Fantasy Football has garnered the interest of fans and the student body alike. Its appeal stems from a combination of strategy, luck, and game knowledge that allows fans to compete and bond with each other.

A strategy game where individuals serve as virtual owners of teams as they draft, trade, and start players, fantasy football’s strategy is offense-heavy with receivers and running backs prioritized above all.

“Usually you draft receivers for the first couple rounds since they get a point every time they receive a pass. Quarterbacks go later because you can actually lose points by drafting them, like if they get sacked,” said Sam Souza (‘26).

Leagues may consist of a group of friends or public internet leagues on either ESPN or Yahoo Sports. Leagues are free to join and create, and the only coordination required is the draft that occurs once during a league’s season.

“I do the Yahoo leagues. I’m in four different leagues and I check them religiously. It’s a lot of fun,” said Evan Garber (‘23).

Fantasy football resembles real-life football differently as strategies are heavily statistics-oriented. Drafting a proper team with a strategy as well as keeping up to date on NFL rankings is key for success.

“I drafted Justin Jefferson first [and] he’s great. It’s a great strategy game [where] you can make trades. I’m not trading Jefferson though. He’s gonna be the one carrying my team and getting points,” said Daniel Beckley (‘23).

Consistency is crucial to both success and continued engagement within the league especially if money or prizes are at stake. Even forgetting to start or bench players with injuries for one week can put a team behind the rest of the league for the season.

“In our friend group, we have eight players. Sometimes people put money in the pot. Winner of the league at the end of the season gets the whole pot [of] 10 dollars from each person, if they want ,” said Beckley.

Fantasy football is a strategized yet personalized way for fans to follow the sport and bond with friends. Students use this fantasy world to stay up to date with sports and relieve stress from school.

“Watching a game and then checking fantasy standings is really exciting. Sometimes all it takes is one player to make a difference,” said Souza.