Before the season started, if you had told me the Los Angeles teams would be a combined 2-10 after six weeks I'd be very surprised, partially because that's a weirdly-specific prediction to make. And partially because I probably don't even know you. How would we even have that discussion?
But I'd also be surprised because those were supposed to be two playoff-bound teams, one of them with legitimate title aspirations. But here they are, and here we are. I could give you plenty of reasons why the Chargers are winless, but I have fewer excuses for the Rams being 2-4. Still, I kind of understand it. And if you play fantasy football long enough, you will, too.
Perhaps you have a team kind of like the Rams: Talented, pretty much doing what they're supposed to do, and still coming up short way too often. Looking for answers, they're hard to find. Statistically, they have one of the top offenses in the league and one of the top defenses. They aren't decimated by injuries, at least not more than most teams. They've been in a position to win most of their games. And somehow, they're already watching the division slip away.
As fantasy managers, we can relate. If you have a team that's competitive and scoring points, you're doing your job. But if the random schedule works against you, you're helpless to do anything about it. Maybe you're running into the wrong opponent game after game. Maybe you choose the right guys, but an untimely injury derails your week. Or maybe your opponent has that one guy who has the game of his career, and it's happening against you over and over.
I'm in a league where a fellow manager was 3-2 after five weeks. Not bad, until you consider he should have been 5-0: His losses were against the #1 and #5 top scoring weeks in league history. It's unusual to get more than one or two top 10 weekly scores a year. We had two top five totals in the first five weeks of 2026, and both were against him. In week 6 he had the eventual off week, and now he's sitting at 3-3 with the most points in the league and stuck in the middle of the pack behind the league leaders.
But if you're not the Rams, maybe you're Cleveland. The 4-2 Browns have more points than exactly three teams: The Dolphins, Chargers, and Titans. Those guys are a combined 1-16, and Cleveland is technically in first place in their division thanks to their divisional record. They have real future talent in their receiver room, but what part of that team screams "playoff contender" in 2026? Yet here they are.
Maybe you have a team that somehow eeks out wins despite a lack of talent, a rash of injuries or plain bad luck. Maybe you start the wrong guys each week, and it somehow doesn't hurt you. Maybe you could only beat one team some weeks, and you happen to play that team. Or maybe you've just caught teams on their bad weeks. Whatever the reason, are you really 5-1? Is the unlucky team really 1-5?
Yes and yes. You are your record. Nobody cares how you got there. You're there. So either hope your fortunes change or hope they hold as long as possible. The good (or bad) news is that fantasy teams don't have momentum. Your players don't feel the elation of a winning streak, or the dejection of a losing one. They have no idea they're on your team and wouldn't care if they did. In the NFL momentum is real. The 49ers are finding ways to win no matter who's catching the ball. And in Tampa, everybody seems to be waiting around for the inevitable head coach firing. Anything is possible, but what are the odds of San Francisco losing their next six games, or the Buccaneers winning five in a row? Not going to happen.
But your fantasy team is different. It can win (or lose) several games in a row because each one has nothing to do with the other. Each week features different lineups of guys all playing different opponents. That's great news if you're looking up in the standings, especially if your team is producing points. A turnaround is possible, starting this week. But it's bad news if you're the 5-1 paper mache team that's a luck recalibration away from mediocrity. So don't get too low, or too high. A change in your fortunes could be coming, and you can take heart in the fact that some NFL teams are right there with you. Good luck this week.
Do you think you're as good (or as bad) as your record? What changes do you plan to make to turn things around? Share your thoughts below.
