I like the NRL system (about the only thing they do well)>
1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6 etc.
2 highest winning teams get a week off; 2 lowest losing teams are eliminated. Not sure how it goes from there, but you get the gist.
Top side should only get a week off if each side plays the others twice; ie equal for all. At the moment with 22 games, its a bit of a lottery.