Games are just as important as practice in terms of development. And what about those players that never miss but are just not quite at the level as some others that do miss a lot of practice? Sure, Player A is better than Player B. But A misses a lot of time for another sport and B never misses and is improving, just at a slower rate. Does B not deserve to play?
There is no simulation for playing against other teams and playing with officials - some refs are great and some are not, one things players need to develop is adjusting to how a game is being officiated. | 
