What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Lessons Learned This Year (1 Viewer)

just_want_2_win

Footballguy
What lessons have you learned playing fantasy football this year that you'll apply in future seasons?

I'm going to try to pounce quicker early in the season on potential breakout players and be a little less circumspect.

 
i need to pick better players :sadbanana:

although I am sitting 1st and second in my two money leagues, my teams could be soooo much better. one thing that I knew before and is reinforced now is decent players on great teams are worth more than great players on bad teams. most of the time

 
don't have too much faith in the "professionals"

have the stones to go against them....

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Everyone is going to over react in redraft leagues and do reverse draft and gobble up all the receivers and try to grab running backs in the 5th and later. Then it will blow up on them when Dez has a bad year, Green and Calvin get hurt, Marshall loses more targets to Jeffery and everyone will proclaim next year I am going running back and running back.

 
I learned what I have known for years: fantasy football is an evil hobby. It's a total, complete crapshoot to win championships. You can have an amazing team most of the season and then a few key injuries can wreck you. Or players that were absolute studs suddenly go quiet (I'm looking at you Cameron).

It's a hobby that takes a tremendous amount of time and dedication if you want to be consistently good at it...it takes away from productivity at work, takes away time you could be spending with your family, makes you a slave to your tv on Sundays, Thursdays, and Mondays, and takes you on a totally unnecessary emotional roller coaster.

It's basically another form of addictive gambling.

I'm pretty sure I'm done with it after this year.

And I'm not even doing that poorly this year so this isn't coming from a bitter place. In my big money league I have most total points, a great team, and I'm a virtual lock to make the playoffs.

I'm just talking from an objective point of view.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Prep hard, trust your instincts, stick with your guys when drafting, don't think " I've drafted this guy in every league, let me change it up a bit and pick someone I usually wouldn't "

 
I'm reluctant to say this is a "lesson", since it implies that it will remain true in future seasons, but there have been numerous times this year where I ignored the maxim "A starting RB always has value" because I assumed the team was bad. As a result, I missed out on Stacy, James (and now, apparently, Rainey), even a couple decent weeks of Jacobs/Hillis. Then again, I didn't waste any waiver claims on McGahee, either.

 
What lessons have you learned playing fantasy football this year that you'll apply in future seasons?

I'm going to try to pounce quicker early in the season on potential breakout players and be a little less circumspect.
This is a nice call. I passed on early pickups like Moreno and Vick to hold on to guys like Miles Austin and Kenny Britt <_<

 
i need to pick better players :sadbanana:

although I am sitting 1st and second in my two money leagues, my teams could be soooo much better. one thing that I knew before and is reinforced now is decent players on great teams are worth more than great players on bad teams. most of the time
Charles was on a "terrible" team last year. He's on an incredible team this year. Not always difficult to project each team's record in advance.

 
I learned what I have known for years: fantasy football is an evil hobby. It's a total, complete crapshoot to win championships. You can have an amazing team most of the season and then a few key injuries can wreck you. Or players that were absolute studs suddenly go quiet (I'm looking at you Cameron).

It's a hobby that takes a tremendous amount of time and dedication if you want to be consistently good at it...it takes away from productivity at work, takes away time you could be spending with your family, makes you a slave to your tv on Sundays, Thursdays, and Mondays, and takes you on a totally unnecessary emotional roller coaster.

It's basically another form of addictive gambling.

I'm pretty sure I'm done with it after this year.

And I'm not even doing that poorly this year so this isn't coming from a bitter place. In my big money league I have most total points, a great team, and I'm a virtual lock to make the playoffs.

I'm just talking from an objective point of view.
I made the decision to step away after this year as well. My teams have actually been as successful this year as they ever have, but ultimately this is a hobby that I simply can't participate in without it negatively affecting many other more important parts of my life.

I know many people who can spend a fair amount of time and money on FFB and not watch the games, not suffer losses in productivity, not become overly affected from an emotional standpoint....but for too many years I've ignored the fact that I'm not that guy. I know this thread was probably only intended to discuss strategy but I do think it's helpful for us to consider our involvement in this hobby from time to time. Ultimately it's your life though...gotta do what you believe is best for you.

 
Never get lazy with the WW even if your team is in first and dominating the league. You never know when an injury or situation/change in schedule may cripple you.

 
I learned what I have known for years: fantasy football is an evil hobby. It's a total, complete crapshoot to win championships. You can have an amazing team most of the season and then a few key injuries can wreck you. Or players that were absolute studs suddenly go quiet (I'm looking at you Cameron).

It's a hobby that takes a tremendous amount of time and dedication if you want to be consistently good at it...it takes away from productivity at work, takes away time you could be spending with your family, makes you a slave to your tv on Sundays, Thursdays, and Mondays, and takes you on a totally unnecessary emotional roller coaster.

