Retirement From Playing Fantasy Football? (1 Viewer)

[Joe Bryant]

I changed the title to be more clear.

I get a few folks asking me this every year so I thought I'd share this.

Big Picture: Fantasy Football is meant to be fun. That's #1.

And it goes without saying, we're not talking about not winning your league. Of course that's not fun. But it's a zero sum game. Out of all the teams in your league, only one will win. Meaning the vast majority don't win the championship every year. 

So assuming there's a legit reason it's not fun, I say dig into that. Figure out exactly what isn't fun. 

And then, look to see if there are ways to address it.

I often have people tell me, "I love the community of our local league and it's awesome to have the camaraderie. But I have my local league plus 6 more and I just don't have time to spend 4 hours a day on Fantasy Football anymore."

My answer to that is simple. Cut down on how many leagues you have. 

And if you can't cut back on the leagues, maybe you cut down on how much time you spend. 

It doesn't have to be an all or nothing thing. 

I've found that to be true in my own life. I've cut the number of leagues I play in way back. But I enjoy it more than ever. 

It's like pretty much any other thing - figure out what it takes to make it fun for you. And do that. 

 

[Joe Bryant]

It doesn't have to be an all or nothing thing. 

More on this. I often hear people say, "If I can't go all in, then I just won't play". 

I understand giving something your full effort. But that's not really the question. 

The question is, "Is it better to do this thing this way or just not do it at all?"

For a great many things, a scaled back version is way better than not doing the thing at all. 

 

[Todem]

I have been playing since 1988 (yep....a pioneer FF player).

At the height I was in 14...count them 14 dynasty leagues. 

Today we are down to 1 (been in this one since 2003). 

If this league ever folds.....I am done.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Another thing for me.

I find taking a break from watching the Red Zone is helpful. Just watch a regular game that you're interested in. 

Football, to me, is about way more than the highlights. 

 

[JohnnyU]

More on this. I often hear people say, "If I can't go all in, then I just won't play". 

I understand giving something your full effort. But that's not really the question. 

The question is, "Is it better to do this thing this way or just not do it at all?"

For a great many things, a scaled back version is way better than not doing the thing at all. 

The fine line however is putting enough time in to not run the team into the ground that causes the commish to have to find new owners for bad teams..  There will always be that, but as a commissioner  I want people who put enough time in to be competitive. 

 

[Joe Bryant]

The fine line however is putting enough time in to not run the team into the ground that causes the commish to have to find new owners for a bad team.  There will always be that, but I want people who put enough time in to be competitive. 

Sure. But now with sites like ours and others, it's SO much easier to be competitive than it used to be. 

 

[JohnnyU]

Sure. But now with sites like ours and others, it's SO much easier to be competitive than it used to be. 

....yet you have folks who can't seem to monitor their teams on Sunday morning and replace inactive players.  As commish I do it for them when they don't because of league integrity.  Then there are those that don't even work the waiver wire or trades to improve their team.  But  just as bad, there are those that are too active in trading and don't ever improve, because they are constantly churning good young players for more picks.  These types are always picking at the top of the draft and eventually see this and quit.  Lastly, you have those that don't care about the future and join dynasty leagues to win now at the expense of the future.  Then when that team has run it's course, they quit.  These types should only play redraft.

 

[Runnyb]

Long time commish of league we created 16yrs ago. Almost everyone that quits (without any other league to play in) wants to come back and misses it.

I hear owners saying after week 17 they are "retiring" and "I am done". But when I ask them next August if they really want out for good, almost everyone says "I'M IN! CAN'T WAIT FOR THE DRAFT!".

I have thought about pulling the plug on the league many times, more so ever since legal online betting came around in 2020. But once you get a good group of people that are like minded with what the league is (semi competitive yet understanding people have lives other than FF), it's easy to keep it going imo.

Just have to keep the buy-in and payouts in a good range, too high and it's excessive drama, too low and nobody cares much.

