Now that professional football is back, millions of Americans are watching the big screen every Sunday afternoon, but not always for their favorite team. Sometimes it’s the one they create: their fantasy football team. 

Junior Colt Sorey decided to create a league here at MSMS.  

“Fantasy football is really just a process where you go in with your friends, draft players who might fit well with your team or are just your favorite and depending on how they perform in real life you get points.” Sorey said. “Each week everyone matches up against another team, and the more points you get the more likely you are to win.”

Sorey got together 13 other students to form a league with 14 teams, with each student as the team captain of the team they created. They held a draft in late August.

About the draft process, Sorey said, “You basically get a certain amount of time to pick a player — in our league it was a minute — and you pick players you think will perform the best or fit your team. It’s also a snake draft which means the order flips after every round. So, if you drafted first in the first round, you would draft last in the second. If you had the last pick in the first round, you would immediately be on the clock again.”  

Junior Lila Jacks described her draft experience after researching beforehand. 

“I was able to thoroughly do my research before the draft, and I was able to get [Indianapolis Colts running back] Jonathan Taylor with the first pick,” she said.

Junior Will Franklin said the draft was “a good experience, but very stressful” because he does not want to lose. 

“[It] was hectic,” Franklin said. “At the time I was not happy to get [New Orleans Saints wide receiver] Michael Thomas, but he did very well in week one.”  

Before and during the NFL season, members can adjust their roster by trading players or picking up some that were not drafted. 

“I’ve changed a couple players around,” junior Michael Wright said. “I picked up a couple players because [San Francisco 49ers tight end] George Kittle got injured, so I needed a backup tight end. There’s the possibility of a trade or adding someone at quarterback as well, because I need an upgrade there.” 

As the season goes on, more games will be played, more matchups will play out and more moments will be shared among the 14 members.  

“I’ve always wanted to be part of a fantasy league, but back home I never really had any friends to do it with,” said Sorey on why he created the MSMS league. “It’s a really great time even if you don’t know about football, because the whole point is that you are more invested in games and you watch them with your friends. There is no prize for winning in our league. It’s just a group of students having fun.”