Beware fantasy love hurts

FALLING in love is one of the most beautiful things that can happen to a person. The sun shines brighter, the birds chirp louder and you spend your day walking around with that goofy Kool-Aid smile on your face. Nothing can bring you down.

Unfortunately, this majestic occurrence doesn’t translate to the fantasy baseball world, where falling in love is a soul-crushing detriment.

When fantasy baseball owners fall in love with a player, they are at an immediate disadvantage. Blinders go on. Objectivity goes out the window, and that player’s true value instantly is tainted.

Perhaps a shared personal experience is the best way to relay this malady, because even your most trusted industry analysts are susceptible to Cupid’s painful fantasy arrows. His name is Cameron Maybin, and this scribe fell in love with him as a minor leaguer.

The key component coming back to the Marlins in the 2007 Miguel Cabrera trade with t he Tigers, Maybin was a highly-touted, f ivetool, can’t-miss prospect. Scouts raved about his power and speed, and fantasy love was in the air.

For three years, Maybin struggled with injuries and big league pitching, to the point everyone but the guy crushing on him understood there was more potential for bust than success. Maybin was a f ixture on every team of mine and, despite what reality provided, there was always blind hope that my true love would, one day, rescue me.

His breakout in 2011 offered a taste of what could be, and the next six years were spent chasing those numbers — regardless of struggles or injuries. Even this season’s temporary surge provided hope, only to again leave me heartbroken by another trip to the disabled list.

If you end up in a fantasy loveaffair with a player, you may f ind sporadic moments of joy. Usually, that love becomes more of an Achilles’ heel than escorts your fantasy team to a league title.