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Best fantasy football punishments: Worst loser penalties for finishing last place in 2025 leagues

Not many people like losing. Many despise the feeling.

And, in certain competitive landscapes like fantasy football leagues, plenty of insult can be added to injury (pun intended). Even amongst friends, coworkers and family members, the tendency when a fantasy manager’s team endures hard times is not to pick them up — it’s to kick them when they’re down.

That kind of competitively born evil is how league punishments for last-place teams were invented.

Maybe it’s to keep the ribbing and razzing going after the season concludes. Maybe it’s negative reinforcement to ensure everyone tries harder the following year. Maybe it’s just because people want to cackle at the expense of others. It’s a dog-eat-dog fantasy world.

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For many leagues, fantasy football punishments have almost become a game within a game. The object is twofold:

  1. Try desperately to avoid finishing in last place.
  2. Help torture and/or humiliate the sorry-sucker leaguemate who did finish last.

Once a niche custom, this practice has become a widely adopted tradition in 2025. And in many cases, the emotional incentive to avoid finishing last has become even more alluring than the financial incentive of finishing as league champion!

And, even if you don’t bag the big bucks, you’re still relieved if you’re not the one walking the proverbial fantasy plank.

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If you have a queasy stomach, click the back button now.

Do you sympathize with fantasy managers who don’t set their lineups or replace injured players? Adios.

This column is for the fantasy football diehards — the cut-throats who compete all season long, and then punish the ones who didn’t work hard enough to avoid a loser’s fate.

Just joshing (sort of) — it’s all in fun, or as Omar from “The Wire” once said, “It’s all in the game.”

The Sporting News has heard countless stories about fantasy football punishments over the years. Some are harmless and only slightly embarrassing, while others are extreme, excruciating, and/or totally humiliating.

Let’s go over some of the best — and worst — fantasy football punishment ideas for 2025 leagues. Good luck, have fun, and stay out of the basement!

Best (or worst) last-place fantasy football punishments for losing your league in 2025

Tattoo/Piercing

This one is probably the most common viral punishment, as well as the most controversial. After all, as much as we like to believe we control the fates of our fantasy teams with skill and deft roster decisions, fantasy football is often a game of luck and misfortune.

Is a painful piercing or an embarrassing tattoo really deserved if you stumble into last place in a given season? If your answer is “yes,” then ink away. If you’re a normal human and the answer is “no,” then read on.

@thesportingnews laundry service might be a little too harsh. #fantasy #ffl #nfl #greenscreen #PepsiApplePieChallenge @The Sporting News ♬ FEEL THE GROOVE – Queens Road, Fabian Graetz

Playing a U.S. Open Qualifier

One of our personal favorites comes from the Midwest after the 2021 season, where one man’s fantasy squad suffered a tragic fate thanks to a rare below-average Patrick Mahomes year and a Week 8 injury to Derrick Henry.

The punishment for worst record in this guy’s league: Play in a U.S. Open qualifier in Kansas City. This is a long play of a punishment — John Eckert went 35 over par in his first 13 holes and finished with a 112.

Legend has it he’s still haunted by his 10-foot tee shot on the 10th hole.

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Taking the SAT/ACTs

Picture a 40-year-old man walking into a high school classroom to take a four-hour standardized test alongside nervous teenagers, all because he forgot to set his fantasy football lineup a couple of times.

This punishment is more lighthearted and doesn’t harm anyone, but damn if it isn’t a waste of time and a complete embarrassment (especially if there’s a stipulation that you actually have to “try” and not just sit there for the afternoon).

Talk about feeling dumb on multiple levels.

Open Mic Comedy/Motivational Speaker

So, you think you’re funny or inspiring? Prove it in front of a crowd of complete strangers who are expecting a real stand-up comedy show or motivational TED talk.

And you can’t just run off stage when the heckling starts — you have to finish your “set” and never let on why you’re really there. You can cry afterward, though.

Waffle House Marathon

If you don’t know what Waffle House is, then you’re missing out. This punishment requires spending 24 straight hours at a Waffle House restaurant, but each waffle you eat takes an hour off your time.

Could I probably scarf down 10 waffles within the 24-hour span? Of course. That still leaves 14 more hours to spend in an uncomfortable booth while feeling like a jackass.

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Various Forms of Publicly Announcing Your Failure

This one is pretty simple, but still rather embarrassing. The last-place finisher has to stand near a busy intersection during rush hour, holding some form of sign reading “I came in last in fantasy football. Honk to see me dance.”

Another option: walking around outside a busy public area on a Friday night wearing a sandwich board detailing how bad you are at fantasy football (bonus points if you’re only wearing the sandwich board).

Maybe there are people out there who would enjoy this kind of attention, but the average person would wear a red face for the duration of their punishment (and probably think long and hard about their fantasy decisions moving forward).

 

@thesportingnews

How many #WaffleHouse waffles can you eat in 24 hours? Like for Part 3 of fantasy football punishments. #greenscreen #greenscreenvideo #nfl #fantasy

♬ Epic Sax Guy – Deorro

Participate in NFL Combine Drills

If you’re already embarrassed about being bad at fantasy football, why not take it a step further and show just how bad you are at real football? The average Joe is going to look absolutely ridiculous trying his best in the 40-yard dash, cone drills, vertical jump, and bench press.

Meanwhile, all the eyes (and cameras) of the other league members are there to soak in the hilarious occasion. This is pretty harmless, too (aside from the damage to your ego…and likely hamstring pull), but at least you’d get some exercise.

