Fantasy Football Sucks

[Zrow]

Why?

Football is a team sport, first and foremost. The success of your team truly depends on how everyone on the team does, not just a few star players. This isn't basketball - one guy can't make you any good (look at Calvin Johnson and the Lions for example). If there's a problem on the O-Line, or your defensive tackles are giving up yards, your whole team is going to suffer.

Fantasy football doesn't care about this. All it cares about is individual stats. Forget the quality of your team, forget actually playing good football - how many yards did your QB throw for? How many TDs did your one guy get?

One of the most obvious instances of this in recent times is Brian Westbrook in 2007:



It was a great idea from a football perspective, because it let them run out the clock and win the game. This doesn't matter in Fantasy, though - you want him to run for the touchdown, and winning the game doesn't even matter.

Another funny story - my friend was watching a football game and a WR caught a major pass and started running toward the end zone. My friend cheered for the catch, then actually started rooting for the other team to tackle him because he had their running back and wanted him to make the TD. Talk about ridiculous incentives.

So that's major problem with Fantasy - winning doesn't matter anymore, and strategy doesn't either. It's only numbers. Football isn't a race though, it's a game. Winning is supposed to be what's important, and good numbers are usually just a byproduct of that (not always though). Good clock management doesn't get rewarded in Fantasy. A smothering defense doesn't get matter as much as your QB's 400 yard game (that he might lose).

It's NOT like real football. You're NOT like a real "owner" of a team, because winning means something completely different.


Another reason that it can make you lose your loyalty to "your" team. I lurrve watching the Ravens, and winning a contest isn't worth giving up the emotional rollercoaster that following one football team all season is.

 

[Omnis]

Fantasy leagues also spit in the faces of the linemen, the heart and spine of any team. They don't get enough respect as it is. "Skill positions" are nothing without the lines.

 

[Kylehnat]

Another funny story - my friend was watching a football game and a WR caught a major pass and started running toward the end zone. My friend cheered for the catch, then actually started rooting for the other team to tackle him because he had their running back and wanted him to make the TD. Talk about ridiculous incentives.

This is why I hate fantasy sports (football in particular). People who participate always care more about their fantasy team winning than they do about the actual games, leading to inexplicable and asinine comments like the one above. Add to it the ridiculous 12-hour fantasy drafts, and you can count me out.

 

[EDK]

I was involved in various fantasy football leagues for 3 or 4 years. I eventually quit for many of the same reasons mentioned. Examples -

1. A team is on the goal line, first and goal. I KNOW the right thing to do from a football strategy perspective is to run the ball, or possibly use play action for an easy completion to a tight end or running back. But as a fantasy geek, I'm sitting there rooting for the team to throw a low percentage fade pass to a wide receiver who is on my fantasy team.

2. Most fantasy leagues reward touchdowns much more heavily than overall performance or yards gained. While reading this thread, I remembered a game in which James Stewart of Jacksonville scored 5 touchdowns. After Googling that, I found it happened back in 1997. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199710120jax.htm He had 15 carries for 105 yards, a relatively pedestrian game, but was unbeatable in fantasy because of his 5 touchdowns. (None of which was longer than 8 yards). It would not have mattered who scored those touchdowns for Jacksonville, they would have won. That same week, one of my favorite all time players, Barry Sanders, had 24 carries for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns, of 80 and 82 yards. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199710120tam.htm But guess who scored more fantasy points?

3. Rooting for my fantasy team players to score points, even if it's contrary to my desired outcome for the game. Even if they were not playing against the Steelers, there are games that need to go a certain way to help your team. And it seems really silly to sit there and root for the wrong team to score, but for the team you'd like to have win socre enough additional points that it doesn't matter. If you want a particular outcome, that's all that should matter.

My summary of thoughts -

Fantasy football is designed to make football more interesting to casual fans of the game without allegiance to any one team, and without a particularly deep knowledge of the game. I actually did fairly well in fantasy, but because of the issues I outlined above (And many others), I decided it was not for me. And football has been a much more enjoyable experience as a result.

And, we found something a Ravens fan, a Steelers fan and a Seahawks fan can all agree on.

 

[Omnis]

If I was worried about point-scorers, my fantasy league team would be nothing but kickers.

 

[FoolKiller]

The suck is a lie. Fantasy football is fun and it can be for anyone that doesn't take it so serious that they forget the integrity of the game.

Yes, we pick individual players and from our roster we choose to "play" the guy we think will do best, but proper fantasy players know that you cannot just look at a player and say, "He's good." No, you have to look at the integrity of the whole game. Is a good running back the best choice when playing against a team that has a great defensive red zone record? Or a team that has a very strong defensive line? No. Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger are amazing talents, but smart fantasy managers know to look at the Rams O-line. It sucks. Bulger is only good if he isn't getting hit every play. Jackson is only good if he can actually get a hole to run through. The same for Torry Holt: he is a great receiver, but when Bulger never has time to throw the ball he won't be catching the ball.

