Win $20,000 In The 2014 NFBC Draft Champions

[Greg Ambrosius]

We are proud to announce the return of our NFBC Draft Champions National Championship in 2014. This format has become an overnight success as last year we finished with 1,845 teams or 123 leagues drafting from November through March. It is an amazing format with 15 teams, 50 rounds and owners having up to 8 hours per pick.

But even better is the guaranteed grand prize we are offering this year: $20,000 for first place. This prize has grown from $5,000 to $20,000 in just a couple of years and there's no doubt there is room for even further growth. The key is getting these drafts started early enough and providing enough formats -- like 4-hour DCs, DC Expresses, Regional DCs, etc. -- to appeal to all different kinds of drafters. So let the fun begin.

We will have Registration up this week and you can start to sign up for these DCs shortly. DC leagues form on a first-come, first-serve basis and will start the day after the league is filled. Everything is automated now for these, so after you sign up please set your KDS preferences and look for draft spots the next morning. These usually fill every day and they are completed within 21-23 days, sometimes faster if you have the perfect owners. Round 1 Auto is set up to help you get the players you want and still keep the draft moving, so please learn how to use it and utilize it when your spot is coming up. It works to perfection every time and gives you the top player in your Que.

Okay, we can take questions and other ideas later. We retained the 50-man rosters even though there were a lot of injuries last year because going 55 rounds or 60 rounds extends the draft time further than we wanted to go. We understand the reasoning for deeper drafts than we currently have, but we weighed the advantages and disadvantages of that and chose to stick with 50 rounds. Prices and league prizes stayed the same, although the $375 did increase to $400 so that we could give all three league winners $1,500 each. If there is a demand for a $400 DC that pays first place more than second and third place we can set those up as well.

Here's the Rules for 2014 and get ready to draft soon:

Official Rules And Regulations of The National Fantasy Baseball Championship (NFBC)
Draft Champions National Championship
1. Overview
The National Fantasy Baseball Championship (NFBC) Draft Champions National Championship will consist of individual leagues, each comprised of 15 teams/managers with league prizes and an overall prize pool. The NFBC Draft Champions National Championship's regular season will extend from Opening Day 2014 through the final game of the regular season (including one or more season-ending MLB tie-breaker games if needed).

Teams will compete for accumulative stats in five offensive and five pitching categories, with each category weighted equally. Categories include:
For Hitters
• Batting Average
• Home Runs
• RBIs
• Stolen Bases
• Runs

For Pitchers
• Wins
• Saves
• Earned Run Average
• Strikeouts
• WHIP Ratio (Walks plus Hits divided by Innings Pitched)

The team at the end of the year with the most Rotisserie rank points based on cumulative statistics for the season in each league wins the league title. Teams also will have their cumulative stats positioned in an overall Rotisserie-style ranking (5x5 with each category weighted equally among all teams in the NFBC Draft Champions National Championship) with the top finisher overall winning the grand prize.

2. Online Drafts and Fees
All NFBC Draft Champions National Championship leagues will hold their drafts at nfbc.stats.com. All teams entered in the $150, $400 and $1,000 Draft Champions Leagues are eligible for league and overall prizes. Each team no matter the entry fee is contributing the same amount to the overall prize pool, so there is only one overall prize pool and all teams are competing for those prizes.

Once you have signed up, you'll find your team link for this league under MY TEAMS and a link called DRAFT. There you'll find a DRAFT PREP link where you can rank the player default list for that online draft and all of the players will show up in your draft room exactly as you have ranked them. If you don't do that, the player default list will appear as STATS has it. When the league is full, the DRAFT ROOM link will appear and you'll enter the room there and draft your team. Use the Flash version if you have Flash on your computer and pick the player you want when it's your turn. There is a DRAFT BOARD link within the draft room that allows you to see colored stickers of every player being selected and to easily see the draft results.

