Fantasy football success is largely measured by the players you draft and the record they help you accrue, but what fun is that without a team name befitting a champion?
Team names didn’t used to be viewed as a key part of fantasy football by most, but as clever puns and pop culture references have become the norm in recent years, owners have been forced into a game of “keeping up with the Joneses” in terms of coming up with a quality moniker.
Luckily for those who aren’t necessarily adept at coming up with witty names themselves, there are tons of options across the Internet.
Here is a rundown of 30 of the best fantasy football team names the web has to offer, along with further analysis regarding the cream of the crop.
Breaking Down Top Names
Abdullah Oblongata (via Jordan Heck of SportingNews.com)
It isn’t often that everything comes together in a fantasy football team name, but this one in particular has all the qualities a fantasy owner looks for.
First and foremost, it features one of the hottest commodities in fantasy in the form of Detroit Lions rookie running back Ameer Abdullah. The former Nebraska star has looked like a superstar throughout the preseason, and he has a chance to get the bulk of the touches out of the backfield in a high-powered offense.
Peter King of Sports Illustrated is one of many who expect big things out of Abdullah during his rookie campaign:
In addition to Abdullah‘s fantasy prospects, Abdullah Oblongata plays off an all-time great football movie in The Waterboy.
Anyone who has seen the film remembers the Colonel Sanders-esque professor harping on the medulla oblongata, so you certainly won’t have to worry about whether the name resonates with your league-mates.
Gotta Catch Jamaal (via Heck)
It stands to reason that plenty of championship-winning fantasy teams will have Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles on their roster this season, and it just so happens that those owners are lucky enough to have a near-perfect name at their disposal.
Fantasy football is huge with the 18-to-34 demographic, and many within that group have fond memories of Pokemon from their childhoods.
Pokemon once ruled the roost with its trading cards, video games, television series and merchandise, and its main catchphrase—in reference to aspiring Pokemon master Ash Ketchum—was “Gotta catch ’em all.”
Based on that as well as the fact that opposing defenses will have their hands full with attempting to run Charles down all season long, Gotta Catch Jamaal is about as good as it gets in the name department.
Golden Tate Warriors (via Jake O’Donnell of SportsGrid.com)
Many expected big things out of wide receiver Golden Tate during his first season with the Lions, and he didn’t disappoint in 2014, as he set career highs with 99 receptions for 1,331 yards to go along with four touchdowns.
Even if No. 1 receiver Calvin Johnson manages to remain healthy in 2015, the former Golden Domer should still have plenty of opportunities to catch passes from quarterback Matthew Stafford.
As seen in this video courtesy of the NFL’s official Twitter account, Stafford and Tate have built up quite a rapport over the past year:
Tate is the type of player who could lead your team to a title, so why not use a name that screams championship? That’s where Golden Tate Warriors comes in.
The Golden State Warriors dominated the NBA during the 2014-15 season before winning it all in a hard-fought series with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and their team name meshes extremely well with Tate’s name.
Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were huge factors in the Dubs’ run to the title this past season, and Tate figures to make plenty of splashy plays for your fantasy team this year.
Scoring in Funchess (via Matthew Berry of ESPN.com)
Rookie wide receivers have made a massive fantasy impact in recent years, and one debuting pass-catcher who is picking up steam ahead of the 2015 campaign is Devin Funchess of the Carolina Panthers.
The second-round pick may have an opportunity to be quarterback Cam Newton’s top wideout with Kelvin Benjamin out for the season, and as Benjamin proved last season as a rookie, that is an extremely advantageous spot from a production standpoint.
If Funchess transitions to the NFL as smoothly as Benjamin did, then he’ll likely find himself in the end zone often, thanks to his large frame. You might even say he’ll start Scoring in Funchess.
Provided Funchess becomes one of Newton’s favorite targets, those who own him in fantasy football will be doing plenty of scoring as well.
Suh-Plex City
Perhaps this one appeals to a niche market, but with WWE SummerSlam being covered by ESPN, there is growing acceptance for professional wrestling in mainstream media. Plus, if you’re a fan of the greatest form of sports entertainment the world has to offer, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t incorporate it in your fantasy team name.
Brock Lesnar is undoubtedly the most dominant force in WWE today, and perhaps ever. He has taken a liking to suplexing his opponents over and over again during his matches, which is an assault he has since dubbed “Suplex City.”
Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh may be the NFL equivalent to The Beast Incarnate due to his pure strength and physical style. He likely wouldn’t hesitate to suplex an opponent on the field if it was legal, although even the rules probably wouldn’t stop him.
Both Lesnar and Suh leave destruction in their wake wherever they go, and if you believe your fantasy team will be similarly dominant, then Suh-Plex City is an ideal fit.
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