For many Americans, the coming  of fall means the start of football season and, most importantly, the start of the fantasy football season. Many adults and students, including many Monte Vista students, participate in fantasy football yearly. The start of football season means fantasy drafts, watch parties, and vigorous communication regarding matchups every week. 

     For people unfamiliar with fantasy football, leagues contain 4-16 people who participate in a draft of offensive skill position players in the NFL, a kicker, and one defensive unit. The goal is to craft the “ultimate” or collectively the best players for your lineup. Players must have yards, touchdowns, interceptions, and field goals to receive points in the scoring systems.

     The league allows people to control a team by picking their own players, maximizing points to win each matchup.

     One of the most essential parts of fantasy football is how it brings people at school together. On a typical day, you can see kids at the lunch table with intense conversations about their teams, and they try to work trades throughout the week. Fantasy Football is a great way to bring a friend group closer. 

     “Fantasy Football is the greatest thing to exist.” Senior Kyle Bergen said. “The NFL would be lame without fantasy football.”

     Another unique part about fantasy football is the punishments that come with it. If your team finishes last in a league, you may have to shave your head or spend 8 hours at a restaurant. This incentivizes you to keep up with your team and not finish last. 

     “Last year, I had to spend 12 hours at IHop.” Senior Justin Shazad said. “It felt like a prison sentence.”

     A typical fantasy football punishment is the “Toilet Bowl Trophy.” The last-place finisher receives a comically unattractive trophy, often featuring a miniature toilet, to proudly display in their home for the entire year until the next season concludes. This is a constant reminder of their poor fantasy football performance and provides amusement for the other league members.

     Another popular punishment is the “Last Place Penalty.” This could involve the loser performing embarrassing or arduous tasks, like wearing a ridiculous costume to a public event, creating a cringe-worthy social media post, or even treating the rest of the league to a lavish dinner. These penalties are designed to generate laughter and camaraderie among league members while motivating everyone to stay competitive throughout the season.

     “It’s definitely fun when you add a little stake in the game,” Bergen said. “I think the punishments are great, and I know I don’t want a buzz cut.”

     All in all, fantasy football is a fun way to keep track of the NFL, and it’s a great way to bring your friends together.