Imagine this: You're watching your live scoring in fantasy football, and your quarterback throws seven touchdown passes. If that isn't exciting enough, your No. 1 wide receiver catches more than 10 balls, goes over 150 yards and scores at least twice. Is this a fantasy of fantasy? No it can happen. As more football fans discover the true appeal of the Arena Football League over the next few years, it seems like a natural progression that many indoor football followers will start participating in AFL-themed fantasy football leagues.

All is quiet on the AFL fantasy front for now, but that may soon change. Photo Credit: LTW, RotoExperts.com

"I’m quite surprised we don't have lots of fantasy leagues now," said Ron Jaworski, President of the ArenaBowl XXII champions, the Philadelphia Soul. "This is a high-scoring game and fans love it. Fantasy football can only create more awareness of the indoor game, because we all know what fantasy football has done for the NFL."

Jaworski's Soul defeated the San Jose Sabercats 59-56, to cap off the 2008 season with Philadelphia's first pro sports championship since the 76ers took the NBA title in 1983. Jaworski, a longtime fantasy football enthusiast, was obviously more excited about winning the Foster ArenaBowl Trophy than taking bragging rights in a fantasy league.

"This is more about real live people than simply getting some guys to put up numbers for me," Jaworski said with a laugh.

Most football fans don't get to play in the NFL or own a franchise like Jaworski does. Yet they can embrace the indoor game the same way he did well after his NFL career ended. Those who love football and love statistics will really like the AFL, if they take the time to watch it more often. If you do follow the league already, you must have often wondered what it would be like to own players like Matt D'Orazio, the Soul quarterback who threw seven TD passes in ArenaBowl XXII, or AFL superstar WR Chris Jackson, who caught three of those scoring tosses and finished with 11 catches or 146 yards. Amazing numbers and lots of offense. "That should lead to more interest from fantasy players," said San Jose WR Rodney Wright, who set an ArenaBowl record with 13 receptions. (Imagine that kind of production in a point-per-reception league? Fun!)

"I have heard fantasy football is a whole lot of fun, and there is lots of scoring and lots of stats in the AFL," Wright said.

Before you think I'm simply writing this to somehow promote the AFL... I'm not. I just love football, and the AFL fills a needed niche for me during the NFL off-season. The season ends just before the NFL preseason begins, so I can make time for the indoor game. Plus, I somewhat agree with San Jose WR Cleannord Saintil that AFL players are much more talented than the average fan thinks they are. I don't dismiss them as NFL castoffs, because the indoor game demands unique skill sets on a shorter field.

"I'm not trying to brag on us over other leagues, but we have the best players," Saintil said. "People don't give the AFL players enough credit. They often play both sides of the ball, in a smaller area and at high game speeds. A lot of these guys can transfer over to the outdoor game very smoothly." Saintil set a San Jose record in 2008, making seven TD receptions in a single game.

Once fans realize that AFL players play an intense brand of football that is often very physical and develop respect for the indoor game, they are going to love the numbers. Plus, the nature of the AFL, which is mostly quarterback and wide receiver driven, makes many games unpredictable and close, adding more drama that fantasy owners can appreciate. The AFL can really challenge your football knowledge, as you never know who will explode in a given week. When key defensive plays are made, you develop a higher appreciation for them, because there is so much emphasis on offense. Sacks and interceptions take on more significance and should be weighted more heavily in AFL fantasy formats.

"With the talent in this game, we are ready to take the league to the next level with fantasy football," said San Jose defensive back Clevan Thomas, one of the premier defenders in the league. "It might take a year or two to catch on, but once people realize how fan-friendly the league is, they will really like it. Defensively, we have a great group of guys up front and would no doubt be one of the top picks."

Jackson is widely considered the best offensive player in the AFL, and many players on both the Soul and Sabercats rosters agreed that he would be an elite fantasy player in any AFL league. "Stat-wise, he is the best WR to ever play the game," D'Orazio said. Jackson was named AFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2008, becoming the first player to win the award with two different teams (the first was with Georgia in 2003). He led the league with a career-high 49 receptions in '08. Yet he says there are other notable AFL players in addition to him who would make superb fantasy choices.

