If the fantasy season is the meal you’ve waited months to enjoy, there’s a bit of melancholy now that it’s over. But, like a special dessert, you can look forward to playoff fantasy football as the last taste before you’re done. It can be a sweet ending, but like a regular dessert, going overboard will make you feel sick.
Playing a post-season fantasy game is a great chance to end your season on a high note. If things didn’t go your way during the regular season, you have a chance to make up for it, and close out the campaign with a smile on your face. And if a little extra cash is involved, that’s okay, too. Besides, a little success in January and February can help lighten the mood and help you get through the months leading up to your next draft or auction. No matter what happened in weeks 1-18, you get to start over and give it another shot. Even if you won your league this season, why not go out with a little extra fantasy fun?
I totally agree, as long as it’s “a little.” But it would be a shame if you gorged yourself on fantasy games, and missed the real fun of watching the playoffs unfold. Long before you were a fantasy football manager, you were a football fan. And football fans should be able to enjoy the post-season journey toward crowning another champion. Don’t lose sight of the most important games of the year.
January is when millionaires on the best teams think of something other than tee times and their next contract. There’s something about the playoffs that make the highs higher and the lows lower. Nobody likes to lose, but it seems to hurt a bit more when their season is ended abruptly. These guys have been working toward one goal since spring, and to see it dashed after 60 minutes of football is tough. And if the game was close, where one play can make the difference between title hopes staying alive and being done for the year, well, I think you might know what that feels like. We’ve all been there, and now your favorite team or player might be there, too.
It’s the same with winning as well. Good showings can fill a locker room with confidence, improve a team’s chances of landing better free agents, preserve jobs for veterans and coaches, and energize a fan base. I have no idea how Detroit or Houston will perform in the playoffs, but just being there is already a win for their fans. It’s live drama unfolding before our eyes, and it’s worth watching regardless of the fantasy implications.
I think we’ve all had times when we’ve gotten so wrapped up in our fantasy teams, that we miss out on enjoying some of the great stories of the year. Tyreek Hill chased 2,000 yards all season, but did you really appreciate it if he wasn’t on your team? How about C.J. Stroud providing veteran-level play as he led the Texans to the playoffs? Or Joe Flacco coming out of nowhere to become a hero in Cleveland over the course of a few weeks? During the regular season, we see events like these through the lens of our fantasy team. Unless they impact our favorite NFL club, we don’t really enjoy them as much, or the way we would if we were just football fans without any fantasy implications. We love it if it helps us, but we might not really pay attention otherwise, or we’ll even look back on it negatively if it cost us fantasy wins.
I’m just suggesting that you intentionally avoid that attitude during the playoffs. Play some games, be competitive and try to win. Have fun with playoff fantasy football. But first and foremost, enjoy the games themselves. Don’t worry so much how it impacts your team, or the money you might win. Just watch as a fan, and enjoy the stories as they unfold. This could be a special playoff run for some teams, a bitter disappointment for others, the final run for some aging veterans, or a time when young stars become playoff mainstays. Just be sure you have fun watching the games apart from how it impacts your fantasy fortunes. These games are special, so make sure you enjoy them like the fan you used to be. And, on top of all that, have a great fantasy run, too. Good luck this week.
Which teams do you think will make it to Las Vegas? Which teams do you want to make it? What fantasy sleepers are you considering for the playoffs? Share your thoughts below.