Fantasy football is a game that has attracted millions of NFL fans from around the world. Each week, this simple-to-play competition puts competitors head-to-head against their drafted roster of NFL players. Competitors attempt to outscore their opponents by accumulating more points, which are given based on the competitors’ rostered NFL players’ performances. 

“Fantasy football is an app. It’s a sports game where you choose football players who play in the NFL, and you get points based on how they perform in their respective games. Then, if you win, you can make the playoffs, and you can earn prizes or punishments in the league,” said Kaden McClinton (‘25).

The points achieved in a fantasy matchup are a key component of a fantasy football match because to win your weekly match against a friend, you have to get more points than them. 

“You try to pick the best players in the league and make a super team. The fantasy app takes the real stats [of NFL players], and it gives you points when players accomplish certain stats in the game. Our league is playing PPR (points per reception), so you get a point for every catch, you get six points for a touchdown, and three points for a field goal,” said Matt Drotar (‘26), a member of the fantasy league Habibi’s Table.

Because fantasy football drafts usually get league members to pick players they are unfamiliar with, fantasy football causes people to cheer for the possibly not well-known players on their fantasy roster.

“Fantasy football is your opportunity to cheer for players from all across the league that you wouldn’t normally cheer for and compete against your friends. It really enhances NFL Sundays,” said Jonathan Sneh (‘25), who has consistently finished fourth or fifth in his 12-man fantasy league, The Blee.

Fantasy football matches can get competitive as they are really close sometimes.

“I’ve won a game by less than a point,” said Ari Meyer (‘25), whose fantasy team ended up in second place last year because of multiple injuries on his roster.

With a game that so many people commit a lot of time to, the setup of a fantasy football league can be important.

“I think that most importantly, a fantasy football league is a group of friends that care about the sport. It can’t just be a random group of people. [In fantasy football,] you can have a competition to set your draft order, and you can have a whole fantasy football draft night like we did. Then all week during school, you’re hyping up your matchup, and everyone wants to win because usually there’s a cash prize. Also, a loser’s punishment gives the losers something to play for too,” said Sneh.

Cash prizes for the winner and punishments for the loser are usually decided at the beginning of the season by fantasy leagues’ members. The cash prize is motivation to win the league, and the punishment is a driving force of fear as the loser of the fantasy football season rarely wants what is in store for them. 

“The best part [of playing fantasy football] is watching the loser get punished at the end of the season. Last year, our loser had to go to Waffle House for 12 hours and eat 12 waffles. It was a lot of fun and very funny. This year, he’s gonna lose again, and he’s gonna have to make a lemonade stand on Super Bowl Sunday. Then, the rest of the league will get all the profits he makes,” said Luke Phillips (‘25), who won his fantasy league two years ago.

As each league decides their own punishment, there are a lot of unique ways to mess with the loser of a fantasy league.

“In our league, the loser has to do a milk mile, where they have to chug a gallon of milk and then run around the practice field five times, without losing their lunch.” said Owen Legg (‘26).

Out of the many unique punishments for fantasy football, the dog cage is a fan favorite and the go-to punishment for many leagues.

“It’s where you put someone in a dog cage for 90 minutes, and they have to get locked inside. Then, anyone can stop by and throw any type of liquid, solid, or whatever you want [at the person]. The person can’t move inside the dog cage until the timer is up,” said Sneh.

With a large cash prize and a major punishment at stake, most people want to win when it comes to fantasy football, but for those new to the game, it can be hard to know where to start. 

“[Doing well in your fantasy league] is not because of the NFL players but because of the manager. You should read up on football stats, and make sure you have a good defense and kicker. I’m losing my fantasy league because my kicker isn’t good,” said Legg.

Furthermore, if you are new to the game of fantasy football, it is helpful to have someone you can get help from.

“It’s my first time playing fantasy football, but get a coach, get some advisors, and go on Instagram, look up fantasy football, and follow that account. Then, you should send that Instagram account personal messages. That’s what I’ve been doing,” said Sean Oh (‘25), a newcomer to the game of fantasy football.

Fantasy football is a great way to learn new NFL players and have fun with friends. However, everyone likes different aspects of the game for different reasons, and the best way to learn whether fantasy football is right for you is to experience it yourself.

Drotar said, “I’ll never get to be a real manager in the NFL because I prioritize my kicker [over all other players], but fantasy football lets me live out my dream to be a football manager. In the same way kids dream of going to Hogwarts, I want to have a fantasy football team.”