Fantasy Football
The Shift from Team Allegiance to Fantasy Allegiance
Drafting Enemy Players
In the old days, you’d never root for your rival. But fantasy football changed the game. A study in 2013 found that nearly 50% of fantasy players are willing to draft stars from their favorite team’s most hated rival. So yes, a diehard Giants fan might draft Jalen Hurts. A Steelers fan might start Joe Burrow. It hurts—but the points feel good.
How Fantasy Football Changed Fan Loyalty
Fantasy football has significantly altered traditional fan loyalties. In the past, fans would root for their favorite team no matter what. Now, many fans prioritize their fantasy teams over their real-life teams.
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In a 2011 study of 1,805 fantasy football players: 41.4% preferred a win by their fantasy team over their real-life favorite team. Some fanbases were more “disloyal” than others. Example: Bears fans: 56.6% picked fantasy over Chicago. Cowboys fans: More loyal—63.2% chose Dallas over fantasy.​​
“Fantasy fans are more likely to buy jerseys of the players who win them matchups—not necessarily those from their hometown team.” — Dwyer (2009), cited in the thesis
Brett Favre’s Jersey Still Sells—Even When He Changes Teams (2010)
Fantasy football has transformed how fans express loyalty—not just to teams, but to players. Case in point: Brett Favre. In 2010, even though he had switched teams multiple times (Packers → Jets → Vikings), Favre’s jersey was still among the top three best-selling jerseys in the NFL. According to sales from NFLShop.com, Favre ranked alongside Drew Brees and Peyton Manning, even though his team (the Vikings) wasn’t in the top three for team merchandise. This disconnect—fans buying jerseys of players rather than teams—reflects a shift caused by fantasy football. People feel personally invested in their fantasy players, regardless of team.
A Reddit post from a fan showcasing the duality of loyalty
A Reddit post from a fan displaying the shift in allegiance
Reddit post saying fan roots against favorite team
Jake Shoyer
23
8 years of fantasy football experience
It changes the way people approach games. People are more likely to care about the outcome of a game for a team that may not be their favorite.
Jana Goldberg
44
12 years of fantasy football experience
I think it’s made folks more into their own fantasy football team than a fan of the local team. Also [they’re] way more into individual stats than [they] would be without fantasy.
Ross Stripling
31
MLB pitcher -- 11 years of fantasy experience
I personally grew up a massive Cowboys fan. But now on Sundays I tune into whichever game has my biggest fantasy asset at that time. Which is a shame because the Cowboys have an awesome young core of players to be excited about. But fantasy has made me a fan of individual players rather than teams…I also have very little interest in physically going to a football game because I’d spend the whole time checking on my fantasy players.
Jai Choudary
21
8 years of fantasy experience
Since I’ve started playing I follow football a lot closer as a whole, instead of just following the Chicago Bears. I also think that fantasy football has made the sport more enjoyable to watch at times, especially when a fan’s team is not doing well.
Zach Fallas
21
10 years of fantasy football experience​
It gives people a reason to root for players who aren’t necessarily on their favorite team. The NFL is now more individual-player focused than ever.
Chloe Labelle
20
3 years of fantasy football experience​
Instead of caring about a specific team, fans now only seem to care about how their players perform, regardless of the team they are on. People may cheer for a player to do well against their favorite team and won’t care if their team loses as long as their fantasy player gets enough points for the week.
Jason Bender
52
10 years of fantasy football experience​
The younger generation sometimes has more allegiance to their fantasy players than to their favorite team.