Alright, guys, let’s dive into my little adventure today: building a “Fantasy Football Top 300” list. It sounds fancy, but really, it’s just a big ol’ ranking of players. Here’s how I went about it, bumps and all.
Step 1: The Blank Page (Ugh)
I started by just staring at, well, nothing. A blank Google Sheet. I knew I needed to make a list, but where to begin? It’s like trying to eat an elephant – one bite at a time, I guess. My first action was to create the Sheet, and title the columns. I created “Rank,” “Player Name,” “Position,” and “Team.”
Step 2: Feeling My Way Through Positions
Next, I started thinking about positions. I knew the main ones: QB (Quarterback), RB (Running Back), WR (Wide Receiver), and TE (Tight End). I’d figure out kickers and defenses later (spoiler: I kinda didn’t). I just started typing in names, not even in order, just getting them down.
Step 3: The “Expert” Influence
Okay, I’m no pro. So, I did what any sensible person does: I looked up some other Top 300 lists. I kept those tabs open and started to fill my list with more names and make a couple of my own arrangements. This gave me a good start, and added a ton more players than I could come up with on my own.
Step 4: The Ranking Struggle Begins
This is where it got messy. Trying to decide if Player X is better than Player Y? It caused me a headache. I went back and forth, changing my mind like five times on some guys. I started with the big names, the guys everyone knows, and slotted them in at the top. Then it was a free-for-all.
Step 5: Filling in the Blanks
- I got to about 100 players and started to slow down. I had to dig deeper, looking at rookies, players coming back from injury, and guys on new teams. It was a lot of “hmm, maybe he’ll be good this year?” kind of guessing.
- I added team names as I went. That was mostly just busywork, but it helped me visualize things a bit.
Step 6: The Never-Ending Tweaks
I probably spent more time rearranging players than actually picking them. I’d move someone up 10 spots, then down 15, then back up 5. It was a constant process of second-guessing myself. I even created another column to make notes on why I put a player in a certain position.
Step 7: Calling it “Good Enough”
I realized I could keep doing this forever. There’s always going to be debate, and there’s no perfect list. I got to 300 players, gave it one last look, and decided to call it a day. It’s not perfect, but it’s my list, and it’s a starting point.
So, there you have it. My journey to a Top 300 list. It’s more art than science, and a whole lot of educated guessing. Now, I can continue to adjust and improve my list as I gather new data and insights, but at least I can say, “I did it,” even if I did almost give myself a headache a few times.