It’s no secret that SCH students love fantasy football. From the trades, to the one point victories, there is just something special about being in a fantasy league with some of your friends. As it turns out, our teachers happen to feel the same way.
A long standing tradition, the SCH teacher fantasy football league was already fully functioning when current commissioner Mr. Bell arrived 10 years ago. Since then, many teachers have come and gone, but the fantasy football league has remained as strong as ever. This year, stakes have perhaps never been higher, as the ultimate prize of bragging rights is on the line.
The league is made up of teachers, college counselors, deans, a librarian, and even the Head of the Upper School Mr. Norcini! Mr. Pevear, Mrs. Norton, Mrs. Bechtold, Mr. Ramer, Mr. Bell, Dr. Tarditi, Mr. Stein, Mrs. Zeka, Dr. Richards, Mr. Mattingly, Mr. Keister, and Mr. Walter are all participating in this year’s season.
Each year, the league holds a draft right before the start of school and the NFL season, which involves some of the league members getting together and drafting while others pick their players from their computer. The timing of the start of the fantasy football season often makes it difficult for the entire league to gather in one place on draft night.
“We always want to get together, but we haven’t gotten together in a few years,” said Marshall Bell, English teacher and twelfth grade dean.
Once the draft has ended and the season begins, teachers enjoy the opportunity to talk trash with their opponents. Mr. Bell noted that the trash talk can often occur even when teachers are not at school, and that many of the teachers discuss the league and its events outside of school. When asked who the league’s biggest trash talker is, Mr. Bell quickly replied “Mr. Stein.”
When discussing his team’s start to the season, Mr. Bell was quick to mention that he had just lost by a mere two points to Dr. Tarditi. Even while his season has not had a perfect start, he attributes any success that he has had this year to two key players. The first player, star running back Bijan Robinson, likely cost Mr. Bell a high draft pick. The second, however, is unlikely star Jordan Mason. “I drafted the guy, the back up running back from San Francisco, Mason, which has turned out pretty good,” said Mr. Bell.
Unlike Mr. Bell, league member Mr. Pevear has seen little contribution from even his highest draft picks. His team, named the Dewey Decimators, has failed to meet the high expectations that he had for it at the start of the season. He specifically mentioned his disappointment in Detroit Lions Tight End Sam Laporta. “He’s just been putting up no points whatsoever,” said Mr. Pevear. Laporta’s poor performances, along with other factors, have contributed to the Dewey Decimators starting the season with zero wins and five losses, placing him last in the league.
This is Mr. Pevear’s fourth year in the league. He has not always started the season as poorly as he did this year. “Last year, I started really strong. I think my record actually mirrored the Eagles’ record exactly, so I started out like 8-0, or 9-1, and then I just crashed and burned.”
When asked about the reasons for his failures, Mr. Pevear admitted that he made a number of key tactical errors during the league’s draft. However, he also noted that he has been the recipient of some poor luck. “My team is pretty, pretty rough, and a lot of injuries, and then I had a lot of simultaneous byes last week. Unfortunate.”
Despite his subpar start to the season, Mr. Pevear still takes advantage of the opportunity to talk trash with his fellow league members. Mr. Pevear’s favorite part about being in the league is “talking trash to the other teachers about fantasy football. It’s sort of like a bonding experience.”
Mr. Pevear hopes to turn his season around using the waiver wire, rather than by making trades with his leaguemates. One player he added was Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who many would have chosen to avoid and traded for another player instead. “I tend to avoid trades,” Mr. Pevear commented. “I don’t know why. I guess I just don’t like rejection.”
One league member who does not have this mentality about trading is Dr. Tarditi. He is a strong believer in looking for trades, and any other ways to improve his team. “I always offer trades, and most of them get denied. That’s how it’s supposed to be. A lot of people don’t like to trade. People overvalue their own players and undervalue other people’s players.”
Dr. Tarditi’s constant search for ways to improve his team is likely the key reason for his success. Last year was his first season as a member of the league, and he was able to capture the league’s championship thanks to key waiver wire adds Devon Achane and Tank Dell. Had he not been so active in his search for new players, he may never have achieved his level of success. Additionally, his team is off to a strong start this year, holding a record of four wins and one loss, placing him at the top of the league standings.
When asked why he thinks he has been so successful, Dr. Tarditi stated, “I think it’s a combination of preparation, consistent commitment, and some luck too, and risk taking. There’s certain strategies that I employ. Part of it is, I do a lot of homework before the draft.”
Considering the season is still in its early stages, the league members have time to make changes to their teams. The fantasy football season runs until December, so our teachers will still have lots of opportunities to score points, make trades, and talk trash with their colleagues.