Every year, the number of people joining in on the fun of fantasy football continues to grow. According to Adam Caplan, a reporter for NFL Fantasy Football, around a quarter of the players he interviewed admitted to playing fantasy. It's clear that, although not all NFL players take part in fantasy football, they generally view it as something positive for the league. Out of the 21 players who gave an estimate, 12 said that less than a third of NFL players play fantasy football. Juju Smith-Schuster has also taken part in some celebrity leagues and Keenan Allen has told fantastic soccer players that they don't need to feel sorry for certain weeks (despite bad advice).
Five players were asked if there was a sense of pride in being owned by a fantasy football team, and they all said no. It can be an exciting concept for fans to have professional athletes play fantasy sports just like they do. But Walsh, who plays annually, said he doesn't know the policies for players who play in fantasy football leagues for money. When asked how many of the players who play fantasy football actually draft themselves, 17 responders gave a percentage. Fan interest in fantasy sports has created an interesting sense of ownership between fans and players.
In some cases, the stakes are high for fans who play in fantasy leagues, influencing the way fans interact with athletes. This prohibition is meant to prevent any appearance of impropriety that may arise from participation in fantastic football matches by people who are considered to have an unfair advantage due to their privileged access to information. A lot can be learned from their answers, both about how to approach fantasy football and about how NFL players approach real football. Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald has never played fantasy football but said he sees how much it benefits the NFL. Three out of the 24 players couldn't guess what percentage of players play fantastic soccer.
Vikings teammates Robison Walsh and center John Sullivan, interviewed separately, estimated that 75 percent of the players participated in soccer. The LV kicker played against himself in fantasy this season and his success on the field led him to lose in fantasy that week. Each one of them has played fantastic soccer and play positions where they could select themselves in a fantasy draft. His Vikings teammate, Brian Robison, has been asked several times to play fantastic football, but he has always declined invitations. It's clear that many professional athletes are aware of and appreciate the impact that fantasy sports have on the NFL.
Although not all NFL players take part in it, they generally view it as something positive for the league. Fan interest in fantasy sports has created an interesting sense of ownership between fans and players, influencing the way fans interact with athletes.
