Fantasy Football ethics opinion

Options
ninerbuff
ninerbuff Posts: 48,679 Member
edited November 2016 in Chit-Chat
Say you're locked in for the playoffs. You're playing a team who needs a win to get in. Their team isn't that strong, they have bad matchups and you're favored to win.
There's also another team that needs to win that has been on fire lately (5 weeks in a row), after a bad start, to make the playoffs.
In a tie breaker, the team you're playing would advance.
You got spanked by the other team 2 weeks previous with your best line up showing up.

So........................................do you "throw" the game you're in this week to possibly play this same team later in the playoffs? Or try to win it out with the chance that you might face the team (who roster is much better than yours) that spanked you the last time you played? And that team has favorable matchups in the playoffs.

Sitting players isn't uncommon in the NFL, but I'm speaking of a Fantasy Football scenario.

This is a money league and 1st place is $800, 2nd $250 and 3rd $100

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
9285851.png

Replies

  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,506 Member
    Options
    All is Fair in Love and War.


    ( football qualifies as love.)
  • thisonetimeatthegym
    thisonetimeatthegym Posts: 1,977 Member
    Options
    I'd say you have to play to win. Throwing the game to play a weaker team later is great chess, but bad sumo.

    Look at the question in another way. If you were watching a basketball game and knew players were intentionally throwing games to have better playoff chances, would you be happy about that as a fan?

    And...the love of money is at the root of all evil. If you were NOT playing for any money, what decision would you make?
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,472 Member
    Options
    Don't throw it. Just play your best lineup and let things unfold how they will. The game is 80% luck anyways.
  • Riffraft1960
    Riffraft1960 Posts: 1,984 Member
    Options
    Without cheating, you do what is gives you the best chance to win the whole thing. Winning individual games is meaningless. Of course, you are assuming you have a better chance of beating this team in the playoffs. May not work out that way.
  • ClubSilencio
    ClubSilencio Posts: 2,983 Member
    Options
    You play to win the game! -Herman Edwards

    Sounds bush league to bench your whole team in fantasy football. Should be about competitive fun.

    At the same time the goal is the prize money. I guess we have to decide for ourselves where we draw the line between money and ethics.

    Personally I would start a full lineup, not benching your studs, but when it comes to choosing your WR3 or RB2 for the week insert the least favorable matchup. PSYOP tanking you could call it. :laugh:

    So much luck can happen from week to week anyway. Last week I had a lineup with Antonio Brown, AJ Green, Lesean McCoy, Zach Miller, and Tyrod Taylor. Three of them left their games with injuries, the other two sucked, and by the grace of god a nobody named Robert Kelley willed me to a victory.


  • Cerealsensei
    Cerealsensei Posts: 1,625 Member
    edited November 2016
    Options
    Fantasy football can be pretty unpredictable, you might put in your bench and they still might go off for an insane amount of points. Just stick your lineup as you normally would.
  • upoffthemat
    upoffthemat Posts: 679 Member
    Options
    Cerealsensei wrote: »
    Fantasy football can be pretty unpredictable, you might put in your bench and they still might go off for an insane amount of points. Just stick your lineup as you normally would.

    I have seen that happen, but in reality it doesn't that often. The other team may beat you or lose no matter what you do. Not being able to predict the future, you may end up playing this team you give the game to later and lose to them, or you could go on a losing streak and need the points for your own tie breaker.
  • MalkinMagic71
    MalkinMagic71 Posts: 1,433 Member
    Options
    If someone in our league purposely sat players and played with a mostly empty roster they would be kicked out, and our payouts are about the same as yours.

Categories