 

[Lehigh98]

Started playing around '98-'99 after I graduated college and had more time on my hands as a way to stay in touch with school friends.  The league was run and mostly filled with guys from my fraternity so it was a good way to keep in touch and get together once a year.  Shortly after that I started and commished a work league at my new job with a bunch of friends from there.  About ten years later, added another work league with new people from a new department I was in. 

I tried to keep the leagues I was running interesting by making changes over the years.  One went from redraft to auction and then a couple years later went to keeper as well.  I think just about everyone was getting tired of them because when I announced I was stepping down and asked if anyone was interested in taking over, several responded by saying they were getting tired of playing too and were also ready to stop.

I didn't play any fantasy for a couple years and then my older son (9 yo) and his friends were asking about it.  I started up a small league for them and my 7 yo son (who was really into football) jumped in too.  Of course the 7 yo beat the older kids and won the whole thing.  Did that for a couple years and then the cousins wanted to play too so we started a family league and I started playing again.  

At that point started to get the bug again and also joined a dynasty league I found here on the "Looking for Leagues" board.  Enjoyed the dispersal and rookie drafts so much I wanted to try my own league so I could do a startup.  Grabbed 23 other guys (several of which were from those first couple leagues: fraternity brothers, former co-workers, etc for a 35 round startup and now we're all back to playing and enjoying it again.

So I guess my point is you can get tired of anything after a while.  You don't need to "retire", take a break and maybe you'll even want to jump back into it in a few years.  

 

[Joe Bryant]

Another thought. Sorry for bombing this thread.

This is for the people who are upset over how the game is played or how "politics" have entered the game or how they don't like players celebrating first downs when they're behind. All that kind of stuff. You know what I mean.

If that's you, I would as respectfully as I can say, "Deep breath. You control you. Don't let that other guy control you."

The way roughing the passer is called today or the player that has "Inspire Change" on the back of his helmet may truly be enough to make you quit watching the NFL. If that's the truth for you, then that's the truth for you.

But for a lot of us, a great many of these things in the game (and in life) are just minor things we might change if we had omnipotent power to change. But if we relax a bit, they're not nearly enough to make us quit the game.

Not every single part of every single thing will be the way I want it. 

My job is to weigh out the positives against the negatives and on balance, make a good decision for how I spend my time.

 

[Lehigh98]

More on this. I often hear people say, "If I can't go all in, then I just won't play". 

I understand giving something your full effort. But that's not really the question. 

The question is, "Is it better to do this thing this way or just not do it at all?"

For a great many things, a scaled back version is way better than not doing the thing at all. 

This is why I now really like best ball so I don't have to stress over lineup decisions all Sunday morning... that was the worst part for me,

 

[Joe Bryant]

This is why I now really like best ball so I don't have to stress over lineup decisions all Sunday morning... that was the worst part for me,

That's exactly the kind of solution I'm talking about.    Figure out what works for you and do more of that. 

 

[matuski]

Sure. But now with sites like ours and others, it's SO much easier to be competitive than it used to be. 

Disagree.

It USED to be a site like this and a little effort put you way way ahead.

The information is too easy to get these days.  Everyone has all of the information fed to them in real time.  Just setup a couple twitter notifications on your phone, boom 99.9% of what you need to know.

I pay because I enjoy the contest.  Don't think Ive opened up an article in years.  I'll print out an auction value list before the draft.  I click the 5 second primer every sunday morning out of habit.

 

[-jb-]

Another thing for me.

I find taking a break from watching the Red Zone is helpful. Just watch a regular game that you're interested in. 

Football, to me, is about way more than the highlights. 

Totally agree here. while it might have been the specific circumstances of the Niners and Raider games (exciting, OT, etc.), I think I actually enjoyed football the most yesterday over the entire season.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

This is why I now really like best ball so I don't have to stress over lineup decisions all Sunday morning... that was the worst part for me,

My league switched to best ball + team QB a few years ago. I definitely would not go back.

 

[Steve Tasker]

I definitely am not following why people would post on fantasy outlooks when they no longer play lol. Maybe it's a way to stay connected to the stats and connect, while giving objective advice, but not partaking in the game itself.

