Alright, Week 6 rolled around, and you know what that means – time to stare at my fantasy lineups until my eyes cross. It’s a ritual, really. Some folks meditate; I stress over who to start and who to bench. It’s my own special kind of Zen, I guess.
My Week 6 Decision Grind
So, here’s how I tackled it this week, pretty much the same as always, but with that fresh Week 6 anxiety. First thing I did, even before my second cup of coffee, was pull up all the injury reports. This is non-negotiable. You absolutely have to know who’s banged up. I learned that lesson the hard way a few seasons ago. Had a guy, a supposed stud running back, listed as “questionable” all week. I thought, “Nah, he’ll play, they always say that.” Famous last words. He was ruled out 10 minutes before kickoff. My opponent’s scrub went off, and I lost by two points. Brutal. Never again. Now, I refresh those injury pages like a madman.
Once I got a handle on who was likely in or out, I started digging into the matchups. I don’t just look at the little green or red numbers next to the player’s opponent. I try to think a bit deeper, you know? Like, okay, this defense is supposedly tough against the run, but have they faced any decent running backs lately? Or maybe they’re good overall, but they’ve been giving up a ton of receiving yards to tight ends. I keep a sort of mental log of these things. It’s not scientific, more like a gut feeling built on watching way too much football.
Then, I actually looked at my own teams. Sounds obvious, right? But I mean, I really looked at them.
- Who’s been hot lately?
- Who’s been stinking up the joint despite their big name?
- Are there any players on bye that I forgot about and now I’m scrambling? (Happens to the best of us.)
I try to ride the hot hand, but also not be afraid to bench a guy who’s been a consistent letdown, even if I drafted him high. Sunk cost fallacy is a killer in fantasy football.
After all that “research,” if you can call it that, I started plugging guys in and out. This is where the real fun begins. Or the real torture, depending on the week. I probably tinkered with my main league lineup for a solid hour. Moved Player A in, Player B out. Then swapped them back. Then considered Player C, who’s been on my bench all year. My dog was looking at me like I was crazy, just pacing back and forth in front of the couch, muttering to myself. “Should I trust him this week? That matchup though…”
Ultimately, a lot of it comes down to that gut feeling. You can analyze all the stats you want, read every article, listen to every podcast, but sometimes you just get a hunch. And sometimes, those hunches pay off big time. Other times, they blow up in your face spectacularly. That’s the beauty, and the frustration, of it all.
So, the decisions are locked in. For better or worse. Now I just have to try and not touch them again before Sunday. That’s always the hardest part, right? The urge to second-guess everything right up until kickoff. But yeah, that was my Week 6 start/sit process. Wish me luck – I think I’m gonna need it!
