Fantasy Football Strategy Lessons: What Water Can Teach Us About Fantasy Football

This summer, we did the typical family beach trip. And our daughter pulled the classic hotel pool marathon: swimming nonstop until we had to practically drag her out of the water.

She would swim for hours without complaint. But each day, despite her pleas for more time in the water, she was suddenly zapped of energy, begging for sleep the second her feet hit dry land.

The limitless energy seemed to only exist inside that pool.

Once the fun stopped, the exhaustion hit all at once.

Fantasy football is no different. And we could stand to learn a thing or two from the water if we're going to avoid burnout.

Fantasy Football Strategy Lessons To Take From Water

1: Don't Fight the Water

"The water is your friend … you don't have to fight with water." — Alexander Popov

I'll be the first one to admit it: There was a time when I was in way too many fantasy football leagues.

I know. How is that possible, right? The way you know that you're in too many leagues is when the playing starts to feel like work.

Because I had turned my joy into labor, I was constantly fighting the water rather than enjoying my time spent in it. Instead of celebrating every kickoff, I was drowning in the logistics of juggling too many leagues.

When you try to swim in every pool at once, you sink.

2: Flow Around the Rocks

"Water does not discuss its way through the rock. It flows around it." - Taoist Proverb

Remember your very first league?

When you were focused on the fun of the game, bad luck didn't completely wreck your spirits. Player injuries didn't ruin your week. Getting sniped in your draft just drew a quick laugh in the group chat, rather than panic and frustration.

But somewhere along the way, bad luck turned into a personal offense.

You can waste your time and energy pounding against the rocks this season, blaming your weekly losses on "bad luck." Or you can flow around them and get back to enjoying the game.

3: Stop Following the Current

"He who wants to get to the source must swim against the current." — Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

The fantasy landscape can sometimes feel like a current pulling you away from the source of the fun. If you aren't careful, you can get swept away in the constant grind for younger, faster, better rosters.

But like my daughter swimming endlessly in a pool, the goal is enjoyment. To protect that, you sometimes have to swim against the current that's telling you there's always more work to do.

Let the analysts do the work. It's your job to keep the spark alive in your league.

Whether it's trying out a fresh format, reaching beyond ADP for a player that you actually love watching on Sundays, or cutting back on your total league count, find the source of your joy so you can make it through all 18 weeks without burnout.

4: Be the One Who Is Having Fun

"You cannot compete with someone who is having fun." - Tiago Forte

You cannot compete with someone who is genuinely having fun. When you enjoy the process, your endurance is limitless. You won't tire out in Week 7 after a few bad trades; you won't stop putting in waiver claims, and you definitely won't disappear from the league chat.

So the next time you feel burnout from a bad draft, player injuries, trade negotiations, or weekly losses, remember: You cannot compete with someone who is having fun.

So you need to be someone who is having fun.

You'll be impossible to beat.

Published Aug 24, 2026, 4:00 AM ET