It's basically another form of addictive gambling.

I'm pretty sure I'm done with it after this year.

And I'm not even doing that poorly this year so this isn't coming from a bitter place. In my big money league I have most total points, a great team, and I'm a virtual lock to make the playoffs.

I'm just talking from an objective point of view.
I made the decision to step away after this year as well. My teams have actually been as successful this year as they ever have, but ultimately this is a hobby that I simply can't participate in without it negatively affecting many other more important parts of my life.

I know many people who can spend a fair amount of time and money on FFB and not watch the games, not suffer losses in productivity, not become overly affected from an emotional standpoint....but for too many years I've ignored the fact that I'm not that guy. I know this thread was probably only intended to discuss strategy but I do think it's helpful for us to consider our involvement in this hobby from time to time. Ultimately it's your life though...gotta do what you believe is best for you.
I think I am going with you guys.

 
I learned what I have known for years: fantasy football is an evil hobby. It's a total, complete crapshoot to win championships. You can have an amazing team most of the season and then a few key injuries can wreck you. Or players that were absolute studs suddenly go quiet (I'm looking at you Cameron).

It's a hobby that takes a tremendous amount of time and dedication if you want to be consistently good at it...it takes away from productivity at work, takes away time you could be spending with your family, makes you a slave to your tv on Sundays, Thursdays, and Mondays, and takes you on a totally unnecessary emotional roller coaster.

It's basically another form of addictive gambling.

I'm pretty sure I'm done with it after this year.

And I'm not even doing that poorly this year so this isn't coming from a bitter place. In my big money league I have most total points, a great team, and I'm a virtual lock to make the playoffs.

I'm just talking from an objective point of view.
I made the decision to step away after this year as well. My teams have actually been as successful this year as they ever have, but ultimately this is a hobby that I simply can't participate in without it negatively affecting many other more important parts of my life.

I know many people who can spend a fair amount of time and money on FFB and not watch the games, not suffer losses in productivity, not become overly affected from an emotional standpoint....but for too many years I've ignored the fact that I'm not that guy. I know this thread was probably only intended to discuss strategy but I do think it's helpful for us to consider our involvement in this hobby from time to time. Ultimately it's your life though...gotta do what you believe is best for you.
I'm exactly the same way. I take losses hard. I get pissed lol. I check stats all day long every few minutes on Sundays. I watch as much of the games as I can and I stress when I'm not able to. I get lazy on Sundays. I go through an emotional roller coaster. I obsess. I am also not a guy that can play this hobby without becoming that way. And while I recognized this last year after 12+ years of playing ff, this year really solidified it for me. Too much time wasted on what really amounts to a hobby that is mostly guided by luck and not skill.

 
I know what you guys are saying. I take the losses hard and second guess everything I could have done to not lose. I don't really enjoy the wins. Just feel relief I didn't lose.

 
Weather might effect the fans, but it doesn't effect the players.
it Affects some players. The wet field had an effect on Reggie Bush's ability to make cuts so the Lions upped Joique Bell's workload since Bell is more of a straight-ahead runner. Probably some other examples.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Weather might effect the fans, but it doesn't effect the players.
it Affects some players. The wet field had an effect on Reggie Bush's ability to make cuts so the Lions upped Joique Bell's workload since Bell is more of a straight-ahead runner. Probably some other examples.
I think they upped bell's workload 'cuz bush fumbled a couple times
I saw one fumble, but I also saw him unable to make his little jump cuts...

 
WW means more than the draft now a days, NFL is becoming matchup based more than ever. New players to fantasy have a advantage over veterans. They will draft a Manning, or Jimmy Graham or Calvin 1st pick next year and never miss a beat.Veteran players will lose sleep on doing that. The old golden rules of fantasy just don't work anymore, league is changing.

 
If you have the bench space, pick up back-up backs on teams whose starters do well. I.e. bucs

 
Stud QBs and stud WRs, as well as Jimmy Graham, are easier to predict than stud RBs.
A handful of posters on here including myself preached this for a few years and back it up with data and stats. Still people refuse to accept it and continue the absolutely idiotic practice of picking 3 running backs in the first 4 rounds. The days of going RB-RB in rounds 1,2 are long gone. Its a different NFL.

 
I think you have to consider the seperation at TE once again. I mean from a vbd standpoint you'd have to think Jimmy Graham and Calvin are more valuable than just about anyone. Fantasy dogma dictates otherwise. Maybe it's time to throw the vbd out the window and just look for mismatches. Nobody can cover these guys.

 
Weather might effect the fans, but it doesn't effect the players.
it Affects some players. The wet field had an effect on Reggie Bush's ability to make cuts so the Lions upped Joique Bell's workload since Bell is more of a straight-ahead runner. Probably some other examples.
I think they upped bell's workload 'cuz bush fumbled a couple times
That could have been due to weather though, no?

