Junior George Ross debates who to take in his fantasy football league. Photo illustration courtesy of junior Oliver Nemetz. 

  Fantasy Football is a fun experience for many San Luis Obispo High School students throughout the NFL season. Students draft their squad and then are endlessly entertained by the excitement of their weekly matchups. 

  “Fantasy is just a great way to connect with people. I don’t go outside much, so it’s a nice way to interact with my friends,” said junior Chuck Jacobs.

  One of the best parts of being in a league is the draft. During the draft, everyone comes together to start their season. Some people like to auto draft, where AI drafts for you, and some like to draft themselves, whether they know what they are doing or don’t. 

  “I love drafting my squad. I think that player James Cook will be a sneaky pick, he’s always good for me,” said senior Kai Priola. 

  Drafting sets the scene for the rest of the year. People choose the players that they believe will produce good stats and will help them win games. Some players will pan out the way everyone wants them to, but some will heavily underproduce, causing players to lose their matchups.

  However, fantasy isn’t all fun and games. Many students use it as a way to make a pretty penny. For example, many leagues have a pay in to be in the league. This means that the winner could take all the money from everyone else. 

  However, winning isn’t the only thing to care about in these leagues. If anything, not losing is more important than winning. A lot of leagues have punishments for the losers, and some of these get out of hand really quickly. 

  “I’ve been in leagues where the loser had to make a really embarrassing TikTok every day for like a week. These types of leagues are really fun because they make you actually care about them,” said junior Kunal Patel.

  Whether you are familiar with the NFL or not, fantasy football is super fun. Good luck with your leagues, Tigers!