Column by Luke Nankivell
It’s official. NFL football is back.
And with it comes hundreds of thousands of crazed fans. Thousands of those fans, including me, are obsessed with Fantasy Football leagues.
But why is this sensation so popular? Fantasy Football is such a big part of the NFL community that during broadcasted games, there are “fantasy updates” on the bottom of the TV screen.
For me, being part of a league gives me an opportunity to become closer to the game. As a fan of the game for almost my whole life, I’ve come to respect players on both teams I love and teams I root against.
As a Green Bay Packers fan, I grew up hoping the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings lose every week. However, there are great players on both teams I’ve seen throughout the years that I hope would play for my Packers: Walter “Sweetness” Payton, Jared Allen, Brian Urlacher and Adrian “A.D.” Peterson.
Fantasy leagues give me the chance to make my “dream team.” No matter the team he’s on, any current player can be yours. And if you don’t get your favorite player, you can always join another league and make another team.
The league you’re in has a draft at the beginning of the season. Yes, just like in the NFL, there’s a draft. It’s just one more way you feel like an owner/coach.
Before the draft begins, though, hours are spent researching players. Everything from a quarterback’s touchdown-to-interception ratio to a running back’s yards-after-contact to a wide receiver’s yards-per-catch is heavily scrutinized. After all, you want the best on your team.
Throughout the season, you can trade players to one of your buddies, let inefficient players go and sign new players to your team. All of these things give fans a little taste of the world of professional football.
What I love about fantasy is that every year is different. Sure, teams in the NFL keep most players year-to-year, but each start of another fantasy season brings a clean slate.
If players in the NFL are traded or if coaching changes are made in the offseason, it can drastically change how a team will fare in the upcoming season. It could mean that a team that went 4-12 one year could go 10-6 the next year and make a push in the playoffs.
In 2010, Pete Carroll, the head at the University of Southern California, was hired by the Seattle Seahawks in an effort to rebuild the team. Since then, the Seahawks have gone from being one of the worst teams in the NFL to potentially going to the Super Bowl this year.
This past offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles hired Chip Kelly, who coached at the University of Oregon. Many analysts believe Kelly could do for the Eagles what Carroll has done for the Seahawks.
Peyton Manning’s contract with the Indianapolis Colts ended in 2010, and he was picked up by the Denver Broncos last year. In his first year with the team, he was able to lead them to an impressive 13-3, and the team made it to the divisional round of the playoffs.
Because of moves like these, people participating in fantasy leagues do even more research before drafts. For example, a wide receiver who struggles to get thrown to in one offensive strategy could benefit from a new coach’s system.
It will be interesting what comes of this season, but I’m sure my fantasy team will fare well. I know that whatever happens, if I win two of my matchups or 10, I’ll have a blast watching my dream team playing each week.
Part of the excitement of the NFL nowadays is Fantasy Football, and it keeps fans coming back to watch year in and year out.
Nankivell is a junior magazine journalism and politics double major can be reached at [email protected]
