The NFL giveth, and the NFL taketh away. And in this case, I couldn’t be happier. The league added a 17th regular season game, and also took away a preseason “game.” That outcome might not be awesome for NFL players, but for fantasy players it’s fantastic.

We’ve already discussed what adding a game can do to a league, but how about shortening the preseason? You have fewer chances to watch players pretend to compete, but overall I think it works in our favor.

It all kicks off this week, but that’s just the bonus Hall of Fame game. A week later, pretend football will start a bizarre calendar of Thursdays, Mondays, Saturdays, Sundays, or anywhere they can fit it in. The league can schedule them whenever they want, but they can’t make teams play their best players.

Joe Burrow wants to play at least a little bit, but the Bengals want to save him for when the games actually matter. Darrell Henderson, now the Rams’ best option on the ground, will see no preseason action. Tom Brady wants to play, but what do the Buccaneers gain by throwing him out there? On the other hand, it looks like Dak Prescott might take some snaps in a game, but the Cowboys are still playing four fake games this year (including this week’s scrimmage against the Steelers). The truth is that many of the guys you’ll be selecting won’t even take the field, or will be in and out so fast you’ll miss it.

I think that’s a good thing. We don’t know for sure, but it seems like teams are choosing to eliminate the third preseason week. You know, the one that actually mattered, when starters played a half or more? Teams are being more cautious with their best players, and there’s a good chance the kinda-games will be used to evaluate talent further down the depth chart.

I believe fantasy players win in this scenario. Teams protect the guys we want to keep healthy, and we get a clear indication of who wins the coveted backup spots. The early part of your draft is protected, and the later part of your draft still has the opportunity to help you if/when disaster strikes. We’ll even see teams like the Colts, who really need to figure out who will start while Carson Wentz heals. So whatever value the preseason had, it hasn’t really lost it. There’s just less risk of a starter getting hurt for no reason.

Now, does that mean I’ll watch the preseason? Of course not. As long as I have the Internet, I won’t miss anything. But I definitely approve of losing a preseason week, and I certainly support teams getting rid of the “it’s almost real” feel of one of those weeks.

In fact, you might learn something by seeing who doesn’t take a snap in August. The fact that the Rams won’t risk Henderson is a great indication that he’s really their guy. If you’re not hurt and you get the star treatment by not taking the field in the preseason, your job is safe and you’re a big part of the team’s plans. And I want to know exactly who those guys are before draft day.

And as a bonus, your league mates will still drool over players who tear their way through future insurance agents and volunteer coaches (both valuable positions in their own way, so no disrespect). They might make the team, but that doesn’t mean they should make your team. But some fantasy players might draft them anyway, giving you a chance at snagging better talent for yourself. The starters will be mostly absent during these sorta-contests, so whatever you see needs to have an asterisk by it. You know that, but some of your fellow fantasy players don’t. That’s good for you, too. And if you’re convinced you see a gem in the making, well, it’s your team. Go for it. Everybody wins.

Ironic, right? A series of "games" where wins and losses mean nothing, and we’re the only ones who really win. One fewer preseason week, 17 weeks in the regular season and more players getting protected until the games actually count. What more could you want?

Well, maybe all the games actually being played on the day they’re scheduled, and no starters missing snaps due to the virus. That would be nice, but let’s start with less preseason, okay?

How do you feel about a shorter preseason? Should teams play or rest their starters? Will it impact your preparations at all? Share your thoughts below.