As the 2021 fantasy football season comes to a close, I thought I’d spend a few minutes looking back at a few things that I haven’t covered yet. I talk a lot about staying active, being on top of your roster, and trading for value. Those are all cornerstones of building a great dynasty team. But as much as we might hate it, there are some things out of our control. This week I want to address the elephant in the room: there is still a large element of luck in this game.

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There are going to be weekly fluctuations

As we all know, fantasy football is (mostly) a head-to-head weekly game. As much as we like to build for long-term success, short-term wins aren’t always as easy to predict. We can talk about trading descending players for ascending players all we want, but this is still a game with wild fluctuations from week to week.

There are dynasty teams that went undefeated in the regular season and got a bye in the playoffs who lost in the second round. It happens every year. It hurts when that happens to you but it’s awesome when you’re the team booting them from contention. I’ve been playing fantasy football long enough to be able to remember both the amazing underdog wins and the soul-crushing losses. It’s all a part of the game.

In dynasty, it can be tough to build a team to dominate in the long term and lose in the short term. It feels like it’s all been a waste of time. If you don’t win, why plat at all? I’ve seen it all over Twitter this week, people saying they’re done. But I would argue this is exactly the reason we play. If everyone won every week then it would be pointless, wouldn’t it? Keep your eye on the prize and don’t lose focus just because of one week, even if it’s championship week.

The variability is what makes this fun

Ultimately that variability in outcomes is what makes this entire hobby so enjoyable. If every matchup was determined solely on projections, wouldn’t that be boring? You could just draft your team based on projections and run through the entire season in 20 minutes after the draft. If that sounds fun to you then go for it, but I like actually playing the games.

Losing hurts, we all know that, but no one can win all the time. It’s the struggle that makes the victories worth more. It’s the journey, not the destination, or at least I think it should be. Building your team, making trades, drafting rookies, and battling the waiver wire are all a part of the game that every manager has to navigate. It’s something each team has equal footing in, in a way. No matter who’s the favorite, all of the teams in the league have a chance to win the title every year. It’s that hope that brings people back every year.

In championship week only 2 teams are left. If your league has 12 teams, that’s only 17% of the league that is still playing. Only one team (8% of the league) wins the whole thing. If all 12 teams won then the title is pointless, right? It’s the sheer fact that there can be only one that makes this game so brutal at times but also so rewarding.

Don’t forget why you play

It’s okay to feel hurt about losing your league, no matter how good your team was. It’s okay to feel burned out, especially after this year. It’s okay to sit in those emotions for a week or so. Hell, it’s probably healthy. But after enough time has passed, don’t be afraid to zoom out and reset.

I tell a lot of people: don’t forget why you play this game. If you play it to make money, that’s great! If you play it for fun or to make connections with people, good for you! If you play it for a weekly distraction and a way to enhance your football fandom, awesome! But don’t forget why YOU play this game. Your fire comes from within. Find that fire when the dust settles and remember what you’re doing all of this work for.

Personally, I play this for a combination of all of those reasons. Some leagues are purely for fun, and some are purely for potential winnings. But overall, I play this game as a way to make the games more fun. Win or lose, the weekly enjoyment is worth more than the end of the season result. I prefer the journey way more than the destination. That’s not to say I don’t like winning titles, of course, I do, but I’ve learned over the last few years to embrace the chaos and just remember that the fun I have is worth more than anything else. For me, this is a hobby that I have fun with, and until that stops I’m going to keep playing. And so should you.

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Whether you’re new to fantasy football or a seasoned pro, our Fantasy Football 101: Strategy Tips & Advice page is for you. You can get started with How to Manage Early-Season Injury Problems or head to more advanced strategy – like How to Effectively Assess the Quality of Your Team – to learn more.