The name says it all. It's make-believe.
Yet, fantasy football -- a contrivance built on games that are already a form of entertainment escapism -- has become the driving influence that makes the NFL utterly captivating and personal for tens of millions of fans.
The fantasy aspect of football has become so essential to NFL Sundays that pregame TV programming is largely devoted to providing real-time information and advice so fans can call their own last-minute audibles for their rosters.
Fantasy football's influence is so overwhelming, the NFL created an entire commercial-free channel, Red Zone, to feed the ravenous appetite of fantasy followers.
