By Alison Echeverria Soto ’26
Fantasy football has not only been a great way to stay engaged with NFL games, but also with friends, family, and even colleagues, providing a shared interest and weekly interaction with your teammates, becoming a natural ice breaker for many situations.
Fantasy Football has been around since 1962, but didn’t gain popularity until the 1990s, when it launched online, making it easier for people to join and manage their fantasy leagues. Fantasy Football increases engagement with the sport, teaches strategies on how to manage a team effectively and gives users a say to root for individual players, rather than a team as a whole. Although some say it is a game of luck, some people believe it’s a game of skill, resulting in diverse opinions. It all depends on your engagement with the NFL, and having a clear understanding of the sport.
This has become one of the NFL’s most powerful advertisements, which has brought many more people in to watch football. Many take it seriously, such as Brooklyn Fernandez ‘26. “I take it pretty seriously, it can get super competitive, especially if you’re going up against your friends,” says Fernandez. Fantasy Football has brought people together, making it more exciting to watch the sport, as for myself, it has made it a fun adventure. Nedaat Masiat ’26 says, “I like it because its my first experience with football. It’s helping me learn more about the sport. It has added an extra layer of fun to the football season, becoming a good experience to socialize with others.”
I totally recommend creating a fantasy football league to make your NFL season more engaging, to help you in strategic thinking, and to teach you how to have good decision-making skills.
The Raider Press 