Though the movie “Concussion” attempted to raise awareness to the growing problems stemming from traumatic head injuries suffered playing football, another less commonly discussed lesson was learned. The NFL is one of the most powerful money-making institutions in the United States. In the movie, Dr. Cyril Wecht says, “The NFL owns a day of the week. The same day the Church used to own,” referring to how Sundays are now dominated by football. The same can be said about Thanksgiving.
The holiday is supposed to be a day to celebrate gratitude, to bring friends and family together in appreciation of each other. Nowadays, the NFL owns Thanksgiving Day too, and to mark its territory, the league provides you with three games strategically spread out for a full day’s worth of gridiron delight.
But this offering isn’t meant to tear down the NFL or the institution’s vice-like grip on society. It’s an opportunity to help fantasy football owners express their gratitude, not just for the sport, but for the fantasy analysts who study the game in an effort to help you beat your friends into a fun and playful submission.
Whether you’re heading toward your fantasy playoffs or your season has come to a halt thanks to yet another soul-crushing defeat, you should be thankful for all the advice provided to you by analysts of the game — the fantasy analysts, that is. Though you may think winning your championship is thanks enough, the real gratitude is shown next season when you consciously choose to not fall into the traps we warn you away from every season. Show us you’re learning and we will feel appreciated.
When Philip Rivers set an NFL record after completing his 25th consecutive pass against the Cardinals on Sunday, he showed you exactly why we tell you to wait on quarterbacks in your draft. Rivers was a 12th-round selection who carved his name into the annals of NFL lore on the same day third-round fantasy pick Aaron Rodgers stunk it up later that night. Rivers is the only quarterback to have thrown at least two touchdown passes in every game this season, and he is out-producing the likes of Rodgers, Tom Brady and Deshaun Watson, all taken ahead of him in drafts. And guess what? We told you so.
Fantasy analysts have been telling you to wait on quarterbacks for decades. How many Rivers, Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes do you need for this point to be made clear? It’s not written for fun. It is a proven, winning strategy. So next year, at your draft, please express your gratitude by building your running back depth before even looking at a quarterback. Come Thanksgiving and your fantasy playoffs, you’ll only have yourself to thank.
Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 4-6 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy sports advice and NFL player rankings.