Millions of Americans love the NFL, glued to their couches to watch the gridiron gauntlet every Sunday, Monday, and Thursday. North Atlanta’s Eleven-Story students are no exception. For some, this fandom stretches far beyond watching. While they may not be in helmets or in pads, fantasy football allows these students to be a part of the game and feel like an NFL general manager. However, it is not all fun and games and not for the faint of heart.

For some participants, fantasy football is filled with triumph, the highest of highs. Most leagues are created with a buy-in where money is on the line. The winner gets ultimate bragging rights and a cash prize. With a $40 buy-in, a league winner could make upwards of $350. However, the real reward is the bragging rights. A winner earns the right to boast about their win for a full 365 days, or at least until the next winner is crowned. For North Atlanta junior Thomas Maiellaro, a two-time winner, the bragging rights are the best part. “I loved being able to talk trash to everyone,” said Maiellaro. “Getting my three-peat is the only thing that matters and I am ready.”

For others, their participation leads to turmoil and uncertainty. Punishment for the last-place finisher plays a vital role in league excitement. For confident players, the most exciting part of the punishment is the planning. Those who lack confidence or experience are riddled with nervousness as the season progresses and the planning intensifies. Punishments range from a 24-hour stay in Waffle House, a staple of the south, to signing up and taking the SAT, or any form of public humiliation. As a loser of the 2021–22 season, sophomore Myers Allen was subject to punishment, being put in a dog crate while items like flour, milk, and mustard were poured on him by league members. As one would expect, it was not a pleasant experience. “It was humiliating, but I guarantee you will never see me last in the standings again,” said Allen.

Many kids go to great lengths to prevent a last place finish. Not only can it be gross or humiliating, losers are subject to ridicule for the next year. Preparation for the season starts long before Week One in order to avoid, as Myers puts it, “complete and utter humiliation.” Some players will study statistics or practice mock drafts as early as the summer months, but it all goes out the window when draft day rolls around. For Allen, he plans on leaving it all out on the field (or his phone) this year. “I have learned a great deal from my mistakes, and now it is less about winning and more about not losing,” said Allen. “A new year means a new mentality: vengeance.”

As punishments are being decided and teams are being drafted, the excitement is building, but so is stress. Each league is eager to see who will emerge victorious and who will be humiliated.