Fantasy Football: Should non-playoff teams be banned from waiver wire?

The Fantasy Footballers bring up an interesting question: Should non-playoff teams be banned from the waiver wire come playoff time in fantasy football?

With it being Week 15 of the NFL season, that means it’s playoff time for those who dominated their fantasy football league this season. For everybody still left in it, you’re in the semifinals, playing for your shot at winning a league championship in Week 16. You have time to adjust your roster, but the Fantasy Footballers bring up a great dilemma regarding waiver wire etiquette.

Should non-playoff teams be forbidden from using the waiver wire? There are certainly reasons for it and against it. All three guys give out some interesting takes on navigating this trick fantasy playoff situation.

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Andy Holloway’s take on the whole thing is that non-playoff teams should be banned from making waiver pickups in the postseason because deep down, the only reason they’re picking up players is to blow the whole thing up and hurt the teams still left in it. Sure, some people still play for pride, fun and bragging rights, but we know why bad teams exploit the waiver wire at this time of year.

Jason Moore isn’t in favor of banning non-playoff from using the waiver wire for a totally different reason. He says that even if you’re out of it, this is the time of the year that can help you get ahead and get better for next year. You might learn a thing or two about an under-the-radar player who could have a breakout season the following season. This seems a tad farfetched, but we’ll allow it.

As for Mike Wright, he isn’t in favor of banning either because he wants to see the world burn after his team gets eliminated. But beyond selfish reasons, he does add a very interesting point for banning isn’t a good idea. By doing so, you’re giving the worst team that made the playoffs top priority on the waiver wire. The better teams should not have to have that working against them.

Overall, the best way to combat this is to set up some sort of system where everybody is playing hard every single week. For example, many money leagues offer a payout for most points in a season, regardless of fantasy record. That way everybody has a chance to win something, even if their fantasy team wasn’t as good as somebody else’s during a given season.