I'm far from a master of mafia, but that seems like it would be completely counter-intuitive, unless only people that weren't playing in the current game received points for the people they have picked. Playing in the now should always > playing terribly/screwing over your team just so you get more points in the long run.

Could you imagine an NFL player running unopposed for a touch down, only to turn around, throw the ball the other way and then slam his own face into the ground so that his fantasy team did better than his actual team? It would make for a great GIF, but people would eventually get tired of seeing what could have been a great game destroyed by someone taking a dive for off-site points. And his team would castrate him after the game.