Fantasy Football: How to not finish last in your league

Part Three | The Season

1. Avoid players listed as questionable whenever possible

Even if they play, players listed on the injury report score fewer points than they would if they were healthy. Honestly, your completely healthy backup might just be more likely to outperform your regular starter or worse, your starter might be subjected to the dreaded 4:30 game-time decision. A low score doesn’t help much, but a zero can tank your entire week. Bank on the rest of your roster to perform and make the safe play.

2. Avoid risks whenever possible

Along the same line, if you are doing the responsible thing and just trying to finish respectfully in the middle of the table, you shouldn’t bank on last week’s out-of-nowhere rookie phenom to perform big this week. Sign him, sure. Start him? Wait on it.

Also, boom-or-bust players like Chris Thompson, Tyreek Hill and any New England Patriots running back are to be avoided unless they fall to a place that befits their value. They’ll have some big weeks, but your worst enemy is the zero they have the potential to put up.

3. Trade, but pay attention.

There’s always a guy in your league who wants to trade you a scrub for your entire team. Never take that bait and never trade with that guy. Assume everyone is out to hoodwink you and only accept a trade that you think you get the better deal out of. Again, we’re just trying not to embarrass ourselves here. You should have drafted a team that is adequate enough to not fail you. Don’t jeopardize that by making risky deals.

Normalcy is a treasure and not standing out is perfectly fine. Focus your energies on making a positive difference in the places where you can, to the people and in the places that matter in your world. Marvel at greatness, but take pride in your own perfectly-adequate capacity. It is a good thing, even satisfying. Not being the hero doesn’t make you a goat. Only being the goat can make you the goat.