Go Team Karma
August 19, 2018 7:03 AM Subscribe
My NFL fantasy team draft is coming up, and after a couple years of unknowingly picking players mired in abuse scandals and the like, and I want try to put together a team that's a bit more morally upstanding. Who should I be keeping an eye out for?
I really enjoy playing fantasy football but I tend not to follow the NFL closely enough to hear about what the players are doing in their outside lives, whether it's beating their children or volunteering in their communities. Unfortunately this leads to things like me using my top picks on players like Adrian Peterson only to find out about their history after the fact and feeling awful about it, particularly when they help me win and I feel like a shitty hypocrite because I can't bring myself to bench/trade them, knowing I'd screw my team over. Not to mention that players who are wrapped up in a scandal end up missing games for court dates, etc. I also want to avoid generally assholish players, primarily because they're assholes, but also because they act out and get benched/ suspended (lookin' at you, Travis Kelce.)
Well, not this year, someone else can pick those players. I want a team with some good karma behind it. I'm wondering which players are not only talented, but known for their good qualities and contributions to society. Who volunteers, gives back, speaks out, cares about politics, protests the anthem*, or other things? Who is to be avoided at all costs and why? It would be great to have some people like this as starters, but I'm interested in possibly less well known players too, to at least have on my bench or my watchlist.
Presumably whatever list I come up with probably won't be enough to build my team, even if it's enough players, the odds of my being able to draft every single person I want is low. So I am also soliciting recommendations for great picks this year, all positions, who at the very least are neutral, not known to be assholes, and without any scandals hanging over them . . .
* i know there has been pressure from certain orange assholes to suspend anthem protestors but fuck that, that IS a limb I am willing go out on. i also realize that supporting the NFL at all right now is actually fairly problematic, but I don't think I can give up fantasy football quite yet, it's historically been one of my favorite things my partner and I do together, as well as one of the very few things I bond with my dad over- so please don't give me too much shit about that. I know. I try to be good in other ways.
I really enjoy playing fantasy football but I tend not to follow the NFL closely enough to hear about what the players are doing in their outside lives, whether it's beating their children or volunteering in their communities. Unfortunately this leads to things like me using my top picks on players like Adrian Peterson only to find out about their history after the fact and feeling awful about it, particularly when they help me win and I feel like a shitty hypocrite because I can't bring myself to bench/trade them, knowing I'd screw my team over. Not to mention that players who are wrapped up in a scandal end up missing games for court dates, etc. I also want to avoid generally assholish players, primarily because they're assholes, but also because they act out and get benched/ suspended (lookin' at you, Travis Kelce.)
Well, not this year, someone else can pick those players. I want a team with some good karma behind it. I'm wondering which players are not only talented, but known for their good qualities and contributions to society. Who volunteers, gives back, speaks out, cares about politics, protests the anthem*, or other things? Who is to be avoided at all costs and why? It would be great to have some people like this as starters, but I'm interested in possibly less well known players too, to at least have on my bench or my watchlist.
Presumably whatever list I come up with probably won't be enough to build my team, even if it's enough players, the odds of my being able to draft every single person I want is low. So I am also soliciting recommendations for great picks this year, all positions, who at the very least are neutral, not known to be assholes, and without any scandals hanging over them . . .
* i know there has been pressure from certain orange assholes to suspend anthem protestors but fuck that, that IS a limb I am willing go out on. i also realize that supporting the NFL at all right now is actually fairly problematic, but I don't think I can give up fantasy football quite yet, it's historically been one of my favorite things my partner and I do together, as well as one of the very few things I bond with my dad over- so please don't give me too much shit about that. I know. I try to be good in other ways.
Best answer: Despite the negative publicity surrounding some high-profile players who are bad actors, this really is a minority of NFL athletes. It is often the case that, when a player is revealed to be a bad actor, he is often a high-profile player because bad actors who are not among the NFL elite tend to get dumped pretty quickly. A starting linebacker may get counseling after a DUI whereas a third-string linebacker who sees most of his playing time on special teams is likely to get cut. And, of course, sometimes a player who has long been viewed as a good guy who then turns around and does something bad. I'm not sure anyone would have seen the situation with Adrian Peterson coming (although I admit that I'm not too familiar with his history).
If you do a google search for NFL humanitarian you will find plenty of examples of players who are good guys that give back to their communities and perform worthy charitable works (e.g.).
posted by slkinsey at 9:12 AM on August 19, 2018
If you do a google search for NFL humanitarian you will find plenty of examples of players who are good guys that give back to their communities and perform worthy charitable works (e.g.).
posted by slkinsey at 9:12 AM on August 19, 2018
Best answer: Previously.
Also, while I can confirm secondhand that Drew Brees is a friendly guy (my best friend in high school went to Purdue with him), he is involved in some multi-level marketing stuff, so that kind of takes him down a notch.
posted by kevinbelt at 4:45 PM on August 19, 2018
Also, while I can confirm secondhand that Drew Brees is a friendly guy (my best friend in high school went to Purdue with him), he is involved in some multi-level marketing stuff, so that kind of takes him down a notch.
posted by kevinbelt at 4:45 PM on August 19, 2018
Response by poster: Thanks metafilter! Drew Brees is my quarterback and the rest of the team isn’t too shabby either.
posted by robotdevil at 3:29 PM on August 21, 2018
posted by robotdevil at 3:29 PM on August 21, 2018
Derek Carr ain't going to jail any time soon. And he's going to have a big year.
(Looks like I missed the boat here but keep your eye on him)
posted by raider at 10:02 AM on August 26, 2018
(Looks like I missed the boat here but keep your eye on him)
posted by raider at 10:02 AM on August 26, 2018
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posted by CheeseLouise at 7:49 AM on August 19, 2018