O.J. Simpson Angry After Drafting Andrew Luck in Fantasy Only to Retire After

Former NFL running back OJ Simpson just learned one of the most important rules of playing fantasy [...]

By John Newby

Former NFL running back OJ Simpson just learned one of the most important rules of playing fantasy football – don't hold your draft until the third preseason week is complete. Saturday night, 29-year-old quarterback Andrew Luck retired from the NFL in a move that shocked the entire league and fans. The Indianapolis Colts star was dealing with nagging injuries and decided it was time for him to end the cycle of injury and rehab in order to get healthy and spend time with loved ones.

For Simpson, this decision hit close to home. While he didn't have a personal relationship with Luck, he did view him as the top quarterback in fantasy football. In fact, Simpson had actually drafted Luck to lead his team less than two hours before the surprising decision broke the internet. Of course, he responded by filming a reaction video and posting it on Twitter.

"Andrew Luck, what did I do to you?" a visibly upset Simpson asked. "You could have retired an hour-and-a-half ago before I picked you in my fantasy leagues."

While Simpson was understandably upset about Luck's departure from his fantasy squad, he certainly was not the only person in America that dealt with the same scenario. There were thousands of fantasy drafts taking place across the world on Saturday night, every single one of which likely saw Luck get selected in rounds six through nine.

Granted, early retirements or injuries is why most fantasy leagues carry at least two quarterbacks into the season. It's impossible to predict what will happen at any given moment, so it's critical to pair someone like Luck with another fantasy star in Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, Kirk Cousins, or Philip Rivers. These figures may not consistently produce points at a rate similar to Luck, but they will take care of business when needed.

Granted, Simpson's reaction is fairly understandable considering that fantasy drafts haven't always been a part of his life. The former running back was out of action for nine years while serving time in prison, which likely made it fairly difficult to take part in fantasy football. Unfortunately, he also missed Luck's career-best season in 2014 in which he passed for 40 touchdowns and only 16 interceptions.

Simpson may be hurting after seeing his fantasy team decimated by a surprising retirement, but he will quickly learn that carrying a talented backup into the season is critical. If nothing else, he can always look for another option on the waiver wire.

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