Playoff fantasy football is a great way to complete the season, like a dessert after a meal. If the main course was excellent, a good dessert just makes it better. And if the season was bitter, well, here's a chance to end on a sweeter note.
But while there will be plenty of games to play, make sure you don't miss out on the games themselves, and enjoy the results as a football fan. Otherwise you'll miss some of the best moments in what could be a special postseason.
Last weekend was a pretty good preview. My fantasy season was over, so I had a chance to watch games just for the enjoyment of the sport. And Pittsburgh/Baltimore had a lot to offer football fans, especially in the fourth quarter. It was basically a playoff game, and I enjoyed it with no fantasy implications whatsoever.
While there were some great games in the regular season, I didn't enjoy them the same way. In those contests there were usually other considerations that took up my attention. When I saw a great touchdown, it was either good (a great play), amazing (it helped my fantasy team) or terrible (it hurt my fantasy team). I rarely just enjoyed the performances for what they were. And while I like the way I've been watching games for decades, there was something nice about just watching as an interested fan last week. And now we can do it for the next month.
Fantasy games can make them a little more interesting, of course. I'm just reminding you that these games don't need the high-pressure distractions that come with the regular fantasy season. You can be a fantasy manager and you can watch the NFL playoffs without fantasy implications affecting that enjoyment.
Looking back on the season, there were highlights that felt like lowlights simply because of how they affected my team. In a way I missed out, because I was often more interested in numbers for a hypothetical contest than the athletes on the field. That's not going to happen to me in the playoffs. I want to see how far these young quarterbacks in the AFC can take their teams, and if anybody can stop the NFC West offenses before one of them represents the conference. I want to see if Rodgers has anything left for what might be his final playoff run. I want to see if Josh Allen can finally break through without Mahomes standing in his way. And really, I want to see competitive games from teams that belong there.
If your favorite team is still alive, I already know that playoff fantasy football won’t affect your rooting interests. But if you're just a football fan, it might be easy to fall into old habits. I think you should make an effort to enjoy what you see without worrying about the stats. I hope you win your playoff game and end the season on a high note. But I also hope you appreciate what we're going to see, because I'm hoping it will be special. Good luck this week.
Do you take playoff fantasy football as seriously as the regular season? Can you enjoy playoff football regardless of how it affects your fantasy team? Is your favorite team in the playoffs? Share your thoughts below.