Fantasy Sports Games Online
We have a huge variety of articles about
fantasy sports games online
that we're planning to add to the site. For now, we'll refer you to
two pages on the subject--one is about
online fantasy football games, and
the other is a
review of Fantasy Sports Live.
Fantasy Sports Leagues
The first fantasy sports leagues appeared in the 1960s, and the overall hobby has since grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry. That industry includes businesses like fantasy magazines, online fantasy sports subscription services, and fantasy league management resources. From 2006 to 2010, the number of fantasy sports participants increased 60 percent, and the popularity of the Internet guarantees a steady rise in future years.
What Are Fantasy Sports?
The goal of all fantasy sports contests is always the same: You select real-life athletes as members of your fantasy team. Then, you select a certain number of these players to represent your team. This could be on a weekly or daily basis, depending on what kind of fantasy league you're in. The better a starting player does, the more points you score. If you outscore your opponent (in a head-to-head league) or rack up the most points during the season (points league), then you're the champion.
Types of Fantasy Sports
Various fantasy sports games are available to anyone with an Internet connection. Even people without Internet can participate in a league by buying a newspaper and checking the box scores.
Click Here to Play Daily Fantasy Sports Games
Here's a list of the most popular fantasy sports games:
Fantasy Football - The first fantasy football league was launched in 1962, and the hobby has grown to be the most popular fantasy sport in the United States. Most teams are comprised of the following positions: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, kicker, and team defense. Most leagues allow for multiple running backs and wide receivers to be started, while quarterbacks and team defenses are usually restricted to one apiece. A new lineup is submitted before the slate of games each Sunday (or Thursday), and the most common scoring method includes 1 point for every 10 yards rushing or receiving, 1 point for every 25 yards passing, and 6 points for a touchdown. Some leagues also include individual defensive players, allowing owners to draft and start linebackers, defensive linemen, and defensive backs. Most fantasy football championships take place during week 16 of the NFL season, as many teams will rest their starters in week 17 in preparation of the real-life playoffs.
Fantasy Baseball - Fantasy baseball is the most challenging of all fantasy sports because of the ups and downs of players and the lengthy 162-game season. The first version of fantasy baseball appeared in 1960, and its popularity has continued to grow over the decades. Rotisserie leagues (or "roto leagues"), were the first type of fantasy baseball, and they remain popular today. In a roto league, the players on each team have their stats ranked by category, and the team with the highest cumulative rank at the conclusion of the MLB season is declared the winner.
Another fantasy baseball option is the head-to-head league, where fantasy owners play against each other on a weekly basis. Given the long career of many MLB players, the keeper league format is popular. This allows owners to draft a player and keep them on their roster for as many seasons as they want. Players are often divided into batters and pitchers, and the average roster will usually contain around 25 MLB stars. Common scoring categories include runs scored, home runs, runs batted in, stolen bases, batting average, wins, saves, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched).
Fantasy Basketball - Leagues often require owners (also known as "general managers") to start a player from each of the following positions: point guard, small forward, shooting guard, center, and power forward. Some leagues allow as many as 20 players to be started, while others limit the starters to one from each position. Points, rebounds and assists are scored in almost every league, while more involved fantasy basketball games also include blocks, steals, three-pointers, field goal percentage, and free throw percentage.
Fantasy Hockey - The average fantasy hockey league calls on owners to draft anywhere from 12 to 20 players, with the following positions being eligible: centers, left wings, right wings, defensemen, and goaltenders. Keeper leagues are not uncommon, and results may be determined by head-to-head competition with other owners, total points, or rotisserie-style scoring. Points are awarded for goals, assists, faceoffs won, shutouts, shots on goal, and a number of other factors.
Fantasy Golf - Owners draft a squad of golfers and gain points based on their performance in tournaments, especially the European Tour and PGA Tour. Fantasy golf leagues often award points based on the cash amount won by each starting golfer following a tournament, while others award points in accordance with the player's score at the end of each round of golf.
Fantasy Motor Sports - While fantasy NASCAR is the most popular version, the concept also works for Formula One, IndyCar, Daytona Prototype, the American Le Mans Series, and many others. Scoring can vary, but the most common option involves a starting driver receiving the same number of fantasy points as NASCAR points. Other statistical options include gaining or losing the lead, fastest lap time, qualifying position, or pit strategy. More advanced versions require players to start drivers from multiple types of races (NASCAR, Formula 1, sports cars, etc.).
Fantasy Soccer - The most common variety of this game calls on owners to select a team of 11 players. Restrictions may include a salary cap, as well as a limit on the number of players taken from a specific club. Positions that may be drafted include defenders, goalkeepers, forwards, and midfielders. Scoring can vary, but the most common elements include goals, assists, saving a penalty, keeping a clean sheet, and playing in a match. Created in 1990, it's one of the newer fantasy sports, but the growth of the Internet and the global appeal of soccer has resulted in a popularity boom in recent years.
Fantasy Cricket - This is the most popular sport in India, and a surprising number of online fantasy leagues exist to support it. Various formats of the game are available, including test matches, one day internationals, and even twenty20 matches. Scoring includes runs scored, wickens taken, catches, stumping, runs out, and a number of other options.
Fantasy Australian Rules Football - The first fantasy leagues for Australian Rules Football appeared in the 1990s, with the driving force being a Melbourne newspaper. Starting positions include the following: defenders, midfielders, rucks, and forwards. Midfielders tend to be the most valuable players when it comes to scoring. Statistical categories that may influence scoring include: kicks, handballs, marks, tackles, free kicks for, free kicks against, hitouts, goals, and behinds.
Fantasy
Pro Wrestling - The most popular form of fantasy pro wrestling
involves a player creating their own wrestler, writing promos, and
then winning or losing based on their strength of their prose. More
stat-based options are available, where dice rolls determine which
wrestler is able to execute a move and how much damage it does. The
WWE once offered a fantasy wrestling league, allowing players to add
real-life wresters to their roster and receive points based on their
involvement in a televised show.
Daily Fantasy Sports - Instead of drafting a team and sticking with it through an entire season, participants in a daily fantasy sports league draft players for a single day. The scoring is often the same as traditional fantasy sports leagues, but it's tailored to those who wish to wager more money than the average fantasy owner.
Playing in a fantasy league can be maddening at times due to the fickle hand of fate, but it's bound to make you pay closer attention to the sport and the players. You may even find yourself spending more time in front of the television or computer, eagerly awaiting the latest batch of fantasy stats.
This page was written by John U. Hayes.