“There are plenty of good, marketable players in this league, and it would be nice to see us venture in that direction," Jackson said of the possible extra exposure that fantasy sports could bring to the AFL. "Guys like Damian Harrell, Mark Grieb, and Clint Dolezel would be the ones you would want in a fantasy league. They've been doing it on offense for years."

Harrell, of the Chicago Rush, has gone over the 1,000-yard mark as a WR in eight consecutive seasons, an AFL record. Grieb, the San Jose QB, and Dolezel have long been regarded as two of the AFL's best passers. Grieb became only the second player in league history to register back-to-back 100-TD seasons in '08. Dolezel is considered a surefire AFL Hall of Famer as the first QB in league history to reach the 900-TD mark for his career, which he did this season

"We have some really good athletes in this league who are flying under the radar right now, but in due time, they get recognized the way they deserve to be," said Philadelphia WR Brent Holmes. "Fantasy football looks like a lot of fun, and my co-workers in the off-season play it," Holmes said. He's a high school teacher in San Antonio when he's not playing for the Soul, and he said that many of his colleagues try to drain advice out of him for their leagues, because he is a pro athlete.

"They ask me all the time what I think, and I tell them to go watch the games and learn themselves," Holmes said. "Maybe one day I'll be telling them to draft me!"

The ArenaBowl is a festive event, and a showcase for an exciting brand of football that some fans are overlooking. Photo Credit: LTW, RotoExperts.com

AFL CHAMP HAS FANTASY HOPES
Soul linebacker Rod Davis played fantasy football for the first time in 2006 with his friends in Gulfport, Mississippi. He made the playoffs, but his league took the '07 season off, and now he wants its to re-form so he can finish business.

"It was fun, but I didn’t put the same effort in as the other guys," Davis said. "You have to do your homework. I had a great draft, but I just wasn’t in it week-to-week. I had Larry Johnson, Chad Johnson, and Steve Smith. I want them to get this thing back together because it's fun to beat your buddies. I'm going to be much more competitive this time around."

MADDEN MADNESS IN THE AFL
Like many NFL players, AFL guys love playing the Madden video games. Linebacker Jeff Littlejohn and fullback Brian Johnson are regarded as the best two Madden players on the Sabercats. "Me and B.J. go at it," Littlejohn said."We're tied 1-1. Otherwise, I went undefeated in 15 games in the month of June." Littlejohn then pointed out 'Cats offensive lineman Julius Gant and indicated that he had beaten him badly. "He does not want to play me," Littlejohn said. "It's so bad, he does not want to come to my house anymore." Gant responded by saying "Don't put a microphone in front of that guy."

Many AFL players are hoping that EA Sports revives its Arena Football series. "That would most definitely be exciting to me," Holmes said."I just hope they get my dreadlocks right!" Saintil said he wanted to be on the cover of the next AFL game. "I don't believe in jinxes," he said of the possibility of the Madden "Curse" extending to his league.

PRO FANTASY VIEWS
Interesting scouting reports on top fantasy picks from notable AFL players.

Clevan Thomas
"Andre Johnson has something to prove after coming back from knee surgery." Thomas played quarterback at Miami Senior High School with Johnson as his top pass-catcher. "Plus, Matt Schaub has learned a lot on the sidelines early in his career and will get the job done, no matter who they put out there for him. He knows the game well."

Soul WR Larry Brackins
Joey Galloway is the fastest guy I have ever seen in my life. He's an older guy and plays like he is 21 years old. Maybe he is turning up his game because he thinks his career is getting closer to the end." Brackins was drafted by the Buccaneers in 2005 and went to training camp with the team in 2006.

QUOTE OF THE SEASON
"I don't know if I could even make it up the steps!" --Jaworski on whether he would celebrate the Soul's ArenaBowl Victory by running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in "Rocky-like" fashion.

Scott Engel covered the Arena Football league for ESPN.com during the 2008 season. E-mail Scott at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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