The season is about to start, you have your fantasy team(s) and you’re ready to go. The first game is just around the corner. It’s a great time of the year, right?
It is, except for one thing: It’s also the time of year you’ll be asked to fill a last-minute opening in a league or two. And if you want to preserve the fun you’ll have this season, I suggest you decline these invitations.
Now, that seems to be a Grinch-like suggestion. You love the game and a league has an opening. So why wouldn’t you join up? If you have the time and the money, it seems like a no-brainer. And in a way it is, because you’re not really using your brain when you accept that invitation. You’re using your feelings about the game, and the memories of the drafts you just enjoyed.
Thinking about the fun of a draft, collecting a great roster of talent, and having another opportunity to dominate a league is a true dopamine hit. But, like checking your email or hearing the ding! of an incoming text, it’s a short-lived rush. Then you’re left with a few months of work to do in a league where you probably don’t know most of the owners, have no idea about the league’s personality, and don’t have any emotional investment in succeeding against these people. Is it even worth your time at that point?
Besides, how much time did you really spend on finding out whether the league is a great fit or not? Why do they have an opening, anyway? Why did they ask you, when they didn’t ask you in any of the previous seasons? The answer (most likely) is that they need somebody, and you’re just some body. They looked around in a rush, and your name happened to come up. Maybe your old coworker’s new office league needs someone. Maybe one of your in-laws got roped into a league a couple years ago, and that league has an opening, and they’re scrambling to fill the spot. Maybe a bunch of managers who miss the rush of building a team are throwing together a new league just to have one more draft. Are any of those great reasons to join, draft, and participate?
Because that’s the commitment on the table: You’re expected to participate all year, whether you start out 5-1 or 1-5. You’re expected to start viable lineups, scour the waiver wire, field trades, try to win and put together the best lineup each week. Are you willing to put in that kind of time for a league you didn’t know existed an hour ago?
Now, you might say, what’s the big deal? It’s not that hard to throw together a valid lineup. You can certainly log in, put in your best guys, and log out. You’ll do your part as a manager, so why not play? And the answer is because your attitude already proves you shouldn’t bother. If the league is just another login and a minute of lineup shuffling to you, you won’t be a great owner. If you’re not thinking about being active, getting to know the other managers, and making the league a true destination a few times each week, you don’t really want to join that badly. Don’t shrug your shoulders and agree to be a mediocre manager. Either put in the time necessary to be an active participant, or don’t waste everyone’s time.
Sure, if you’re winning, you’ll pay more attention to it. But that’s not a fair condition to put on a league. Your activity shouldn’t be dependent on your record. You’re either in or you’re out. And, in these cases, you should probably be out.
But shouldn’t you help out a league that needs another participant? What if they truly need somebody to keep it afloat? First of all, why do they need someone now? They didn’t check to make sure all managers were participating? They didn’t have any backup ideas for potential managers (people they actually knew)? Is this everyone’s 5th-favorite league or something? The bottom line is, if you can’t be a great manager, you aren’t helping anyone out. And if the league is so nonchalant that managers drop out, and they wait until the last minute to grab random people to fill spots, is that even a league worth saving? Remember this is costing you a lot more than the entry fee. This is your time and energy when you already have leagues and teams you’re excited about for the upcoming season. If asked to join a league at the last minute, your attitude should be “why?” not “why not?” And if there isn’t a good “why” then just say no.
Of course, there are exceptions. A really great league might have a last-minute opening due to an unforeseen circumstance, you already know a few of the managers, and it’s a good fit. Or maybe you’ve been looking for another league and hadn’t found one, so it was actually great timing for you. Maybe one of your favorite leagues disbanded this offseason, and you have the time and energy to put into a new league. There are occasions where things just work out, and joining is a great decision.
But if we’re being honest, those are in the vast minority of late opportunities. Most of the time it’s a casual league and somebody didn’t care anymore, and the other managers need a warm body to take the spot, and they don’t even care how active you’ll be. You’re just spot #12, and whatever happens happens. And I’m saying that’s a terrible way to join a league.
So enjoy the runup to the regular season. Just don’t spoil it by joining leagues that don’t mean anything to you.
Have you ever joined a league at the last minute, then regretted it? Or joined one and it turned out to be a great decision? What are your requirements to joining another league? Share your thoughts below.