I can see this being somewhat of a fun thing to do. I like discussing things as well with everyone. And being able to not keep up with waivers and not setting lineups seems cathartic to be honest lol 

I'm still occasionally in the Shark Pool to follow along with Bills-related news, general team threads for other teams (namely the Jets and Dolphins, since they're division opponents and have active long-running team threads).  The game threads here move slower than Reddit, which is nice.  I don't actually post in FF-related topics like waiver drop/add, FF draft talk, things like that, just actual NFL-related news.  

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Another thing for me.

I find taking a break from watching the Red Zone is helpful. Just watch a regular game that you're interested in. 

Football, to me, is about way more than the highlights. 

I use a combination of my team + red zone. Basically my team or the #1 game with red zone on the halftime & ad breaks.

 

[JohnnyU]

I use a combination of my team + red zone. Basically my team or the #1 game with red zone on the halftime & ad breaks.

I do the same thing.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

It's not fantasy football that I dislike. It's fantasy footballers.

You know, kind of like California and Californians. 

That's a joke.

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

For a great many things, a scaled back version is way better than not doing the thing at all. 

That was exactly my approach. I was in 6 leagues. I was constantly stressed by the conflicts of interest during games, and it impacted my decision making for everything from setting lineups to perceived player value.

I cut it down to 2 entirely dissimilar leagues: a dynasty & an IDP (that I commission). 

Sure, I still have the occasional conflict, but nothing that stresses me out. And my love for the game increased dramatically. 

It’s actually hard to turn down invites to leagues. I’ve turned down like 15 from FBG members alone. I want to join all of these leagues - I just know I’m happier playing FF in moderation. 

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

You know, kind of like California and Californians. 

That's a joke.

I resemble that remark. 
 

 

[kyoun1e]

After over 20 years of it, I quit playing 4 or 5 years ago.

I haven't regretted it for one minute since. I wish I would've quit sooner.

I enjoy watching football again in a way it's just not possible if fantasy football is a priority. If you can just play and not give a #### about the results, awesome.. I was never built that way. I'm especially glad I didn't invest time and energy into the last two years of the BS.

Go one year without out, see how it feels. I'd bet you won't go back.

This is me.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed just watching football with no strings attached this past weekend. It's a completely different experience minus fantasy football. Kicked back...made a fire...actually walked away for a minute minus some fear that if I wasn't watching something bad would happen to some player of mine.

It's insane, but it is what it is.

Still leaning towards taking a year off at minimum.

 

[belljr]

Yeah I'm probably done. I just don't enjoy it anymore

 

[Tanner9919]

Sure. But now with sites like ours and others, it's SO much easier to be competitive than it used to be. 

^^ this is so very  true.

thats where the fun begins to erode. there's no more talk like 'hey you mustve done your homework you drafted a great team' . or hey that guy spends a lot of time studying players, matchups, etc.. at this point it's almost better to let the computer do your live draft for you. set your lineup for you.even do waivers for you.many sites have this capability. I wonder if there's anyway to tell if those that auto-draft have higher winning percentages and more championship victories than those who draft by themselves?

you had donors back in the day. the guys who never made the postseason but always paid the entrance fee,waiver fee, etc.

now those donors are winning titles, but not because they got better at this hobby.they got wise.let the computer do it.

 

[fightingillini]

Another thing for me.

I find taking a break from watching the Red Zone is helpful. Just watch a regular game that you're interested in. 

Football, to me, is about way more than the highlights. 

This.

I don't watch Red Zone much, but I would be on my phone, looking constantly at my ESPN fantasy app, watching the stats unfold.  I did this for years until Mrs Fightingillini put a stop on it.  Now I watch one game on Sunday and I only look at my fantasy scores 2x on Sunday....after the early and after the late games.  

I also think it's helpful for me when I canceled the NFL Sunday Game Ticket.  I was a complete junkie when I had access to all games.  I would flip from game to game constantly.

 

[rschroeder1]

I think you can set limits for yourself. I don't look at the Yahoo app until halftime of the noon games. Don't let a bad start ruin your day or cloud your judgment since one half isn't the whole picture.

