How much does Fantasy factor into the NFL you watch?

[Carolinas Identity*]

If Fantasy wasn't a thing would you watch random NFL games? I will fully admit that I am 1,000x the College fan than I am an NFL fan, but I am curious if others feel as I do. Sundays are fun, but I *LIVE* for Saturdays.

I am, as most, if not all of you know, a Jaguars fan, and watch every Jacksonville game religiously, but as far as other games go, were it not for Fantasy, or unless there are Playoff implications for the Jags, I couldn't care less about.

Would I make a point of watching Team X, play Team Y? If I was at home with nothing to do, I might put it on in the background, or check in periodically, but highly doubt I would watch from start to finish like I do with College games.

The "why are ratings down" thread gave me pause and I stopped and thunk about it for a bit. Curious to get a few other opinions

Click to read more...

 

[What the Faulk]

I will watch 90% of the primetime games where I'm free, even the bad matchups. During Sundays, I watch Carolina and flip on red zone during commercials. I've been doing fantasy football for about 13 years now and my watching has ebbed and flowed. I've also been playing a lot of DFS recently so if I see a boring primetime game, I'll make sure to play a shorter slate (say, SNF & MNF games only) and pick players so I have a rooting interest. I think I watch more football because of fantasy for sure, but it has more to do with how good the Panthers are. If they are successful, I find myself more interested in what happens throughout the league. If not, I lose interest somewhat. There were a few years in the mid 2000s where the Panthers were a middling to bad team and I watched almost no playoff games.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

None. I stopped playing fantasy football. I love Saturday and Sundays. Different reasons.

 

[InjuredChoker]

don't play fantasy at all. i found that it ruined how much i can enjoy watching the games.

i'm from europe so i only get to watch few games live. but i watch most of the games. last year i watched maybe 80% of NFL games. this year it's been so far about the same as i've been playing catch up.

 

[cutchemist42]

I usually skip MNF unless I got a player.
SNF is usually a must-watch no matter what.
A lot of afternoon games this year dont fit my team, so have barely watched any.

I usually watch every CFL game, and much more CFB with zero betting/fantasy interest tied in there. I personally think CFB is the most fun football product in NA. I know Im in the minority.

 

[VEGASKING]

Playing fantasy again this season for the first time in years and it definitely makes a huge difference for me. I hardly watched any games last season and now I'm back to watching the 10am, 1pm and depending on if I've got any players in the game or the teams involved the SNF and/or MNF games.

 

[PanthersPens62]

Absolutely ZERO since I don't partake in fantasy football.

 

[tacogeoff]

100% fantasy football is the only reason I started watching NFL. A buddy needed a another manager in his league and I agreed to fill in. After a full season of following all my players I actually really really enjoyed the NFL and have not stopped watching or playing fantasy football ha. That being said I used to only watch CFL, so its not like I was new to the sport. I tried watching US college ball but I could not get interested in it....probably due to the fact being in Canada I don't know half the colleges and I don't have any money involved ha.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Don't do Fantasy Football. So none.

 

[Voight]

If the Packers aren't playing I'll try to catch a game that either features my fantasy players or one that I have money on via point spread.

But I'm a huge football fan so I watch the games regardless, i.e I watched MNF this week even tho the outcome didn't really matter to me.

 

[Big Poppa Puck]

If it wasn't for fantasy I'd barely watch any non-Vikings games and if I did I'd probably develop a gambling problem.

 

[John Price]

I quit playing fantasy this season and I still watch.

 

[Sakicfan]

I've been playing fantasy for about a decade. I don't think I've ever watched a game specifically to watch one of my players. Thus fantasy football has no effect on my football watching habits.

 

[Tuggy]

I play fantasy football (money leagues and FanDuel) and bet $$ on games. So I have a financial interest in most games.

 

[SJSharksfan39]

It plays a big factor. It's gotten me to watch more than just the 49ers, and maybe this year that's a good thing. I probably wouldn't be watching much of the NFL if it wasn't for fantasy.

 

[Timeless Winter]

I'm a Browns fan so the only thing keeping me somewhat interested in football is fantasy. The NFL today is worse than what it was a decade ago. More coverage on Kaepernick than actual games. It's stupid.

 

[Trap Jesus]

As a Vikings fan, I watch every Vikings game I can religiously.

As for the rest of the league, I think I'd watch entertaining match-ups (or entertaining players) regardless (ie. if it's the Patriots vs. Steelers or something, I don't need fantasy football as an incentive to watch that).

If it's a bad match-up like Browns vs. Titans, I wouldn't watch unless I had DeMarco Murray or another player on my fantasy team. I'd be lying if I said fantasy football doesn't impact my likeliness to watch a game I wouldn't be interested in otherwise. Often times it completely sways my influence to watch a game. It's a huge factor.

 

[Mad Brills*]

I stopped playing it this year, after half assing it last year.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

None.

 

[Goose of Reason]

Some, I usually try to watch games that I think will be good (I don't have a team), but if there's no matchups that jump off the page I'll usually watch ones that involve a lot of my players. I had Carr, Crabtree and Murray in fantasy this year and have been watching a lot of Raiders games as a result, but I also find their games fun to watch since they're usually shootouts.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

I only play in a league or two now. I used to play in a lot, but got tired of not watching the games for what they were and instead keying in on individuals.

 

[eXile59]

A lot. I watch Panthers games because I've been a fan since I was a kid. I watch Steeler games because I'm in Pittsburgh and like to root against them.

Other than that fantasy players are why I watch. I would have no interest in the Raiders/Chargers game if I didn't have Gordon and the other guy didn't have Carr.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

None because I don't play fantasy.

 

[Butch 19]

none.

I'm a football fan, not a ff fan. tried it a few years ago, and quit after a few weeks.

 

[rangerssharks414]

It has changed the way I care about games that I normally wouldn't care about, but it does not change how I watch and who I root for. And I am a fantasy football junkie (don't ask how many teams I have... the answer is way too many).