Few things in life bring the same thrill that fantasy football thrives on. Despite its popularity, many players never lift that championship trophy. Whether it’s a group of friends, a work league, or even a professional one, it can be extremely challenging. Despite that, three major keys keep players at a painful level of mediocrity.
The Number Crunchers
Sure, statistics are important. Everyone loves to talk about average draft position (ADP) and who’s going in what round. Not to mention the typical projected points per game or averages over the years of these talented players. In fact, ESPN has practically made it so they can run your entire fantasy team by giving you recommendations.
On the extreme side, some players only look at stats. They factor in every rushing performance, every touchdown catch, every field goal made, and that’s it. There’s no debate, no thought about who the quarterback will be. Only a wonderfully crafted Excel spreadsheet that lists their masterful array of numbers fuels their decisions.
Not only can focusing solely on stats leave a major gap in other areas of the team (like bye weeks), but it also functions as one piece of a large puzzle. Sure, that receiver could have had a stellar year, but is he injury-prone? Is that quarterback losing his mobility? Is that defense full of fresh faces?
Great fantasy managers evaluate all of the potential outcomes regardless of raw performance. While they may look great on paper, it’s important to scale the risk vs. reward.
The Hash-Slinging Slashers
No, Dak Prescott in the first round is not a good pick.
It happens much too often. A very passionate fan with good intentions looks at their favorite player and smashes the draft button. More often than not, that manager went on to go double negative and does the same thing the next year.
Sarcasm aside, the bias of a favorite team clouds the judgment much too easily. There’s a great WR2 waiting to get snagged, only for the RB3 bench-warmer to get picked instead. Why? Because your room was decorated with Cowboys merchandise growing up, and you still sleep with a stuffed Jerry Rice?
Any draft pick in fantasy is of extreme value, especially the first seven to eight. It is a crucial element of any team’s success and will likely determine the outcome of a season. Good fantasy managers laugh it off; great ones polish their playoff appearance banners.
The Trade Away Timmies
There’s nothing quite like waking up on a Saturday morning to 50 fantasy notifications. 48 of those? Trades completed.
Horrendous trades are a part of every fantasy league. Regardless of a manager’s morality or bias, trades can be a tricky place to navigate. At the same time, accepting almost every trade that comes across the screen is a great way to ruin the season.
Trades should never be for any other reason than pure tactics. Think along the lines of a potential injury, a quarterback change, or a head coach firing. These are all great things to consider in the face of a trade. A consistent decline in performance can also bring the trade room into consideration.
However, there are some managers who can only be described as ambitious. As soon as that receiver has two bad weeks? Gone. That quarterback sprained his ankle? Goodbye.
Like, seriously. Do they know what a bench is?
Fantasy football will forever be a complex and thrilling adventure. While there is no secret to becoming a five-time champion, there’s always room to grow.
Then again, your entire team could get wrecked by injuries, and none of this would matter. Yep, welcome to fantasy football.
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