 
I learned what I have known for years: fantasy football is an evil hobby. It's a total, complete crapshoot to win championships. You can have an amazing team most of the season and then a few key injuries can wreck you. Or players that were absolute studs suddenly go quiet (I'm looking at you Cameron).

It's a hobby that takes a tremendous amount of time and dedication if you want to be consistently good at it...it takes away from productivity at work, takes away time you could be spending with your family, makes you a slave to your tv on Sundays, Thursdays, and Mondays, and takes you on a totally unnecessary emotional roller coaster.

It's basically another form of addictive gambling.

I'm pretty sure I'm done with it after this year.

And I'm not even doing that poorly this year so this isn't coming from a bitter place. In my big money league I have most total points, a great team, and I'm a virtual lock to make the playoffs.

I'm just talking from an objective point of view.
I made the decision to step away after this year as well. My teams have actually been as successful this year as they ever have, but ultimately this is a hobby that I simply can't participate in without it negatively affecting many other more important parts of my life.

I know many people who can spend a fair amount of time and money on FFB and not watch the games, not suffer losses in productivity, not become overly affected from an emotional standpoint....but for too many years I've ignored the fact that I'm not that guy. I know this thread was probably only intended to discuss strategy but I do think it's helpful for us to consider our involvement in this hobby from time to time. Ultimately it's your life though...gotta do what you believe is best for you.
I'm exactly the same way. I take losses hard. I get pissed lol. I check stats all day long every few minutes on Sundays. I watch as much of the games as I can and I stress when I'm not able to. I get lazy on Sundays. I go through an emotional roller coaster. I obsess. I am also not a guy that can play this hobby without becoming that way. And while I recognized this last year after 12+ years of playing ff, this year really solidified it for me. Too much time wasted on what really amounts to a hobby that is mostly guided by luck and not skill.
As part of my MAP (Male Action Plan) I am considering this as well. I have good team, will make the playoffs in all leagues. But it is a total time suck. Productivity needs to increase to bring my family out of debt and its tough when you spend every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday pouring over stats. And for what? Maybe win $400? If I flipped just one more house each year, I'd make 50 times that in the same amount of time.

 
When Cecil makes time on every show to dismiss a player out of hand as not being worthy of your consideration you'd better take notice.

Pick that player up and start him!

 
I know what you guys are saying. I take the losses hard and second guess everything I could have done to not lose. I don't really enjoy the wins. Just feel relief I didn't lose.
This is so true! It's a shame that it seems that in a lot of our natures we focus on the negative far more than the positive.

A personal example: I've been in a home league for 23 years. It's very important to me and I rarely play in multiple leagues. This year however, I did two of those MFL "ten" league drafts and I also joined a higher stakes home league with some other family members and friends that's been in existence for ten years now.

In the new league and one of the "ten" leagues, I'm second in points in both but have a losing record. Meanwhile, I'm in first place in my 23 year league (by far the most important to me) but of course, I'm not even enjoying it as much as I should because I'm furious over how the "Fantasy Gods" are bending me over in two other leagues.

Maybe I should talk to my therapist about this...

 
If you have the bench space, pick up back-up backs on teams whose starters do well. I.e. bucs
Because Doug Martin did such a great job this year right? :no:
He struggled this year, but he did well last year and James did well this year.
If by "well" you mean he had one good game and didn't score a single TD before getting injured and placed on IR, then yes, James was spectacular.

 
There are football players and there are actors, and when a football player becomes an actor, he is no longer a football player.

When "You need to look beyond the stats" gets tied in with blaming the OL, moving, a new playbook for reasons a RB does poorly, he is just a bad RB.

Tom Brady depends on his teammates just like everyone else does.

It's never Sam Bradford's fault. Ever.

 
If you have the bench space, pick up back-up backs on teams whose starters do well. I.e. bucs
Because Doug Martin did such a great job this year right? :no:
He struggled this year, but he did well last year and James did well this year.
If by "well" you mean he had one good game and didn't score a single TD before getting injured and placed on IR, then yes, James was spectacular.
I see this debate pretty often online, and I'm not so sure if it's one player being better than the other, but rather, Tampa's offense coming together later in the season, due to better offensive line play, and Glennon's surprise performance. I have a feeling Doug Martin would have been playing more like a #2 overall pick in the second half of the season, if he never got hurt.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Don't trade away depth just to make a trade, especially early in the season. If an injury hits you where you least expect it (which is very common), you might be stuck starting Marlon Brown type players.

Also, don't be afraid to draft suspended players. Guys like Josh Gordon and Justin Blackmon are a nice boost to your team when they are activated. Yes, I realize Blackmon was re-suspended, but for those few weeks that he played, he was a quality WR for the draft pick cost.

