With the start of the 2022 NFL season, comes the start of Fantasy Football. Fantasy Football is a type of game where each player is a general manager of a team they draft at the beginning of the season. The team can consist of players from any NFL team and each player guides their team through the entire NFL football season to become the winner of their league. Fantasy Football can sometimes have very high stakes, whether it is losing money or an embarrassing task for coming in last in your league. 

Senior Santana Reynolds is a member of a 10 person league named “Trp” which means “Transporters.” 

“I like that Fantasy is so unpredictable but predictable at the same time. It’s something fun to look forward to on the weekends,” said Reynolds.

This past summer, there was a trend on the social media app, TikTok, showing the outcomes of being last in your fantasy league. Some of these embarrassing tasks include spending 24 hours inside Waffle House or wearing your mom’s clothes for a week straight.

“This year, my league does not have a task for the loser set out yet but it will be something good I am sure,” said Reynolds. 

Fantasy Football can also be played in formal settings. There are leagues full of the best of the best players. Anyone can request to join these “formal” leagues and if accepted, the winner can come out with a lot of cash in their pocket. In 2021, the biggest payout from a formal league was 1 million dollars. To some people, their Fantasy league is their life. 

Senior Garrett Claytor is the league manager of “Trp” and has been playing Fantasy with his friends since they were 12. 

“I would say Fantasy is pretty important to me. It is a yearly competition and it feels great to get bragging rights at the end of the year if you win, especially against your friends. It is a good form of healthy competition,” said Claytor. 

Fantasy has become a game that friends will play year after year. It is a way to bring a group of people back together and do something fun. According to ESPN Fantasy, Fantasy is played by a wide age range. 67% of people who play fantasy are of the age of 18-34.

It is a game that attracts football fans from all over. Not only can these players watch NFL Sunday night football, but they can also cheer for their players and hope to bring home the Fantasy Football trophy.