I first heard of fantasy football in 2017, from my friends and family who also shared an interest in the NFL. I actually won one of these leagues in 2019, backed by the star power of Derrick Henry and the Patriots Defense, both of whom had incredible years. In the finals, I beat my brother behind an amazing team effort. As well, I managed my oldest brother's work team at Michelin and turned him from an 0-3 team to a .500 team at the end of the year. A major lesson I learned from these experiences was the importance of utilizing the waiver wire. Every Wednesday, you can pick up players that have not been acquired by a team. The strategy I found best was to pick up a new D/ST (Defense / Special Teams) each week in order to maximize the points they would give me. It was just a fun hobby at first, but I soon found friends who had interest in hosting a league together.

My friends league instituted a great clause to increase activity called the "buy-in clause." In order to facilitate activity, each player payed a $10 fee before drafting players. This reasonable price allowed for a more fun and competetive experience for the collective. This new league started off fairly modestly, with me doing terribly again under Derrick Henry's wing. My name this time was the "Wugs Fan Club", in reference to my friend Robbie. However, I did win the Consolation Bracket, which was for everyone who was not successful enough to make the playoffs. That momentum carried into my next season, where I boomed onto the scene and got 3rd out of 16 in the league. The stars of this team were Patrick Mahomes, Ja'Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, and the deadly TE duo of Mark Andrews and Rob Gronkowski. Despite a revolving door of running backs, this core was enough to get me to the playoffs and actually win a round.