Three is the magic number

You all know the feeling. Your fantasy football contest is coming down to one final NFL game and in order to win it, you need to root against your favorite NFL team and/or root against players you own in another league. Ah, the dreaded conflict of interest.

I learned early on that although fantasy football is the greatest invention (besides caller ID) since ice cream cake, it can reach a point of diminishing returns if you’re in too many leagues.

No human deserves to go through thoughts like, “Well I need Manning to throw three scores, but if he does, I’ll lose in my other two leagues which isn’t the worst thing in the world because they aren’t the leagues I care about the most…But none of the touchdowns can be to Marvin Harrison or Dallas Clark because if they are I’ll lose in the league I care about the most.”

So how many leagues is too many? While even one league can pose conflicts of interest, I’ve found that three is the magic number. I suggest one “keeper league,” one league you care about most and one just-for-fun league. I’m not saying I don’t have these dreaded conflicts, but I’ve found that when you start playing in more than three leagues I seemingly have a conflict every week.

So remember boys and girls, when signing up for leagues this season, think about the number three. And if you are having trouble remembering “three” it’s also the number of games it will take Terrell Owens and the Big Tuna to have a blow up on the side line.

I’d be interested to hear how many leagues you guys play in a year, so don’t be shy.