Since the school year began there has been a clear sports-based infatuation amongst many of the boys and myself at Robinson: fantasy football. Whether it is discussing trades in one of my classes, or rubbing in a loss to one of my league mates, there are so many personal aspects that play into the wonder of fantasy football. As the NFL finishes up its fourteenth week of the season, fantasy football team managers anticipate the playoffs that their teams seek to compete in and win, and the bittersweet end to one of young men’s favorite seasonal pastimes.
Why is this all the rage? Fantasy football demographics include sixty-four percent of players being male, and forty-eight percent of players being between the ages of eighteen and thirty-four. With most of the players being young men, fantasy football can be seen as an outlet for strategy and creativity, as well as work ethic and persistency. Although it can provide as a distraction, I believe fantasy football provides a great hobby for young men specifically. Football in general can be a great topic of discussion, and can lead to not only new friendships, but increased potential for trying new things.
All fantasy football leagues start with the draft, similar to the NFL’s actual draft, players are randomly set in order and the draft begins. Drafts can either be straight up, where players select in order and picks reset back to the beginning at the end of each round or a snake draft, which in my opinions more fair. Players select in order, and at the end of one round, the next starts with whoever selected last, flipping back and forth until the end of the draft.
This is where the strategy begins, as senior Collin Rosenberg said, “I think the draft is definitely important to win, but trades and the waiver wire really make the difference in winning. ”
As the season commences, the depth of fantasy football tactics emerge, as there are many ways for managers to build a strong team other than just the draft. Trades play a big role in fantasy football success, as even though someone can stick strictly to their draft, factors like injuries, suspensions and a multitude of other factors can affect how players compete throughout the season.
But trades are not the only way for fantasy football managers to increase their chances of victory, as in all leagues there is something called the waiver wire. The waiver wire holds all of the players in the NFL who were not drafted in their respective fantasy league, and as the season goes on and unexpected players begin to break out, managers are quick in grabbing the unexpected stars from the waiver wire. Specific players this season who have popped up in many leagues waiver wires include Rico Dowdle of the Panthers, Kimani Vidal of the Chargers and finally Quinshon Judkins of the Browns. I was lucky enough to grab quarterback Matthew Stafford off of one of my leagues waiver wires, and he has proved to be a substantial addition to my team.
Fantasy football leagues offer high stakes, as the tradition often comes with a winners prize if the members play for cash, and a punishment for the loser of the league, marking the endeavor with incentive to win. Leagues can include anywhere from four players to even sixteen and more based on how the league is formed, but the larger the league, the more difficult it is for managers to ensure success.
Playoffs are what the season leads to, and managers aim for consistency in their players in order to not only make the playoffs, but to win the league. But on the other side of the spectrum, fantasy football managers hope and pray not to be the loser. Punishments come in a wide variety of publicized embarrassment, and they include posting videos online for being the lowest scorer of the week, to even getting put in a dog kennel and having food and drinks thrown on you for placing last in the league. I personally have heard stories of dudes having to wear make-up to school, and the punishment I would most hate being the milk mile.
Freshman Jackson Williams said, “I really hope I don’t get the punishment this year, the cage sucks.”
All in all, fantasy football is a great way to channel the competitive nature of a young men, and a fun way to bond over a shared love of football. If you’re interested in football, and want to a fun way to exercise your intuition and gain bragging rights over your friends, you should join in the fantasy.
