Credit: Sofia Ciciarelli

WSPN’s Sofia Ciciarelli discusses the ESPN’s Fantasy app and how it is used by WHS students.

ESPN’s Fantasy Sports app is meant to allow for people to dive deeper into their favorite sports and connect with peers who share the same interests. In 2022, Fantasy sports were played in the U.S. by 50.4 million people, including some Wayland High School students.

On Sept. 7, fantasy football began. Players started the season by making a football team with players from the National Football League (NFL) that they predicted would get them the most points throughout the season. Each week, points are earned based on how players do in their games. For example, on Dec. 7 the Patriots played against the Steelers. Tight end Hunter Henry scored two touchdowns during the second quarter. If Henry was on a person’s fantasy team, they would gain points because he was a part of the success for that particular game. Throughout the season, players can choose to keep their initial draft from the beginning of the season, or trade with people within their league.

“Basically, there’s a difference [in points] between a quarterback or a running back, because it depends on how many yards and touchdowns [they] get,” sophomore Drew Greeley said. “There are different point systems [for each sport].”

At the beginning of the season, players have the option to either create a fantasy league, join one with friends or join one with strangers.

“I usually [play with] friends because you can actually talk about it and have discussions about what’s going on and the games,” senior Dylan Aufman said.

Each week, a fantasy player is paired with a person within their league, and whoever racks up the most points at the end of the week wins. When the season ends, the person with the most wins can gain a money prize.

“There’s betting involved,” sophomore Gus Lehmann said. “You have to do punishments or get money based on how you do.”

Fantasy is a large factor in several different sports seasons including football, basketball, golf, racing, hockey and baseball. Some fans think that the ESPN app allows for them to connect further with the sport they support.

“Usually [we] focus on [our] own team, whereas in fantasy, you can follow the other games too,” Aufman said. “[It gives you] a deeper connection to the sport.”

Depending on where a person live, they might follow particular sports teams. For example, if someone live in New England, they will most likely follow the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Boston Bruins or other New England teams. However, some people want to support different teams from different states, like the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Yankees or the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Fantasy App allows for fans to stay in the loop with teams that aren’t as popular where they live.

The app reveals which athletes are the most successful for that week, so sport supporters can look further into particular players. For example, if Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw two touchdowns, these statistics shown in fantasy. The one thing the app doesn’t allow people to see is the overall team’s successes and mistakes from the week.

“It’s good to play with your friends, and it’s also good to keep track of how players play throughout the season,” Greeley said.