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Tomato/Paint Ball/SuperSoaker Barrage

Self-explanatory: The rest of the league pelts the loser with tomatoes, paintballs, or high-powered squirt guns.

Such practices may not seem very creative, but not everything needs to be an art project.

Bruises take a while to heal, and the emotional toll of losing and then being assaulted by your friends because of losing will take even longer. It all serves to extend the length of time you have to remember your miserable season.

Photoshoot for a Calendar

This involves your buddies picking outfits for each month and you doing a photoshoot for a calendar.

Cupid costume for February? Bunny costume for April? Stars-and-stripes speedo for July?

Yeah, this one could be bad. Another reason to not be a turkey and forget to set your lineup this fall.

Beer Mile

A lot of people love beer, but what about being full of beer while running a mile?

This punishment forces the loser to drink a full beer, run a quarter mile, drink another beer, run another quarter mile, and so on until they’ve run a full 5,280 feet.

At least you can maybe start to get a buzz while you do this one (although it will probably be accompanied by heartburn and/or upchucks).

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Bedroom Poster

Another simple yet effective punishment.

The loser of the league has to buy a large poster of the player they selected in the first round and keep it in their bedroom for the whole year.

Harmless, but a constant reminder of failure … and a surefire way to annoy your significant other.

Picking Up the Tab

The loser simply has to buy food and drinks for the next league gathering, be it the end-of-season party or next year’s draft.

This one is pretty simple — but if you’re cheap, you might consider it the worst one yet.

Board Wench

Another simple yet somewhat annoying one: The loser must find the player names and post them to the fantasy draft board every time a player gets selected.

It’s never a fun job, but somebody has to do it, and it might as well be the leaguemate who finished at the bottom of the standings last year.

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Santa’s Lap

The last-place loser has to sit on Santa’s lap at the mall (or loudly complain when security tells them that they’re not allowed). If you want to make them wear an elf costume, all the better.

Make sure someone films the inevitable arrest.

Rival’s Jersey

This is for the more tame punishers. In this scenario, the loser has to show up to the next fantasy draft wearing a jersey that rivals their favorite NFL team (and, of course, post photos of it on social media).

For those who aren’t die-hard NFL fans, this might sound easy, but it’s a tough pill to swallow. Picture a Cowboys fan wearing a Jalen Hurts jersey, a Bengals fan wearing a T.J. Watt jersey, or a Packers fan wearing a DJ Moore jersey.

It all just feels dirty.

Lemonade Stand

The last-place owner has to operate a fully functional lemonade stand in a busy part of town for a full day (with the profits being split among the other members of the league).

Most importantly — the lemonade has to be good, so no cheap Crystal Light crap.

 

@thesportingnews

It’s the banana phone case for me. #fantasyfootball #nfl #fail #loser #greenscreen #greenscreenvideo #challange

♬ Epic Sax Guy – Deorro

Laundry Service

The loser must do a full load of laundry for every member of the league. It’s embarrassing, time-consuming, and potentially gross. You just know someone is putting their tighty-whities in there.

WARNING: Avoid these fantasy draft busts

Car Wash

Everyone in the league gets a shiny new car wash courtesy of the last-place loser (bikini optional).

Ride to Nowhere

In this excruciating punishment, the loser must take a day-long, non-stop train, bus, or plane ride to and from the destination of choice of the other people in the league.

And don’t think you get to be on your phone or tablet the whole time. You can take your phone for emergencies only — but otherwise, you just get a disposable camera that you have to use like a true tourist.

@thesportingnews

What’s your favorite #FantasyFootball punishment? Like for Part 2 #greenscreen #greenscreenvideo #sports #nfl #fail #football

♬ Epic Sax Guy – Deorro

Child’s Seat

The loser must sit in a child-sized plastic chair for the duration of the next fantasy draft. Not only will they be sitting lower than everyone else (fitting), but they will also be uncomfortable and look like a complete idiot (also fitting).

Freezing Plunge

There’s the standard option (just make someone get in a freezing body of water) or the deluxe package (dress as a pirate — and talk like a pirate — while “walking the plank” into a chilly river or lake). A symbolic and cold-hearted custom, to be sure. Set your lineups next time, Iceman!

Mystery Bag/Roulette Wheel

The loser draws from a bag or spins a wheel full of random punishments submitted by other league members at the beginning of the season.

Keep in mind, you could get your own punishment, so you might want to take it easy just in case.

License Plate

You have to get a vanity license plate announcing your fantasy failure (“FFLOSER?” “12THOF12?” “FF AHOLE?”) and keep it on your car for a full year. You could also just go with any embarrassing vanity plate, even if it’s not fantasy football-related. That opens up more options.

Keychain/Wallet/Phone Case

This one requires the honor system, but it basically involves you being forced to use a wallet or phone case of your league’s choosing until the start of the next season (suggestions: a pink Velcro Hello Kitty wallet or a Fabio phone case. You all remember Fabio, right?).

Imagine the looks when you pull those out in public. You could also force the loser to have an embarrassing charm of some kind on their keychain. It’s the same principle, but it’s easier to forget it’s there…until you notice a stranger trying to sneak a cellphone pic so they can more widely make fun of you.

It’s all part of the process to motivate managers to stay engaged during the season — and ensure the entertainment of the rest of the league long after the championship concludes.

Jackson Sparks and Matt Lutovsky contributed to this story

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