Fantasy football, a game where members act as the general manager of a virtual football team, allow friends (or people at random) to create leagues with these fantasy teams. League sizes range anywhere from six, all the way up to fourteen members. Players participate in a draft to choose who will be on their team, and throughout the year, they can pick up players off of the free-agent list, drop players that they don’t want or don’t have space for, and trade players with other members. Users play head-to-head, by setting up a lineup each week. And while it is slightly different from league to league, the teams typically contain one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one flex player, one tight end, one kicker, and one defense/special teams. The players earn team points for the stats that they have during the game, and whoever’s team scores more points wins the fantasy game for that week. The question is, “Is fantasy football good or bad for the sport?”

CONS

First and foremost, I hold a grudge against fantasy football because throughout my six or so years of playing, I have never won, or even come close to winning, my league. Yet, I still am an avid fantasy football player, which is why I am the perfect person to give an unbiased, articulate reason for why fantasy football sucks.

Fantasy football completely ruins the sport and ruins the excitement of the NFL season. Instead of being a fan of one single team, fantasy football causes people to become fans of individual players. For example, this past week my fantasy opponent started Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. If you don’t know me, the Chiefs are my favorite team, and Patrick Mahomes is my favorite player. Since I was playing against Mahomes, I had a decision to make: do I cheer for him because he plays for my favorite team or do I cheer against him because I am playing him in fantasy football? At the end of the day, I rooted for Mahomes and the Chiefs, and while they won, my fantasy team lost.

Furthermore, fantasy football sucks because nobody seems to care who wins or loses. Instead, it is all about the stats of their fantasy players. When you play fantasy football, you stop seeing players for what they did in the game and you start valuing them for how many points they scored for you in fantasy. The player could have an outstanding game and help the team in every way possible but might only score two points in fantasy. Because of that, his game will be deemed as a bad performance strictly because he didn’t put up big fantasy points. That simply isn’t the way we should be viewing players.

Lastly, fantasy football can best be described by Matthew McConaughey when he says, “Fugayzi, Fugazi. It’s a whazy. It’s a woozie. It’s fairy dust. it doesn’t exist. It’s never landed. It is no matter. It’s not on the elemental chart. It’s not real.” While McConaughey definitely is not talking about fantasy football in this quotation, the statement still applies. People treat it like it is real life, but fantasy football is not real and never will be.

So if you are reading this and are currently in a fantasy football league, quit now while you can and stop cheering for your fake team.

PROS

When fantasy football began, football fans were introduced to a whole new way to watch the game. Instead of simply cheering for their favorite team, fans began paying attention to new players and new areas of the game they have never had before like how many catches a certain receiver had in a given game. This way of viewing football has made watching it much more enjoyable and fun to watch. Instead of simply living and dying by one singular team, fans are able to broaden their football horizon and examine players/teams from around the league. This produces much more excitement, passion, and love for the game. People become fans of players rather than teams and become more engrossed within the little details of football.

The best part of fantasy football is the friendships and bonds that come along with it. Oftentimes fantasy leagues will have a big draft where each member of the league will come together and pick their players. Whether it be at a restaurant or at a house, these drafts result in a good time where people are able to become better friends through common interests. Throughout the season, each member is forced to be in communication with the others as important trades or acquisitions may be needed to ensure success. This creates fun interactions with some people who may have never spoken if it were not for fantasy football.

It is also very fun to brag and gloat to friends, family members, and coworkers about beating their team that week or even winning the entire league. The friendships that are formed also create great memories in the future, such as punishments for finishing last place. Many videos have gone viral of people receiving tattoos or waxing their whole body for their last-place finish at the end of the season. These unusual punishments go beyond the game of fantasy football and exemplify the fun and close relationships that are formed through this game. Someone would not voluntarily receive a tattoo of another’s choice if they were not connected through something more than a fantasy league. It is these same bonds and connections that will stick around beyond the end fantasy league and football season.