Fantasy Football Lessons

        I learned a lot of lessons while playing fantasy football. One of those lessons is that you can never do too much research. Leading up to the draft in one of my leagues, I felt I was as prepared as can be. I researched all these different players and read articles on how they are projected to do for the season. I participated in mock drafts to give me an idea of what players would get picked when. I was so confident that I would win the league by the end of the draft based on the players I had selected. The season went by and I finished dead last in the league. Injuries and bad decisions played a part. From this season I learned that you can never do too much research. I thought I did plenty but there were always some scenarios I hadn't thought about. I went for players that seemed like they would do well but ended up being busts. These players were high-risk-high-reward. According to Matthew Berry, there will be one-year-wonder players and those are the ones you want to avoid (129). Those were the types of players I had drafted and were complete busts.

          Other than doing more research, I also learned that going the safe route rarely goes wrong. It is something I really should've went with while drafting players. I tried finding the diamonds in the rough thinking they would have a breakout season. Instead, they had very unproductive seasons. It costs me many games. The team that did win the league had players that were could be relied on year in and year out. They were very consistent and could get the job done. They didn't have very many huge games but they also didn't have very many weak games. Berry explained how drafting consistent players were keys to becoming a championship-contending team (167). I think if I followed these guidelines ahead of the draft, I would've had a better chance of winning the championship.

What valuable lessons have you learned from doing the activities you enjoy?

Berry, Matthew. Fantasy Life. Westminster: Penguin Group, 2013. Print

End of the Road

         It's the end of the season and I've finished with a final record of 11-6 (11 wins, 6 losses). I am ecstatic to say that I was able to close out the year as the champion in one of my leagues. I was able to beat my uncle by a score of 148-111. As a recap of the season, I think I did really well. Starting with the draft, I was so confident in the players I picked. I knew this was a championship-contending team so I felt excited for the season. What made this year interesting however was that it was particularly abundant in player injuries. Players were getting hurt left and right. Each week a star player fell victim to injury. This created problems for me and the rest of the teams in my league. Matthew Berry says that injuries are a common obstacle in fantasy sports. The only way to really get past them is to scour the waiver wire and always look for the replacement players (229). I did exactly that and some of the players I picked up turned out to be vital to my team;s success. I was glad that I was able to cope with these issues by doing proper research and staying alert.

        Although I had a stellar season with my ESPN league, it wasn't so bright with my Yahoo league. I finished a mere 5-7-1, last place in the league. This league was with my dad's friends and I was the newcomer. These were the guys that have been playing since before I was born so they really knew what it was like. This league had different rules than my other one so I wasn't very familiar or used to them. The scoring also heavily impacted my players. For example, a player in my ESPN league would do great, while the same one in the Yahoo league will not live up to expectations. It's all because of the way the scoring is set. This cost me many games, but according to Matthew Berry, "One of the beauties of fantasy is that it's a microcosm of life. Highs and lows, surprises and disappointments, laughter and anguish. Fleeting interactions and lifetime relationships. The truest form of the good, the bad, the ugly" (257). I think this is a very accurate statement and really sums up what the season has been like for me. Other than the fantasy season, that statement also reflects what life is like. It's a roller coaster of emotions and experiences.

What experiences or activities have you done that had many ups and downs?

Berry, Matthew. Fantasy Life. Westminster: Penguin Group, 2013. Print

Bringing Family and FriendsTogether

        One thing that fantasy football has really impacted was the amount of time I got to spend with family members. Since one of my leagues was mainly with family members, I got to see them more often and build a stronger relationship with each of them. The league brought us all together and gave us a commonality that we could all talk about. It added a competitive edge to our relationships and made our Sundays a lot more interesting (NFL games held on Sundays). We would all get together at one of our houses and watch the games to root for the players we had. The atmosphere was exciting because there would be close match ups and games would come down to the very last place. It created great moments for us to look back on and remember. In Fantasy Life, Matthew Berry explains how fantasy football has impacted his relationship with his stepson. "During the season, whether it was picking up free agents, reviewing trade offers, setting or lineup, or going over the matchup scores the next day, my stepson and I always had something to talk about and look forward to. Something for us to do together" (325). I can relate to this because it has strengthened my relationship with my uncle. We would talk a lot more and we had a better connection. It was great because it's another person I can relate to and be comfortable with.
       
