It’s safe to say many students at Knoch High school are football fans.  Of course, there’s different levels of fans, from those who will casually watch a game or two for fun to those who are fully invested in individual players and teams.  Often, those who are invested on that level end up playing fantasy.  Fantasy is competitive and allows you to look at the game on a statistical level.  You get to create your own team, draft your own players, and be a part of a league with friends and family.  Each week, you compete in a head to head competition with someone in your league.  Every player on your team scores points based on how well they played their position that week.  They can score points off of touchdowns, rushing yards, field goal attempts, and interceptions, for example.  Obviously, whoever has the most points wins the week.  So how are Knoch students doing in fantasy?

Senior Jake McCurdy’s fantasy record is an impressive 10-2. 

 “My team is doing very well,” McCurdy said.  

Personally, I can’t relate to having a good record.  As a matter of fact, McCurdy beat yours truly this week in fantasy, improving his record to 11-2.  Whatever Jake.

McCurdy started playing fantasy last year.  He had been interested in football and his friends persuaded him to play.  His expectations for his team were low this year.

“I expected to be worse but I ended up drafting many of the best players in the league,” McCurdy said.

Despite his impressive record, McCurdy’s team hasn’t been perfect.  His wide receiver Keenan Allen was hurt for eight games.  He believes this is part of the reason he lost a few games.

“He is a top three wide receiver in my opinion,” McCurdy said.

If he could trade for any player in the entire league, McCurdy would trade TE Dalton Schultz for Travis Kelce.  It wouldn’t be a fair trade, but it’s hypothetical of course.  Kelce is one of the best tight ends in the league.  He’s currently ranked number one in fantasy.  

With only two losses on the season, McCurdy is confident in his team.

“Your team is bad and I’m winning the league.  Your running back (Christian McCaffery) is the only good player you have,” McCurdy said.

I agree that Jake will probably win our league, but he definitely did not have to expose me like that.  I am well aware that my team is garbage and that McCaffery is carrying.  I guess there’s always next year.

Junior Jacob Stallsmith has been playing fantasy for four years.  His record is also impressive at 10-2.  

“My teams this year are doing well.  I’m second in one (league) and fourth in the other,” Stallsmith said.  

Like McCurdy, Stallsmith also had low expectations for his team.  Fortunately for him, he was able to make a trade to help his team. 

“I thought I was gonna suck but then I traded for Derrick Henry and now I’m good,” Stallsmith said. 

As far as best and worst players go, Stallsmith puts Devante Adams as MVP and Cam Akers as LVP.

“I need Cam Akers to never touch my starting lineup ever again because he stinks.  I want Josh Jacobs.  Jacobs would help,” Stallsmith said.  

As far as comebacks go, he’s had quite a few.  

“I have had all close games.  I got lucky and I came back by 40 because of Derek Henry one week,” Stallsmith said. 

It sounds like Stallsmith’s team will have no problem winning in the future.

Sophomore Grace Hench is playing her first year of fantasy.  Her record is 7-6 in her league, which isn’t bad for starting out.  She’s certainly doing better than I am.

  “I was expecting to be worse because I have a bad quarterback,” Hensch said.

She’s not doing as badly as she thought she would, however she does wish she could make a trade for her team.

“I would trade Taysom Hill for Travis Kelce,” Hensch said.

She considers her MVP to be Tua Tagovailoa and her LVP to be George Pickens.  Pickens is seemingly a fantasy bust this year being that the play calls usually don’t have quarterback Kenny Pickett throwing the ball downfield.  Although Pickens is able to make some impressive catches, the ball is not thrown to him enough for him to get many points.  The Steelers offense overall still needs more time to mature and develop to be up to par with the rest of the league.

She hasn’t had any comebacks or upsets so far, but maybe some week in the future she will. 

“I’m winning the Super Bowl,” Hensch said.  

Congratulations to those who are doing well this year in fantasy football.  I’ve noticed that the longer people have played fantasy, the better their teams are.  Maybe that’s the key to fantasy success; keep playing year after year and you may finally draft an unstoppable team.  Maybe next year will be my year and I won’t be 4-10.