Fantasy Life

I got into fantasy football last year and I have been hooked on it ever since. For those of you aren't familiar with it, it is an online "sport" that you can compete in with a group of life-long friends or complete strangers. You get together in a draft lobby and pick players for your team based on how well you think they'll do in the upcoming season according to their stats. The way you score points are based on how well your players do in real life. This wildly popular "sport" is played by people all over the country and add a competitive edge to their lives every Sunday.


I think fantasy football is a great long-term activity to be apart of as it brings out your competitiveness and gives you purpose, especially when the stakes are high. The great thing about fantasy football or fantasy sports in general is that it brings people together that may not have before been compatible. It is a common denominator that connects you to people who you may not have known as well or thought of as a friend. This has happened to me during my participation and has strengthened my relationship with others.


Last year when I first started, I finished my season with a record of 6-7. It wasn't great just mediocre. In one of my leagues this year, I started 0-5. I thought my season was over, but then I started reading Fantasy Life by Matthew Berry. In it he gave advice on making trades with other teams. According to Berry, "People always look at the upside of the deal, but having a low downside is just as important. Understanding both potential outcomes of the deal will help you evaluate it better." This has give

n me a completely new perspective when trading players. Whenever I proposed a trade, I never weighed out the pros and cons of it to see which side had more. I just focused on how much of a positive impact my team would get. By getting this new point of view, I can be more careful when making trades.

While on the subject of pros and cons, what are the pros and cons of participating in fantasy football?

Berry, Matthew. Fantasy Life. Westminster: Penguin Group, 2013. Print.