As co-commissioner of my fantasy football league, I’ll frequently send updates to our league managers via text. Topics covered might include recent fantasy results, NFL headlines, and other significant developments in our league.
To make those updates more interesting, I’ve been experimenting with AI tools. In this case, I’ve used ChatGPT and prompted it to act as if Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, and Bill Belichick were giving the update. Here’s what that looked like.
A Fantasy Update With the Manning Bros and Bill Belichick
Today, Bill Belichick joins Peyton and Eli for this Fantasy Football Weekly Update…
Virtual Eli Manning:
Well, well, well — it looks like Dak Attack brought the thunder this week! 133 points! That’s not just a win, that’s a full-on highlight reel. I mean, I haven’t seen domination like that since Peyton tried to argue that his “forehead glare” gave him an edge in reading defenses.
Virtual Peyton Manning:
(laughing) Eli, you’ve been using that same forehead joke for 20 years. You’re jealous you didn’t inherit the aerodynamic shape? It’s a strategic advantage, little brother. Helps me process fantasy stats faster.
Virtual Eli:
Yeah, or maybe it’s just big enough to project Dak’s entire box score on it. 133 points — that’s a performance worthy of an MVP nod in our league. Seriously, that’s the season’s high mark so far. Dak Attack lit it up like a Christmas tree, while the rest of us were sitting there wondering if our lineups even showed up.
Virtual Bill Belichick:
That’s called “execution.” You either have it or you don’t. In the NFL, you prepare all week, you game plan, you adapt. In fantasy football, you just pray your wide receiver doesn’t tweak a hamstring in pregame warmups. Easy game. Compared to college? A walk in the park. Try recruiting 18-year-olds who think “film study” means scrolling TikTok.
Smack Talk
Virtual Peyton:
Bill’s right — fantasy managers have it made. No travel, no press conferences, no “do your job” speeches. Just spreadsheets, snacks, and heartbreak. Speaking of heartbreak, how about Rudy Was Offside? Talked all that smack, called Grandmaster Lee “Capri Lee” after the draft… then got absolutely vaporized this week.
Virtual Eli:
Yeah, Rudy’s talking game didn’t exactly match his point total. Grandmaster Lee must’ve taken that Capri pants comment personally. I haven’t seen a beating that bad since the time Peyton tried to out-run me in practice.
Virtual Peyton:
That was one time — and I tripped on a cone.
Virtual Belichick:
Excuses. Winners adjust, losers trip on cones.
Virtual Eli:
Anyway, the moral of the story — Dak Attack is flying high, Rudy is probably hiding his chat notifications, and Grandmaster Lee officially has the league on notice. Peyton’s forehead remains undefeated, and Coach Belichick is still reminding us fantasy football isn’t “real football.”
Virtual Peyton:
But it’s still more fun than losing to your brother every Thanksgiving, right, Eli?
Virtual Eli:
Touché. Now, let’s see if anyone can stop Dak Attack next week — or at least dim Peyton’s forehead glow.
The Prompt
As with most AI prompts, you start with the persona or expert you want the tool to be – in this case, it’s the Manning Brothers and Bill Belichick. Then, you ask it to perform the task – in this case, it’s a fantasy manager update. More specifics are added. Here, I’ll usually list 3 – 5 points about what’s going on in our league. Then, I’ll address formatting and length. I’ve asked the tool to come up with about 400 words.
The prompt might take 5 – 10 minutes to write. The output sometimes looks like you’ve been working on it for hours.
Here was the actual prompt:
“With Virtual Eli Manning, Virtual Peyton Manning, and Virtual Bill Belichick, create a fantasy football league update addressing these points:
- Dak Attack had the high point total this week (and for the season) with 133 points.
- Have Eli make fun of the size of Peyton’s forehead.
- Rudy Was Offside’s smack talk missed the mark as Grandmaster Lee obliterated him. Apparently, he didn’t like the cracks about wearing capri pants at the fantasy draft.
- Have Belichick chime in about how easy the NFL is compared to the college game. Make the whole thing about 400 words.”