 

[Wildcat]

Another thing for me.

I find taking a break from watching the Red Zone is helpful. Just watch a regular game that you're interested in. 

Football, to me, is about way more than the highlights. 

This.  I used to watch RZ and also had Sunday Ticket.  Now I just watch the games that are on my local broadcast, like the good ‘ol days.  It’s much more enjoyable to me.  

I have a long-standing league that I’ve been the commissioner of since 1994. Used to do stats using FFLM and the newspaper.  I remember the morning of 9/11 entering in the Monday night football stats early Tuesday morning and hearing the news of the first plane hitting the tower.  I turned on the news and watched as the second plane hit. Fantasy football will always be tied to 9/11 for me.  

I used to put a lot of work into being the commissioner back in the day. Lots of manual stats entry and printing reports. Then when the Internet came around, I still used FFLM, but used their stat download. I made my own webpages and used the FFLM reports in my website.  
Was a ton of work, but I enjoyed it.  

As the years went on, I grew tired of being the commissioner and the manual effort (used to love it), but thankfully FF websites that did all that stuff for me kept my league going. I was late adopter to those and used FFLM for years because I loved doing the reports myself.  

As a commissioner now, I don’t like doing a lot of work, but thankfully it is mostly just the coordination/communication at the beginning of the season and some at the  end. I greatly enjoy the draft, but prefer it to be in person, and the last two years of Covid has ruined that for me/us.   Hopefully we can be back to an in person draft this year   

My league will be going on 30 years here in a few years.  I plan to do it until I am not capable of doing it anymore.  As a non-commissioner, I still enjoy fantasy football, but not as much as I used to. I actually just enjoy watching football now and worrying about stats and fantasy wins anymore. 
 

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

^^ this is so very  true.

thats where the fun begins to erode. there's no more talk like 'hey you mustve done your homework you drafted a great team' . or hey that guy spends a lot of time studying players, matchups, etc.. at this point it's almost better to let the computer do your live draft for you. set your lineup for you.even do waivers for you.many sites have this capability. I wonder if there's anyway to tell if those that auto-draft have higher winning percentages and more championship victories than those who draft by themselves?

you had donors back in the day. the guys who never made the postseason but always paid the entrance fee,waiver fee, etc.

now those donors are winning titles, but not because they got better at this hobby.they got wise.let the computer do it.

I know this is a theme around here, and I've commented similarly as to how the guppies have more/better access to information / expert opinion than ever before...

But that's a double edged sword.  It doesn't mean the unskilled suddenly have the same advantages as the skilled FF manager, because information still needs to be distilled. There is still plenty of room for a skilled FF manager to do more research, and better qualify the information they're processing. 

Everyone might have access to the same information, yes. But knowing how to read it, what tendencies a new OC might have, or what red flags there might be to drafting X, Y or Z payer...I'm just saying, it's not as simple as "we all subscribe to FBG now so we all have he same skill level". Access to information =/= skill. The skillful FF manager now needs to process that information better, since we all have that access. 

The point is, FF managers who used to put in the work to get more information can still create a competitive advantage for themselves. But now it's by putting more work into analyzing the data that's more readily accessible. Same efforts, different process.  Guppies will still make guppy mistakes, fail to draft for depth, pick players from bad teams because straight rankings said "take X over Y", create BYE week conflicts for themselves, make bad trades, set bad lineups, etc. 

I disagree with the notion that more information is an equalizer. It's just more information. What we do with it is up to each of us. 

 

[IHEARTFF]

I know this is a theme around here, and I've commented similarly as to how the guppies have more/better access to information / expert opinion than ever before...

But that's a double edged sword.  It doesn't mean the unskilled suddenly have the same advantages as the skilled FF manager, because information still needs to be distilled. There is still plenty of room for a skilled FF manager to do more research, and better qualify the information they're processing. 

Everyone might have access to the same information, yes. But knowing how to read it, what tendencies a new OC might have, or what red flags there might be to drafting X, Y or Z payer...I'm just saying, it's not as simple as "we all subscribe to FBG now so we all have he same skill level". Access to information =/= skill. The skillful FF manager now needs to process that information better, since we all have that access. 

