A fantasy football banquet is just an excuse to get the league in one room before everyone forgets the season happened. The awards are what make it worth showing up for. Here is what to hand out and what to skip.
The two that matter
- The championship trophy. Handed over, photographed, done. Anything from the Personalized Football Cobra Award (from $14.00) to the Fantasy Football Championship Trophy (from $134.99) depending on your dues.
- The last place trophy. The Fantasy Football Last Place Trophy (The Sacko) (from $33.99). This is the one people actually come for.
Joke awards worth engraving
Cheap engraved medals at $4.49 make these work without blowing the budget. The ones that consistently land:
- Best Draft, Worst Season. For the manager whose draft grade was an A and whose record was 4-10.
- Most Points Against. Genuinely the unluckiest person in the league, and everyone knows who it is.
- Waiver Wire Warlord. For whoever won a title off the bench.
- Zero Transactions. For the manager who set a lineup in week 1 and never logged in again.
- The Almost. Runner up. Twice.
Awards to skip
Anything that is really just an insult about someone's personal life rather than their team. It reads funny in a group chat and lands badly in a room. Keep the roast on the roster.
When to hold it
Championship week is mid to late December, so most leagues run the banquet between Christmas and mid January. That is also our busiest fantasy engraving window, so order the trophies the week the title is decided rather than the week of the banquet. We engrave in 2 to 3 business days and ship from Alabama with tracking.
The move that keeps the league together
Hand the last place trophy over at the next draft, not at the banquet. It gives the loser eight months to look at it and gives the league a reason to show up in August. See our commissioner draft day checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is a fantasy football banquet usually held?
Between late December and mid January, after championship week and before people scatter for the offseason.
What awards should a fantasy football banquet have?
At minimum a champion trophy and a last place trophy. Engraved medals cover the joke awards without tripling the budget.
How far ahead should I order?
Order the week the title is decided. Engraving takes 2 to 3 business days plus transit, and late December is our busiest fantasy window.
About Wood Unlimited
We are a veteran-owned family workshop. Every award is laser engraved in house on a CO2 laser, so the mark is cut into the metal plate rather than printed on top of it. Nothing peels, nothing fades. Engraved in Alabama, USA, and shipped in 2 to 3 business days with tracking. Over 25,000 orders shipped.