Fantasy football leagues are fairly common. College and high school students start them, employees start them at their workplace, and groups of friends start them. They offer a fun way to build on the excitement of the football season and are a great way to hone your knowledge of the sport and its players. If you participate in a fantasy football league, there is a good chance that you will never watch the sport in the same way again. Every detail and statistic-from the draft to post-season field goal percentages-will take on a new level of importance as you consider your ultimate fantasy football team.
But what if you don’t have a group of friends to start your own league? Don’t worry; there is no need to feel left out. Thanks to the Internet, there are a number of great online fantasy football leagues that you can join.
Here are some of the best fantasy football leagues online:
ESPN.Com – ESPN’s fantasy football website is “all for free” and offers what it claims is the most customizable free online fantasy football game. You can join an existing league or start your own. As a bonus, the site offers analysis from ESPN football analysts and other fantasy experts which gives you an increased level of realism. There are message boards and other features aimed at keeping the community and competition vibrant. The best part of this league is that it is 100% free.
NFL.Com – It’s no surprise that the NFL would get in the fun of fantasy football and they provide a great experience. Their site allows you to join existing leagues and to start your own for free or for a fee (with more options). It has a great introduction to online fantasy football, as well as a fantasy football blog and regularly updated news. There are a number of different prizes available including tickets to important NFL events like the Super Bowl and the draft. Last year, NFL.Com even produced a magazine “Fantasy Football 2008 Preview” to add to the realism of the game.
Yahoo! Sports – Yahoo! Sports offers a number of different online fantasy football leagues. You can either join an existing league or start your own. It comes in both a free edition and offers paid upgrades (the “plus” edition) such as statistics tracking. Yahoo! even offers a mobile version of their fantasy football league if that is more up your alley.
CBSSports.Com – CBSSports.com offers an online fantasy football league that is similar to other online services. You can play for free (either by joining or creating a league), compete for cash (at four different difficulty levels for up to $3,500 in prizes), or purchase their extensive “Fantasy Football Commissioner” package to create a highly customizable league experience.
National Fantasy Football Championship – This championship is the crown jewel of online fantasy football leagues, offering enthralling high-stakes competition with prizes worth $100,000. Entry fees are $1,400 but you can follow it as a spectator if you want to see how the big dogs play. There are message boards and all sorts of fun ways to connect with other players and football fans.
American Fantasy Football League – This is another high-stakes online fantasy football league that offers a wide range of prizes for serious online fantasy football players. Entry fees range from free (with a maximum prize of $5,000) to $1,400 with a maximum prize of $50,000.
