Right now, we know who all but 2 of the playoff teams are, and with that, we know some of the players that should absolutely be at or near the top of your target list. We also have a good idea of how to approach collecting leading up to the first weeks of the playoffs, and I wanted to share some of my strategy.

Setting Up Your Target List

Your success in the playoffs will ultimately be determined by how much you have stocked up on the correct teams. It also helps to know which players on those teams are best suited for contests where 10x as many people will be playing along.

Its also good to know that the boosts you get will likely pale in comparison to the playoff set cards that will score at above anything we have readily available in the game, thus tempering how much you should spend right now.

We also dont know whether or not things will be structured like the Huddle Bowl of 2014 (I hope not), or the Bunt Post Season Challenge (YES PLEASE!). If its one or the other, there will be very different approaches to take, especially considering the firepower anyone will be up against.

For right now, target boosts of 2.5x and above, focusing first on Wild Card RBs and WRs, and then move onto the likely first round bye teams, and so on. Stick to RBs and WRs, with the exception of Cam Newton and MAYBE Russell Wilson. The point system is set up to get better production out of these players than anyone else. Newton has huge potential to score on the ground as well as the air, so that’s why he is the exception.

Top Players (Wild Card)

1. Adrian Peterson – Yes, yes, I am a huge Vikings fan, but he is an integral part of the Vikings in a way that most other RBs are not. If the Vikings do things right, he will get 20-25 carries in the game, and could score a TD or two.
2. Deandre Hopkins – Although the Texans are a mess at the moment for their QB, Hopkins will be a big part of their offense. Pick him up.
3. AJ Green – The Bengals showed that AJ McCarron is not a bum, and that means Green will get a ton of looks. Defenses will stack up against the run regardless, and he should do very well.
4. Brandon Marshall – He is good for at least a TD a game, and if the Jets get in, they will be throwing his direction a ton. I like him a lot better than Chris Ivory, who is the other boosted player for the Jets. Decker isnt bad either, but he can be a ghost sometimes.
5. DeSean Jackson – Some how, the Redskins get to host a playoff game. Its going to be interesting to see how Cousins plays on the big stage, no doubt about it. Jackson is an all or nothing type of guy, but he is one that has had more long TDs than many of the other options on this list.
6. Russell Wilson – Right now, there are not many receivers on the Seahawks that I love. Wilson is good for 50 rushing yards a game, and that is a reason why I would pick him up. He also can be had cheap with the massive counts on the holiday gifts.
7. Travis Kelce – Unlike many of the other TEs out there, Kelce has been as consistent as they come. Smith loves short passes, and that makes him close to impossible to stop. Easily in line for a TD or two, plus some nice yardage.
8. Randall Cobb – Its safe to say that the Packers arent great right now. Their line is so beat up, that I would stay as far away from Lacy and Starks as you can. Cobb should get some good looks, and remains one of the only Packers boosts worth picking up.

Top Players (Divisional Round)

1. Larry Fitzgerald – Talk about a comeback! Fitz is a great player who has put up some SOLID numbers this year. Not much else to say, but you will get solid yardage out of him.
2. Emmanuel Sanders – I love Sanders as a huddle player because his average catch is like 20 yards. That means he will be a prime target to pick up, as you can bite off points in chunks.
3. Rob Gronkowski – You play Gronk because, like Sanders, he chews up yardage on each of his catches. The Pats will have issues with their line, which means lots of shorter type plays. Gronk is a beast.
4. Greg Olsen – Like Gronk, Olsen is one of the better Huddle players there is. Huge potential for nice yardage in chunks, and great potential for Touchdowns. Newton loves throwing his way, and that helps in the playoffs. It will also be warm weather, which shouldnt limit his production like it might in a cold game.

Playoff Cards

There will be LOTS of high boosted playoff cards on the way. There will be a playoff series of cards that will serve as the flagship set, and if I had to guess, it will be a limited roster of top points players for each team. Unlike Bunt, Huddle doesnt need to put out 100s of new cards for the purposes of racking up points. They had 4 series of base, plus a number of series of boosts. I dont think they will go that direction.

They will have lots of sigs, commemorative cards, legends and a whole new series of cards likely boosted above 5x. Hopefully we wont get to the 20x situation we were in last year, but the boost levels will definitely be going up.

If you havent started already, its time to save your coins. If you are looking to play along, your best bet will be the packs that contain the playoff series cards, or at least the playoff series cards that have the best chance at landing a big boost. Its possible they may do a guaranteed boost per pack, but I would guess that 5x and above wont be easy to come by.

Right now, there are some 5x cards on the market already, whether its the Peterson parallax sig, the Finest variants, or others, its time to start chasing down dupes. Its worth noting that all 2015 cards who are not in the playoffs will no longer be worth keeping for their boosts, as the cards will almost 100% not be playable next year. Keep that in mind as you are trading, as playoff golds, and all the other stuff that has boost for the upcoming games is now far more valuable than anything else.

Getting a Head Start

Right now, most of the users are still stuck in their weekly grind, and that gives you a huge advantage for getting your playoff collection off to an early(ish) start. You can still get great trades on playoff blues and golds, and if you focus on the right guys, you can be set come two weeks from now.

Keep in mind what is coming, so dont go nuts with overpaying for boosted cards. If you can pick them up cheap, its worth your time. If you can pick them up in even trades, its worth your time. If you find a guy who knows the value of his playoff cards, maybe wait.

Contest Structure

This is my favorite Huddle time of the year. Unlike Bunt and Kick, this app is a shorter regular season, which means that the playoffs are a bit more intense. Huddle is more about gameplay than Bunt, so there will be huge competition.

If I had to guess, there will be a free and premium contest for each of the games on the slate. Each will also have game only boosts to chase, which might be more essential than any previous contest. With so many people coming back and paying attention to these games, its going to be harder to finish high. Last year, I was top 10 all season long, but in the playoffs, it was tough to finish top 25. That’s how much things change.

Its in your best interest to play in as many contests as possible, including the premium ones. I would guess the prizes will be very different than they are now, which will make the contest more attractive to more people.

Most important in all of this is just have fun. This is a great experience, and a fun time in the app. There will be issues, there will be drama, but just enjoy yourself. You wont regret it.