LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — During the fall season, you may notice the influx of pumpkins, candy, ghosts and most importantly: football. Suddenly, the most stressful part of everyone’s day is spent sitting on their couch and watching their team play on a Sunday morning. 

Only, their team isn’t any team like the Bears or the Packers; it’s a team they have made and coordinated on their own through a virtual game called fantasy football. Fantasy football is a game played by millions of people each year. In 2022 alone, about 62.5 million people across the United States participated in the popular game, according to the Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association.

If you are wondering what the hype is all about, fantasy football is a game where you create your own team of 16 players that obtain points throughout the NFL season. You can find this game through websites like Yahoo, MyFantasyLeague, CBS Fantasy Sports and ESPN.

The players that you draft can win points by gaining yardage during a game, touchdowns, or not allowing points to be scored by the opposing team that you are playing. If you are upset by the performance of your players, you are in luck. Players can be released and traded just like in the real NFL. Two managers challenge each other each week, and the team that gains the most points by the end of the seven-day period wins.

Although it seems like a game of luck or even gambling, fantasy sports are considered a game of skill. Since it is not technically gambling, users are allowed to place bets without it being considered illegal, since many states, including California, have banned gambling. Real coaches and players in the NFL are allowed to participate in fantasy football leagues but are unable to earn more than $250 in their winnings.

Winning may look like the main goal for users, but for many, it is simply to not finish in last place in their league. Many leagues punish the manager who finished in last place with the least amount of points in a funny yet miserable way. These punishments can range from running laps on the track or wearing an embarrassing outfit.

“One of the funnier fantasy football punishments I’ve ever seen was when this guy had to run three miles in a cross country meet with a huge sign that read ‘I suck at fantasy football’ in big capital letters,” said Los Alamitos High School freshman Maggie Zhang.

Although it may be funny to watch these punishments, those who are on the receiving end do not find it nearly as amusing.

“I was in last place in my fantasy football league last year and had to do the punishment. It was terrible,” said Mayfair High School and Middle School sophomore Maleah Bradford. 

Other than the NFL, there are fantasy leagues for the MLB, NBA, WNBA, NHL, F1 and college sports. According to the FSGA, the most played fantasy sports are for the NFL, NBA and MLB. Still, football overshadows every other sport. 79% of fantasy players play during the NFL season, but only 32% for the NBA season, and 22% for the MLB season.

All fantasy sports, including fantasy football, are shared and loved by millions of people across the globe. The playful rivalry and competition causes people to grow closer in a convivial way rather than causing division between people.