Week 3 VENT Thread!

Gordon Gekko II · Post by **Gordon Gekko II** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:57 am

No one ever likes to fell “cheated” out of their money. However, I know I have that feeling after three weeks of the NFL season.
Week 1 A.Gonzo 0.0pts (3 out of 4 teams)
Week 2 L.Moore 0.0pts (1 out of 4 teams)
Week 3 F.Gore 0.4 pts (1 out of 4 teams)

At least when someone plays slot machines, they get the excitement of a full spin. Even if you don’t win, you played a whole game (spin). When a player gets hurt at the beginning of the game and doesn’t play the rest of the way, it’s like taking a spin on a $100 slot machine only to have the machine breakdown in mid-spin (and you don’t get your money back). Understandably, frustration level is at an all-time high.

Injuries like that are totally out of our control. There is no way to adjust to this while the game is going on. 10%-15% of the scoring for your team just went to 0. Sure, there’s skill involved in having a good bench for the rest of the season, but again, you have to take a zero for that week. ALL LUCK.

And I’m not even counting the zero’s that healthy players have taken this year (G.Jennings & T.Owens) or surprise gameday inactives (W.Welker) or semi-surprise inactives (B.Westbrook & D.Bowe). And I’m not counting, now more than ever, coaches are playing it closer to the vest with injury information.

Before the season started, I knew luck played a much more significant part of the equation than many of you thought. It’s hard to believe, but after three weeks I have increased the luck %. It will never get to the level of slot machines (ALL luck), but I’m realizing it’s closer to that than what I thought.

As someone asked me yesterday, “why do I continue playing if it’s so much luck”. There are many reasons, but the most significant include:
1. I’ve been good enough and lucky enough to make a profit in 4 of the 5 years I’ve played high stakes fantasy football
2. If I lose money in fantasy football, I can use it as a write-off for my fantasy baseball winnings
3. I’ve been playing fantasy football for years, and old habits die hard

mikeybok · Post by **mikeybok** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:43 am

I hear you

... we had AG on three teams (3 zeros) ... he really needs to come back week 6 or 7!!!

We also had L Robinson (really hard to make up for that in a DC with no pickups) on two teams and Williamson on one.

You just need to hope your team is good enough to make up for it ... I guess?

Ugly

The Franchise · Post by **The Franchise** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:53 am

Yup, have Gore on my Prime-Time team.

I can't complain too much though. I handcuffed him with Coffee. Hopefully he holds down the fort until Gore can come back?

Shrink Attack · Post by **Shrink Attack** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:04 am

Originally posted by Pats_12:
Yup, have Gore on my Prime-Time team.

I can't complain too much though. I handcuffed him with Coffee. Hopefully he holds down the fort until Gore can come back? Coffee looked like nothing special in relief, but it was against Minnesota. No receptions either, which is a big difference between him and Gore. Two easy matchups coming up, so we'll see.

BTW...I have Gore on three teams, all backed up with Coffee, but I'm not optimistic.

mikenj46 · Post by **mikenj46** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:11 am

I'm new this year to fantasy football, but I too had Gore on my online championship team yesterday and had to wach the week hopelessly. Was in first place going into the week and quite possibly lost soley because Gore got hurt.

Maybe there should be a rule put in place next year that if an injury takes place during the course of the game that injured player can be sent to the bench and replaced at half time.

Few reasons for this change...first, if the idea behind all fantasy sports is to play "general manager" or "coach" then it makes sense to have this rule. The 49ers didn't play without a running back because Gore got hurt...why should the fantasy teams? This would also promote even more strongly the idea of having good depth as those players would come in handy on a week to week basis.

Second, I'm a long time fantasy baseball player and can understand why there are no changes mid week. I think the main difference isn't even number or weeks or games, but the head to head aspect of football vs. baseball. In baseball playing to win an accumulative season, missing 3 games or 15 at bats in a week because of injury sucks but by no means kills your team. In the head to head style of play, losing a major player for the week often seems to cost that team a chance at a win that week.

Now my replacement(McFadden) wouldn't have scored enough points to make a difference yesterday anyway, so this isn't about my or this week. Just seems logical that a player who gets injured be replaceable at some point during the course of the game. If I take Gore out and he comes back and runs for 60 yards after half time, oh well, those are the calls "coaches" have to make.

Just my thoughts after watching each running play of the 49ers game screaming at the tv in frustration.

Shrink Attack · Post by **Shrink Attack** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:16 am

Originally posted by mikenj46:

Maybe there should be a rule put in place next year that if an injury takes place during the course of the game that injured player can be sent to the bench and replaced at half time.

Are you kidding? That's just Fantasy Football, my friend, plain and simple.

Look...I lost Gore in three leagues and Laurent Robinson in two others, both early on. It sucks, but there's nothing unfair about it. That's just the way the football bounces.

King of Queens · Post by **King of Queens** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:18 am

Originally posted by mikenj46:
I'm new this year to fantasy football Originally posted by mikenj46:
screaming at the tv in frustration. Don't worry. After a few years, you'll get used to this feeling of helpless.

If there were no adversity, what fun would this be?

chriseibl · Post by **chriseibl** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:19 am

where do you draw the line with that? i think everyone would then have to be allowed to switch players at halftime... that would DEFINITELY become exhausting and potentially make fantasy more chore than fun. if you don't allow everyone to, then how do you determine if a player is really injured and not coming back the second half? it's not like such changes wouldn't be beneficial to everyone... (i.e., you have a rb who doesn't catch passes, his team is losing, you would take him out.)

i'm an a-gon and welker owner in the main event so while the a-gon thing certainly was disappointing, i don't think there's an easy solution.

mikenj46 · Post by **mikenj46** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:19 am

When in my post did I complain about it being unfair??? Don't think I used that word once.

Just think a rule like this would make the game more balanced.

King of Queens · Post by **King of Queens** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:20 am

Originally posted by Shrink Attack:
It sucks, but there's nothing unfair about it. That's just the way the football bounces. Spoken like a true veteran. Therein lies the difference.