Viva Murillo!

There are many paths you could have taken to your league's title game, and I don't care about any of them. Nobody does; how you got there is irrelevant. What matters is that you're there and you're just a week's worth of games from a championship, as well as the accompanying payday.

So how much advice can I give you? Not much, probably. After all, you're the one in the championship game. I'm also in one, but I have the kind of team you look at and go "How did I lose to that lineup?" So really, I can't help you when it comes to choosing between your talented players. Ian's the guy to ask in that department.

But I can give you a couple of tips headed into this most-important week:

* Understand the playoff waiver wire. Are you and your opponent the only ones who can pick up players? Is it open until that player's game starts, or does it end with the first games of the week (in this case, Thursday)? These things are important to know. If you had Adrian Peterson last week, could you have picked up Toby Gerhart Monday evening, or will you be locked out when the Panthers play the Steelers? If the waiver wire ends when the first games start, make sure you have backups on your roster Thursday in case of unexpected injury Sunday.

Don't worry about depth anymore (unless you think your opponent might start someone you drop). Just make sure you have a contingency plan in place, or you'll end up taking an unnecessary hit when it matters most. Each league handles the waiver wire differently, so don't assume anything. These are the technically aspects of a league we can easily overlook or ignore until now. Review the league rules (or ask the commissioner if you don't know) and make sure you know how it works before you need to use it. Better safe than sorry.

* Use the early games to your advantage. You might get a sneak peek at your game's results on Thursday and Saturday. If either of you have players in those games it could affect other lineup decisions.

If your early players didn't perform well or your opponent had a better-than-expected performance, you might want to take extra chances with your lineup. Likewise, if your players did particularly well or your opponent was disappointed, it might make sense to play it safe.

You wouldn't make a decision solely based on those games, but if you're undecided between two similar players you might want the one with the higher ceiling if you're down early. And if things go your way Thursday and Saturday, you might want a player with a lower floor and a better shot at solid stats. Consider it a tie-breaker for your lineup decisions aided by actual, on-field results in other games.

* Enjoy the games. As much as we want to micro-manage our teams, you have very little to do with whether or not you win this week. Most of your lineup is already set and you don't control how they perform. Same thing with your opponent's lineup. Those key starters might determine who wins by themselves, making your other decisions irrelevant. That doesn't count the injuries, fluke plays and unpredictable coaching decisions that happen every Sunday. But to the extent that you have lineup dilemmas, consider the alternatives, make a decision and then let it go. It might not even matter, so enjoy the football on the field as well as on paper.

Remember, whether you win by two or lose by 50, there are 10 other teams in your league (give or take) who want to be playing in your game. But they're not; you are. And no matter how you got there, you deserve that spot. Do your best, enjoy the contest and appreciate reaching the goal you set back in the summer -- to be playing in week 16. Good luck this week.

Do you have any good championship game advice? Share it below:

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