It's that time of year again when I have to cover up my problem. Rather than hide it, I figured I'd just come out and admit it: I don't like fantasy football.
I've already received four invitations to participate in leagues and turned all of them down. I have absolutely no desire to participate. And it's not as if I'm against all fantasy sports because I absolutely love fantasy baseball. I briefly touched on the subject here last year, but let me lay it all out so I can show my way of thinking.
I'm a competitive person. I love to try to out-think and out-perform opponents in order to win. I started playing fantasy baseball years ago and thought football would be just as fun. I was very wrong. While all fantasy sports involve some aspects of chance, fantasy football is a total crap shoot. There's very little skill involved and a great reliance on luck.
Look at the process" you start with your draft [many drafts are taking place right now, before the preseason starts], scout the best players and get your team. Because football's such a high contact sport, injuries are more likely and you're one move away from your season being ruined. God forbid that Peyton Manning break his leg in week one. Mass suicides will take place all over the country. Lose a key quarterback or running back early in the season and you can start planning out your next year's draft.
In fantasy football you're at the whim of head coaches with a different game plan every week. Sometime the NFL team your quarterback or wide receiver is on needs to concentrate on the run for a game. Sucks to be you. In baseball, there's consistency. Sure, every once in awhile your player will lay down a bunt instead of swinging for the fences. But when they get 25 to 30 at-bats per week, it evens itself out.
Case in point: four years ago I got into a competitive league up in Mason. It was an established, competitive league and I was treated to an expansion franchise. Little did I know they loved to screw over the new guys. The draft was top to bottom [not snaking like most fantasy leagues, meaning it was just like any professional draft] so I got the last pick every round. It was also a keeper league and, since it was my first year, I had none. So the cards were double-stacked against me to suck.
But that year, with no keepers and sucky picks, I made it into the play-offs and finished third out of sixteen teams. I did nothing but let it ride and make these guys with the top picks look like idiots. I was resolved to come back the second year and rock the league again. I had some good keepers and scouted hard and finished dead last. Fantasy baseball allows you more games, the possibilities for more moves, and the opportunity to out-perform your opponent; it's a much better judge of skill than football.
I've really analyzed this subject a lot and have plenty more comparisons, but this is enough to make my point. Don't get me wrong here: I absolutely love football. We're coming up to some of the best months in a sports fan's year. I definitely plan on watching, even if all the Bengals are in jail. But when it comes to free time, I can do without fantasy football.