Drafting against your "home" team? (1 Viewer)

[TheGolfBallKid]

I've been thinking about this for awhile and, after 10 years of avoiding the situation, I'm in a quandry. As a lifelong Cowboys fan, I've never drafted players that were in Dallas' division nor do I draft Dallas players (sans Emmitt once). This year, with the #4 pick, I have to do just that, or reach for an unproven commodity. I was thinking Portis all the way, but now have switched to Tiki due to the shoulder injury. It's killing me to do so, knowing that I have to watch Tiki play the Cowboys twice and will likely have a split decision after each game. Tiki does well, Cowboys lose. Cowboys win, Tiki struggles. It's doubtful that I can be fortunate enough to get a Dallas W and watch Tiki produce.

All that being said, am I the only one that puts their "Team" ahead of FF? I know, I know. Just take SJax or RB and avoid the problem. But I want my cake and eat it too (Cowboys to the playoffs, FF championship). I'm interested to hear how others in the SP have dealt w/ the feeling of guilt I'm about to face....

 

[s_ezy]

the last few year i have drafted against my team, which has worked out well fantasy wise

this year i am very neutral towards them fantasy wise

i.e. i drafted Rudi Johnson this year cause he was the BPA, but i don't mind cheering him on against the Steelers and Ravens



big time Browns Fan

 

[Chaka]

I had my heart replaced 10 years ago by one of these I haven't had a moral dilema since.

 

[mcnabbmcnow]

I am an Eagles fan, but I am very careful about REACHING for Eagles players. For that reason, I almost never have drafted an Eagle. I may not get a value pick, but if I can get an Eagle at a spot where he would normally be drafted, I might take a later round pick. I've had LJ Smith twice at TE and David Akers once at kicker, but other than that, I never got an Eagle. Eagles defense and Westbrook always get overvalued in our league, since we are near Philly.

 

[ATC1]

I'll avoid like the plague! Saints Fan

 

[-OZ-]

Lions fan here, at least recently, it seems the offensive players are overvalued, whereas I actually undervalued them. (Up until I acquired Roy)

 

[datonn]

I draft Best Player Available....not with OR against my team/heart! If I end up with 3-4 Vikings (my team), fine. If I end up with mostly Packers and Bears, that's fine too. I root for the Purple on Sundays.....but that has absolutely ZERO bearing on how I build my FFL rosters. Isn't that the way it's supposed to work?

 

[Spartans Rule]

Over time I've gotten good at separating FF from real football. I'll draft anybody... Lions, Lions rivals, doesn't matter, whoever I think will score me the most points. Then when I watch the Lions, I just forget about FF and don't start thinking about my scores until the 4:00 games.

 

[BGP]

My Browns haven't had anything worth drafting in so long it hasn't mattered lol. Well, I DID draft Kevin Johnson one time - in 2001 - and he helped me win the league title.

I might've selected Droughns last year, but someone else took him first.

As far as Steelers go, I've never drafted a Steeler. But honestly, they haven't had a fantasy-worthy QB nor RB in some time. Hines Ward has been their best fantasy player, but I almost always go minimal-WR and rummage in the mid-late rounds for bargains (and I usually find something, like KJ in 2001).

 

[waylander]

I stopped playing Fantasy football for two season's because I felt it perverted how I watched the game and pulled for my team. This year I am back playing again, and playing with my heart. I am not in a money league, just doing it as a hobby with friends. So I will probably draft more from my team than wise, and not from any division rivals. I may not come out on top of my FF league, but I feel I will get a little more out of watching my team every week when I got a player or two on my FF as well.

However, I probably take playing FF less seriously than the majority of users on this site.

 

[RRaptors]

I pay not attention to my home team on draft day. If they come up as the best value pick, or a fair price in my auction league I will take them. I guess I separate the two. Your best chance to win is by taking the best available player.

By choosing someone in your division (FF) that will play against your home team (Real NFL Footbal) isn't betting against your home team. Your job as a team owner is to get the best players and win. The job of your home team is to do the same, the players would probably encourage you to get the best avaialble players for your FF team.

I know what you mean though, but on game day I am not torn about it. I hope for my fantasy team and my home team to win. If it's one against the other I hope my FF players do good enough so I win that week, AND I hope my home team wins. Whatever happpens, happens.

 

[datonn]

Over time I've gotten good at separating FF from real football. I'll draft anybody... Lions, Lions rivals, doesn't matter, whoever I think will score me the most points. Then when I watch the Lions, I just forget about FF and don't start thinking about my scores until the 4:00 games.

EXACTLY! I don't turn on my live scoring features in my various leagues until after halftime in the Sunday afternoon games each week (4:30pm or so). That way, I'm not distracted by the current week's numbers and can simply be a:1. Fan of Football.2. Fan of the Vikings.3. Scout for FFL.......for 3-4 hours, until checking scores and seeing what I need in the second half of the 3pms, Sunday evening and MNF games to try and pull out some W's.Live scoring is a blessing AND a curse when it comes to enjoying fantasy football. I personally don't even look at it until well into the late afternoon games.

