Most leagues are done by now, right? The champ has been crowned, the losers are licking their wounds and all owners are gearing up for the playoffs (and related fantasy games).
Except for a few fantasy rebels. Those heathens are still playing in week 17. Can you imagine that? They play all season, and they're ruining the experience at the end.
Or maybe they're enhancing it.
Look, I understand why fantasy leagues originally ended their seasons in week 16. Too many teams stopped trying, many playoff spots were settled and it was more like a weird preseason game than part of the real season. It made sense at the time.
But things are a little different now. Thanks to the league's parity goal, week 17 means more than ever. Every game is a divisional game. That affects divisional and conference records, which can impact division winners and playoff seeding. Headed into the final week, just three teams know what their playoff seed will be. Any team that has a realistic shot at the top seed, a bye or a division title will be trying to win this weekend. The few teams with no chance at those spots will probably rest guys. But that number isn't as large as it used to be.
Then there are a few teams still on the bubble, who need a win (and maybe a little help) to get in. The NFL helps you there, too: Games are often moved to coincide with other contests relative to the playoff hunt. So instead of a late game possibly having meaning depending on how an early game shakes out, both games are often played at the same time. That doesn't always happen, but it's more frequent than before.
Okay, so what about the other teams that have no chance at the postseason? Many of them are playing hard, too. A team like Washington is trying to build a little momentum with their young quarterback. The Jets and Falcons are winning games and enjoying a late-season resurgence. And some are simply fighting for their jobs. A couple extra wins at the end of the year could be the difference between another season with a job or total regime change. The games matter, even if they don't really matter.
That doesn't even count players close to milestones/league records/contract bonus triggers. So with all that in mind, why cut your season short by a game? Yeah, it's possible you might be missing a star in a lineup. But it's no different than an injury or a bye week. And it's not that many players. Every team has a bench, and most guys will be startable. We don't get that many weeks anyway, so why not make the most out of each season?
I think if you consider the reasons you end the year in week 16, you'll see that the following week isn't all that different. You could add another season game for teams to qualify for the playoffs, you could expand the playoff pool and/or reward top teams with a bye week. It opens up a lot of opportunities for owners to enjoy the season longer. And since your league fees wouldn't change, it's absolutely free!
By the way, you might want to get used to week 17 games, anyway. There's a good chance that the new collective bargaining agreement will include expanding the regular season by a game. That means week 17 championships for everybody, and week 18 title games for leagues that want to keep fantasy football going as long as possible. And if an extra bye week is part of the deal, the season gets even longer.
If you still have a game to play, good luck this week. And if you're just waiting around for the playoffs to start, consider finding a league that plays to the very end next year. You might find it's more fun than you thought.
Does your league play a week 17 game? What are the positives and negatives? Would you play in one? Share your thoughts below.