The point is, FF managers who used to put in the work to get more information can still create a competitive advantage for themselves. But now it's by putting more work into analyzing the data that's more readily accessible. Same efforts, different process.  Guppies will still make guppy mistakes, fail to draft for depth, pick players from bad teams because straight rankings said "take X over Y", create BYE week conflicts for themselves, make bad trades, set bad lineups, etc. 

I disagree with the notion that more information is an equalizer. It's just more information. What we do with it is up to each of us. 

THIS 100%

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

THIS 100%

This very forum is a good example of this. 

How many FBG premium content subscribers are there? 

Now, how many of them take the time to create a profile & join the discussion forums? 

Now, how many of that set of members engages more than asking a "who should I draft" question on the AC forum? 

The group engaging in thoughtful discussion on this forum is likely a tiny subset of the total # of FBG Premium subscribers. And that extra effort is sometimes enough to gain a competitive advantage over the Premium subscriber who merely looks at rankings or reads the occasional article. Even just philosophy topics like whether to invest in a premium TE, or player trade values, or approaching your draft with varying draft strategies.  

Thoughtful debate, hearty discussion, the occasional fart joke. It all helps us to learn more about this game we all love. The guppy will never go that extra mile, and thus the sharks will always be better prepared for their draft. 

 

[JohnnyU]

This very forum is a good example of this. 

How many FBG premium content subscribers are there? 

Now, how many of them take the time to create a profile & join the discussion forums? 

Now, how many of that set of members engages more than asking a "who should I draft" question on the AC forum? 

The group engaging in thoughtful discussion on this forum is likely a tiny subset of the total # of FBG Premium subscribers. And that extra effort is sometimes enough to gain a competitive advantage over the Premium subscriber who merely looks at rankings or reads the occasional article. Even just philosophy topics like whether to invest in a premium TE, or player trade values, or approaching your draft with varying draft strategies.  

Thoughtful debate, hearty discussion, the occasional fart joke. It all helps us to learn more about this game we all love. The guppy will never go that extra mile, and thus the sharks will always be better prepared for their draft. 

It takes a hell of a lot more effort than just having a good draft, especially with COVID.  One must work the waiver wire productively and making a good trade or two also helps.   Add even more parameters if it is dynasty or DEVY.  As a dynasty commissioner, I see too many that don’t have the desired effort it takes to be competitive long term.  They eventually quit and move on to another draft and fresh chance at a couple of years success.  Rinse and repeat.

 

[belljr]

To be perfectly honest. My enjoyment decline on this hobby  coincided with the NFL instituting Thursday games every week. Just ruined the fantasy league flow imo.  

 

[Todem]

My league switched to best ball + team QB a few years ago. I definitely would not go back.

I have been pounding the table for this for 4 years now…..to no avail. 

 

[Ghost Rider]

Sure. But now with sites like ours and others, it's SO much easier to be competitive than it used to be. 

Yeah, but that is a big drawback, as others have said.  It used to be that those of us who did our homework and knew our stuff had an advantage, but that is now gone.  I get it, things have changed and it's not going back to the way it was, but seeing clueless people who did zero homework and then got lucky when it came to injuries winning leagues makes you realize how not fun it is anymore. 

 

[JohnnyU]

Yeah, but that is a big drawback, as others have said.  It used to be that those of us who did our homework and knew our stuff had an advantage, but that is now gone.  I get it, things have changed and it's not going back to the way it was, but seeing clueless people who did zero homework and then got lucky when it came to injuries winning leagues makes you realize how not fun it is anymore. 

I disagree.  From the look of the ineptitude of some fantasy teams that I see come and go from dynasty leagues,  owners who put more work in do better over the long haul.  Anything can happen in the short term.

 

[Ted Lange as your Bartender]

To be perfectly honest. My enjoyment decline on this hobby  coincided with the NFL instituting Thursday games every week. Just ruined the fantasy league flow imo.  