Finally, pounce early on injured players that are expected to return. Guys like Andre Brown, Shane Vereen, and maybe Percy Harvin and Michael Crabtree could prove to be quality starters when your team needs them most.

 
The one thing I learned this year is just how dangerous it is to spend time analyzing a matchup, get a good feeling about a player, start the player, and then bench the player last minute because an expert's ranking of the player is lower than your own.

I trust my reasoning and experience at this point too much to do this, but I still do it, and it always bites me. I need more willpower.

 
Never build a team around WRs.
I think you just got the wrong WRS. In today's NFl, I have been focussing on WR-heavy teams for about 6 years now and they blwo every other "normal" team I have out of the water in terms of wins, consistency, etc. Unless you have had Peterson or Rice or Foster for the last 3-4 years (until this year, of couse), You haven't fared nearly as well as if you have been holding the Calvins and Waynes and Roddys.

 
Finally, pounce early on injured players that are expected to return. Guys like Andre Brown, Shane Vereen, and maybe Percy Harvin and Michael Crabtree could prove to be quality starters when your team needs them most.
How did you learn this lesson this year? Since none of these guys have proven to be worth it so far, the evidence you use for what you "learned" is specious at best.

 
Finally, pounce early on injured players that are expected to return. Guys like Andre Brown, Shane Vereen, and maybe Percy Harvin and Michael Crabtree could prove to be quality starters when your team needs them most.
How did you learn this lesson this year? Since none of these guys have proven to be worth it so far, the evidence you use for what you "learned" is specious at best.
I can predict the future. Too bad you don't have that skill.

 
Weather might effect the fans, but it doesn't effect the players.
it Affects some players. The wet field had an effect on Reggie Bush's ability to make cuts so the Lions upped Joique Bell's workload since Bell is more of a straight-ahead runner. Probably some other examples.
I think they upped bell's workload 'cuz bush fumbled a couple times
Both may have been true. Bush and Leveon both lost their footing a few times, especially at one end.

 
For me, it's about rediscovering patience. After a few years of getting burned by not jumping on waiver wire studs, I started cutting bait on prospects more quickly this year, dumping guys I liked in the preseason after weeks 3 and 4 rather than holding on too long. However, in several leagues, those guys ended up including Keenan Allen and Zac Stacy.

 
I learned what I have known for years: fantasy football is an evil hobby. It's a total, complete crapshoot to win championships. You can have an amazing team most of the season and then a few key injuries can wreck you. Or players that were absolute studs suddenly go quiet (I'm looking at you Cameron).

It's a hobby that takes a tremendous amount of time and dedication if you want to be consistently good at it...it takes away from productivity at work, takes away time you could be spending with your family, makes you a slave to your tv on Sundays, Thursdays, and Mondays, and takes you on a totally unnecessary emotional roller coaster.

It's basically another form of addictive gambling.

I'm pretty sure I'm done with it after this year.

And I'm not even doing that poorly this year so this isn't coming from a bitter place. In my big money league I have most total points, a great team, and I'm a virtual lock to make the playoffs.

I'm just talking from an objective point of view.
I made the decision to step away after this year as well. My teams have actually been as successful this year as they ever have, but ultimately this is a hobby that I simply can't participate in without it negatively affecting many other more important parts of my life.

I know many people who can spend a fair amount of time and money on FFB and not watch the games, not suffer losses in productivity, not become overly affected from an emotional standpoint....but for too many years I've ignored the fact that I'm not that guy. I know this thread was probably only intended to discuss strategy but I do think it's helpful for us to consider our involvement in this hobby from time to time. Ultimately it's your life though...gotta do what you believe is best for you.
I'm exactly the same way. I take losses hard. I get pissed lol. I check stats all day long every few minutes on Sundays. I watch as much of the games as I can and I stress when I'm not able to. I get lazy on Sundays. I go through an emotional roller coaster. I obsess. I am also not a guy that can play this hobby without becoming that way. And while I recognized this last year after 12+ years of playing ff, this year really solidified it for me. Too much time wasted on what really amounts to a hobby that is mostly guided by luck and not skill.
Man, it is like you are in my head (or I am living your "double" life). I have had the exact same thoughts this year, more than ever and have the same situation. I have playoff bound teams. I have one team that has dominated for a handful of years and looks like it won't slow down anytime soon. I win money every year. I have bragging rights.

...And I'm miserable. A win is monkey off my back and a 48 hour relief from the nagging symptoms until the next games on Thursday. A loss is a day and a half of "how did that happen?" and "I shoulda done this...I should have known better than to do that...".

THis "hobby" does all the negative things you said and, like you said, is, on its best days, nothing more than a random crapshoot disguised as something you think you actually have influence into determining an outcome with.

I don't know if it is because I have played a long time, or the rules have changed, or if its because the games are on more days/evenings than they used to (probably a combo of all this), but I feel the grind more than ever now.

 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top