Introduction
These tables show the optimal lineups a person could have theoretically
started in 2003 using Fantasy Football Tournament of Champions ("FFTOC")
contest format. Not
sure what FFTOC is? It is a new high stakes contest in 2004,
and it has some rather unique rules that make the FFTOC different
than any other fantasy football contest you've ever seen or heard
about (not to mention, a $250,000 Grand Prize). FFTOC calls their
unique contest format, "Tournament-Style." To summarize, the key
rules are:
- No draft to attend and no roster to manage.
- You can start any NFL player you want each week - but only once all season.
- You start 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 PK and 1 Defense each week.
- Typical performance fantasy scoring system; 0.05 points per pass yard, 0.10 points per
rush/rec yard, 6 points per TD, etc.
- 600 teams grouped in 6-team brackets to compete in FFTOC regular season during NFL weeks
1 through 12.
- Top 200 teams through regular season advance to FFTOC Finals during NFL weeks 13 through 16.
The rule start any player but only once all season has tremendous ramifications on the
strategy required for this contest. Does a person go full out to ensure they win their regular season
bracket? Do you hold back players who you expect to rack up big points through the final weeks to
win the grand prize (assuming
you qualify for the Finals)? How much do opponent matchups make a difference in selecting players each
week? How many "out of no where players" like Anquan Boldin and Domanick Davis in 2003 can be counted
on in any given year?
I thought it would be interesting to pull together the optimal lineups
from 2003 to help mentally prepare for the 2004 contest, and hopefully
shed some light on these questions. The top table for each position
is the optimal lineup for the regular season, weeks 1-12. The second
table is for the Finals, weeks 13-16 and restricted from
picking players who were already used in the top table. The third
table is for the Finals but unrestricted from picking players
who were already used in the top table.
Most of the columns are self-explanatory. The Value column is the calculated field to help
determine which players were the best players to start each week on a retrospective basis. Value is
calculated and the optimal lineups are determined by performing the following steps for each position:
- Compile a list of fantasy performances by week for all players. Sort by week and then fantasy points
from best to worst.
- For each week, deduct the fantasy points for the lowest ranked best starter (#1 ranked QB since you only
start 1 per week; #2 ranked RB; #3 ranked WR) from the fantasy points for each player.
- Sort the entire list (all players, all weeks) by the value calculated in step 2, from highest to lowest.
- Start picking players with the highest value from the top of the list working down, selecting the
required number of starters for each week and making sure not to select the same player twice.
You will notice using this method the #1 ranked QB for each week will have a value of 0 (nil), since you are
deducting that player's fantasy points from the fantasy points for every QB in that given week. For RB, the
#1 ranked RB each week will have a positive value and the #2 ranked RB will have a value of 0 (nil). Any
player with a negative value indicates a player who was not ranked as the #1 QB, #1 or #2 RB, or #1 to #3 WR
for the week, which must have been one or more players optimally chosen for another week.
Note there are some minor differences in lineup combinations possible
that result in the same FF point total. Only one optimal lineup
is shown for each position. Let's check out
the tables  |