Now this I 100% agree with.  I know the common retort is “how could you hate more football?”  But between MNF, then waivers, then sorting through injuries/covid lists, then setting lineups, and then it starts all over again on Thursday, it’s like a 2nd job.

Week 17 this year was like a taste of how it used it to be.  The upcoming weekend building anticipation.  Having all the best information on who was playing or not.  It was so refreshing.

 

[belljr]

Now this I 100% agree with.  I know the common retort is “how could you hate more football?”  But between MNF, then waivers, then sorting through injuries/covid lists, then setting lineups, and then it starts all over again on Thursday, it’s like a 2nd job.

Week 17 this year was like a taste of how it used it to be.  The upcoming weekend building anticipation.  Having all the best information on who was playing or not.  It was so refreshing.

Plus the Questionable guy Sunday and your backup is Thursday so you choose to play Thursday guy, he sucks but Sunday guy was awesome or you sit Thursday guy and Sunday guy doesn't play

 

[JohnnyU]

Plus the Questionable guy Sunday and your backup is Thursday so you choose to play Thursday guy, he sucks but Sunday guy was awesome or you sit Thursday guy and Sunday guy doesn't play

With COVID, depth is more important than ever.  I agree about Thursday football, I don’t like it either.

 

[ratbast]

One thing I’ve noticed…

League communication has migrated off both our league message boards to a text chain in each league. To me that’s a problem. Unless I block my “friends” then I can’t get away from text messages among league owners. I want to get out of the text chain but it’s actually not a technical option. I want to read the banter when I feel like it. Seeing the new text message prompt drives me crazy. I’m probably leaving one league because I hate the style of smack talk and can’t get out of the text chain. 
 

Anyone else notice similar communication migration? 
 

PS if anyone knows how to remove oneself from a text chain please let me know. Not every owner has IPhone. 

 

[Joe Bryant]

Now this I 100% agree with.  I know the common retort is “how could you hate more football?”  But between MNF, then waivers, then sorting through injuries/covid lists, then setting lineups, and then it starts all over again on Thursday, it’s like a 2nd job.

Week 17 this year was like a taste of how it used it to be.  The upcoming weekend building anticipation.  Having all the best information on who was playing or not.  It was so refreshing.

Thanks. I do think that's super interesting. I find tons of people who think the opposite and love the Thursday night game for fantasy. I know that's how I see it.

It definitely makes our job more difficult to have good projections ready on Thursday. But challenges like that benefit the more serious player. 

 

[Joe Bryant]

I know this is a theme around here, and I've commented similarly as to how the guppies have more/better access to information / expert opinion than ever before...

But that's a double edged sword.  It doesn't mean the unskilled suddenly have the same advantages as the skilled FF manager, because information still needs to be distilled. There is still plenty of room for a skilled FF manager to do more research, and better qualify the information they're processing. 

Everyone might have access to the same information, yes. But knowing how to read it, what tendencies a new OC might have, or what red flags there might be to drafting X, Y or Z payer...I'm just saying, it's not as simple as "we all subscribe to FBG now so we all have he same skill level". Access to information =/= skill. The skillful FF manager now needs to process that information better, since we all have that access. 

The point is, FF managers who used to put in the work to get more information can still create a competitive advantage for themselves. But now it's by putting more work into analyzing the data that's more readily accessible. Same efforts, different process.  Guppies will still make guppy mistakes, fail to draft for depth, pick players from bad teams because straight rankings said "take X over Y", create BYE week conflicts for themselves, make bad trades, set bad lineups, etc. 

I disagree with the notion that more information is an equalizer. It's just more information. What we do with it is up to each of us. 

Absolutely agree. The ROI on the information is entirely up to the player.

Gary Vaynerchuk likes to say, "The ROI of a basketball to me is zero. The ROI of a basketball to Lebron James is a billion dollars". 

It's what you do with the information. 

I get it. I played Rotisserie Baseball in the 80's when I'd go to the bookstore downtown and buy the Sunday Editions of the Boston Globe to see what happened in Spring Training that week. Today, every novice has that info in real time.  

It's about what you do with the information. 

