For hardcore fantasy football aficionados, the most important time of the season is here. The quiet storm of glee coursing through your veins and shivering your pours is directly caused by the fact its fantasy football playoff time. A season?s worth of hard work and diligence has paid off, but all of that is for naught unless the gear is turned up a notch. Thus, along with careful, strategic planning, steps need to be taken to ensure that your team is playing for the championship come Week 16 or 17. Here are a few tips to follow: - Go with the guys who brought you to the dance Too often, nervous fantasy owners will switch their starting lineup ten seconds before kickoff on nothing more than a hunch. There may be one or two situations that call for swapping out superstars for a one week starter but it?s rare. Very, very rare. Don?t get stuck in the ?paralysis by analysis? mode and do something you?ll regret. There?s a reason you?re in the fantasy playoffs ? you have good players on your team. Play them and let it ride with your fingers crossed the entire time. - Monday Night Kicker Part of every office?s Monday morning quarterback cooler conversation is what each person needs to happen on Monday night for them to win their fantasy matchup. ?I?ve got Michael Vick and he?s got Ahamad Bradshaw and LeSean Mccoy?. We?ve all heard it and even if one tried to avoid it, it?s sure to pop up in a conversation in someone?s cubicle or in a hallway as you?re headed to the copier. However, how many times has that conversation been about a very close matchup between one team that has players on Monday night and the other team without given all their players already played. So long as the point differential isn?t too large, this is a nail-biter situation for the team without anyone playing on Monday night. Generally speaking, it?s completely uncontrollable as to whether or not your players are playing on Monday night. However, if you subscribe (and you certainly should) to the theory that all kickers are created equal, then why not start one of the two kickers who are playing in the final game of the week? That way, your team is still ?live? and increasing your point total instead of sitting on a lead or worse yet, no way of winning. Now one can certainly argue that ten points on Sunday is just as good as ten points on Monday and they?d be right ? only partially. The point here is that the second your fantasy team has played all of it?s players then your chances of increasing that total are zilch but if you have one player left, you?re still alive. It?s all about winning this week?s particular matchup by any means necessary and deploying this tactic is very successful. - Stock up on defensive matchups NOW Unless you drafted Green Bay or Pittsburgh?s defense, chances are you played multiple defenses this season. Furthermore, you may be looking at the upcoming schedule and realizing that there aren?t many favorable matchups left. If you don?t have a solid defense to go with this week then so be it. But that doesn?t mean you shouldn?t stockpile your team with strong matchups for the following week or the championship game. Grab those defenses NOW while they?re still available. Here are a few defenses that have very favorable matchups the next few weeks: - DEF Dallas Week 15 & 16 - DEF Tampa Bay Week 15 & 16 - DEF Carolina Week 15 - DEF Denver Week 14 - DEF Jacksonville Week 14 - DEF San Francisco Week 14 - Scour waiver wire for value or to build depth Granted, the majority of one?s lineup can?t drastically improve but, as demonstrated by last week?s superstar injuries to super-backs Adrian Peterson and Frank Gore, it can certainly worsen in one play any given week. Therefore, spend a few minutes checking every position on the waiver wire ? regardless of who your starters are ? to see if there?s any value available. For example, players such as WR Steve Smith or WR Kenny Britt may be sitting on the waiver wire because of their respective injuries. Granted those players can?t help you in the short term but they are due back at some point this season. More importantly, they?re each due back during the fantasy postseason of Weeks 15-17. Even if you don?t need them, add them. All of these players have too much value if and when they come back and it?s much better to have a tough decision then no decision at all. If none of the aforementioned players are available then consider picking up a few backup Running Backs. Many of these are long shots to ever play but start looking at injury reports to see what team?s Running Back shows up this week ? then add their backup. For example, RB Jerome Harrison would be a great value player if RB LeSean McCoy finally succumbs to his rib and shoulder injuries. Build your roster with options across the board now and your playoff run should be successful. For those fortunate to be in the running, enjoy every win and I highly recommend watching Week 16 or 17 (depending on when your Championship is) with the team you?re facing if possible ? especially if it?s a close friend (there?s nothing better than rubbing that one with some verbal lemons!). Best of luck these next few weeks!