With the National Football League (NFL) season well on its way, there is a lot of pressure on professional football teams to make it to the playoffs. However, not only is there tension on the players to compete to their best abilities, but there is also stress on the football fanatics that take part in a fantasy football league.

To those who participate in this hobby, there is more to the football season than how their favorite team plays. The performance of their fantasy lineup is almost as big of a deal as the triumphs of their actual team.

Fantasy football has been around since 1962 and has changed the NFL season forever. It is a competition between friends and their make-believe teams, of which many fans take very seriously.

The main idea of the game is to draft imaginary teams based off of real players in the NFL. The better the players perform in real life, the better your team will perform in fantasy football.

Fantasy football has been growing rapidly in popularity. In 2017, there was a reported 59.3 million Americans that played the game. What makes it so enticing to users?

According to junior Alex Krumm, “people play fantasy football because it makes watching football more interesting and engaging.”

Similarly, sophomore Brady Barnow shares his thoughts on the game, “Fantasy football helps me pay more attention to the NFL and gives me something to do and pay attention to.”

In many leagues you have to pay an entry fee. The winner of these fantasies will be given prize money taken from the entry fee. Thus, giving the user a rush and feeling much like gambling, however, its stakes are less expensive and not as costly.

“I think a lot of people play it for the bragging rights,” A.J. Bollig siad.