When I hear a fantasy owner complain that they lost because of one of their players, I normally shake my head and chuckle. One guy doesn't usually make or break a team. You might have a fantasy star in your lineup, but your other guys are supposed to perform, too. You can't chalk a loss up to one guy. Even on the other side, a great performance by one of your opponent's players doesn't mean you'll lose. There are exceptions, and I've written about them, but they're rare. You can overcome almost anything.
Almost.
I won't waste too many words discussing Jamaal Charles. You saw it, you tracked it, and you either celebrated or shook your head as the numbers scrolled by. That's a huge exception. Sure, some teams actually lost with Charles on their roster, but he guided a lot more fantasy owners to a Super Bowl, even if the rest of the team let them down. Plenty of good teams lost to a Charles owner (I had one of them). As a football fan, you just marvel at the performance and wave goodbye to a title shot.
But this isn't really about Charles. It's about Peyton Manning, Shane Vereen, Andre Johnson, and just about every Denver wide receiver. It's about the guys who bailed you out week after week during the season, who had you counting that prize money and who had you clearing space for a new trophy. And then they took the day off or failed to live up to expectations.
If you had a star player let you down, that'sot not why you lost. Plenty of fantasy teams advanced this week with a player who barely registered on the stat sheet. If you couldn't overcome that, it was the rest of your team -- or your lack of roster management -- that really let you down. One roster spot never costs you a title.
Shane Vereen wasn't even starting for you six weeks ago. His PPR stats were a welcome addition to your bottom line, but his lack of production Sunday isn't why you lost. You got along without him for most of the season, so your fortunes weren't dependent on him. Adrian Peterson wasn't available and neither was his actual backup, but you knew they were question marks well in advance. And Andre Johnson is a great receiver who disappointed Sunday, but he's just one guy. He takes up one spot. If a team can't overcome one dud performance, it deserved to lose.
But the worst complaints have come from Peyton Manning owners. Some of them were so used to tripling their opponent's quarterback points that when he had a normal game -- still nearly 300 yards and a couple of scores -- they acted like their season ended on Thursday. Owners who have struggled with quarterback play all year (any Brady owners out there?) had little sympathy for their fantasy brethren.
When you face that once-in-a-blue-moon great fantasy performance, there's not a lot you can do. You could have a great week and still lose. For all practical purposes, they cost you a victory. But there's no one bad performance that cost you a title shot. A 60-point performance can derail your season, but a zero can't.
After a fantasy team loses, there's always an ugly post-mortem owners conduct with themselves. Maybe it's in their head, as they go over each decision that led to a disappointing lineup. Maybe it involves staring at a screen, wondering how those puzzle pieces ended up making such an ugly image. Sometimes it involves watching the same highlights on television over and over again, watching the same points defeat them like an endless loop. But instead of wondering how that one guy let you down, look at the other seven or eight and ask why they didn't pick up the slack.
I'm not saying that to be cruel or pour salt in a fresh wound. I'm saying it to help next year (next year is what's next, after all). If you happen to draft a fantasy gem who bails you out week after week, you have to prepare like he won't be there for you. Every other position needs to be examined to provide cover when you need it most. Every owner wants the best team, but it's easy to get complacent when you're 10-2, coasting to the playoffs and have a player driving your success every week. You can't do that. You almost have to expect that one week (maybe when you need them the most) they won't show up. Can your team overcome it? If not, you might be in this exact same spot next year.
If you lost out on a spot in your finals because of a monster performance on the other side, I'm right there with you. But if you lost because a reliable starter fell flat and the rest of the team didn't pick up the slack, the only one to blame is your team's owner. Believe me, I've been there, too. Either way, let's get 'em next year.
Did you run into a Kansas City buzzsaw, or have a star player no-show this weekend? Did you somehow overcome those deficits? Share your stories below.