To every football fan willing to compete, it’s almost that time of year again.
Before we know it, it’ll be time to draft our teams for the 2024-25 season.
The league commissioner sets up every detail of the fantasy season as each competitor bickers to them about their preferences.
Once the dust settles, it’s time to draft. Everyone’s eager to land the pick of their preference, which could be the No. 1 overall or the middle of the pack.
It feels like an eternity between picks because sometimes it is, as there’s always that one person who forgets about the draft.
Every time their pick comes up, everyone waits until the allotted time expires, until the computer finally shifts to auto draft 10 rounds in.
The draft wraps up and each person makes their own clever team name based on their roster. Looking at the teams after the draft, the contenders are clear, or so you thought.
Every year the season outcome is unpredictable, as only one person can have enough luck go their way to win.
Don’t be fooled, though, as really, it is everyone’s year to be the champion like they always tell you.
The season begins and the best player on the try hard’s team has a season ending injury, and along with that half of his team are busts.
Somehow the autodrafted team is undefeated still and the person who knows the least about football has a team levels above everyone else.
Then you have the team that a league member forgets about the first three weeks and their season is over before it started, as they just give up and become a free win for all their opponents.
Halfway through the season, the trade deadline approaches and all of the sudden, everyone is negotiating trades like they’re NFL GMs trying to win a Super Bowl.
There’s always that one person who gets absolutely fleeced but insists they won the trade. Or there’s a mutual trade that makes both teams better.
As the playoffs approach, it’s a must win week for everyone. Your team leads by 50 points and your opponent only has one player left, so you relax with a playoff spot secured.
Before you know it, that spot is ripped away as that one player scored six touchdowns and ended up with 60 points.
It’s an agonizing feeling to have luck on your opponent’s side, but it doesn’t matter.
Whoever has luck on their side can come out of family or friendship feuds victorious, with undeniable bragging rights.
Though there is nothing like the ultimate bragging right, winning the championship. Lightning strikes and luck favors them enough through the playoffs to become the champion.
Now their name is immortalized forever amongst the fantasy football legends, an accomplishment they can hold over their peers until death.
While they’re busy winning the championship, there’s always a dogfight in the consolation bracket for the meaningless 6th spot in the final standings.
The season is over and now it’s time for everyone who competed in a money league to pay the champion.
Losing sucks, but it’s even worse for the person who finished dead last in the league. They are the ultimate loser and now they face punishment from their competitors, forced to complete whatever the absurd task is.
This is the essence of fantasy football, it’s such a meaningless thing that is 95 percent luck and 5 percent skill, but it’s so much fun.
So keep playing, and who knows, maybe it’ll be your year after all.