Fantasy Football

By: Nathan Goskeson

The leaves are falling, the weather is cooling and the days are getting shorter; that could mean only one thing, football season is back.

Along with it comes fantasy football which is a virtual interactive competition in which fans manage pro football players against one another trying to obtain points through their statistics each week during the regular season.

There are several different leagues and point formats depending on league’s overall likes and dislikes, but a standard format is generally used.

The majority of leagues have anywhere from eight to twelve teams and one person manages each team.

First the league sets up a draft and everybody who manages a team will draft players according to who they think is the best available.

Other actions participants may use while managing a team in fantasy football include trading players, adding/dropping players via the waiver wire and updating your starters each week.

The popularity of fantasy football has grown exponentially along with the Internet over the past 15 plus years.

“I started playing fantasy football because I wanted to get to know the players and teams into further detail,” Brittany Langford, a Waldorf student and fantasy league player, said. “If you love the NFL and enjoy watching pro football then this is a fun and great way to further your knowledge on the players and teams.”

There are many reasons a person may enjoy fantasy football that haven’t already tried it.

“I started playing fantasy football because I love football and I love to compete,” Jovan Shabazz, a Waldorf student and member of the Waldorf Warriors football team said. “Points can boost up fast and just like pro football, any given Sunday can bring a victory.”

Fantasy football gives participants the opportunity to delve more into the pro football world and have a greater interaction with the most popular sport in America. Leagues vary in many ways, some are free, some have a one-time fee and others have weekly fees.

While one league may start two running backs, another may have three, or two with a flex position that can have a running back, tight end or wide receiver.

Some feel that playing in a league adds to watching pro football throughout the season.

“You have to stay in touch with following players’ careers and it makes every game interesting because you could have players on your fantasy football team that are playing in a game you might not have normally watched,” Shabazz said.

“Fantasy football adds a ton to my love of pro football because I love having conversations about sports, especially the NFL, and being in a fantasy football league has helped me to learn more about the teams and players,” Langford said.