The excitement due to the start of the NFL season not only brings out everyone’s passion for their favorite team and the game, it also brings out the rivalries between friends and family.

These rivalries are not just because of the physical game; it is due to the start of fantasy football. Fantasy Football is a math based online game where people can build a team of real NFL players through an online draft and earn points based on how those players do in real games.

Each week, their team competes against someone else’s team, and the goal is to score the most points and win the league. First round picks are essential due to the fact that it sets the tone for the rest of the team and “season.”

The top picks from this fantasy football draft were wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and CeeDee Lamb, along with running backs Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, and lastly quarterback Lamar Jackson.

When the regular season of the NFL comes to an end, it is the most important time for fantasy football: playoffs. Finally, as the top players in each fantasy league face off at the end of the season, the winner of those matchups claims the championship for the league.

Depending on the league; there are rewards for being the champion, such as money, trophies, etc. However, there are “punishments” if you place low in the end, some of these punishments may be posting an embarrassing video on social media or doing an embarrassing skit in public.

Every particular league has different versions of these “punishments”. The awards and punishments make every player even hungrier for victory.

Here at Pines Charter, many students within their friend groups compete against each other in fantasy football. This simple game can cause friendly rivalries between students as they want to “completely dominate, [especially] after someone talks smack”, comments senior Arjun Nambar.

Many students at Charter have their own predictions for how their season will look like. For senior Chase Daniels, he plans on “beating my friends and winning it all!”

Competition within your friend groups and earning bragging rights and a prize depending on the league, is what makes fantasy football so enjoyable to some.

While the NFL season continues, fantasy football players are eyeing their teams closely, trying to figure out the best strategies to be the champion. Not only is fantasy football a game, it is a way to bring friends and family together.