Careful team planning can't always offset the trauma of real life football. Unexpected injuries during real football games can throw off a virtual coach's entire season. Trades can be made and players dropped for a fee. If a football player injures himself on Monday night football and is out for the rest of the season, a fantasy football coach has no choice but to drop that player from his line-up. But if a player has a great game, scoring touchdowns and running mass yardage, fantasy coaches whose rosters include that player will scramble to place him in the starting line-up for their next game.
Fantasy football is a juggling act.
The coaches have to be on top of their players' real life statistics to concoct the perfect line-up for their game each week. Injured players and low-scorers sit the virtual bench. You see your players doing well, and you get all excited. Some leagues score by touchdowns and yardage, which causes unrealistically high game scores. Leagues don't play against each other to prevent Emmitt Smith from rushing against himself.