Now that the fantasy and regular seasons are over, we can look back and evaluate what happened. For some managers, it was a championship season in at least one league.
But for many others, it didn’t go the way we wanted. Sometimes it feels like things went well for everyone else, but that isn’t true. As we prepare for the playoffs, and playoff fantasy football, consider some other folks who also didn’t fare as well as they wanted.
Jerod Mayo might have set a record for fastest firing after the season was over. Did he even have time to make a locker room speech after the Patriots’ week 18 victory before getting his walking papers? In the official statement, team owner Robert Kraft said it was one of the hardest decisions he’s had to make. That’s tough to believe considering there wasn’t enough time to even write that statement after the game and before Mayo was fired. It had to be written in advance. Not only did the team win a meaningless game to lose the top pick, they lost their coach before the players had finished showering.
I know these guys make a lot of money, but losing your job means selling your house, changing your kids’ schools, and uprooting your life. Losing a fantasy season means you take a little trash talk and come back the next year. Maybe having a disappointing season in fantasy isn’t so bad after all.
In a week where Mike Evans, Geno Smith and others secured valuable bonuses and milestones, consider that Saquon Barkley didn’t even get a chance to challenge Eric Dickerson’s 40-year-old rushing record. There’s a good chance he’ll never get this close to it again, and he might have lost his best chance for that particular record. I understand that protecting a player from injury before the playoffs is important, but this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If they get bounced from the playoffs anyway, will he always wonder if he could have had his name in the record books? Playoffs or not, I’m sure he’s disappointed.
Fans of the Giants and Patriots have to be somewhat unhappy to see their teams win late in the season to lose out on the top pick in April’s draft. I don’t like teams tanking, and I’m glad everyone is trying their hardest. But as a fan, you have to wonder what it cost them, either in a player or draft capital in a trade. Hopefully they both make the most out of their top-four picks.
Cooper Rush had an outside shot at an extra 250K via a contract bonus, but the Cowboys started Trey Lance instead. He might not have achieved it anyway, but I’m sure (like Barkley) he wanted the opportunity. Remember, Rush isn’t making $50 million a year. That would have been a nice pickup for him.
Joe Burrow threw for nearly 5,000 yards, 43 TDs and just nine INTs, and he’s at home for the playoffs. What more does he have to do? He might lose Tee Higgins in the offseason, and his conference is full of talent. It’s only going to get harder from here.
Dolphins fans don’t even get to wonder what it would take to keep Tyreek Hill, because he basically said goodbye after Sunday’s game. He’s under contract, but looked ready to call it quits. At least give the fans some hope you can work something out. Can Hill get in trouble for tampering with his own contract? As of this writing, Hill’s Instagram photo still shows him in a Miami uniform, so maybe that’s something. It isn’t, but let’s not pour salt in the wound.
Washington and Denver are in the playoffs with their rookie quarterback, the Patriots and Falcons are feeling pretty good about their guys, and Minnesota is still waiting to see what they have in McCarthy. Where does that leave Bears fans? Where they always are: Wondering if their guy is the answer. Caleb Williams wasn’t bad at all, but a 10-game losing streak probably had fans wondering what things would look like with another guy behind center. I hope they give him more time, but it can’t be easy being a fan of the only NFC North team to miss the playoffs.
Finally, 14 teams in the playoffs means 18 teams missed them. Some teams probably knew it was a longshot, but the 49ers, Seahawks, Cowboys, Falcons, Colts, Jets, Dolphins, and Bengals expected to be there. Maybe the Jaguars did, too. All of them have soul-searching, roster turnover and cap management ahead of them. As a fantasy manager, you get more fantasy opportunities coming up this weekend. No matter how poorly your team fared, you get a contract extension, a ticket to playoff fantasy football, maybe a chance to root for your favorite team, and a fun sate of games to watch. You don’t have to worry about losing your job, being a cap casualty, being trashed by the local media, or moving to a new city you might hate. Nobody likes to have a bad fantasy season, but in some ways it could be worse. Enjoy the first round of games and good luck in the playoff games.
Can playoff fantasy football help you bounce back from a down year? What other players and teams are probably disappointed now that their season is over? What upcoming games look most intriguing to you? Share your thoughts below.