EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe fantasy playoffs have arrived, which means it's championship-season.While the goal is to win every week over the course of a season, everything means more in the playoffs. Now it's win-or-go-home, so there's no more room for forgetful mistakes. In fact, quite the opposite ... now is the time to lock in and go above and beyond to put your team in the best position to win.Prepare for your fantasy playoffs the way you do for your fantasy draft, with consideration beyond just putting together a functional lineup but instead trying to maximize every transaction decision to grab that championship. If your team is in the playoffs, you only have a win or two left to get to the mountaintop. So, let's do everything we can to get there.Waiver wire work even more vital. Typically, this article would be your weekly waiver wire pickups ... players rostered in less than half of leagues that are playing well and can help fantasy squads.With the start of the fantasy playoffs, it's even more important than usual that you identify key free agents that could improve your weekly production outlook. Goal one for your squad is to maximize that score. So, to that end, here are four potential free agent pickups of interest this week.More: Scoring leaders | Most added/dropped | SchedulePlayers to pick upJulie Allemand, G, Toronto Tempo (rostered in 22.9% of ESPN leagues): Allemand has been one of the most productive distributors in the WNBA of late. She is averaging 7.8 APG over her past five games, including a 12-assist/11-point double-double in her last outing.Courtney Vandersloot, G, Chicago Sky (29.0%): Vandersloot has been playing her way into top form after making her season debut in late June. The veteran is still a sharpshooter and distributor, but she is also contributing on defense, averaging 3.9 RPG, 1.6 SPG and 0.7 BPG over the past seven games.Erica Wheeler, G, Los Angeles Sparks (22.9%): Wheeler has stepped up her game in the absence of the first-injured-then-ultimately-traded Kelsey Plum. She has scored at least 12 points and dished at least 4 assists in five straight games, averaging 14.0 PPG, 7.0 APG and 2.6 3PG in that span.NaLyssa Smith, F, Las Vegas Aces (49.4%): Smith has ramped up her production of late, continuing to take advantage of the lighter coverage she gets by being on the same frontline as MVP A'ja Wilson. In her last five games, Smith has averaged 14.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 1.4 combined BPG and SPG.Unique scheduleFIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. The FWBA playoffs will have a 17-day break from August 31 to September 16 for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. The semifinals of the playoffs will be two weeks, from August 10 through August 23. The Finals will start August 24, then will break for the World Cup, and then resume on Sept. 17.That information is important for several reasons, not least of which is how it could affect the availability of injured players. Typically, during the playoffs, it might not be advisable to keep injured players on your roster because you need to maximize your current output.But with the knowledge that the Final will take almost a month in real-time, injured players may have time to come back and contribute. So make your decisions about who to roster with this in mind.Set your lineups earlyIt would behoove you to set your lineup several days in advance, perhaps through the whole week, because doing so will let you see if there is anything unusual in your upcoming schedule. The FIBA World Cup is a big, universal event that everyone will have to deal with. But what if your particular team has eight players going on a Wednesday but none on a Thursday?Having extra games on days when your entire team is playing doesn't help, while having a player that could contribute on a day when you otherwise wouldn't have anyone could make a big difference. A big enough difference that you would want to identify those situations and work your waiver wires in advance.Don't hesitate to block your opponentIn addition to knowing your own team and schedule, you should look at your opponent's situation as well. Because what if the previous example plays out in reverse, and your opponent has an available spot for a productive free agent. It might be in your best interest to pick up that free agent yourself, just to prevent your opponent from being able to add that player's points to their total.Remember, your only goal is for your team to survive and advance. If you can achieve that through blocking your opponent, well, just consider yourself a two-way threat. After all, defense can win championships, too.Pay attention to the WNBA playoffs race and team situationsBecause the fantasy playoffs are in the last weeks of the regular season before the WNBA playoffs begin, the decisions those teams make about roster deployment will necessarily affect fantasy outcomes. Keep an eye on teams that could clinch their playoffs positioning early, as they might want to get their veterans more rest before the playoffs, which means some of your best players could be unavailable at the worst possible time.Keep an eye on situations like that, identify bench players that could get more opportunity if the vets sit, and if the situation arises make sure you get to those players first.Similarly, teams that are out of playoffs contention and looking to the future could look to get their young players more action. Or perhaps not rush injured veterans back, since there is no upside. These are also opportunities to identify potentially viable producers that could be available, and to do so before your league-mates.Ultimately, the key tenet throughout this article is that now is the time for you to really lock in, look at your team's situation and maximize your chances to win. Best of luck, and I'll be ready to celebrate at your team's championship parade.
