MVP23 Index for the Fantasy Football Playoffs

Time flies when you are having fun, and we have reached the Fantasy Football Playoffs. Before and during the season, I believe in using a more extensive data set than the current year to understand better what might happen next.

But once the playoffs for our fake football leagues arrive, all that matters to me when comparing players is what happened this season. The MVP23 Index chases what matters most in fantasy football.

By comparing one player to the other, you are considering starting to use this statistical tool, which has shown great success during beta testing this season. Let’s dive deep into the data and how to use it in your Fantasy Football Playoffs.

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MVP23 Index Explained

The three things that matter most in Fantasy Football are all in the formula that makes up the MVP23 Index. As you might have guessed from the name, the only data that counts for this calculation are games played this season.

The three things that matter most in Fantasy Football are consistency, big-point game ability, and the percentage of lousy games played. If there are four or more games to compare for each player, the MVP23 Index reduces the effect of injuries when comparing players.

Only players that played many snaps throughout the season are included in this report. Point-per-reception scoring rules were used with standard yardage points and 6 points for all passing touchdowns.

MVP23 at QB

Josh Allen and Dak Prescott are close to being in a tier of their own at the top of the QB ratings after week 14. Jalen Hurts and Brock Purdy are close behind in 3rd and 4th, respectively. Only players still likely to play sometime during the Fantasy Football playoffs are included in this list.

Despite only having two games to grade, Joe Flacco has been a solid replacement at QB for Fantasy Football teams this season. The consensus QB1, Patrick Mahomes, sits beside QB7 with another super sub, Jake Browning, close behind.

Lamar Jackson and Jordan Love are tied in QB23 Index at QB9. Aiden O’Connell was last among those rated before his big game on Thursday Night.

MVP23 at RB

Christian McCaffrey has more 20+ point PPR games than 10+ point games by all but 3 RBs in the league this season and is the undisputed RB1 in Fantasy Football heading into the playoffs. Alvin Kamara has been Mister Automatic since this return from suspension.

Kyren Williams was the steal of the season at RB, sitting at QB3 despite being drafted as the RB81 during the pre-season. Despite only playing five games, De’Von Achane sits at QB4 just ahead of his teammate Raheem Mostert. Travis Ettienne’s surge in volume has resulted in him being a solid Top 6 RB in fake football, and the loss of Jonathan Taylor to injuries is shown on this chart.

Joe Mixon might not look spectacular, but he gets the volume to be a reliable force at RB. The two top-drafted rookies, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs have not disappointed their team managers this season. Richard White, Isiah Pacheco, and Brian Robinson have all been excellent value picks this season.

MVP23 at WR

Tyreek Hill is having a Fantasy Football MVP season and is at the WR1 level all by himself. The injury to Keenan Allen, combined with the injury to his starting QB, has team managers searching for a replacement for the playoffs.

CeeDee Lamb has been automatic this season and has paid off his lofty preseason predictions. After a fantastic start, Justin Jefferson’s injury sunk many Fantasy Football teams this year. How much you can expect of him in the playoffs is a mystery. Amon-Ra St Brown and Stephon Diggs have been automatic, although Diggs has struggled at times down the stretch of the regular season for Fantasy Football.

Who had Puka Nacua rated as their top rookie? The answer is nobody, but some of us were touting him as a late draft pick, which has paid off considerably. Ja’Maar Chase has still been outstanding, but at WR14, he has been a disappointment versus his ADP. This season, Nico Collins, Adam Thielen, and Jayden Reed have been substantial value picks.

MVP23 at TE

During the preseason, there is always a debate over how many elite TEs exist in Fantasy Football. With the loss of Mark Andrews to injury, that answer heading into the Fantasy Football playoffs is two for this year, just Travis Kelce and TJ Hockenson.

The consistency at TE drops off so fast after those two guys that if you miss on an elite TE in the draft, you were smarter to wait until much later in the draft for a value pick. Evan Engram and Sam LaPorta are the two best value picks this season, sitting at TE3 and TE4, respectively, after being drafted at TE8 and TE18. Trey McBride and Tucker Craft have come off the bench due to injuries and have been solid starters in fake football at the TE position.

Putting MVP23 Index to Work for You

This has been an exciting season of beta testing for the MVP Index. For many seasons, I have quantified each component that goes into the MVP Index, but this is the first time I have developed a formula to put this data into one easy-to-use number.

Fifteen points is a tier difference between players. An index of 75 or greater should be an automatic play since they have shown success against good defenses in the past to score such a high MVP Index.

For players lower than 75, I have used that 15-point difference as the first step in deciding who to start. Players within 15 points get analyzed for defensive matchup advantages using the Professor’s data here on the Science of Fantasy Football.

Good luck with week one of the playoffs!