See our Patrick Mahomes Fantasy Football Naming Ideas.
Another Idea: Virtual Jon Gruden on Quick Updates
You might consider having a media personality give updates and make special announcements about league activities.
In this case, we thought Jon Gruden would make it fun. Here’s how Virtual Jon Gruden shared trade information with the league:
Virtual Jon Gruden:
Alright, man, here’s the deal — the FC of Lakeville just shipped Rome Odunze to Rudy Was Offside for Daniel “Indiana” Jones. I tell ya what, that’s a blockbuster right there, brother.
Odunze — this kid’s a Ferrari with shoulder pads, man. He’s got that burst, that route polish, that “get outta your seat” electricity. You can’t coach that. He’s a Gruden Grinder in the making.
Now Indiana Jones — he’s a wild card, man. One week he’s dodging boulders and dropping dimes, the next he’s running from ghosts and fumbling the idol: high risk, high reward, brother.
So who wins? I’m leaning Rudy Was Offside, man. You get a young stud like Odunze, you’re setting up for the long haul. But if Jones goes on one of those “find the lost ark” runs, FC Lakeville might just steal this one back. Gotta love it, man — fantasy football, baby.
Prompt Tip
The first draft of Gruden’s update was somewhat lengthy and didn’t get to the announcement of the trade soon enough. Don’t be afraid to give additional prompts until you get the response you want. In this case, my second prompt read: Get to the announcement of the trade sooner and shorten the length of the comment to 150 words or fewer.
See How Fantasy Football Is Changing the Way We Watch Games on TV.
Jim Gaffigan Joins Jim Nantz and Tony Romo
Here’s another example.
Fantasy Football Weekly Update — with Virtual Jim Nantz, Virtual Tony Romo, and Virtual Jim Gaffigan
Virtual Jim Nantz:
Hello, friends, and welcome to another enchanting week of fantasy football — a game of strategy, heartbreak, and waiver-wire wizardry. This week’s headline: Hupp, Hupp, Hike takes a gut punch as star wide receiver Mike Evans goes down with a broken collarbone.
Virtual Tony Romo:
Oh, Jim, that’s a tough one! You could just see it coming when he made that grab — look at the angle, look at the body position — BOOM! You knew it wasn’t good. And now, that’s a fantasy team in scramble mode. You lose your WR1, and suddenly you’re talking yourself into picking up someone like “Josh Reynolds — he’s due, right?” Nope. He’s not.
Virtual Jim Nantz:
Indeed, Tony, the cruel side of the game shows itself once more. But while Hupp, Hupp, Hike tries to patch things together, Big Fish continues to swim atop the standings — two games clear of the pack — despite ranking only sixth in total points. A curious case of fantasy fortune, wouldn’t you say?
Virtual Tony Romo:
Absolutely, Jim! That’s one of those teams that’s living right — every week, their opponent has an off game. It’s like the football gods looked down and said, “You know what, let’s give this guy a break.” If luck were a fantasy stat, Big Fish would be MVP by a mile.
Virtual Jim Gaffigan:
Oh, Big Fish? Yeah, that’s me every season — only my “luck” is running out of snacks before the late games. Sixth most points and still in first place? That’s not management, that’s divine intervention. It’s like being the kid who wins the science fair because your volcano didn’t explode — congratulations, I guess?
In Search of a QB
Virtual Jim Nantz:
(laughs) Spoken like a man who knows the pain, Jim. And speaking of pain, let’s talk about Heed the Tead, a team currently struggling to field a suitable quarterback.
Virtual Tony Romo:
Oh yeah, Jim, it’s rough over there. That roster’s a quarterback graveyard. You look down and it’s like, “Do I really want to start Zach Wilson? Again?” You can feel the desperation — it’s not just a lineup, it’s a cry for help.
Virtual Jim Gaffigan:
Yeah, Heed the Tead doesn’t have a quarterback — they have a collection of “maybes.” It’s like speed dating gone wrong: “Hi, I’m Mac Jones, and I promise I’ll be consistent this week.” Spoiler: he won’t.