3. Prizes
Prizes are awarded for league and overall standings.
Overall Prizes
1. First Place = $20,000
2. Second Place = $4,000
3. Third Place = $3,000
4. Fourth Place = $2,500
5. Fifth Place = $1,500
6. Sixth Place = $1,000
7. Seventh Place = $1,000
8. Eighth Place = $750
9. Ninth Place = $750
10. Tenth Place = $500
11. Eleventh Place = $500
12. Twelfth Place = $500
13. Thirteenth Place = $350
14. Fourteenth Place = $350
15. Fifteenth Place = $350
16. Sixteenth Place = $350
17. Seventeenth Place = $350
18. Eighteenth Place = $350
19. Nineteenth Place = $250
20. Twentieth Place = $250

League Prizes For $150 Draft Champions:
1. League Champion $1,000
2. 2nd place finisher $375
3. 3rd place finisher $125

League Prizes For $400 Draft Champions:
1. League Champion $1,500
2. 2nd place finisher $1,500
3. 3rd place finisher $1,500

League Prizes For $1,000 Draft Champions:
1. League Champion $8,000
2. 2nd place finisher $3,000
3. 3rd place finisher $1,000

Cash prizes are awarded in U.S. dollars and are awarded to the principal owner of the team. Teams can split prizes among multiple owners by filling out the proper paperwork with STATS' accounting department before season's end. In the event of a tie, cash prizes are divided evenly among those who have tied.

4. Draft
Drafts will take place online at nfbc.stats.com from November through March. Participants can enter as many Draft Champions leagues as they would like. Leagues form as they fill up and they start the day after a league is full. Draft spots are announced via email and on the team pages the morning of the draft.

Each league will be comprised of 15 teams, and each draft will consist of 50 rounds, with each team selecting a player from the AL or NL in each round in a serpentine fashion (team 1 through team 15 in odd-numbered rounds, team 15 through team 1 in even-numbered rounds). This goes on for 50 rounds, with each team having 8 hours to make a pick. There are no in-season moves in the Draft Champions format: What you pick on Draft Day is what you have to work with during the entire season.

Each team must start a weekly lineup of 23 players with required positions and maintain a reserve roster (which includes DL players) of 27 players. There is no position requirement necessary for your reserve roster and you can change your starting lineup at the start of each week. You also do not need to fill your 23 required starting positions with your first 23 picks; your No. 2 catcher could be selected with your 50th overall pick if you choose. Players will be selected from all 30 Major League Baseball rosters and any player from any MLB organization is eligible to be drafted. There are no free agent pickups during the season.

If an NFBC participant inadvertently leaves the draft with an illegal lineup (for instance, was without a middle infielder or second catcher), then the NFBC will drop the last pick made by that team (or more picks if needed) and add the last player at that position on the NFBC’s final Cheat Sheet on Draft Day to make that lineup legal. All lineups must be legal before the season starts and the NFBC will correct all roster errors that may have been missed at the draft. All decisions by the NFBC commissioner involving final rosters are official.

Time Limit for Draft: There will be an 8-hour time limit for each owner to make his/her pick during each round of the NFBC Draft Champions League draft. If a participant does not make a selection in the allotted time, the computer will select the top player from that owner’s Player Que and if no player is in the Que then the top available player from the player’s default list will be selected. If there is a computer failure, an error made with a selection by an owner or any other type of technical malfunction, the draft moderator can stop the draft at any time and correct the error and then resume the draft. The NFBC reserves the right to allow the draft moderator to roll-back the draft if a technical error occurred, but if the desired player had already been selected before the draft was stopped, that player is no longer available to be drafted.

Commissioner Decisions: All decisions made by the NFBC commissioner are final. Tough decisions sometimes must be made about eligibility rules, lineups, etc., and NFBC participants must accept the unbiased ruling of the NFBC commissioner.

5. Setting Kentucky Derby Style (KDS) Preferences
The NFBC will use Kentucky Derby Style (KDS) preferences for draft preferences in all NFBC leagues. The Draft Preferences are listed as soon as you click on your team link. There you will see a list of 1 through 15 in order and an "Edit Preferences" link. Edit your list as often as you'd like and just save your preferences each time before the required deadline for this league.

Here's what KDS does: The KDS process allows owners to rank their order of preference for Draft Day, ranking their preferences 1 through 15 BEFORE the leagues are randomly selected. Some owners would rather draft in the middle, if they are selected early in their league; others like to stay near the top and others like to move down to the lower end. KDS allows that if you are fortunate enough. A sample KDS from an owner could look like this: 3, 2, 1, 7, 6, 8, 15, 14, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. If an owner wants the third pick and he is selected No. 1 overall in his league, he would choose 3 as his top option and he would then be moved to third in that league on Draft Day. NFBC officials will look at every owner's Draft Preferences after the leagues and orders are randomly selected and then announce the draft orders for each league.

