Fantasy football is a multi-billion dollar business, but a new survey from the finance experts at fintech firm OppLoans has found that it’s costing businesses a lot of money in lost time.
According to their survey of over 650 fantasy football players nationwide, OppLoans found that the average fantasy football player spends 6.9 job hours every week working on their team. That translates to almost a full day of work lost every week during the NFL regular season.
OppLoans also asked players how much they spent on their leagues and how much they stand to win. The survey found a median $50 buy-in, with median first-place winnings of $350 and median second-place winnings of $150. Respondents said that they also spent an average of $131 towards their league’s draft party.
The strategies that these players pursued at said draft parties, however, were highly questionable, with over 50 percent of respondents stating that they drafted a quarterback with their first round pick. Seven percent of respondents stated that they used their first pick on defense/special teams or a kicker. Yikes!
And when those players inevitably finish last in their leagues, what sorts of punishments await them? Luckily, OppLoans found that common punishments for last place weren’t too sadistic. Common answers included paying for a meal or drinks, hosting a Super Bowl party, displaying a loser trophy, or being forced to wear another team’s jersey.
Lastly, one-quarter of respondents admitted to secretly bribing other league members to trade with them. With an average reported league size of 12 players, that’s three cheaters for the rest of the group to contend with. You can check out the full info-graphic below:
