Fantasy football is an online activity that gives sports fans the opportunity to draft players, manage lineups and compete against other managers. Managers can compete in leagues with friends, family members, co-workers and even people they have never met before. They use multiple platforms such as ESPN Fantasy Sports, Yahoo Fantasy, NFL Fantasy Football and more. Fantasy football is a fun way for sports fans to come together and bond over a shared interest.Some leagues feature friendly competitions where players can compete for pure joy, but some leagues take it to another level and introduce punishments for the last-place team, or rewards for the winner
“I like how it can be just a friendly competition, or there can be punishments for the loser at the end of the season. I also like how it allows me to have my own team of some of my favorite players,” junior Tommy Ward said.
The first fantasy league can be traced back to 1962, when Bill Wikenbach, a limited partner in the Oakland Raiders, created the idea. While on a Raiders cross-country trip, Winkenbach and Raiders public relations employee Bill Tunnel, and Oakland Tribune reporter Scotty Stirling, developed the rules that would eventually become the basis of modern fantasy football. The first public league wasn’t started until 1969, when one of the founders brought the game to a bar he owned and started a league there. After that, word of Fantasy leagues began to spread by people telling stories about them all around the country.
Each season starts with a draft, allowing managers to select players they want on their team for the season. After the draft, players are then allowed to see their team. Each league is unique in the ways they have lineups. Some leagues have only one quarterback, while others may have two or three. This could be the same for other positions like wide receivers, running backs, tight ends, kickers or defenses/special teams. There are also multiple different league setups. Most leagues follow a point-per-reception (PPR) rule. This means that each player gets a point every time they catch the ball. There are also half-PPR leagues and zero-PPR leagues. As the season progresses, players may become unsatisfied with their draft picks. Players are able to make trades with other teams in their league all throughout the season. There are also waivers. Players on waivers are not on anyone’s team, and they are able to be added to someone’s team if they need to replace one of their players.
“ I think trading and waivers make the game more fun, because it allows you to shake things up if a player isn’t doing good, is injured or is on a bye week,” junior Camden Bruce said.
Fantasy football is a fun activity for people to compete, manage and have fun while doing so. People all over the world compete in the game every year, and it helps keep football and online sports relevant to others.