 

[Joe Bryant]

This.

I don't watch Red Zone much, but I would be on my phone, looking constantly at my ESPN fantasy app, watching the stats unfold.  I did this for years until Mrs Fightingillini put a stop on it.  Now I watch one game on Sunday and I only look at my fantasy scores 2x on Sunday....after the early and after the late games.  

I also think it's helpful for me when I canceled the NFL Sunday Game Ticket.  I was a complete junkie when I had access to all games.  I would flip from game to game constantly.

With you. With today's tech, you can see all you need to see.

I"d even argue sometimes the highlights can be a negative. We've all seen the days when a player has a bad day that's bailed out by one play but that's the one play you see on the highlights. 

It's why I think things like our Sigmund Bloom's "What You Need To Know" is so helpful in my opinion. https://www.footballguys.com/article/2021-need-to-know-week-17

I hope most folks here are a subscriber and can see but if not, here's a sample from the week 16 games.

CLE @ GB

Baker Mayfield wasn’t always smart with the ball, but the last interception came on a missed pass interference call or the Browns might have won this one. Still, there’s no option in this passing game worth starting against the Steelers.

The Packers pass offense is only going to support one consistent play - Davante Adams.

Aaron Jones maintained his hold on the majority of the backfield touches over A.J. Dillon. Only Jones is worth a start against Minnesota.

IND @ ARI

Carson Wentz was uneven, but did enough to get the win and merit emergency quarterback consideration in Week 17 against Las Vegas, if he can get off of the covid list. He also made Michael Pittman Jr a good play in Week 16 and a safer play in Week 17, if he starts instead of Sam Ehlinger (or Philip Rivers).

Kyler Murray misses DeAndre Hopkins, but did enough as a runner to be a solid start. He’ll be challenged against the Cowboys, but should be in Week 17 lineups.

James Conner couldn’t play through his heel injury. Chase Edmonds was the workhorse and leading receiver in the limited pass offense. He’ll be a flex if Conner can go vs. Dallas, and a PPR RB1 if Conner can’t.

A.J. Green is fading, leaving only Zach Ertz and Christian Kirk as worthy plays in the passing game.

DET @ ATL

Tim Boyle is good enough to keep Amon-Ra St. Brown among the fantasy starters. Jared Goff will be ready for Week 17, but this is a great sign for St. Brown’s long term prospects.

Jamaal Williams will run slightly ahead of Craig Reynolds, but it is close to an even split in terms of snaps with D’Andre Swift still out, so there’s no Lions back worth playing in Week 17.

Cordarrelle Patterson’s fantasy stock is running out of gas and only a short score saved him from being a fantasy liability.

Russell Gage had a costly fumble and wasn’t heavily involved since the Falcons never trailed big. He’s not a sure play at Buffalo in Week 17.

Kyle Pitts was looking more like the player the team hoped he would become when they took him #4 overall. He’s warming up heading into Week 17.

 

[Joe Bryant]

^^ this is so very  true.

thats where the fun begins to erode. there's no more talk like 'hey you mustve done your homework you drafted a great team' . or hey that guy spends a lot of time studying players, matchups, etc.. at this point it's almost better to let the computer do your live draft for you. set your lineup for you.even do waivers for you.many sites have this capability. I wonder if there's anyway to tell if those that auto-draft have higher winning percentages and more championship victories than those who draft by themselves?

you had donors back in the day. the guys who never made the postseason but always paid the entrance fee,waiver fee, etc.

now those donors are winning titles, but not because they got better at this hobby.they got wise.let the computer do it.

I don't agree at all it's better to "let the computer draft for you". 

When I say it's easier to be competitive with sites like ours, I mean using our tools and information as a tool. I think a GM always has the best shot when they are 100% in control and using sites like ours as a weapon and tool. 

 

[Joe Bryant]

One other big note for you folks that want more of an edge - if you're not already doing an auction draft, that helps the more prepared owners and gives them an edge. 

 

[Joe Bryant]

This very forum is a good example of this. 

How many FBG premium content subscribers are there? 

