Fantasy Life's 2024 Holiday Gift Guide: Cargo Pants, Beef Jerky, and More
The Fantasy Life staff shares our favorite gifts to give for the 2024 holiday season!
We know you don't have a lot of time on your hands for holiday shopping, with all the adding, dropping, scheming, benching, and everything in between. So we figured — since you trust us with your most important decisions — maybe you'd like a glimpse at some of the gifts we're buying for our own friends and family this year, to help get your juices flowing.
We humbly present to you our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide. We hope it makes your gift-giving experience quicker, richer, and clears space for playoff lineup setting!
Happy Holidays from Fantasy Life!!
Fellow Stagg EKG Electric Pour-Over Kettle ($132)
Alright, this gift is a bit of a splurge, but this is one of the best gifts I have ever received and I use it almost daily! If your NFL team or fantasy teams aren't putting you to sleep fast enough, then this kettle will get the job done and FAST (I use it for nighttime tea). It heats up quickly and I love to watch the heating progress on the LCD screen. 10/10 recommend! — Kendall Valenzuela
Astro Bot ($49.99)
I grew up on the thrills of Crash Bandicoot, checkpoints, and bosses. Astro Bot has all that nostalgia with a new-era feel. We play it often on family game nights and all of us have fun (the 6 year old and 36 year olds). If you have a PS5, I couldn’t recommend it more. And if you need more than just one stranger on the internet’s word for it, over 32k strangers have rated it 4.89/5. Can’t get much higher than that. – Cooterdoodle
Bonus blurb: I am slow to adapt, so I still have a PS4 – but I have the PSVR. And AstroBot is an easy Top 5 all-time game I have ever played. Ever. I haven't experienced it in non-VR, but if it's a fraction of the fun, it'll be a classic. — Nando Di Fino
Hand Casting Kit ($25)
This one forces you to spend 5 minutes with a loved one. And in this economy, that’s priceless. — Cooterdoodle
Ninja CREAMI ($180)
Imagine getting to make Blizzards or McFlurrys on demand. That's what the CREAMi is. Initially, I was terrified that this was going to be one of those fad purchases I make, use twice, and never use again. But the opposite has happened. I use the CREAMi 4-5x a week to make ice cream. You can make "regular" ice cream, tho I have a protein-based recipe that I like. You basically make a base, freeze it, and then mix in whatever you want. I wrote down some of my favorite recipes for it here if you are interested. — Peter Overzet
Aritzia Sweatsuit ($64 - $86)
Get them here: The Mega Cargo Sweatpants and The Perfect Hoodie
Your mom, wife, girlfriend, niece, daughter, sister, neighbor, cat, LITERALLY EVERYONE will want this gift. Honestly, just stop reading now and go buy it for yourself (you deserve it anyways). I live in Aritzia clothes, but the sweatsuits are game changers and you will never go back. I have nothing more to say, just go buy it and thank me later. — Kendall Valenzuela
Wild Turkey's Spiced Cranberry Old Fashioned Kit ($65)
I'm willing to pay a bit of a premium for a unique gift — and this qualifies. Throwing together stuff you have at home to make an old fashioned is great, but being handed a package with clever add-ons like dehydrated orange slices tends to elevate the experience. Having it all in a box tends to make it all a little more… fun. And isn't that what the holidays are all about? – Nando Di Fino
Bone Conduction Headphones ($89)
Do you ever just wish you could listen to your favorite podcasts without fully blocking out the world? No? Right… Well does your FAMILY ever wish you could listen to your favorite podcasts without fully blocking out the world? EXACTLY! Keep those ear holes wide open. No no no, it’s not magic. It’s bone conduction, baby! — Cooterdoodle
Logic of Sports Betting ($20)
This book — by Ed Miller and Matthew Davidow — is one of the best introductions to sports betting that someone could have. If you have a friend who wants to get into sports betting but isn't sure about how to start, this book can help them save both time and money as they learn. — Matthew Freedman
ALL PINK Starburst Fruit Chews ($30)
The trick to a good gift is caring. The trick to a great gift is buying one that the receiver would never think to buy for themself. And sometimes people just want to be given an excuse to be a little gluttonous! Unless your friend is weird and prefers orange Starburst (gross! run!) they’ll appreciate this one. Trust me. Anyways… I should send this link to my family. — Cooterdoodle
PICKUP by GameFlo ($20)
Full disclosure — this is going to be more of a “buy it for Christmas Eve and play it with everyone” thing than a gift. Maybe it'll be both. At $20 it's a stellar White Elephant candidate. If you know basketball, even a little bit, you'll like this game. It has a creative cast of characters, it's easy to learn the rules, and it's fun. Plus the CEO of GameFlo is a fantasy player, so… he gets us.
