This will be my last post until June.
This season has been more enjoyable and more exhausting than any before
it. Enjoyable because of the hundreds of
you I’ve connected with regularly and semi-regularly throughout the year. Exhausting because I’ve stubbornly held on to
the idea that I can manage this page myself.
Each year since launching FF4W, the community has more than doubled by
season’s end: around 50 at the close of 2012, 800-something in 2013, roughly
3,000 in 2014, a little over 6,000 in 2015, and now above 13,000.
This year alone, in additional to launching and continually updating
two weekly pay-what-you-want products that about 200 of you signed up for
(preseason rankings and player trade values), I’ve written 238 columns at about
500 words each and answered at least 8,000 questions, accounting for more than
200,000 words. 500+ hours of research
and writing in 2016—plus my weekly ESPN-Raleigh podcast with Aaron Schoonmaker—have
turned this side project into a part-time job.
I wouldn’t have traded this season for anything, but am relieved the offseason is here.
Several of you have stepped up this season, answering tens or even
hundreds of people’s questions. This
assistance will be formalized for the 2017 season. I’ll still be the main writer and responder and will be
running the page day to day. But a few
others will help respond to questions constructively and intelligently, and
might even offer a guest column or two. If
this community doubles yet again next year—to over 26,000—collaborating with
smart, kind, and committed FF4W contributors will be the only way to give
readers he same value (or likely more) that I’ve tried to give these past few
years.
Also, if you want to receive weekly preseason top 300 rankings next
summer, you can sign up on the big blue “Preseason Pass” box on this page. You can pay a penny or a dollar or whatever
you want. Those who signed up this past
summer can attest to to whether it was worth their investment. These rankings are like nothing you’ll find elsewhere. Each May—before the blog picks back up—I research each player and then track them heavily throughout the preseason. That time investment and the willingness to challenge conventional wisdom can mean the difference between pushing Jamaal Charles as a top 14 RB (as did nearly all 142 experts tabulated by Fantasy Pros) or placing him outside the top 30 (which only two of us did—including Fantasy Football Helpers’ George Banko).
Excellence demands rigorous thoughtfulness, and in the end, that’s what
this site must continue to be about.
And if you don’t care about preseason rankings, you’ll find a “Penny
Tip Jar” at the top of this page. FF4W has always been and will continue to be
free to everyone who wants a different take on fantasy football. If you received value from the site and want
to volunteer a few pennies, I’d be grateful.
Most importantly, thanks to all of you for being part of this growing community. I “know” hundreds and hundreds of you by name—that instant connection that comes with so many written exchanges. That’s really what’s kept me going this season: feeling invested in your fantasy success. That's meant pulling for each of you in your quest for fantasy titles, sympathizing with your losses, and celebrating your wins. Looking forward to much more of it next season.
Enjoy your offseason, and see you in June.