Fantasy Football is one of the most popular hobbies in the United States from late August to early February. It is an online game in which league participants serve as owners and managers of their teams, choose a name, take place in a draft and set their lineups each week of the National Football League. The drafts must take place before the opening game of each regular season; this year, drafts started on Sept. 8. Most leagues, which can vary from any even number between four and 16 players, are in a Head-to-Head format with a point system called Points-Per-Reception. H2H is when all teams face one another at some point throughout the season, and whichever teams have the best records in the regular season compete in the playoffs. PPR rewards each team for every reception — catch — made by a wide receiver, running back or tight end with an extra point in addition to the number of yards gained for the play. 

“My favorite format is probably Head-to-Head competing and redrafting every year. It is the basic form for fantasy and works really well. I like having a new team every year and having the ability to start over from a terrible year, which happens often. Also, Head-to-Head games feel a lot more personal, so winning feels a whole lot better,” Miami Palmetto Senior High School sophomore Ben Harris said.

Though leagues vary, it is common where teams have one starting quarterback, two starting wide receivers and running backs, one tight end, a team’s defense and Special Teams Unit, one kicker and one “FLEX” position, which can either be a wide receiver, running back, or tight end.

People take playing Fantasy Football very seriously. In certain leagues, each player chooses to put in an amount of cash to join and the winner of the league gets the total sum. Most of the time, however, it is just for fun, and the winner receives bragging rights.

“I really enjoy being able to connect with my friends and family through fantasy football, through the smack talking, trades and draft days especially. It is really a great experience for me. I love the intensity and competitiveness, the staying up until midnight to see if my team won, the studying of millions of draft charts to get the best team. It’s really something that gets your blood pumping. Winning is a huge part of it. I’ve never won a championship, but that is going to change this year,” Harris said.

Fantasy Football has become one of the country’s favorite pastimes in recent decades and it is only growing in support.