 

[Ridgelake]

I find that my knowledge of my favorite team far exceeds that of other teams. I also find that my forecasts for such players tends to be more accurate that the FBG forecasts. As such, I'll put my own forecasts into the DD and then let the value be my guide.

 

[Solidsteel Rats]

Over time I've gotten good at separating FF from real football. I'll draft anybody... Lions, Lions rivals, doesn't matter, whoever I think will score me the most points. Then when I watch the Lions, I just forget about FF and don't start thinking about my scores until the 4:00 games.

EXACTLY! I don't turn on my live scoring features in my various leagues until after halftime in the Sunday afternoon games each week (4:30pm or so). That way, I'm not distracted by the current week's numbers and can simply be a:1. Fan of Football.2. Fan of the Vikings.3. Scout for FFL.......for 3-4 hours, until checking scores and seeing what I need in the second half of the 3pms, Sunday evening and MNF games to try and pull out some W's.Live scoring is a blessing AND a curse when it comes to enjoying fantasy football. I personally don't even look at it until well into the late afternoon games.

How can you watch any games on TV??? They give you live updates every 10 minutes almost.

 

[Spartans Rule]

Over time I've gotten good at separating FF from real football. I'll draft anybody... Lions, Lions rivals, doesn't matter, whoever I think will score me the most points. Then when I watch the Lions, I just forget about FF and don't start thinking about my scores until the 4:00 games.

EXACTLY! I don't turn on my live scoring features in my various leagues until after halftime in the Sunday afternoon games each week (4:30pm or so). That way, I'm not distracted by the current week's numbers and can simply be a:1. Fan of Football.2. Fan of the Vikings.3. Scout for FFL.......for 3-4 hours, until checking scores and seeing what I need in the second half of the 3pms, Sunday evening and MNF games to try and pull out some W's.Live scoring is a blessing AND a curse when it comes to enjoying fantasy football. I personally don't even look at it until well into the late afternoon games.

How can you watch any games on TV??? They give you live updates every 10 minutes almost.

Well it's not like you're completely trying to avoid all FF information. Big difference between watching your home team and occasionally seeing an update at the bottom, as opposed to staring at an FF stat tracker and flipping between 3 games.

 

[coolnerd]

Over time I've gotten good at separating FF from real football. I'll draft anybody... Lions, Lions rivals, doesn't matter, whoever I think will score me the most points. Then when I watch the Lions, I just forget about FF and don't start thinking about my scores until the 4:00 games.

EXACTLY! I don't turn on my live scoring features in my various leagues until after halftime in the Sunday afternoon games each week (4:30pm or so). That way, I'm not distracted by the current week's numbers and can simply be a:1. Fan of Football.2. Fan of the Vikings.3. Scout for FFL.......for 3-4 hours, until checking scores and seeing what I need in the second half of the 3pms, Sunday evening and MNF games to try and pull out some W's.Live scoring is a blessing AND a curse when it comes to enjoying fantasy football. I personally don't even look at it until well into the late afternoon games.

How can you watch any games on TV??? They give you live updates every 10 minutes almost.

Well it's not like you're completely trying to avoid all FF information. Big difference between watching your home team and occasionally seeing an update at the bottom, as opposed to staring at an FF stat tracker and flipping between 3 games.

The best thing that happen to me was being a season ticketholder. For 8 weeks, I did not get to have the computer, tv and beer going in my office with the door closed. I have moved from the Houston area, but now go to a sportbar generally watch the Texans play so it is well into the 2nd quarter if not halftime of the 2nd game before i get home. I get to enjoy watching my team w/o watching live scoring. I also play in multiple (well too many) leagues so it is pretty easy not to get too happy over one play or another. As for the original question, I never consider my home team one way or another when evaluating a player. I do note though when I am drafting with team heavy fans as in general a couple of the managers will not be able to make the same disconnect.

 

[Crippler]

For sure. It was 11 years ago we started our dynasty league. Big Packer fan. In the first 2 years, I did not own Brett and it killed me each and every week to cheer for Packers to win first but for Brett not to throw TD's unless to Antonio Freeman who I owned. Really sucked. Well he helped one owner win a championship in year 1 and in year 3, I went to owner whose favourite player was Drew Bledsoe and we did the deal. It made life so much better. Plus winning 5 of next 8 years was delightful also.

I get caught up in wanting these players but I do use my head in the end. Wont reach for a player but in enough leagues that you cant always have the same players anyways. Torry Holt in all 4 of my dynasty leagues would be the closest.

 

[Z-Dog]

I'm a Jets fan, and I usually jsut avoid all of them. I don't think of it as going against my heart as much as drafting with my wallet.