Finding the best way to break ties

NFL procedures worth looking into

By JOHN WICK

Thursday, December 18, 2003

As fantasy football grows each season, there is a constant need to review the rules of the game.

It seems as if every week owners question the need or lack of rules to handle situations within their leagues. Over the last 15 weeks, we've looked at strange scoring plays and official NFL rulings. This week, as we progress into the fantasy playoffs, I have received e-mail and questions at Packer Insider on jsonline.com regarding breaking ties.

First, handling playoff position ties, both division and wild card, is fairly simple. If there is no head-to-head leader, go to total points. If more than two teams are involved, it is recommended that you follow the NFL tiebreaker procedures as closely as possible. You can find those steps at www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakers.

To sum it up, use head-to-head first to advance any teams that have beaten the others. After one team has advanced, start over and advance the next best head-to-head team. Once no more teams can be advanced, revert to total points. Some leagues do just the opposite. The division winners are automatically in, but the wild cards are determined solely by total points.

Tiebreakers in weekly games can be a much more sensitive area for league owners. If a game ends in a tie during the regular season, many leagues let the tie stand. During the playoffs there have been many suggestions on breaking the ties. The most common suggested this year include:

-- Take off all yardage statistics and only count actual NFL scores.

-- Choose one reserve player from your bench to act as a "reserve" player if needed.

-- The team with the single biggest performer, or biggest day, earns the victory.

-- The team with the longest scoring play earns the victory.

-- The higher seeded playoff team earns the right to advance.

While none are perfect, they all offer a springboard to discussion heading into end-of-the-season league meetings.

If you have a creative tie-breaking procedure, let us know at jwick4@wi.rr.com.

Remember that Week 16 brings NFL football to Saturday. Be sure to have your lineups in on time this weekend.

WEEK 16 BREAKDOWN

Packers at Raiders -- With Oakland giving up 22 points per home game, Green Bay should have a productive week. Ahman Green gets 106 rushing yards and averages one score per road game. Oakland allows 149 yards on the ground. Brett Favre has twelve passing scores away from Lambeau. Javon Walker continues to improve, but Favre spread the wealth in San Diego and relocated Donald Driver. The Raiders are not reliable this late in the season. Rick Mirer leads the passing game and Tyrone Wheatley and Charlie Garner split the carries.

Falcons at Buccaneers -- Tampa Bay destroyed the Vickless Falcons, 31-10, in Week 3. Brad Johnson threw for two scores and has seven touchdowns in his last three against Atlanta. Thomas Jones is being given every chance to prove he is a featured back. He had 34 carries for 134 yards and a score last week. Indianapolis stymied the Falcons last weekend. Brian Finneran has been much more active, but this late in the season is not the time to experiment. T.J. Duckett continued his scoring streak and is worthy of starting.

Chiefs at Vikings -- Minnesota scores 27 points per home game. Kansas City gets 27 per road game. Play them all. Priest Holmes averages 92 yards rushing away from Arrowhead, but he'll make up for yards in scores as the Vikings have allowed 19 rushing scores this season. Trent Green continues to spread the ball around, leaving Tony Gonzalez as the only reliable receiving target. Viking rookie Onterrio Smith was a workhorse in Week 15. He'll be active again this week and is a solid late season pickup.

Patriots at Jets -- Tom Brady has three scores in his last five starts against the Jets. He produces better fantasy points on the road, but isn't consistent enough to start this late in the season. His only reliable target remains TE Daniel Graham. Chad Pennington hasn't lit anyone up in the last two weeks. Santana Moss has 181 yards in his last three games and has been held out of the end zone in December. In cold weather, this should be defensive. If you can look elsewhere, do it.

Bengals at Rams -- Jon Kitna gets 241 yards and nearly two scores per road game. Chad Johnson has six scores in seven road games and Peter Warrick averages six catches for 60 yards away from home. Avoid Corey Dillon, as Rudi Johnson appears to be the back of the future in Cincy. All Rams at home remain good plays. Marc Bulger had struggled, scoring seven times in his last seven before hitting twice against Seattle last week.

