A weekly ritual: Monitor the waiver wire, make your claims, set your lineup and then monitor the results.
“I played it when I was in college,” said Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen. “I enjoyed the competitive aspect of it.”
Fantasy football has gotten so big that it can be the first thing mentioned in historic moments. Like last season, when NFL MVP Josh Allen threw and caught a touchdown on the same play. The postgame interview was revealing.
“Cris Collinsworth is very excited because he started you on his fantasy team,” said Melissa Stark.
Some of the biggest stars in the NFL play fantasy football, but the league has rules. An NFL player cannot win more than $250. Daily fantasy is a no-go. Same, of course, for betting on games — something Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers was suspended for two years ago. In summation, only season-long fantasy is allowed.
“I think it just gives something to involve the fans into our world,” said Rodgers. “So, I think it’s pretty cool. The fans get to have insights, and they get to have their opinions on the game. It’s part of life.”
“I got a different perspective on it,” said Minnesota tight end Josh Oliver. “But I know my friends love it. A lot of my family play and stuff. So, I get to hear, live vicariously through them.”
Then there’s the fan aspect. Oliver scored a touchdown on Sunday. He’s a good football player, but not a good start in fantasy. Some don’t get that, and he might hear about it.
“I mean, that’s just part of the game,” he said. “You hear about that, you hear about everything else. You gotta just focus on your job on the field.”
Occurrences of angry fantasy managers inappropriately contacting players are too common, a byproduct of the traction this game has gained.
“It’s tough as the player because you get a lot of heat, a lot of negativity because you’re not scoring enough fantasy points,” said Thielen. “But I think it’s a great thing for the game. It’s only grown the game and made it more popular.”
It’s likely that at least a few current Vikings play fantasy, but it appears that the majority are understandably indifferent.
“I don’t know. I don’t really think about it at all to be honest with you,” said Vikings running back Cam Akers. “I hope everybody wins their fantasy.”
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