Previously, I discussed the importance of having a shortlist of potential owners if a spot opens up in your league. Otherwise, you end up with any warm body you can get. But what if you're that warm body?
Odds are it'll happen at some point. There's a spot in a league that needs to be filled and you're a perfect candidate, apparently: Somebody knows you from somewhere. You have enough money to play. You wear a hat supporting a team so you probably follow the NFL. Assuming you have two free hours on the correct day, voila! You're the proud owner of the Albany Anybodys, a filler team in a filler league.
Does that sound like a recipe for success to you? I don't mean can you win the league or cover your costs to enter. I mean does it sound like a formula for an excellent fantasy experience, or does it sound like a lame, last-minute effort from desperate fantasy owners? There's no right or wrong answer, unless you pick the first option. I think that one's wrong. It's not likely to be a fantastic experience, but thousands of people will do it anyway. Their office buddy's brother has a friend whose league has an opening, and they're Mr. Available. Why not sign up?
There are a few reasons, actually. You don't know these people, so there's little or no camaraderie. It takes up time you could be spending on leagues that actually matter to you. You don't know how dysfunctional the league might be (there could be a very good reason they have an opening). You have no idea if you'd actually get paid if you won. Is the commissioner trustworthy? Does the scoring system make sense? Do people answer e-mails or texts? Will it be harder to make trades since nobody knows you?
But I think the real problem is the mindset of the owner who receives that offer. Instead of a "why not" mentality, I suggest taking a "why" mentality when asked to join a new league. Why should you become an owner, anyway? What does it offer you that your current leagues are missing? What's the appeal? Would you be excited if you won? Would you care if you lost?
I know there are stories of people who join a league of strangers and come out of it with great friends. That's awesome. But fantasy football is a game of numbers, and I think those folks are probably in the minority. More likely it becomes just something to do, a chance to feel the rush of another draft and then see what happens with no strings attached. If you win, great. If not, who cares? But if it's not hurting anyone, what's the problem?
Thing is, I think it does hurt people. It hurts the owners in that league. It's nothing to you, but for someone else, it's their main league. If you're giving a half-hearted effort and you're not invested in what happens, you're not being a good owner, and that hurts your new league mates.
It hurts you, too. You could spend that time and money doing anything else and probably get more out of it. You get less fun out of each league you join, but I think it's more than just the law of diminishing returns. I think it also hurts your overall enjoyment of fantasy football in general. Is it really fun to own everybody across all your leagues? To be 1-5 in three leagues, but 6-0 in two others? If you join 15 leagues, is it really all that impressive if you win one? At some point you either end up ignoring the leagues that don't matter or your enjoyment suffers. Everybody loses.
I know what some folks are thinking: Michael's crazy with his "don't do this" and "don't do that" articles. Don't follow local media, don't watch the preseason, don't join too many leagues. What's next, telling us not to drink at the draft? (Spoiler alert: Maybe).
Well, I think my job is to do whatever I can to enhance your fantasy football experience. I want to make sure you have as much fun as possible each year. Sure, that means winning your leagues, but it also means avoiding headaches and wasting your time. I have friends who have gotten burned out from fantasy football, and I think part of it was joining too many leagues, spreading themselves out too thin and eventually not enjoying it anymore. The game has gotten so popular, they piled on league after league to keep up with all the interest among people they know. And in the end, it hurt them.
I don't want that to happen to me, or to you. So before you join another league, please ask yourself if it will really enhance your fantasy year. Do you have enough time to really devote to being an active owner? You can have more fun in the leagues you're already in by focusing on them and trying to win the ones that really matter. If you don't think another one does anything for you, it's okay to say no. You might end up better off at the end of the year.
Do you turn down invitations to join leagues, or is it "the more the merrier" for you? Share your thoughts below.