We all know the ultimate goal of playing fantasy football is to — you guessed it — win. Whether it be for a prize, bragging rights over your friends, or a combination of both, we play this game to win.
That being said, we also play to not lose, and by lose I mean finish dead last. Frankly, there’s nothing worse than a fantasy season that goes completely down the drain. Sometimes it’s just unavoidable — we’ve all had our fair share of terrible injury luck or terrible picks. Sometimes it’s by design if you’re looking to rebuild a dynasty or keeper team.
Whether you tanked your season intentionally or were on the receiving end of some misfortune, last place punishments are growing in popularity in fantasy football. Here are some ideas for any leagues looking to make finishing last even worse.
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Fantasy Football League Last Place Finisher Punishments
Category 1: Public Embarrassment
Finishing last is an embarrassment, so what better way to punish your league’s last-place finisher than to make them go out in public and make a mockery of themselves? Having them sing a karaoke song hand-picked by the league in front of a packed bar is an easy idea. Taking it to the next level could be having them do a stand-up comedy set. Perhaps they have to spend a night out with their league mates wearing an “I Suck at Fantasy Football” shirt. Maybe you really humiliate the poor soul and put his name on the jumbotron at a sporting event; letting all in attendance know just how much your friend sucks at fantasy football.
Street performing could even be an option. Stick your pal on a busy intersection with an instrument of your league’s choice, and he can’t leave until he gets $20 in donations — which then go to the league champion.
Category 2: Physical Strain
Listen, we’re not going to put anyone through boot camp for finishing last in a fantasy league — but perhaps your league loser has to film themselves running a 40-yard dash or doing other NFL Combine drills. Eating challenges always play, and by now you’ve probably heard of the famous Waffle House punishment. But you could really put your league loser on the hot seat with some sort of spice challenge. Maybe it’s eating a certain amount of chicken wings with the hottest sauce your place offers on them. A ghost pepper challenge could also be epic, so long as it doesn’t do bodily harm.
While I’m not a huge fan of more long-lasting punishments, goofy haircuts or embarrassing tattoos are great ways to ensure everyone stays engaged year-round.
Category 3: Random Humiliation
Part of a last-place punishment is making the loser do something they really don’t want to do. Maybe they have to retake their SAT or ACT or perhaps the NFL’s Wonderlic test.
Another option is to have the league loser cover the winner’s league dues for the following season. Want to ensure their miserable season is never forgotten? Make the league loser buy a jersey of the player who screwed them the most. The punishment could also carry into the next year’s draft, as the league loser ends up being the butler for the night, ensuring all of your league mates have everything they need on draft day.
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