How Fantasy Sites Are Handling League Championships and the Bills-Bengals Postponement

While the primary focus is on Damar Hamlin’s health, fantasy players and league commissioners are looking for direction after an unprecedented situation.

Thoughts and prayers for Bills safety Damar Hamlin have been the primary focus in the football world and well beyond ever since the 24-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field in the first quarter of the Monday Night Football game between the Bills and Bengals. Hamlin remains in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. He has shown signs of improvement, according to an update from the Bills on Wednesday, though he remains in the intensive care unit and is being monitored closely by his medical team.

The Bills-Bengals game never resumed after Hamlin was rushed off the field via ambulance, and the NFL announced Tuesday that there are currently no plans to resume the game this week. While the league continues to figure out the nextsteps following this unprecedented and very sensitive situation, the fantasy football ramifications also remain unresolved.

Week 17 was championship week for most fantasy leagues. The expectation for this primetime matchup between two star-studded offenses was that it was a great way to close out the fantasy football season and determine the champion. But that sentiment quickly changed to meaningless once the real-life tragedy occurred.

• Breer: Immediate Response to Damar Hamlin Collapse

There’s no question this subject pales in comparison to the very real life-and-death situation Hamlin is experiencing. There is also no question that the postponement of the Monday night game impacts countless fantasy league championships.

The major fantasy football league sites have weighed in with official responses. This is the message that currently sits atop NFL.com’s fantasy landing page:

Due to the tragic and unprecedented circumstances stemming from Monday night's Bengals vs. Bills game, we are working through the impact to fantasy scores and are awaiting further updates from the NFL on plans to resume or cancel the game. In the interim, scores will be held in place as of the moment the game was suspended. We will provide further updates as soon as possible and appreciate your patience.

Kareem Elgazzar/The Cincinnati Enquirer via USA Today Network

Both Yahoo and ESPN issued their official plans for their users. CBS Sports suggested how commissioners should handle Week 17, as have most other fantasy platforms. In all cases, it ultimately comes down to what the NFL will do.

• Donations Continue to Flood Into Damar Hamlin’s Charity

Whether or not the Bills-Bengals game is eventually played, individual fantasy commissioners may have varying plans for handling the situation. SI Fantasy’s Michael Fabiano, commissioner of six leagues this season, shared his thoughts.

“First and foremost, let’s hope Damar Hamlin is going to be O.K.,” said Fabiano. “If the NFL resumes the Bills-Bengals game (maybe in a ‘Week 19’), obviously those stats will be used to determine the winner of a championship as we will get a full game from Bills and Bengals players. If the game is declared a tie by Roger Goodell and does not resume, in cases where it is within reason that the team that was losing going into Monday night could still win, I am extending my league championships into Week 18.

“As a result, the combined points from Week 17 and Week 18 will determine the champion. In an unprecedented situation, it’s only fair to extend out the championship. The two teams in the finals CAN’T USE WAIVERS. I am doing this in ALL MY LEAGUES regardless of the finalists.”

If the NFL does push back the start of the postseason and resumes a Bills-Bengals game in Week 19, there are still some scenarios that hurt fantasy managers who were relying on the likes of Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase: 

• If the Chiefs beat the Raiders on Saturday and the Bengals beat the Ravens on Sunday, Cincinnati would clinch the AFC North title but have no shot at the No. 1 seed based on Kansas City’s win. Therefore, there’s a good chance the Bengals would rest their starters in a possible “Week 19” game.

• If the Chiefs and Bengals win and the Bills lose to New England, that would wrap up the No. 1 seed for the Chiefs. The Bills and Bengals would then be locked into the second and third seeds – the Bills-Bengals game would then determine who’s 2 and who’s 3. With no bye at stake, that scenario would likely see both teams rest their stars in a potential Week 19 game. From a league standpoint, that scenario would make it palatable for the NFL to cancel the Bills-Bengals game altogether.