Spoilers are the worst, aren't they? Whether it's your favorite show or a movie you wanted to see, they ruin everything right when you least expect it.
They're really annoying, which is why you should be one if you can't make the playoffs.
You never want to give up on your fantasy season, but sometimes you don't have a choice. Because math. It doesn't matter if it was due to injuries, or bad draft decisions or a trade that didn't pan out. Or maybe it was just good, old-fashioned bad luck. Whatever the reason, it just didn't happen for you this year. Your team is out of the playoff picture.
But that doesn't mean you're out of games. You still have a couple left. And you still have reasons to try your hardest.
I'm not talking about pride, or the desire to win as many games as possible or ending the season on a winning note. Those are valid reasons, but if you don't feel that way by week 13 I'm probably not going to convince you to start feeling that way now. You're either that kind of owner or you aren't.
Some leagues dole out weekly prizes to keep teams interested, and others reward non-playoff teams for a better finish. But I'm not talking about that, either. I'm talking about something better than a little cash or a better spot in next year's draft. I'm talking about keeping a friend out of the playoffs as well. If you can't get there yourself, it can be very satisfying to drag as many buddies as you can down with you.
I'm not saying that playing out the string as a spoiler is the best way to go, but it can be liberating. It's the only time in fantasy football where you have upside with absolutely no downside. If you lose, no big deal. You aren't making the playoffs either way. You're not expected to win, so no worries.
But if you pull off the upset? It's not the Super Bowl, but it's the Super Bowl of that particular friendship. And you get to brag about your two-team championship victory for the entire offseason. You kept someone out of the playoffs. You kept trying even thought you couldn't make it yourself. And a friend ran into you at the wrong time.
That's not how it was supposed to go, either. They saw your team on the schedule and chalked up a "w" before the game was played. You have no reason to try, after all. So if they need to make the playoffs, a cupcake like your team is just what the doctor ordered.
Except that's not how it's going to go down. You're going to trash-talk them all week long, you're going to set your lineup without the slightest hesitation and you're going to have a lot of fun. And they're going to take your good-natured abuse, sweat every lineup decision and worry the entire week. If they win, you made them earn it and they had a rotten week. And if you win, you just bought yourself several months of bragging rights. What could be better?
Well, making the playoffs. That would be a lot better. Sometimes it's just not your year. But don't rob yourself of a couple more weeks of fantasy football. You can still have some fun and impact the playoffs.
If all that isn't convincing enough, then I'd like to remind you that it's your job to field a competitive team. If you won't do it for pride, or for the bragging rights, do it because you agreed to being an owner in the league. In other words, as long as you have an opponent on the schedule, you owe everyone your best effort. Setting a capable lineup is literally the least you can do.
But it can be a lot more fun than that. Be the worst spoiler you can be. Be worse than Facebook after "The Walking Dead" airs. Be worse than Twitter after a "Game of Thrones" episode. Spoil someone else's fantasy season, and it will provide a nice finish to yours. Really, it will. Good luck this week.
Have you spoiled someone's fantasy season in the past? Ever have your buddy spoil your own playoff push? Share your spoiler stories below.
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