As autumn rolls around, the tradition of fantasy football springs to life for another season. Many people play to win money, and some play just to have a friendly competition. According to Statista, during 2022, 29.2 million people participated in fantasy football, making it the most-played fantasy sport in the United States.

Fantasy football is a system where people draft teams of various players, and try to make the best team that will score the most points. The type of people drafted are quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, kickers, and a defense. People in the league will then play against each other and whichever team scores the most points wins. These games play out in real time as NFL teams play. 

Fantasy football brings people together by creating a community with a shared interest. It encourages interaction among friends and family as they draft or compete against each other. Many people come together in a group to watch NFL games, or create group chats to talk about their teams. Tito Lopez, a freshman at Eaton High School, said, “It causes people to talk to each other and if you wanna trade and stuff you have to communicate and negotiate.” Fantasy football influences conversations that are easy to engage in.

Fantasy football can seem easy at first, but in reality, it is quite difficult. Dylan Paris, a junior at EHS, said, “It’s hard to choose who to play for the week because nobody will play the same… people who were studs the year before could fall off the next season.” As time goes on, players will not perform the same. Players get injured throughout the season and that could mean that they will never play again, and age can be a big factor in who will play as well.

Many people look forward to the fall so they can play fantasy football. If it’s a friendly competition or a way to make some extra money, there’s no doubt that it is a great way to have a good time with friends and family.