Fantasy football is a game where participants act as owners of virtual football teams, drafting real NFL players and scoring points based on their actual on-field performances. The game comes in three main formats: traditional season-long "redraft" leagues, "keeper" or "dynasty" leagues that retain players across seasons, and accelerated daily fantasy contests—the latter of which has led some jurisdictions to regulate online versions as a form of gambling.

The modern game traces its roots to 1962, when Oakland businessman Wilfred "Bill" Winkenbach developed the rules in a New York hotel room, leading to the first league, the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League (GOPPPL), whose draft took place in his home in August 1963. In 1969, co-founder Andy Mousalimas established the first public league at his Oakland bar, King's X, which helped the concept spread by word of mouth. Over the next two decades, fantasy football gained popularity across the U.S., with documented leagues continuously running since their founding at DePaul University (1978), Case Western Reserve (1980), and Marist School (1983). Today, it is a massive cultural phenomenon played by millions, ranging from casual groups of friends to large, pooled online contests.