One year I had Steve Smith going in a Super Bowl and he had an off day: Just a couple of catches. Well, he probably would have had more if he hadn't made contact with a referee and gotten ejected from the game in the first half. Those things tend to put a damper on your stats. And yes, I lost the game.
Another year I was in a total points league that was going down to the wire in week 17. Wes Welker planted his leg wrong and was out for the game (and New England's playoff run). I barely lost that year, and I suspect that injury cost me. Did I mention the league gave two points per catch and Wes Welker was in his prime? Yeah, probably made a difference, I'd say.
The year the Patriots were destroying offensive records, Tom Brady had one of his worst days during the fantasy playoffs. Another year the Cowboys were so inept in a week 17 contest that the Tennessee Titans defense outscored every other player on someone's roster (shutout, a couple of scores, less than 100 yards of offense allowed and an avalanche of sacks and turnovers).
I didn't have to look up any of these events. They're burned into my brain as I watched the carnage unfold. I remember Baltimore's Derrick Mason having his very best game of the year in 2005 on Christmas Day. The only way I would lose the championship is if Mason reached 100 yards and a touchdown. -- a pretty tall order, considering he had two scores on the year and zero 100-yard games. He hadn't done that since he was in Tennessee. But in the fourth quarter he caught a long pass from Kyle Boller. Go ahead and look that up if you want. Boller, Kyle. Mason finished with, you guessed it, just over 100 yards and a touchdown. And I finished in second place.
Will any of that make you feel better if Aaron Rodgers let you down this past weekend when you needed him most? Probably not. And if you started Rodgers and Jordy Nelson all year, you were the envy of your league. Until week 15, of course. Then you were a laughingstock.
And yes, you can bet the owners you beat up all year long were laughing last weekend. They were giddy to see you fall. If it cost you a win, they celebrated your loss. Not to mention your opponent, who is now the hero who took down Rodgers and Nelson. They're definitely celebrating.
While my struggles won't heal that wound, at least you know you're not alone. Great players come up small when you need them. Role players look like superstars at just the wrong time. If you play fantasy football long enough, it will happen to you. Even Peyton Manning/Demaryius Thomas owners know your pain. They just felt it the week before.
Whether it was Jamaal Charles owners watching Knile Davis rack up points or Josh Gordon owners wondering why they burned a roster spot all year, sometimes things don't work out the way we want. It's tough to take when there's no next week, no trophy, no bonus cash to add to your holiday cheer. Just a bad stat line and an off-season. But what can you do?
Well, you can remember that it's probably happened in your favor as well. In the same league where I suffered the Derrick Mason debacle, I was back in the Super Bowl and primed for another loss. My opponent had Marion Barber, a very effective goal-line runner at the time. Well, he got stuffed short of the end zone a few times, ended up with a sub-par day and I won the title. It had nothing to do with me, or my opponent. Just bad blocking, or some good hits. But that was the difference. I was happy, of course, but I felt his pain.
So eventually, it will swing in your favor. Just not this year.
Any particularly bad (or good) performances bump you from the playoffs? Or did you survive because of them? Share your stories below.