2024 FFPC Playoff Challenge: Strategies, Tips, And More

Do you still have a fantasy football itch that you need to scratch? Don’t worry. Your season doesn’t have to be over! With the FFPC Playoff Challenge, you can still play fantasy football. What is the FFPC, you ask? In this article, I’ll cover the FFPC Playoff Challenge strategies, tips, and more! Plus, I’ll give out the lineup I’ve already picked for myself. Although like a true dege, I’ll have more than one.

The best part of the FFPC Playoff Challenge is the more accurately you can predict the playoffs, the more likely you’ll win some cash with your entry! Trust me when I tell you this is as simple as setting a fantasy football line-up. There is no draft order like in a fantasy football draft. No salary cap like in DFS. It’s as simple as picking your players with a couple of twists. We’ll get into those in this article as well.

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FFPC Playoff Challenge: Strategies, Tips, And More

Setting Your FFPC Playoff Challenge Lineup

Setting a lineup is easy. First, go here and create an account and make a deposit. Second, decide if you want to play in the $200 entry for a $500,000 grand prize or the $35 entry for a $100,000 grand prize. Last, after picking which contest you’re entering, you set your lineup. Is there anything else? Of course! Let’s get to the twist!

Each team consists of 12 players. You have one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, four flex (RB, WR, or TE), one defense, and one kicker. However, the twist is no two players can be on the same team. Out of the 14 playoff teams, you have to pick one player from 12 of the different teams.

This means you’ll automatically be fading two teams. Which is what makes the FFPC Playoff Challenge so interesting. Everybody has different ideas about which teams will advance and which ones will play multiple games. You’ll have to use this strategy because as soon as your players are out of the playoffs, you no longer get points.

Speaking of points, you’ll get four points for every passing touchdown and one point for every 20 yards passing. Other touchdowns are worth six points. Rushing and receiving yards are one point for every 10 yards. You also get a point per reception unless it’s a tight end, where you’ll get one-and-a-half points per reception. Everything else is pretty standard, aside from the fact that safeties are worth five points for the defense.

FFPC Quarterback Options

You have to choose just one of the 14 quarterbacks that will be in the playoffs. To me, this is the hardest position to pick. You have to go with a quarterback you’re confident will make a deep playoff run. You’ll also want to get one that scores a good amount of points. So which quarterbacks give the best value this year?

As much as I like rookies Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels, I don’t have confidence they’ll make a deep playoff run. I’m not even sure second-year quarterback CJ Stroud will make a deep playoff run. There are also two quarterbacks that won’t score any Super Wild Card Weekend points because of the bye. Those two are Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff.

I’m not going to pick a guy like Russell Wilson. Also, unfortunately, at the time of this writing, we aren’t sure if Jalen Hurts or Jordan Love will even play. If you factor all this in, and if you agree with me on who will make a deep playoff run, your options are limited.

Baker Mayfield has had a great year and a great fantasy football season. However, do we trust he’ll make a deep playoff run? I do, but I don’t think a lot of others are buying in. Justin Herbert is also set up to potentially win a game or two, however, he doesn’t exactly put up huge fantasy football points. I’m also not trusting veterans Sam Darnold or Matthew Stafford.

Therefore, for me, it’s down to Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson. The number one and number two quarterbacks in fantasy football this year. Lamar finished first, Allen finished second (as predicted by me on Old-Fashioned Football). Lamar will be without his top wide receiver to start the playoffs. Josh Allen should be the NFL MVP. In fact, if you look at this article, you’ll see I’m picking Allen to win the Super Bowl MVP as well.

FFPC Running Back Options

I think the FFPC Playoff Challenge lineup gets easier at this point because you can have multiple running backs. Your lineup will consist of two running backs in the running back spots, but you can also throw some in your flex spot. If you end up picking Josh Allen like myself, you will not be able to roster James Cook.

Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to get guys like Derrick Henry, Jahmyr Gibbs, Najee Harris, Joe Mixon, JK Dobbins, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Aaron Jones, Bucky Irving, Brian Robinson, and Kyren Williams. Go figure that of the playoff running backs, six finished in the Top-12 in fantasy football.

Those are the six I’m going to look at as well. I’ve thought about rostering players from their team, however, I think my top two running backs have to be the top two running backs from fantasy football. Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry. I expect them to continue their dominance in the playoffs and better yet, I expect each one will play more than one game.

The other four running backs that from the top-12 in fantasy football are Gibbs, Jacobs, Williams, and James Cook. James Cook finished the season very strong, but like I said I can’t roster him if I chose Josh Allen as my quarterback. Gibbs is an excellent running back or flex option after his last game of the season resulting in four touchdowns. The downfall being that he doesn’t play the first round of games.

