'House Check: Playoff Time

I didn't make the playoffs.

Not for a lack of trying, though. In fact, I had the second-best point total in the league. But two straight losses at the end of the season, the last being to division rival Ryan Dembinsky, sealed my fate and kept me on the outside looking in. Ryan's team enjoyed a plethora of points on Sunday night, with a quarterback, wide receiver and kicker combining for over 50 points. Congrats to Ryan on a well-earned victory; I hope he smokes the rest of these guys for three weeks.

The FanHouse Challenge league's playoffs will feature five 8-5 teams and one 7-6 team. Let's take a look at the competitors now.

1. Will Brinson

This team steamrolled to the best point total in the league and a No. 1 seed behind the legs of Cedric Benson and Maurice Jones-Drew, and also behind a very deep WR corps. Each week, Brinson is able to pick three (two WRs, one flex) from this group: Marques Colston, Brandon Marshall, Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Nate Burleson. With that kind of strength at two major positions, Brinson has been able to survive with Jay Cutler at QB. Having the No. 2 TE (Antonio Gates) and the No. 1 kicker (David Akers) certainly helps. This team is well situated to win the league.

2. Matt Snyder

An injury to Clinton Portis wound up not mattering in the end, as Snyder threw a tandem of Steven Jackson and Joseph Addai at teams each week. With Beanie Wells, Rock Cartwright and Jerome Harrison backing up that dynamic duo, Snyder has the depth to overcome Addai's upcoming rest period. Tom Brady and Vernon Davis have done a great deal to get this team a bye, which is more than can be said for the WRs. Snyder doesn't have a No. 1 WR, and Derrick Mason is barely a No. 2. If this team loses, it will be because of poor WR play.

3. Ryan Dembinsky

Winner of Division 2, Dembinsky will be the only 7-6 team in the playoffs. An excellent QB rotation of Brett Favre and Kurt Warner keeps him in virtually every game, but he should soon suffer the loss of No. 1 WR Reggie Wayne to rest. That would leave just Anquan Boldin and Santonio Holmes as the only playable WRs on his team. Even though his opponent this week is the lowest-scoring team in the playoffs, that team has won three straight and seems to be peaking at the right time. With nearly no depth at RB and WR, Dembinsky will have a hard time winning three games and the title.

4. Shane Bacon

Sometimes fantasy football is too easy. Bacon's offense features Chris Johnson, the No. 1 RB overall, and Randy Moss, the No. 1 WR overall. He boasts a Tony Gonzalez/Jason Witten rotation at tight end and two top ten defenses. On the weak side, this team only has two RBs, with Knowshon Moreno taking the other every-week spot. Bacon is forced to play three WRs each week, and this week he may be without Hines Ward. Should he win, he may suffer the loss of Chris Chambers next week. This team is big on talent, small of depth. Should no further injuries occur, Bacon definitely has a shot.

5. Tom Mantzouranis

Live by the Saints, die by the Saints. Mantz 's team features first-rounder Drew Brees, second-rounder Pierre Thomas, Devery Henderson and the Saints defense. For much of the season, having that group has led to insane point totals. Jamaal Charles has stepped up to fill the No. 2 RB role and has a tasty matchup against Buffalo this week. The other RBs on the team are a cast of mediocre fantasy players though, so Charles will have to take over for the running game to keep up. Roddy White and DeSean Jackson highlight the WR group, but Mantz needs a serious upgrade from Ben Watson.

6. Knox Bardeen

With Matt Ryan as his normal starter, Bardeen played Josh Freeman last week. With the Jets on tap for Tampa Bay, expect him to hit the waiver wire hard to find a new starter for this week. Bardeen has benefited greatly from RB injuries, as Jonathan Stewart and Ricky Williams are piling up points for his team, while Justin Forsett made a nice little contribution for a while. Larry Fitzgerald and Donald Driver lead the WRs, and Dwayne Bowe could be coming back as early as next week. Unless Bardeen can strike QB gold each week, he'll be facing an uphill battle in each of his games.

Predictions

Round 1: Bardeen over Dembinsky, Mantzouranis over Bacon
Round 2: Snyder over Bardeen, Brinson over Mantzouranis
Champ: Brinson over Snyder

Good luck to all six of you guys!

Every Tuesday night, we'll give you an update on our FanHouse fantasy football league. Who hit on their sleepers? Who made the shrewd pickups? Who's practicing what they preach? In 'House Check, you'll find out.