You might think fantasy sports aren’t for you, especially if you’re not already a sports fan. But if you enjoy a challenge and want to sharpen your thinking skills, or even if you’ve just gone mad from months of lockdown, fantasy sports can be great fun. Among other reasons, fantasy sports foster friendly competition, win-win trades, and celebrate great achievements of real athletes.

In fantasy sports, participants assemble a virtual roster of real players and pit their team against others. As play goes on and stats accumulate, fantasy teams earn points in response to what the real players and real teams are doing. Fantasy sports challenge participants to conduct methodical research, carefully weigh pros and cons, and manage risk.

In addition to competing, participants find opportunities to cooperate, such as by exchanging players in mutually beneficial trades. There can only be one team on top in the end, but along the way, the best managers find where their interests align with those of others in the league and trade value for value while maintaining a friendly level of competition.

Most fantasy sports follow team sports, such as football and basketball, rather than individual competitions, such as golf or running. However, by tracking the real-world statistics of world-class athletes, fantasy sports celebrate the achievements of individuals. This activity provides inspiring spiritual fuel by showcasing success and reminding us what is possible. 

The NFL season began on September 10, so now is a great time to start playing fantasy football. Whether you play with a group of close friends or join a public league on ESPN, NFL.com or Yahoo!, exercise your thinking skills, engage in friendly competition, and celebrate human achievement.