| One of the best things about fantasy sports is | | | | the whole league is shifted. A manager with a |
| the competition. Each league is made up of a | | | | good waiver position gets better through no |
| group of people that each aim to build the best | | | | effort of their own. Whether that manager is the |
| possible team. Owners may not have anything | | | | #1 manager or the #9 manager, it is unfair to |
| specific that they want to prove, but they pretty | | | | everyone else that they are getting something |
| much all want to win. The fun of the competition | | | | for nothing from a team that has no vested |
| can be ruined by other teams quitting early. This | | | | interest in the outcome. |
| is especially true if the quitting manager does not | | | | - No more adds - the same principal as with the |
| quit "ethically". | | | | "no more drops" rule applies here. Don't "steal" |
| There are a lot of reasons that can keep a team | | | | players when you don't care to be in the league |
| from being a winner. Injuries can ravage a team, | | | | anymore. A guy you randomly pick up may be |
| players might not pan out as planned, and the | | | | someone else's sleeper. |
| manager might occasionally forget to set their | | | | - No more lineup adjustments - adjusting your |
| lineup. Even great teams can be losers if the | | | | lineup is playing the game. If you only do so |
| fantasy gods frown upon them. I was once in a | | | | occasionally, then that is actually worse than just |
| league in which the team that had the second | | | | quitting. If you don't play against one team you |
| highest average points in the league did not even | | | | should not be playing against other teams. One |
| make it into the playoffs. Somehow every other | | | | team will get the benefit of playing a mediocre |
| team scored a ton more when they played this | | | | version of your team. Another will have to face |
| team, but then went back to being terrible when | | | | the best version of your team. That is not fair to |
| playing against everyone else. | | | | either team. It's not even fair any of the other |
| So what's the right thing to do when losing | | | | teams. Those wins / losses will affect their |
| (terribly) in a fantasy season? Ideally one would | | | | position in the standings as well. |
| just keep playing and try to get better. But, no | | | | - No trades - this one is a big one. There is |
| doubt, that can be a hassle, especially when they | | | | always often someone (I will call them "the gull") |
| have been mathematically eliminated from the | | | | who is just waiting for someone to appear to |
| playoffs. Maybe they are in other leagues where | | | | drown. When a team becomes eliminated and |
| their team is competitive and they need to focus | | | | seems to quit the gull will swoop in and try to |
| on winning those other leagues. If that's the case, | | | | grab as much as they can for themselves. The |
| then it might make sense for them to lay down | | | | gull will offer some ridiculous trade for the best |
| their king and move on to the other challenges | | | | players on the team that has been eliminated. In |
| presented by their other leagues, but there is a | | | | return, they offer their worst players. The hope is |
| right way and a wrong way to quit a fantasy | | | | that the losing team will be so dejected (or |
| league. | | | | uninterested) that they will just accept the trade. |
| If you are going to quit then the best thing you | | | | If your team is drowning then you may view |
| can do for the fantasy sports community is to do | | | | participating in a trade such as this as either a final |
| so gracefully. If you are going to play every other | | | | strike against the league that dashed your hopes |
| team in the league exactly the same number of | | | | or you might view it as "giving hope" to the gull. In |
| times you might consider just benching your | | | | reality it just ruins the league for half of the other |
| whole team and being a bye team. It is far more | | | | managers (the ones still playing competitively). |
| likely that you will be playing some more than | | | | Resist the temptation to be involved at all once |
| others though. In that case, finish setting your | | | | you make the decision to quit. |
| lineup for the year and "lock your team". By "lock | | | | Quitting a fantasy sports league is not something |
| your team" I mean commit to the concept of no | | | | anyone ever really wants to do. But sometimes, |
| more drops, no more adds, no more lineup | | | | all circumstances included, it is what makes the |
| adjustments, and no more especially no more | | | | most sense. If that is the case, then it is still |
| trades. The following paragraphs explain why each | | | | important to do so gracefully. Follow the tips |
| of these commitments are important. | | | | presented in this article if you must quit and the |
| - No more drops - if you drop players (especially | | | | other managers involved will appreciate that you |
| good ones) then all of a sudden the balance of | | | | handled it the best possible way for everyone. |