Article:Playoff Fantasy Football for `07

For some fantasy footballers, the mourning period has set in, as next year's drafts seem so far away. However, there is an option for those who wish to prolong, and perhaps redeem, their fantasy season before September: Playoff Fantasy Football.

The game is similar, with some important differences: 1) No bench - if Ben Roethlisberger is your quarterback and the Steelers fall in the Wild Card Round, no more quarterback points for your team - teams consist of a starting lineup and nothing else; and 2) Points are cumulative rather than weekly - when the Super Bowl ends, the team with the most points accumulated between the first Wild Card game's kickoff and the confetti showers in Phoenix wins.

With these rule changes come strategy alterations. The first plan of attack is to decide your favorites to make it deep into the playoffs. The teams that play in the Super Bowl will most likely produce some of the higher-scoring fantasy players. Players on the teams that should fall in the 1st Round will produce fewer points. RB Clinton Portis has been on fire as of late, but if you think Washington will lose to Seattle this weekend, then go with a guy like RB Laurence Maroney, who has less impressive stats but a better chance of making it deeper into the playoffs. Remember, one good game from Portis in a losing effort will probably result in less total fantasy points than three decent games from Maroney.

A fantasy owner obviously cannot have an entire team made up of New England Patriots or Dallas Cowboys, as players from these teams figure to be snatched up early since they are favorites. So, where else can an owner look for those extra points? Turn to the literal source of said extra points and draft your Super Bowl pick's kicker a little earlier than you normally would. Should the Cowboys make it to the Super Bowl, K Nick Folk figures to put up more fantasy points over the course of the playoffs than any player at any position on a team that loses its first game.

Below are the Top 25 Fantasy Players for 2007 Playoff Fantasy Football... (Read the full article here: Playoff Fantasy Football for `07)