Team names: How to pick a winner

2 days ago 21
  • Liz LozaJun 2, 2025, 09:00 AM ET

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      Liz Loza is simply a writer for phantasy football, women's hoops and betting astatine ESPN. Liz besides appears connected "Fantasy Football Now" and contributes to the Fantasy Focus Football podcast.

From streets to pets to assemblage parts and beyond, humans excel astatine naming things. We enthusiastically brainstorm nicknames for ourselves portion dishing retired monikers for others. Authors instrumentality connected pen names. Performers trade signifier names. Situationships are stored successful phones nether fake names.

It's a logical process, 1 that evokes delight and provides context. Without names, we wouldn't beryllium capable to separate betwixt the "hey, yous" and the "that happening implicit theres" of the world. Names are, successful fact, truthful impactful that they person to "fit." For example, person you ever expected an Ethan but an Albert showed up? It's rattling.

No wonderment we attraction truthful profoundly astir our fake shot squad names. They instantly awesome to our contention some our priorities and our ethos. With intentional branding, we person the powerfulness to impact our leaguemates. The close operation of words tin antagonize oregon enchant (or both). Plus, it's amusive to instrumentality a interruption from studying Mike Clay's rankings to daydream astir what volition look champion engraved connected a title trophy.

Team names tin instrumentality connected a assortment of complexions, but they thin to autumn nether 1 of 4 main categories. Below is simply a database of communal themes and accompanying appellations. May they animate you connected your ain naming quest.

Putting the ME successful TEAM

This manager wants the satellite to cognize precisely whom it's messing with. Their selected squad sanction is not lone a conscious reflection of the clip and effort they descend into each draught prime and waiver-wire move, but besides a wide practice of their unsocial passions and interests extracurricular of the virtual game. There is nary second-guessing this person's identity, their squad sanction says it each ... and past some. Creating this benignant of rubric mostly relies connected combining the manager's sanction with a hobby and a subtle motion to the gridiron.

Examples:

  • Greg's Sack and Snack Monsters

  • Passenger Princess Poppy and her Punt Puppets

  • Zack's SubSTACKED Squad

  • Jake Smells Like Teen Spirit and SPARQ Scores

  • Emily's Ultimate Warrior Walk-ons

Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.

Who doesn't emotion an wrong joke? They are the lifeblood of each friendship, particularly ones developed portion trash-talking each other's imaginary shot franchises. Whether intended to occurrence a affable adversary oregon item recurring hilarity, utilizing a league-specific gag to rubric your squad adds a personalized interaction to the 17-week (get retired of present with that Week 18 Super Bowl) experience. Millions (yes, millions) of radical whitethorn play phantasy shot ... but lone your league understands its wonderfully unusual and entertaining idiosyncrasies.

Examples:

  • Drafted astatine the Sizzler

  • [Blank] got the Car, I Kept the League

  • Risked it for a last-place Biscuit

  • Rescued by my canine and Trade Offers

  • Autodraft Apologist since '22

Hometown pride

Fantasy, undeniably, increases the breadth of a shot fan's cognition and position of the league. Still, the ample bulk of phantasy shot enthusiasts statesman arsenic supporters of a peculiar franchise. Adoration for a location nine often spills implicit into the broader landscape, processing into an appreciation beyond a peculiar geographic location. While this trajectory remains astir universal, astir devotees (even those adjacent Cleveland and the Meadowlands) proceed to clasp beloved the squad that served arsenic a catalyst for their current, larger obsession. Spotlighting these hometown origins is simply a playful mode to wage homage to the past portion enjoying the present.

Examples:

  • Terrible Towel, Team Still Wavin'

  • Lambeau Leapers Anonymous

  • Black Hole of Hope

  • Soldier for Ditka

  • Cirque du SoBills


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Player puns

Puns whitethorn beryllium considered the lowest signifier of wit ... but that doesn't mean they're not funny. Arguably the astir fashionable benignant of phantasy squad name, subordinate puns are a classical mode to customize your squad portion keeping the temper light. Whether attempting to beryllium clever oregon risqué, an effectual pun not lone gives the giggles, but besides shows disconnected a manager's wit. An effectual play connected words tin subtly enactment the remainder of the league connected notice, alerting the contention to your capableness for guile and cunning. It besides keeps a squad caller and relevant. Your idiosyncratic mantra mightiness person been "Live and Let Addai" 18 years ago, but these days you're spreading that "Bijan Mustard."

Examples:

  • Hot Chubb Time Machine

  • Pitts & Giggles

  • Singletary and Ready to Mingletary

  • Lamarvel Cinematic Universe

  • Good Fences, Better Nabers

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