Fantasy Football: Remember, don’t overreact to Week 1 performances

The Fantasy Footballers remind us of something very important heading into any fantasy season: Don’t overreact to Week 1 fantasy football performances!

When you’re in the heart of fantasy football offseason, it’s always important to reflect on all the great decisions you made in the fall, as well as learn from all the mistakes you certainly made. For many fantasy football players, one mistake that is all too common is to overreact on Week 1 performances. The Fantasy Footballers tell us why that’s always a horrible idea.

In terms of a player you drafted very high, don’t trade him the instant you can if he bombs in Week 1. Odds are, he’ll bounce back for you in the coming weeks and will be worth that lofty draft pick you used on him. Otherwise, somebody else in your league will reap the benefits of your dumb decision to give up on the bell-cow back or star receiver after one down week in early September.

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Conversely, you shouldn’t sprint to pick up the best available player just because you can. There is a reason he went undrafted in your league. You probably took a second-string defense or a third-string quarterback over the guy, so don’t claim him like he’s the reason you’ll win or lose in your league that season. There is a chance he may never have a week that good the rest of the year.

The guys bring up an interesting point in how we naturally overvalue what happened in the first week of a fantasy season. When Andy Holloway, Jason Moore or Mike Wright say it’s worthwhile to pick up a player or a defense in Week 7 or Week 8, there is nearly two months’ worth of data for them to extract such a strong conviction from. After Week 1, it’s just purely speculative notions.

Even if a player had a great week mid-season, we don’t overvalue what happened like we all tend to do after Week 1. No, you cannot win a fantasy football league in Week 1, but you can absolutely lose your season in how you react to that first week. Don’t make any rash decisions you can’t eventually come back from. You’re better than this.

Ultimately, it is a self-control thing at its core. If you trust your ability to draft well and land a few sleepers your friends can’t see, then you have the even-keeled nature to become a fantasy football champion in your league. Don’t ruin your season before it even starts. Let things play out to better avoid regrettable fantasy football decisions.