          Other than family members, I've made friends out of acquaintances through fantasy football. Earlier in the summer, a group of friends and I created a league for us to play in. This idea excited me knowing how much I loved to play. Throughout the season, I was able to talk trash and propose trades to the other teams. I built better and closer relationships with some of the guys in the league. I've known them but never talked a lot with them. The league brought us all together and created something that we could all relate to and talk about. Berry talked about how fantasy football has brought him closer with mutual friends and how they became more comfortable going to dinner (324). This is how it has impacted my relationship with my friends. We would go hang out more and talk more. The league was what bridged us together and were the stepping stones to a long-lasting friendship.

What activities have brought you closer with other people?

Berry, Matthew. Fantasy Life. Westminster: Penguin Group, 2013. Print

Playoffs

Playoffs have started and my teams are in it. I'm confident in how I'll do because of the win streak I have going on into the playoffs. My team is hot right now and has peaked at the right moment which is a great sign. Things that I cannot slack on are paying attention to player statuses and picking up free agents that may be vital to a victory. Basically, I just have to be prepared and vigilant as possible. I have to think ahead and come up with different scenarios where my players perform differently and how that may impact my team. Like other things in life, you have to be able to plan and think ahead so you don't make a mistake you regret. This is a lesson I have learned while playing because there will be unexpected situations that come up where it puts you in a tough situation. "We study rosters. We scour the waiver wire. We mull over a million different moves. All we need is one more stud for the stretch run. Just one. Getting him, however, isn't always easy" (Berry 167). You can do the most research in the world in the world and that still won't guarantee you a win. That's the thing about fantasy sports, no one knows how well a player will do. All they can do is speculate and put their research together to give them the most confidence in their team. According to Fantasy Life by Matthew Berry fantasy sports are all about research and luck. So even tough you think you have the best team in the world, something will happen and make life a lot harder on you. One thing to take away from playing this game is to learn how to bounce back and make the most out of something lost. I've been starting to do more research than normal on players and been more watchful of their statuses based on what the book has been telling me.


Have you ever been in a situation where you had to deal with adversity from something unexpected?

Berry, Matthew. Fantasy Life. Westminster: Penguin Group, 2013. Print

Fantasy Life

I got into fantasy football last year and I have been hooked on it ever since. For those of you aren't familiar with it, it is an online "sport" that you can compete in with a group of life-long friends or complete strangers. You get together in a draft lobby and pick players for your team based on how well you think they'll do in the upcoming season according to their stats. The way you score points are based on how well your players do in real life. This wildly popular "sport" is played by people all over the country and add a competitive edge to their lives every Sunday.


I think fantasy football is a great long-term activity to be apart of as it brings out your competitiveness and gives you purpose, especially when the stakes are high. The great thing about fantasy football or fantasy sports in general is that it brings people together that may not have before been compatible. It is a common denominator that connects you to people who you may not have known as well or thought of as a friend. This has happened to me during my participation and has strengthened my relationship with others.


Last year when I first started, I finished my season with a record of 6-7. It wasn't great just mediocre. In one of my leagues this year, I started 0-5. I thought my season was over, but then I started reading Fantasy Life by Matthew Berry. In it he gave advice on making trades with other teams. According to Berry, "People always look at the upside of the deal, but having a low downside is just as important. Understanding both potential outcomes of the deal will help you evaluate it better." This has give

n me a completely new perspective when trading players. Whenever I proposed a trade, I never weighed out the pros and cons of it to see which side had more. I just focused on how much of a positive impact my team would get. By getting this new point of view, I can be more careful when making trades.

While on the subject of pros and cons, what are the pros and cons of participating in fantasy football?

Berry, Matthew. Fantasy Life. Westminster: Penguin Group, 2013. Print.