Fans held their breath as fall approached, unsure what to expect of this football season. To the surprise of many, the NFL decided to play a full schedule and go about business as usual minus the shortened training camp and limited fans.
This was good news for the 59.3 million fantasy sports players across the United States and Canada and the 7 billion dollar fantasy football industry according to Fox Business.
Fantasy football is a way for football fanatics to create a virtual team of real life NFL players and compete with other users in their league. Users gain and lose points when their players make plays or perform poorly.
However, not all fantasy leagues are the same.
Fantasy platforms like Draftkings or FanDuel are different from ESPN Fantasy or Yahoo Fantasy because they are set up to operate like gambling sites exclusively for adults.
These sites generate billions of dollars on entry fees alone, plus the average fantasy player shells out over $550 a year in league dues according to a study by FOX Business.
This year however, it appears that not everyone shares the same enthusiasm. Fantasy sites are down about 25% in revenue and the number of Google searches with the keywords “fantasy football” are only about one third the amount of last year according to an article by the Washington Post.
Every year fantasy owners should expect to make adjustments to their lineups due to player injuries and BYE weeks, but this season COVID-19 added another level of complexity.
The Patriots, Titans, Chiefs and Raiders have already had issues with cases among players and staff so far this season.
“It actually makes it a little more fun because you have to be prepared for anything,” Junior Grant George said. “A game could be canceled at any moment.”
George was originally doubtful about the NFL season, but now that it’s underway he’s determined to make the best of the situation and take first in both of his public leagues.
Creating a league with your favorite football fans can be a great way to bring families and friends together virtually for some healthy competition.
“I still have multiple leagues with friends and family and COVID-19 hasn’t really affected that.” Sophomore Jay Brehm said. “It is still a lot of fun to root for your players on Sundays.”
Brehm checks the ESPN fantasy app for stats on matchups, trade targets and player rankings to make sure his teams operate like a well-oiled machine.
He’s got prizes and bragging rights on the brain, and the looming threat of a winner-decided losing punishment hanging over his head.
Under current circumstances, this familiar tradition may be a morale boost and sense of normalcy some may be looking for.
