If you're reading this, please take the advice of myself and TSFJ colleagues Kyle Madson and Johnathan Tillman, who started this series.
Before this year, I played fantasy football religiously. During my run, I was the fantasy football version of Jeff Fisher. I never won a trophy or the pot of money, but I assembled several years losing more games than I won.
Although I never played in a huge money league, I lost a pretty penny with hopes of entering the zenith of fantasy football. While losing money stung, losing my sanity was the reason I walked away from the game.
With money, pride and ego on the line, my Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays were stressful. So, this season I took a sabbatical from playing, and my days of watching football are more enjoyable.
For those who spend time playing the game we love to hate, remember that Jay-Z once stated, "men lie, women lie, but numbers don’t". Well, Mr. Shawn Corey Carter, you forgot to mention that fantasy football projected scores lie, too.
I know countless people opened their fantasy football apps, glanced at the projected scores of their matchups and thought, “Oh yeah, that’s an easy win for my team today.” As you prance around the house or wherever you spend time prior to kickoff, your confidence is Deion Sanders-like, all because you are predicted to annihilate your opponent.
With said feeling of self-assurance, you only casually pay attention to your matchup because of the projected blowout. As you focus on your favorite team instead of your players, the most atrocious thing is unfolding, and you don’t even know it.
While watching the NFL Red Zone channel, you continuously see highlights of Michael Crabtree and Julio Jones reach pay dirt again, again and again. As you sit with your chips on your lap and beverage in your hand, you think, “It sucks for whoever is playing against either of them in fantasy, ha ha!”
Now that the afternoon games are over, you peek at your score with the utmost confidence. Yet in a moment of complete and utter shock, you realize that you’re the person playing against Jones and Crabtree.
As you sit there with the bitter beer face, the feeling of disgust just feels heavy. It’s worth noting that both players were expected to score around 10-12 points individually—not the combined total of 70 POINTS or more.
Now that the slate of games is over with, all that’s left are the Sunday and Monday night football games. You glance at your lineup for the last time. You realize all you only have a kicker left to play. Down 24 points, you need him to be the anti-Ray Finkle to save the day. As we know, that never happens in the world of fantasy football. And for days like that, it is the reason my jersey is hanging in the rafters.
Don’t be that guy or gal. Tell your friends that you quit. Trust me, you’ll never look back. Don’t believe us? Keep checking in to “Why You Shouldn’t Be Playing Fantasy Football” for more examples.
