Fantasy Football Finally Kicks Off

Leagues build community, strengthens relationships

After+an+eventful+Sunday+full+of+football%2C+the+team+on+the+left+has+a+43%25+chance+of+winning%2C+projected+to+lose+by+four+points.

Max Yousha

After an eventful Sunday full of football, the team on the left has a 43% chance of winning, projected to lose by four points.

As the National Football League kicks off for a lengthy season, so do fantasy football leagues. The NFL regular season lasts four months through December, creating 17 weeks of fun, engaging, and competitive fantasy football. 

Each week, fantasy football team owners will set their lineups with real pro football players to try and beat another fantasy team. This creates a competitive environment between friends and family who play against each other. At Blake, many people play fantasy football. There are a variety of leagues using different platforms, different rules, and different punishments.

These punishments for losing insinuate friendly competition at school, where students can converse among their friends about the crazy events of football from the previous weekend. Every Monday, conversations can be heard throughout the hallways of students, and sometimes teachers, discussing what happened in the football games and their fantasy leagues over the weekend. 

One student who is an avid fantasy football player is Josiah March ‘24. March is a member of six fantasy leagues, three of which are with family and friends. He expresses the importance of creating community through fantasy football. He started playing “in 2016 with a group of four friends.” He continues, “Before 2016 I had thought about playing but the opportunity had never presented itself.” 

Another student who participates in a fantasy football league is Michael Hackett ‘24. Michael is currently playing fantasy for his second year, and he really appreciates the community that it builds. Hackett expresses that fantasy football “gives people something to talk about” and “it’s something everyone can relate to.”

Teacher Ben Cady also loves the community fantasy football builds as “[he’s] been in the same league with people since [he] was in high school and it’s the best way for [him] to keep in touch with them”

With all of the leagues going around Blake, it creates a sense of community and common interest that anyone can talk about at any time anywhere.