Since the National Football League opened up its season more than a month ago, a lot of people in America are excited to once again have their Sundays occupied by watching football.
But most of the excitement on the men’s side is the return of Fantasy Football.
Fantasy Football was originally developed in 1962. In 1997, many leagues moved to the Internet, moving away from a paper-based model. The web made for much faster and easier scoring.
It surged in popularity around 2005.
Fantasy Football doesn’t just have fans root for their favorite teams but also has them root for players individually.
The way the game works is that you have to draft 15 players along with your friends and however these players do in the real game, you get points for it.
For example, if a player like Tom Brady is on your team and he throws for three touchdowns, that’s 18 points for your squad since a touchdown consists of six points plus the points your other players are getting in their respective games.
The catch with playing this popular Internet game is that everything depends on who you start in your lineup. One player can have a great game and produce 20 points but those points wouldn’t count if he’s not in the starting lineup.
As much as I’d hate to admit it, Fantasy Football is mostly based on luck, but it’s also based on great strategizing.
Studying stats from past games is the most used strategy.
This game is very popular because of how people in America play it, by putting in wagers.
I’ve been a gamer for Fantasy Football since 2009, last year was the first year I started playing it for money. This year, me and nine other friends are putting in $25 each for our league. First place gets $200 and second place gets $50. As crazy as it may sound, our league is wagering a small amount compared to what other leagues wager.
Other players put in $100 each and the winner by the end of the season gets a $1,000 while second place doesn’t get anything.
It seems crazy, but some people like going big with the risk of going home empty. I personally would join a $100 league if I had a lot of money to spend.
There are some players that feel differently about wagering money to play Fantasy Football.
Delta College student Allen Miller said that when money is involved, it can end in a bad way.
“I’d rather just play with my friends for fun. Too many things are out of your control, injuries, play calling, the playoffs are too inconsistent, people can stack teams and cheat when money is involved,” Miller said.
At the end of the day, everything is up to the players you draft, but just how much faith do you really have in them?
One injury to any of your players can ruin your whole season, so playing Fantasy Football requires you to cross your fingers the whole time.
