter.
2. Get rid of all the dead weight you can off your bench. You never know when a tie is going to come into play. You never know when a last-minute injury could affect the whole outlook of your next few weeks. Make sure every player on your team has a purpose. Leaving Indianapolis RB Edgerrin James on your bench just because you don’t feel like you should cut him doesn’t make any sense. If your league has flex benches (a bench that allows for any sort of make-up), pick up a third or fourth kicker or a recently anointed quarterback. Every little bit helps.
3. Don’t lean too heavily on one-game matchups. Run your best players. I, of course, did not listen to my own advice this week, switching up my backfield to utilize what I thought was a more favorable play with one of my little-used reserves. Of course, the reserve didn’t score, and the regular starter could have helped the cause. This is the time to lean on your top players and hope they respond as they have all season in getting you to the playoffs.
4. If you can’t honestly decide between players in your lineup, there are two counters that I would look for against your opposition. First, study your opponent’s lineup. If he has Oakland QB Rich Gannon, and you have one of Gannon’s favorite targets, such as Jerry Rice or Tim Brown, you might want to strongly consider playing one of them to somewhat offset a potential big game from Gannon. If you are still stumped, go with players who are playing late in the day. There’s nothing like being stuck slightly ahead or behind late on a Sunday with no chance of scoring any points as a counter.

Best of luck in advancing in your respective playoff games!

The Archives
2001 - 2002 Season