![At a group practice, sophomore Layla Gutierrez sings, while seniors Armando Gutierrez and Jaden Cerna play the electric bass and guitar. “It’s cool being in a band with [my sister], but though we’re related, sometimes our ideas in the creative process differ and cause some conflicts,” Armando said. (@hopelesssamaritanband)](https://alisaltrojantribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/067cae3d6e7e8d0fd59cd886c8c689dbc703ed15-14-1033x1200.jpg)
If you’re a passionate football fan like me, you dream of your team going to the Super Bowl every year. Unfortunately for me, I go for the Las Vegas Raiders, who haven’t been to the Super Bowl since 2003.
Fortunately, I can play fantasy football and create my own team. While it’s impossible to assemble a superstar team in the NFL due to salary caps, in fantasy football, I can build an NFL lineup with NFL stars, solid starters, upcoming rookies, and veterans with something left in the tank. Then you can manage that team for the rest of the season and make trades, cut players, and get free agents off of waivers to improve your roster and make a run for the championship.
I started playing fantasy football in 2022 because my cousin invited me to a league and I just found it fun and it made games more fun to watch.
Since I started playing fantasy football, the best I have gotten is 3rd place and I have done the last place punishment, which was drinking a mystery drink. While not every league may have a punishment for coming in last, I don’t recommend getting last place.
My draft strategy this year was to get an elite wide receiver in the first round. Then in the second round I drafted a productive running back. In the third round I drafted an elite tight end. In the fourth round I draft a good receiver and from there I draft solid starters for the rest of my team.
My team has been super inconsistent, but I won’t blame this season on my players because I’ve done some bad trades. That has made my team worse in some aspects.
For example, I traded Trey Mcbride who is very consistent and Derrick Henry back for Breece Hall, Isaiah Pacheco, and Khalil Shakir and Trey Mcbride is doing amazing at the moment.
One thing I’ve tried to change is to be more patient. If a player has done good in the past, but they’re currently not playing great, I wait and see if they’ll get better. If they don’t get better that’s when I trade them away. My team has also gotten better by watching videos weekly on who to pick up for the waiver wire. The waiver wire comes in clutch sometimes. For example, I got tight end Orande Gadeson II off of waivers and he dropped 16+ points for me since I picked him.
Before every draft or every new NFL week, I watch videos on TikTok or Instagram about who to draft, who to bench, who to start, who to pick up on waivers, and who to cut. I also check the players’ health if they are injured. You should also have someone to see your trades so you don’t get scammed. This can happen by someone being manipulative and telling you that the trade is good and it’s beneficial for you but you should have someone who is willing to look at the trade and give you good feedback. Me and league mates have gotten scammed for not having someone look at our trades. When trading or picking up players you should look at their schedules and see their matchups.
In my main league, I am 6-6 after Monday’s week 12 matchup between the Carolina Panthers and The San Francisco 49ers. In this league, I am just worried about making the playoffs, which is the NFL week 15. I’m realistically not going to win it all. In my other league with my friends, I am 4-6, and although I am not projected to be last, I’m most likely not making the playoffs.
This has been a fun pastime for me because it makes football more fun to watch when you have players playing for you in fantasy. As a Raiders fan, I haven’t had much to cheer for this year, but at least both my fantasy teams have made the season worthwhile (and there’s always next year for the Raiders).