Now, how many of them take the time to create a profile & join the discussion forums? 

Now, how many of that set of members engages more than asking a "who should I draft" question on the AC forum? 

The group engaging in thoughtful discussion on this forum is likely a tiny subset of the total # of FBG Premium subscribers. And that extra effort is sometimes enough to gain a competitive advantage over the Premium subscriber who merely looks at rankings or reads the occasional article. Even just philosophy topics like whether to invest in a premium TE, or player trade values, or approaching your draft with varying draft strategies.  

Thoughtful debate, hearty discussion, the occasional fart joke. It all helps us to learn more about this game we all love. The guppy will never go that extra mile, and thus the sharks will always be better prepared for their draft. 

100%. Are folks saying they think the type of people who come to the Shark Pool and discuss players and think deeply about things don't have an advantage over the masses? I don't buy that for a second. 

 

[Ted Lange as your Bartender]

Thanks. I do think that's super interesting. I find tons of people who think the opposite and love the Thursday night game for fantasy. I know that's how I see it.

It definitely makes our job more difficult to have good projections ready on Thursday. But challenges like that benefit the more serious player. 

Of course it does, and my overall success is honestly better since TNF has started because I’m hyper-competitive and I do take my leagues seriously, almost to a fault.  That doesn’t make it overall fun or enjoyable though, which is what I was agreeing with.  It makes it a grind.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Of course it does, and my overall success is honestly better since TNF has started because I’m hyper-competitive and I do take my leagues seriously, almost to a fault.  That doesn’t make it overall fun or enjoyable though, which is what I was agreeing with.  It makes it a grind.

Thanks for sharing your perspective. I don't agree at all but that's always why these forums are great. Different opinions are good. Thanks. 

 

[Ted Lange as your Bartender]

Thanks for sharing your perspective. I don't agree at all but that's always why these forums are great. Different opinions are good. Thanks. 

And I’m sure I’ll be right back in the mix come draft season.  Maybe my opinion is partly affected by coming off of the worst championship game beat in all the years I’ve been doing this (since 1991).  

Joe, I will say that your site has been invaluable over the years so I thank you for that.

 

[belljr]

And I’m sure I’ll be right back in the mix come draft season.  Maybe my opinion is partly affected by coming off of the worst championship game beat in all the years I’ve been doing this (since 1991).  

Joe, I will say that your site has been invaluable over the years so I thank you for that.

I used to be this way but the last 2 years i did zero draft prep.   I just don't care that much anymore  I started my league in 93?  I did the tons of leagues, watching every play dow to 4 specific leagues that were all different (dynasty, redraft, auction etc) then down to just one dynasty.  Don't know why just don't care anymore.   Maybe because Im just gambling more.  I'll just watch a game.   Theres a lot of things I was super into that I just don't care that much about anymore.   Poker, video games, pro sports, exercise, can't tell you the last baseball game I watched (and I was deep into the game).... maybe I have a condition (half kidding)

 

[DocHolliday]

I used to be this way but the last 2 years i did zero draft prep.   I just don't care that much anymore  I started my league in 93?  I did the tons of leagues, watching every play dow to 4 specific leagues that were all different (dynasty, redraft, auction etc) then down to just one dynasty.  Don't know why just don't care anymore.   Maybe because Im just gambling more.  I'll just watch a game.   Theres a lot of things I was super into that I just don't care that much about anymore.   Poker, video games, pro sports, exercise, can't tell you the last baseball game I watched (and I was deep into the game).... maybe I have a condition (half kidding)

I don’t think you have a condition.   You have probably just changed.  We all change.   I used to watch every NFL game Thursday through Monday.   I would start watching pregame shows at 11am on Sundays and stay glued to the TV until the last minute of the Sunday night game. I loved FF and spent hours every week trying to improve my team and make the best line up decisions.  Over the last few years, time spent watching the NFL has continued to decrease and this year I didn’t watch a minute of games for weeks.   I realized halfway through the season that FF was more of a chore than enjoyment.   Maybe I will get back into the NFL more and even return to FF if that interests me again.   We all change.