Yes, fantasy scores are based on individual stats, but figuring which individuals will have the best stats requires looking at the entire game, and factoring in that the teams themselves will take into account the integrity of the game.

In the example of the guy wanting the WR to get tackled near the goal line he should have cheered the WR on, because if the team gets a decent lead they will continue to run the ball to burn the clock. And if you pick a RB on a team that has a big play receiver you HAVE to know that the RB won't be getting many goal line runs.

When I play I have to look at much more than just an individual, because just as the game itself is a team sport, so are individual stats a team effort. Every player wants his individual performance to increase (TO?), but no one is going to purposely sabotage a big play by a teammate just so he can look good on the next play. Similarly a fantasy manager needs to look at the quality of the team as a whole when choosing an individual, because a team on fire has players that are on fire.


Anyway, it is pure fun and those of us who play it love it. But then I will always cheer for my Rams before I cheer on a fantasy player that I have on the other team.


Besides, when you win you definitely don't feel that fantasy football is stupid.

And I am sure that Jordan heartily approves of my prize from winning last year's GTP Fantasy Football League.

That would be the shirt, not the girl. I got the girl with pure personality. It definitely wasn't my awesome physique.

Fantasy leagues also spit in the faces of the linemen, the heart and spine of any team. They don't get enough respect as it is. "Skill positions" are nothing without the lines.

No one can argue that some of the biggest and most under-appreciated plays happen away from the ball. A running back scores because everyone between himself and the goal is on the ground before he gets to them. A big reception happens because the quarterback has all day to make his pass and the guys chasing the receiver get held up before they can get down the field.

That said, more complex leagues can be set up to include all players from linemen to defensive players. The problem there is that your draft will take half a day and you spend hours a week analyzing who should be doing what. The more simple leagues with just offensive ball handlers and a whole defense are more common because most football fans do not want to devote that much time to the game.



If nothing else can be said for fantasy football it cannot be denied that it has taken team fans and made them into football fans. I spend many Sundays at a bar so that I can watch every game. If not for fantasy football I would be happy sitting at home watching the three games the networks determine I should see.

 

[Max Powers]

Fantasy football keeps me watching games that I wouldn't care about at all otherwise. It's one of my favorite parts of football season personally.

If you think there's no strategy involved, I wouldn't agree with that either. It's not just about playing your stars but taking into account the opposing defense, weather, injuries, etc.

Add in a $400 pot for the league that my friends and I play in, and the endless trash talk, and it keeps me watching almost every possible game that I can instead of just the Steelers.

Also a 12 hour draft, Kyle? I've never had one last more than an hour and a half.

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean that it sucks.

 

[EDK]

The suck is a lie.

No, it's an opinion.

If nothing else can be said for fantasy football it cannot be denied that it has taken team fans and made them into football fans. I spend many Sundays at a bar so that I can watch every game. If not for fantasy football I would be happy sitting at home watching the three games the networks determine I should see.

I still say that it's given casual fans something to root for. I don't play fantasy, but I subscribe to NFL Sunday ticket and spend many Sunday's watching at least 6 hours of football, if not more. If you asked the majority of fantasy football participants to actually breakdown and analyze a play or a football game from an X's and O's standpoint, they would not stand a chance.

But then again, the league and networks propagate the behavior, by keeping the camera super zoomed in on only the football, highlighting individual players and matchups above team and unit matchups, and dedicating resources during pregame shows and on their websites to fantasy football.

I don't need to hear a so called expert opinion on whether you should start Brian Westbrook or Marion Barber. Or to hear about about this weekend's "matchup" between Peyton Manning and Phillip Rivers. From a context of football, that means nothing. They aren't even on the field at the same time, so how can it be a matchup?

But for those who enjoy it, have fun, and make the league I enjoy more popular, have at it. Just don't expect me to agree with it or like it. 👍

 

[Zrow]

Let me kind of revise my position. I basically said it "sucks" to be inflammatory, and also because I get sort of annoyed when my friends ignore the team they would be rooting for in the interest of fantasy players everywhere else.

I can definitely, definitely see that it would be fun. I think I'd personally get addicted to it if I tried next year. I was honestly considering playing Fantasy Basketball since I don't ever watch the NBA and it's more focused on individual stats that the NFL was.

Also, I absolutely agree that there's strategy to it. What I'm saying is that it's not necessarily the same strategy that is employed during an actual football game (where the situation at hand during the game governs how a team might play, and it's not always a shootout for TDs).

So basically I understand the appeal of Fantasy Football and I'm sure it's a lot of fun, but I think it can take the focus off of the real game they're playing out there.

Then again, you can't argue with 400 bucks.

 

[JFM92_GTRacer]

Fantasy is great with friends, but pros getting involved is a no-no.

Well as long as it ain't in their sport.

I agree with the o-line comment.

 

[Kylehnat]

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean that it sucks.

It is fun to watch someone flip out because even though their team scored 49 points, the star receiver only caught 2 balls for 24 yards and no TD's .