August is an exciting time for participants in fantasy football each year, the official month to draft for fantasy football teams. Even though games start in the fall, these 18 weeks are long-awaited all year-round. From quarterbacks to wide receivers, participants hope their picks will rack up the most points each week. This is calculated by the number of yards gained: whether it was rushing, passing, receiving or scoring. Football season is long-awaited each year by junior Jamie Healy, a true sports fanatic.
“If you can grab a receiver, a good receiver and a solid receiver, you can really use that to your advantage,” Healy said.
Participants in fantasy football usually join more than one league. Typically, these leagues range from 10 to 14 teams. Participants can choose to join a league with friends, or they can go the other route and play with a random selection. Antioch Community High School teacher, Frank Fracek, is part of multiple different leagues.
“During the week you play against one person, but usually the majority of my leagues are 10 to 12 people,” Fracek said.
Despite favorite players and teams, there are strategies to the drafting process. Sometimes it might not be one’s favorite player, but you have to think about how well they will perform. The better the performance, the more points their athlete will gain for your team. That isn’t the case for everyone. Junior Hannah Schaufele has been playing fantasy football for many years now, and she seems to have an interesting draft tactic.
“I mean, I picked my quarterback because I thought he was attractive if that counts,” Schaufele said.
There is a lot that can go into making your league even more enjoyable. Hosting in-person get-togethers with other participants is very common; draft picking and watch parties are always a good time.
“I always try to do the drafts in person,” Healy said. “If there is a free Sunday, my league likes to get together and watch some games.”
Sometimes, leagues play for punishments or prizes. Knowing there is a possibility of having a punishment, like a bad haircut or having to wear an interesting outfit, can make anyone hesitant to join. Despite this, a good cash reward is never shying anyone away.
“In my league, we play for a prize, and usually it is around $40,” Schaufele said.
Fantasy football entails something different for each participant. From drafting strategies or prizes and punishments, everyone does something a little different. Fantasy football is a great way to meet new people, and have some fun.
