Football dominates the sports scene every fall, but sometimes the expense of going to live games, buying that special high-definition television, or purchasing the umpteenth edition of Madden is too expensive to enjoy. Fantasy football is perfect for the person who does not want to pay $60 for a video game, but still wants to be part of the action.
Usually, fantasy football players draft NFL superstars to form a roster that will make up their team. The real fun however, is battling week to week with your friends. In the NFL, the battle is on the field, while in fantasy football, the battle is on your computer. Players then get points based on how their NFL players perform from week to week. Touchdowns, yards, interceptions, sacks, etc. add to a player’s score. Whoever has the most points in a week wins their match.
One week you could smash your opponent and in the next, you are wondering why your best player failed to get into the end zone. This frustration often leads fantasy players to trade members of their team to another opponent, or drop them off their roster entirely, which adds to the fun of the game.
Friends within a league can make trades that would be silly in the actual sport. For example, great players like quarterback Tom Brady and receivers Calvin Johnson can be exchanged for a single player such as receiver Roddy White. On paper the deal looks crazy, but in the fantasy world of football it is a great deal for someone looking to add team points from a wide receiver and dump players that have been underachieving.
Johnson is usually a solid choice at wide receiver, but this year he is averaging less than ten points a game while Roddy White is consistently scoring 10 points or more per week. Tom Brady is a good quarterback for most teams, but if someone in your league picked up Michael Vick, Brady might not be needed on your team. Vick has regained his wings and boy oh boy can he still fly. He has been so good this season it is criminal. Since replacing former Philadelphia Eagles starter Kevin Kolb, Vick has passed for six touchdowns and run one in for another. In the process, he has helped many fantasy owners’ teams.
Fantasy football relies on strategy and luck, but win or lose you will just be happy to be in the game. It gives you the joy of playing the head coach and deciding who plays and who is benched which puts the game in your control. Fantasy football does not replace not real football, but it is a close substitute.
