Fantasy football has taken the world by storm, with players assembling teams of legendary and emerging players with the hopes of making their way up the leaderboard. In what follows, we break down everything there is to know about fantasy football, from its origins to the most popular leagues being disputed nowadays.
Fantasy Sports: What Are They and When Were They Established?
As their name suggests, fantasy sports are games where participants assemble “fantasy” virtual teams of real-life athletes. These virtual teams then compete against each other based on the statistical performance of their chosen players in actual professional sporting events.
Managers draft, trade, and drop players, setting lineups and strategizing to maximize their team’s points, which are tallied according to predefined scoring systems. This immersive experience allows fans to engage with sports beyond passive viewership, relying on their knowledge of the sport to compete for bragging rights or prizes.
While it might seem like a recent phenomenon, the origins of fantasy sports trace back to the mid-20th century, predating the internet. An early form of a simulated match was “National Pastime” (1930), which used dice and player cards to simulate outcomes based on past statistics.
However, modern fantasy sports, which track current season statistics, are largely credited to Wilfred Winkenbach, who created a fantasy golf game in the late 1950s and then the first widely recognized fantasy football league, the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League (GOPPPL), in 1963.
Daniel Okrent then popularized “Rotisserie League Baseball” in 1980, which became the blueprint for contemporary fantasy baseball. The advent of the internet in the 1990s revolutionized the industry, making it accessible to millions and fostering its exponential growth into a global phenomenon.
Nowadays, fantasy sports have millions of fans around the world. Thanks to rapidly-evolving technologies like Artificial Intelligence (IA), statistics, predictions, and forecasts are more precise than ever before. This, in turn, has sparked an interest in fantasy leagues on betting platforms of the likes of Sportsbet.io, which allow users to bet on the outcome of the most popular football fantasy games.
Top Football Leagues to Follow: From the Premier League to Bundesliga
Across the world, major football leagues have launched simulated reality versions. Some of the best well-known examples include the Premier League, Bundesliga, and Serie A among others.
Premier League
With around 11 million players, the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) has become the biggest fantasy football game of a domestic league. It’s a free game where participants manage a virtual team of 15 real-life English Premier League players. Each week, these players earn points based on their actual performances in matches – for goals, assists, clean sheets, and more. Managers select a starting XI, a captain (whose points are doubled), and a vice-captain.
Managers are given a budget of £100 million that they must strategically use for choosing players from various clubs, ensuring they don’t exceed a maximum of three players from any single Premier League team. Throughout the season, there are opportunities to make transfers, and various “chips” like Bench Boost, Triple Captain, and Free Hit can be deployed to maximize points.
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga, Germany’s top professional football league, features 18 teams competing from August to May. Known for its attacking football and high average attendances, it’s considered one of Europe’s premier leagues.
Fantasy Bundesliga is the official fantasy football game for the league. Just like in the FPL, players assemble a squad of 15 real-life Bundesliga players (2 goalkeepers, 5 defenders, 5 midfielders, 3 forwards) with a €150 million budget, limited to three players per club. Points are awarded based on real-world performances, with a recently overhauled scoring system that can see players amass hundreds of points in a single match.
Managers choose a starting XI and three “Star Players” (one per outfield position) whose points are multiplied by 1.5. Unlike some other fantasy games, automatic substitutions occur, and managers can make up to five transfers between matchdays, plus unlimited transfers during designated international breaks.
Serie A
Serie A, Italy’s top professional football league, comprises 20 teams battling from August to May for the Scudetto. Known for its tactical depth and passionate fan bases, it’s a globally renowned competition where clubs like Juventus, Inter Milan, and AC Milan have forged legendary histories.
Serie A Fantasy is the official fantasy football game for Italian football enthusiasts. Managers assemble a 15-player squad with a €100 million budget, picking up to two players from any single Serie A club. Points are awarded for on-field actions like goals, assists, and clean sheets, but also for specific statistical contributions such as shots on target, tackles, and saves, adding a layer of strategic depth.
Managers select a captain who earns double points and a vice-captain for backup. One free transfer is available each round, with a penalty for additional transfers. Automatic substitutions ensure bench players contribute if starters don’t play.
In addition to the aforementioned fantasy leagues, football fans can partake in the LaLiga, Russian Premier League, Greek Super League, and Turkish Superleague.
Other fantasy sport leagues with large fanbases
Not everything is football, as fantasy sports also cover disciplines like cricket, basketball, golf, and many others.
Fantasy Cricket, for example, is a simulated match where fans assemble a virtual team of real-life cricketers from an upcoming match.Points are awarded based on areas like batting (runs, boundaries, half-centuries), bowling (wickets, maiden overs, economy rates), and fielding (catches, stumpings, run-outs). Each action carries a specific point value, and bonus points are often given for milestones.
With their allocated budget, managers can select their squad and ensure a balanced mix of batsmen, bowlers, all-rounders, and wicketkeepers. A crucial aspect is choosing a captain and vice-captain, as their points are multiplied (often 2x and 1.5x respectively).
Different cricket formats (T20, ODI, Test) have varying point systems to reflect the game’s pace and dynamics, encouraging strategic team selection and a deeper engagement with the sport.
Another sport with a large fantasy league fanbase is basketball, which enables participants to manage virtual teams composed of real-life NBA players. Leagues typically involve a draft at the start of the season where managers take turns selecting players. Scoring systems vary, with “points leagues” assigning a specific value to each stat (1 point for a point scored, 1.2 for a rebound), while “category leagues” focus on winning a majority of specific statistical categories, including points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, three-pointers, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and turnovers.