Kyren Williams is a touchdown machine for the second year in a row. He also doesn’t have Blake Corum stealing yardage after he broke his forearm. It’s hard not to consider him as a potential running back or flex spot, however, it’s all dependant on if you want to grab one of the Rams’ receivers and/or if you believe they’ll last long in the playoffs.

Finally, Josh Jacobs performed very well in fantasy football on his new team with the Packers. Unfortunately, he now goes against one of the top defenses against the run in Philadelphia. I’m a Bears fan, you know I’m resistant to putting a Packer on my team.

FFPC Wide Receiver Options

The more players you get, the more limited your selections are going to get. If you’ve picked Josh Allen, Derrick Henry, and Saquon Barkley, then you won’t be able to pick anybody from the Bills, Ravens, or Eagles for a wide receiver or flex position.

However, the good news is you still have plenty of players to choose from such as DeAndre Hopkins, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Nico Collins, Courtland Sutton, George Pickens, Llad McConkey, Mike Evans, Terry McLaurin, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Justin Jefferson, and Jordan Addison. Or a Packers receiver. The options are plentiful. Yet, it was one of the hardest two players for me to pick.

I decided to go with Puka Nacua. Last year in the playoffs I took the veteran Cooper Kupp and Nacua had a huge playoff run before they lost. Kupp had next to nothing. I won’t make the mistake again, and Puka is a great option.

My other player for a wide receiver spot is Mike Evans. He’s now tied Jerry Rice’s record for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He’s Baker Mayfield’s guy. I’m also one of the few who think the Bucs could be a problem for teams. I can’t fault you for going for any of those studs. Really it all depends on what teams will play more than just one game. That’s where you want to attack.

One of the hardest teams to pick from for me was the Chargers. I think they end up beating the Texans. Which likely then puts them up against the Chiefs, depending on the other two games. Dobbins and McConkey both seem like solid options, but you have to factor in kicker and defense. Taking a kicker and a defense will eliminate to of your teams so I usually pick them last.

FFPC Tight End

Tight end is an important position in the FFPC because of the scoring. This is a tight end premium format, so tight ends get one-and-a-half points per catch instead of the normal one point per reception. The other tricky part is nailing down a tight end. Of the top 12 fantasy football tight ends, only half of them are in the playoffs.

Those five are Mark Andrews, Travis Kelce, Sam Laporta, Tucker Kraft, Zach Ertz, and Pat Freirmuth. Names like Sam Laporta almost surprise you, after such a slow start earlier this year. However, he finished the last six games with double-digit fantasy football points. The issue is, if you want a guy like Laporta, you’re foregoing Amon-Ra St. Brown or Jahmyr Gibbs. That’s not a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

Travis Kelce had a truly up-and-down year as well. Although, in Week 8 through Week 10 he had over 20 fantasy football points. He also finished the year with a 22.4-point game. Is playoff Trav about to break out? Mark Andrews also finished the season very consistently with seven straight double-digit fantasy point games.

Zach Ertz may surprise you, but in the last two games, he’s scored a total of 40.6 fantasy football points. He’s involved often in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense and Jayden Daniels trusts him. Pat Freiermuth was also fairly consistent as he has been his entire career at Pittsburgh. Last, Tucker Kraft, didn’t finish as strong as the others. Instead, he started stronger and finished a little slower.

As much as I want to add Mark Andrews as my tight end I can’t not roster Derrick Henry. He was just too good this year. Therefore, I have to go with the guy who’s gotten it done the last two years in the playoffs. Will “Playoff Trav” help me out?

FFPC Flex, Defense, and Kicker Options

Your lineup is now set aside from a defense, a kicker, and four flex spots. The flex spots can be a running back, wide receiver, or tight end. Anybody from those positions can be placed in the flex spot. The only catch is that you can’t have rostered somebody from their team previously. Once you finish picking your flex, defense, and kicker, your lineup is set.

Now you can sit back and see how your team performs (hopefully). Don’t worry though. If your entry ends up being a mess and half your team is out of the playoffs already, just come back and enter a new lineup in the second FFPC Playoff Challenge that starts after the Super Wild Card Weekend!

My Official FFPC Playoff Challenge Lineup

All right here it is, my official FFPC Playoff Challenge lineup number 1.

Quarterback: Josh Allen (Bills)
Running Back: Derrick Henry (Ravens)
Running Back: Saquon Barkley (Eagles)
Wide Receiver: Mike Evans (Bucs)
Wide Receiver: Puka Nacua (Rams)
Tight End: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
Flex Players: Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions), Aaron Jones (Vikings), Nico Collins (Texans), Zach Ertz (Commanders)
Kicker: Cameron Dicker (Chargers)
Defense: Steelers