The greatest players ever to play in the NFL have almost all triumphantly raised a trophy. Maybe it’s the Lombardi or the Super Bowl MVP. Or perhaps it’s another yearly honor like Offensive Player of the Year or a Butkus Trophy. It’s an honor that few individuals receive.
Well, fantasy football is another forum where awards aren’t just a great idea — they’re a necessity. Not only can you throw a postseason party akin to your draft party, but you can also honor those who’ve overachieved, underachieved, surprised, or just talked the most smack.
Before the 2023 fantasy football season kicks off, check out a few of these fantasy football award ideas. It gives your league mates something to gun for, provides some heroics and surprises, and makes the league that much more exciting.
Like any fantasy sports league, your fantasy football league needs to recognize the best of the best each year. These fantasy football awards ideas may seem obvious, but giving them an original name that resonates with your league mates can make a fun twist and promote bragging rights at your awards party — or whatever you call your end-of-year celebration.
After all the hoopla of the draft, a grueling season, and a competitive playoff, a champ has finally been crowned. Now it’s time to honor them with a championship trophy.
For about $40, you can get a legit replica of the Lombardi Trophy that the league winner is free to kiss and hold high above their head. You can also find a plethora of cheap championship rings online that look just like the real thing.
Bottom line: It’s an end-of-the-year award you simply have to have.
Even for players that don’t win the championship, a nod of recognition is warranted for those who put on quite a show during the regular season and playoffs scoring the most fantasy points week after week. These could both obviously go to the league winner, but putting it to a vote is often the fairest way to get a consensus.
Sometimes, even the best player doesn’t win the championship — this is the award that recognizes it.
Simply put, this is the fantasy football awards idea that goes to the manager who exhibited unparalleled expertise in the art of making trades throughout the fantasy football season. This esteemed honor celebrates the manager's strategic acumen, shrewd negotiations, and the ability to execute the most impactful and game-changing trades, ultimately solidifying their position as the dealer of the year.
Some people are just born with it. The intangible quality that just makes them good at whatever it is they’re doing. Sometimes, that thing is fantasy football — even if it’s their first time ever playing in a league.
Maybe they concocted an epic superflex drafting strategy or they just have a knack for scooping up waiver-wire players. Whatever it is, they showed a promising start in the first year of their fantasy football career.
Not everyone can be the GOAT year after year. Some have a slip-up and never come back to top form. Others are a bit more hard-nosed.
For those that got their asses handed to them last year, the long road back to the top takes effort and skill. And for those that achieve just that, the Comeback Player of the Year Award is ideal. Celebrate their perseverance, even if they don’t necessarily claim the title.
With the league champion and other top trophies & awards out of the way, it’s time to enter into the world of gag trophies. Inclusive and comical, these trophies can lighten the mood of even the most competitive fantasy leagues.
When the season is over, commemorating how much a person sucked during the regular season is too enticing to pass over. For those cellar-dwellers and league mates who dabbled with obscurity throughout the year, these fantasy football loser trophies honor their contributions — or lack thereof.
The silver medal is a fantasy football award idea that pairs participation trophies with a not-so-subtle roast. It’s awarded to the player who finished second in the league. And just like so many Olympians before them, they get a silver medal around the neck, albeit with a bit more dishonor than world-class athletes.
Trophy Idea: Pretty simple — a silver medal, or ribbon that can also double as a participation trophy.
This weekly award — or end-of-the-year award if it happens consistently — is all about the league mate who benches a player that absolutely erupts on Sunday. Maybe they had a gut feeling about another player or maybe it was bad luck. Either way, they just have no idea who to start or sit each week.
Trophy Idea: A free download or honorary play of John Fogerty’s “Centerfield.”
Every league has someone who takes fantasy football as seriously as their job or relationships. So if that person or a former top achiever should falter, bestow upon them a fantasy football trophy that carries the name of another famous underachiever: Johnny Manziel.
You probably remember Johnny Football. Dominant and heroic at Texas A&M, his scrambling game didn’t translate at the NFL level. Arguably the biggest NFL bust of all time (here’s looking at you, Ryan Leaf), Manziel was a charismatic personality. But boy did he stink on the gridiron.
Trophy Idea: A toilet seat or toilet bowl trophy — yep, you can find those on Amazon.
The NFL has had many well-documented s***-talkers. Randy Moss, Chad Ochocinco, and Ray Lewis come to mind in recent history, but you have to turn to the world of boxing to find the GOAT — Mike Tyson.
With lines like, “I’m the most brutal and ruthless conquerer there has ever been, “My defense is impregnable; I'm just ferocious; I want your heart; I want to eat your children,” and a number of other senseless ramblings, Tyson instilled fear and hilarity all at once.
Trophy Idea: A Mike Tyson-style temporary facial tattoo that the winner applies to himself or another player. Alternatively, a championship belt like the ones found in the boxing world.
They probably won’t be there to receive their trophy, but The Invisible Man Award is something that every league needs to have as part of their fantasy football awards idea conversation.
You know the player. They get destroyed multiple weeks in a row, have a controlling spouse, aren’t sure how to leave a fantasy football league, never respond to your trade offers, or just don’t have the stamina to compete for 17 weeks. Whatever the issue is, they suddenly up and disappear like a fart in the wind.
Trophy Idea: A roll of bandages, nicotine patch, sunglasses, and a homburg hat.
Annually awarded to the last player selected in the NFL draft, Mr. Irrelevant can carry a whole new meaning in your fantasy football league. This is the person who — despite their best efforts — never really feels like a threat when you see them in your weekly matchup. Unlike the Invisible Man, they still try, but the unsuccessful attempts to win still pile up.
Trophy Idea: Just like the NFL, a football jersey with Mr. Irrelevant on the back and a number equal to the number of wins they had during the season.
According to a Sports Illustrated article, the Jacksonville Jaguars are the worst drafting franchise in recent memory. Over the last 15 years, their draft picks have resulted in zero All-Pro selections or awards, accompanied by a lone wild-card win and nothing more.
If you have someone who has a few head-scratchers in your league draft that ultimately translated to a horrible year, this fantasy football awards idea should speak volumes.
Trophy Idea: Any type of Jacksonville Jaguars gear, the book "Fantasy Football for Dummies".
Even if you handily beat this guy, he’s crying about how in-game injuries, weather, or coaching derailed his success. Or he’s just whining about the loss and how you got sooooo lucky that week. In any case, their consistent griping is hilarious, annoying, and gratifying all at the same time. Make sure they know how you feel with this award.
Trophy Idea: A baby rattle or baby bottle.
Recognizing the team member with a knack for sending the most questionable and unbalanced trade offers, showcasing their unique ability to surprise and entertain the league with their creative trade proposals.
Trophy Idea: A megaphone, clown nose, or jar of mosquitos.
If you’ve failed to make an impact in your fantasy football league in past years, you may feel a bit jaded about the game or jealous of other players. But don’t hate the player and don’t hate the game. Improve your approach as a whole.
With a thorough approach to the fantasy football draft, solid waiver wire pickups and free-agent moves that put game-changing sleepers on your squad, and the perfect lineup each Sunday, you drastically enhance your likelihood of winning a league trophy or award at the end of the year.
Falling short doesn’t have to happen. With Wise Guys Edge, you can compare up to five players weekly using the latest Vegas sportsbook odds. If it works for the house, it’s assuredly going to brighten your chances of a victory each week. The offseason is long, but the disappointment doesn’t have to last.