Ravens at Browns -- Jamal Lewis dominated Cleveland, gaining 295 yards and scoring twice in Week 2. He has topped 100 yards in three consecutive games against the Browns. Anthony Wright finally struggled. He and Marcus Robinson did very little, but should bounce back against the Browns. Todd Heap ended a five-game scoreless streak. He's still a top TE, but shouldn't be considered unless you have to start a TE. Cleveland offers nothing consistent. Don't even toy with sneaking a Brown in your lineup.

Lions at Panthers -- Stephen Davis rushes for 108 yards per home game. Against the Lions run defense, he's in for a huge day. WR Steve Smith has four of his six scores at home. He is a good option as a second or third receiver. The Panthers will pound as they look to secure playoff home games. Detroit offers nothing of fantasy value.

Dolphins at Bills -- Ricky Williams pounded out 153 yards and a touchdown in Week 3, but he's only averaging 73 yards per road game and Buffalo only allows 95 yards on the ground. WR Chris Chambers only gets 52 yards per road game. The Bills defense has held opponents to 52 points in the last five games. That makes all Dolphins hard to start. Travis Henry gets 105 yards in home games. He's the only Bill to rely on this week.

Saints at Jaguars -- This will be a battle of wills. Jacksonville allows 84 yards on the ground. Deuce McAllister averages 115 yards on the road. Both defenses will try stuffing the run. Fred Taylor and Jimmy Smith remain solid plays. New Orleans is playing loose. Aaron Brooks went from almost being benched to throwing for five scores. Expect the Saints to continue airing it out.

Giants at Cowboys -- Dallas scored a 35-32 Week 2 shootout victory. Tiki Barber rushed for 41 yards and fumbled once in the loss. With New York showing no signs of life, keep them benched. Dallas has scored just 14 points per game over the last eight weeks. Both teams are in disarray. Avoid them if possible.

Titans at Texans -- Steve McNair should be back. Expect a huge day from him. He'll use both Derrick Mason and Justin McCareins to make a statement that the Titans are solid. Eddie George will remain in his 60-yard range, but could find the end zone this week. Tennessee has been looking at rookie Chris Brown more out of the backfield. Avoid all Texans, as the Titan defense has been spectacular.

Redskins at Bears -- Rex Grossman looked like a potential fantasy starter in the future. He threw the ball deep; something Chicago hasn't done much of this season. Justin Gage, Dez White, Marty Booker, and David Terrell were all part of the offense. With Grossman still in the learning curve, don't look here for help yet. Laveranues Coles averages 68 yards on the road. Receiver mate Rod Gardner has been coming on as of late, too. Both are worth considering as a third receiver.

Chargers at Steelers -- Drew Brees returned to throw for 363 and two scores. Pittsburgh allows 203 yards in the air. LaDanian Tomlinson will attack a run defense that gives up 107 yards. Tommy Maddox will have to impress over the last two weeks to keep his job. San Diego has given up 33 passing scores. Hines Ward remains a must start this week, but keep Plaxico Burress active against a poor secondary.

Cardinals at Seahawks -- Seattle's road worries are well documented. At home, Matt Hasselbeck throws for 223 yards. Koren Robinson averages 69 yards receiving and Darrell Jackson gets 61 yards. Shaun Alexander continues to surge and averages 89 yards. Expect more of this well-balanced attack at home this week, but look for big fantasy points from Seattle. Arizona's Anquan Boldin, at 99 yards per road game, is the only Cardinal to consider.

49ers at Eagles -- Heading into Monday night, Donovan McNabb had scored in seven consecutive games. He should have a big game against the Niners as Philadelphia tries to secure home-field advantage in the playoffs. The Eagles backfield still plays roulette, but each back is getting more turns. Duce Staley has been the red zone back the last few weeks, but Correll Buckhalter and Brian Westbrook have done the yardage work. Keep Jeff Garcia and Kevan Barlow active. With nothing to lose, the Niners could be dangerous.

Broncos at Colts -- At press time, the status of Clinton Portis is uncertain. If he can't go, the Denver offense loses most of its potency as Mike Anderson steps back into the lineup. Jake Plummer needs a strong running game to make the offense go. The Colts are rolling. Play them all again this week. Brandon Stokely has become a solid third WR for Indy and is a potential one-week fill-in for stuck fantasy owners.

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