Justin Shaw
From happiness to hopelessness, fantasy football can change lives abruptly. While fantasy football can be played for free, many players choose to wager money each season.
Since football season has begun, you may have heard conversations that sound something like this: “I have a draft on Sunday” or “the Cowboys defense got me barely any points this week!” These things refer to the dominating Fantasy Football craze.
Fantasy Football can be played through various mediums, whether it’s virtually through an app or on a collective “draft board”.
Its where groups can create a “dream team” of members of the National Football League (NFL). Each week, one-on-one competitions against other dream teams take place. Points are given to each NFL player based on how they did in their professional game that week.
Teams are selected by a draft that allows you to pick quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, defenses and other positions that make up a winning football team.
“I play with work, like my RA buddies, but that one’s just for fun,” said Hunter Corpuz, a sophomore radiology tech major.
The app is commonly used to create and sustain connections between people. Benjemin Holladay, a sophomore accounting major, stated that he plays with friends back home. Holladay is an out-of-state student and finds that playing with his hometown friends allows him to stay in contact with them.
When drafting fantasy teams, you do not always get to choose the players you want, as someone else in your league may choose your top priority players first.
When asked who he wanted but didn’t get, Corpuz said, “Josh Allen. I really wanted Joshy.”
Josh Allen is the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills and was the 2024 NFL MVP award winner. He consistently earns a whopping average of 25 points per Fantasy game.
When asked the same question, Holladay stated “Ja’Marr Chase.” Ja’Marr Chase is currently a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals.
One of the highlights of Fantasy Football is the fun punishments for the loser of the league. Punishments are up to the discretion of the players. They range from large-scale retribution, such as donating to a sperm bank, or as small-scale as bragging rights. Most leagues fall somewhere in between and collaborate on creative discipline.
”Our punishment is a ‘milk mile’, drink a gallon of milk and then run a mile,” said Corpuz. “The goal is puking.”
Whether you want to battle your friends or engage in humorous humiliation rituals, the camaraderie and competitive nature of Fantasy Football makes it an appealing pastime.