In every sport I have ever been involved in, there was always the sense that it was a competition first and you had fun second. You’ve heard the cliches all your life. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how you play the game. While that makes great sense in theory, to me that phrase is being misused when related to sports. I do believe that it is absolutely true when playing children’s games or activities. It’s not so important who wins, but that everyone is enjoying themselves and having fun. I was always more partial to this line of thinking: work hard, play hard, and compete. Winning will take care of the fun.
Sports are a competition, and the best team or individual wins. To the victor go the spoils as they say. Does any athlete enter a competition with anything less than winning on their mind? Should fantasy sports be any different? Do you pay your monoply money (gambling is illegal in most states last I checked) to your league treasurer for the sole purpose of having a good time and enjoying yourself? You can do that for free. You pay the funny money because you want to compete with these people. You’re willing to put your name on the line saying I am better than you at this particular thing that we’re doing.
If you are involved in a fantasy league of any kind, and have jumped into it fully by your own free will, you should see it out until the end. It doesn’t matter if you are mired in last place, have suffered cruel and unusal injuries to your top players, or even if your wife doesn’t like you on the computer quite so much. You entered this fantasy fray to compete, so play the hand that you were dealt and make lemonade. Hit the waiver wire, scan the league for possible trade opportunies. Even when there are no other options, and your team should be left for dead on the side of the road, by no means, should you ever, never, never, ever should you not field a full squad.
I find that nothing chaps my hide quite as much than when it’s coming down to the meat of the season, and the guy you’re chasing has a matchup with the guy who has 2 guys on a buy, and has 3 defenses and 2 kickers on his roster. If you have any heart, any soul, any semblance of an ego, or one shred of intestinal fortitude, you will man/woman up and fill out that roster each and every week. Ensuring that a fair, and competitive schedule will be played. You probably won’t win anymore games, but you will have kept your pride and reputation in tact. That is if it was already in place to begin with.