Making the Case

Securing a BYE should be a main focus in your pursuit of Championships & all the glory that comes with them.

Just look at this Playoff seeding chart from Adeiko (via BeanCounter).

A sample of over 900 leagues.

These were the percentages of final standings based on seed:

To summarize:

– 4 seeds won the Championship 11.05% of the time
– 3 seeds won the Championship 14.43% of the time
– 2 seeds won the Championship 26.38% of the time
– 1 seeds won the Championship 31.91% of the time

If you go into the playoffs as a 3-4 seed, your odds of winning the Championship are 11-14%.
If you go into the playoffs as a 1-2 seed, your odds of winning the Championship are 26-31%.

Mathematically speaking, your odds of winning the Championship more than double – just by securing a first round bye as a 1 or 2 seed.

1-2 seeds also have a 54-56% chance of getting to the Finals & finishing Top-2.
3-4 seeds have just a 23-28% chance of getting to the Finals & finishing Top-2.

Mathematically speaking, your odds of getting to the Finals more than double – just by securing a first round bye as a 1 or 2 seed.

You should be fighting to win EVERY SINGLE GAME.

UNTIL THE BYE IS CLINCHED.

That doesn’t mean go crazy…

That doesn’t mean to start making reckless long-term decisions… 

Don’t do that.

Sometimes it’s just simple moves.

For example, sending a future 4 for a dusty (but semi-helpful) veteran to cover a bye & maximize your weekly projections.

Converting scraps (like future 4’s) into startable assets to ensure you’re not leaving starting slots blank in winnable matchups can go a long way (& can be the difference between winning a game, & ultimately Championship).

Securing as many byes as possible is VITAL to increasing our Championship odds.

Remember…

WE PLAY TO WIN!!