Playing fantasy football is one of the most popular recreational hobbies of sports fans around the world. It is currently estimated that more than 75 million people will participate in fantasy football this year, and that number is only going to continue to grow in the future. While fantasy football is a great way to spend your free time, there are also some issues with this popular activity. These are the biggest pros and cons of playing fantasy football.
Pros
Playing fantasy football is a great way to stay close with your friends. Your group – anyone within your league – gets together before the season starts for the draft. You also stay in contact with everyone throughout the season as you try to make trades and, if you’re doing very well, brag about winning. It is very easy for friends to drift apart as you get older, but fantasy football is a great way to ensure this does not happen.
Another huge benefit of fantasy football is that every game becomes interesting in a whole new way. That Monday night game between two teams you usually wouldn’t care about may be the deciding factor in a tight matchup within your fantasy league. Watching football is simply a lot more fun when you have something to root for, and that will never be a problem if you are in a fantasy football league.
Cons
Fantasy football is a form of gambling that can become very addicting if you are not careful. Using your sports knowledge to win money is a huge rush, especially when you are beating your best friends at the same time. You may quickly find yourself in several fantasy leagues after getting your first exposure to the game. The invention of weekly leagues has made it even easier to gamble large sums of money on fantasy football.
The NFL may only play games three days a week, but fantasy football is still a big time commitment. Every good player will spend a large chunk of time each week searching the waiver wire, sending trade offers and adjusting their lineup. The time commitment is only going to grow if you join multiple leagues. You may even find yourself checking your fantasy team at work instead of performing one of your tasks.
Fantasy football clearly has a few drawbacks, but it is a great game when enjoyed responsibly. You will have a hard time finding something else that brings you as much joy on a weekly basis than playing fantasy sports.