As football season gets underway, I must offer some of you a humble reminder: nobody cares about your fantasy football team.

It’s called fantasy football for a reason. It’s not real. It has no implications on real football or real life in general. 

So, when a big name player gets injured, don’t whine about how your fake team is now doomed.

Recently, the Baltimore Ravens lost three running backs to season-ending injuries. One of them, J.K. Dobbins was entering his second season and was poised for a breakout campaign.

So when we suffered a torn ACL in the team’s final preseason game, you couldn’t help but feel for the guy. He had put in all that work in the offseason and in training camp, but it was all for naught.

You have to feel for the Ravens too. This is a team with Super Bowl aspirations, and their potent rushing attack is what makes their offense. They still have superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, but he’s going to have to carry the offense now.

But a lot of people didn’t care about that — “No, Dobbins was on my fantasy team!” many people cried. It’s sad how many people think this way. 

ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets about player injury designations on Sundays. If you scroll through the replies to those tweets, often the first ones you’ll see will ask if they should start a player listed as questionable in fantasy. 

These players are human beings. They have lives and families — but these people don’t care. They are looking to profit off these players. 

If you want to run your own fake football team, go play franchise mode in Madden. You can be a pretend-GM in that game without any moral repercussions because it’s a video game. The players names and likenesses are real, sure, but you can treat the AI as horribly as you want.

I haven’t played fantasy football since I was in high school. I thought it was a waste of time. Having to keep up with it while I had more important things to do just made me become uninterested in it.

I figured that since it isn’t real, and has nothing to do with actual football, why bother?

I’d rather watch real football. Real football is beautiful, both the NFL and college football. I’ve been following along with all the action since I was about seven years old. It has become a tradition for me every weekend. 

I know I’ve spent a lot of this piece bashing fantasy football. If you truly enjoy fantasy football, keep playing. I’m not going to deter you from doing something you love. If you’re having fun, don’t let me stop you.

Just keep in mind: NFL players aren’t playing solely to rack up stats for your fantasy football team. They’re out there playing to win a championship for their team. They’re trying to put bread on the table for their family. 

So next time a player suffers a major injury and they happen to be on your fantasy team, keep your whining and complaining to yourself.