Knockaround “Knock Ramen” Sunglasses ($40)
EVERYONE loves Ramen. Everyone. Plus these are polarized. I'm not sure if they fall under “conversation starter” or “white elephant” or just “I'm buying these for anyone I know because they have cool wavy noodles on the side and the carying case is worth it alone” but this has become an easy holiday gift buy for me this year. --Nando Di Fino
MEATER Wireless Meat Thermometer ($80)
Blurb: Please, for the love of all things meaty, get this for the cook in your home. It’s not just for the grill master. We all know someone who stabs chicken breasts into a second death in an attempt to check if it’s still raw while cooking. And they still manage to overcook it anyways! This gift can fix anyone’s meat problems! (Except for that one kind. Don’t be dirty.) — Cooterdoodle
Think Grass-Fed Beef Jerky ($40)
This beef jerky is expensive, but I'm obsessed with it and willing to go broke eating it. I was really never a "jerky guy" until I found these and now I'd consider myself a big "jerky guy." — Peter Overzet
Callaway Golf 300 Pro Laser Rangefinder ($170)
Let’s be honest, guys only really want one thing: to occasionally escape from their families on a golf course during the weekend. Is a range finder going to make them a better golfer? Probably not. It certainly hasn’t helped me. But it makes my occasional sojourns to the course so much more enjoyable. Instead of having to search for markers and trying to do some mental math, this tells me exactly how far I need to hit it to the pin. Now, when I duff the ball 30 yards in front of me or shank it into the woods, I at least know I had the right club in my hands. — Matt LaMarca
Framebridge Photo Frames ($ varies)
Listen this is the gift you want to give this holiday season — it almost guarantees that you will be the "favorite" heading into 2025. I used Frambridge to frame a lot of my wedding photos for my family and I couldn't have been happier with the process. You can upload photos from your computer or phone! And not only do they have a ton of framing options at different price points, but it gets delivered already beautifully wrapped so you don't have to do anything! Just order and place under the tree. Enjoy! — Kendall Valenzuela
Fantasy Life Gift Subscription ($39.99 - $99.99)
You knew we had to throw in a plug for our subscription here, right? Get is as a gift for the fantasy player in your life! They'll be set from draft season through to next year's playoffs!
Appleton Estates Heart Collection Vintage 1988 Jamaican Rum ($550-$600)
I don't know if there's anything I can say to convince you to buy a $600 bottle of rum outside of “this is worth it.” If you're spending in this range, this is a bottle that will raise the stakes for your drinking and hosting experiences.
PHIGOLF Home Golf Game Simulator ($209)
Ah, the dented divots in the living room carpet and the slash marks on the ceiling—you’ve stumbled upon the home of a golf enthusiast. For years, the ardent golfer has yearned to own their own golf simulator, but it’s often a distant dream. When the temperature drops or the golfing itch strikes, look no further than the PHIGolf Simulator with the shortened swing stick (motion sensor). Simply attach this software marvel to your TV, phone, or tablet, and swing away. Thousands of courses and a few swings at your fingertips—from the drive to the putt—are all at your disposal. So, put away your indoor 5 iron, champ, because your prayers (and your furniture’s) have been answered. – George Zainoun
And there's more to come as we discover more cool stuff! So check back!!