Virtual Jim Nantz:
And that, friends, wraps up another fascinating week in the fantasy football universe — where heartbreak, humor, and hope collide on the digital gridiron.
Virtual Jim Gaffigan:
And mostly heartbreak, Virtual Jim. Mostly heartbreak.
Virtual Tony Romo:
(laughing) Oh, just wait till next week — I can feel a massive upset coming!
Old School: Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, and Dandy Don Meredith
This trio put Monday Night Football on the map. Here’s how they can give your league an update.
Virtual Howard Cosell:
Ladies and gentlemen, this is Howard Cosell, reporting from the digital gridiron — where fantasy legends rise, pretenders fall, and excuses multiply faster than waiver claims on a Tuesday morning. Let’s start with a cautionary tale, Frank — the 606 Kidz.
Virtual Frank Gifford:
Ah, yes, Howard, the 606 Kidz. They started strong, full of promise — but lately, it seems they’ve spread themselves too thin. Maybe it’s all those other leagues they’re juggling. Their focus is fading faster than a rookie wideout in Week 14.
Virtual Don Meredith:
(laughing) Yeah, Frank, I think the 606 Kidz got a little case of fantasy fatigue. Too many leagues, not enough attention span! You can’t win ‘em all when you can’t even remember who’s on your roster!
Virtual Cosell:
Precisely, Dandy Don. The hallmark of a distracted manager is indecisive starts, questionable benchings, and an empty look in their digital eyes. I’ve seen more commitment at a preseason walk-through in Buffalo.
Virtual Gifford:
Meanwhile, over in the First or Worst camp, the name’s looking prophetic, Howard. The “Worst” part seems to be catching up fast. Every week it’s another stumble, another near miss. You can feel the frustration through the group chat.
First or Worst
Virtual Cosell:
Ah, yes, First or Worst. A team living the latter half of its destiny. What was once a confident contender now resembles a team searching for itself in the darkness of mediocrity. This is not a strategy, Frank — this is survival mode.
Virtual Gifford:
And then there’s Team Mustin. Week after week, they lose the kicker and defense matchups. It’s uncanny. Their offense puts up solid numbers, but somehow, the opponents’ defenses always find that extra touchdown return.
Virtual Meredith:
(laughing again) Yeah, poor Team Mustin. You know what they say — when your kicker’s your biggest problem, your season’s about to get kicked too.
Virtual Cosell:
Don, your wit is unmatched.
Meridith Virtual:
Well, Howard, as I always say —
(starts singing) 🎵 If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, what a merry Christmas we’d have… 🎵
Virtual Gifford:
(laughing) Oh, Don, you always know how to end a segment.
Virtual Cosell:
And there you have it — from distractions to destiny and defenses that defy logic — another week in the unpredictable, unforgiving theater that is fantasy football.
Meredith Virtual:
That’s right, Howard. And to all those struggling teams out there — keep your chin up and your kicker on the waiver wire!
Closing Thoughts
AI tools like ChatGPT are a fun way to add some excitement to your league updates. Your output is generally only as good as your input, so spend a little time thinking which persona you want to adapt and what the key points you’d like them to address. Also, don’t settle for the first solution. Challenge AI tools to improve on their first draft and don’t stop until you get what you want.
Even Virtual Jon Gruden approves of this approach:
Virtual Jon Gruden:
I tell ya what, man — using media personalities for fantasy updates? That’s genius, brother—absolute spider 2 y banana level creativity. You’re bringing in the voices, the energy, the catchphrases — that’s showtime, man! Makes every matchup feel like Monday Night Football under the lights. You get a Cosell, a Gifford, maybe a Dandy Don singing a little tune — that’s entertainment, man! You’re not just managing a team anymore, you’re running a full-blown production. I love it. It’s football, it’s fun, it’s flair — that’s how you build a Gruden-approved fantasy league, brother.”
By Mike O’Halloran
Founder and Editor, Sports Feel Good Stories
Overtime
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