6. Random League/Draft Spot Selections
The NFBC Draft Champions Leagues go once they are filled. Once 15 teams are signed up for a DC, we will close that league, run the KDS for the participants the next morning, email the participants the draft order and begin the draft process that day. All leagues that form before midnight ET will start drafting the next day.

7. Roster Requirements
Maximum of 50 players at all times

8. Starting Lineup Requirements
Starting lineups will consist of:
1. 2 Catchers
2. 1 First Baseman
3. 1 Second Baseman
4. 1 Shortstop
5. 1 Third Baseman
6. 1 Middle Infielder (2B/SS)
7. 1 Corner Infielder (1B/3B)
8. 1 Utility Player (any offensive position)
9. 5 Outfielders
10. 9 Pitchers

There is a 1000 innings pitched minimum requirement for all NFBC leagues, but no minimum requirement for the number of starting pitchers or relief pitchers on each roster. Should any team not reach the required limit of 1000 innings pitched by the end of the season, the rankings will be altered to show that team getting 1 point in both ERA and WHIP. No other teams will switch positions in the standings, but the team that didn't reach the minimum IP will automatically earn 1 point in ERA and WHIP. All players must have played 20 games in 2013 or 10 games during the 2014 season to qualify at a certain position. Minor-leaguers who did not play 20 games at any position in 2013 but who still played at least one game in the majors last year, will qualify at the position they played the most at in the majors in 2013. Additional eligibility guidelines can be found in Section 9. If a player returns from retirement or rehab after missing the previous year, his position eligibility will be based on his previous year's eligibility. If no Week One lineup is submitted, the NFBC will determine your starting lineup. After Week One, if no starting lineup is submitted, your starting lineup will be that of the previous week.

9. Position Eligibility
The NFBC will use the following position eligibility rules in 2014:
a) Players who played at least 20 games at any position in 2013 will qualify at that position for the entire 2014 NFBC season. Players who play 10 games at a new position in 2014 will be eligible at that position after they have played there for the 10th time during the 2014 MLB regular season. Any player who missed all of the previous season to injury or retirement will qualify at the position he last was eligible for in the majors.

b) If a player did not appear in 20 games at any position, he qualifies at the one position he played most frequently the prior season in the majors. Designated Hitter is considered a position for these purposes (pinch-hitting is not). A player who only qualifies as a DH may only be assigned to the UT position. If a player's most games played at a position is less than 20 and tied among more than one position, the NFBC commissioner will assign eligibility at one position only.

c) Those players who only pinch-hit in the majors in 2013 will be position eligible according to their minor-league games played status in 2013. They would qualify at the position they played the most games in the minors.

d) Players who played all of 2013 in the minor leagues will be awarded position eligibility for the 2014 NFBC season based on the most games played at all levels in the minors. STATS will determine that one eligible position before Draft Day and that will determine that player's status for 2014 once he is called up to the majors. Those players who only pinch-hit or DH in the minors will only be UT-eligible.

e) The NFBC commissioner will rule on player eligibility prior to the draft as he deems necessary. Those eligibility lists are final and will be available to all owners prior to Draft Day.

10. League Management Web Address
You can access your team and league via the Internet by going to nfbc.stats.com. You will need a username and a password to access the game site. Contact [email protected] if you are signed up for the contest and do not have a username and password.

11. Lineup submission
The weekly deadline for setting your NFBC starting lineup is on Mondays. But NEW FOR 2014: You now don’t have to lock in your entire starting lineup on Mondays if you have players who don’t play their first game of the week until Tuesday. You now are allowed to lock in your starters on Monday 5 minutes before their scheduled games that day and also 5 minutes before their games on Tuesdays if that is their first game of the week. If you have East Coast teams starting at 7 pm ET on Monday, you have to lock them into your starting lineup by 6:55 pm ET. If you also have West Coast players who don't play until 10 pm ET, you then have until 9:55 pm ET to lock those starters in. And now if you have two outfielders playing their first games on Tuesday and you have one OF spot open in your starting lineup, you now have until Tuesday night to finalize who you want in your starting lineup. On Fridays, the same flexible Set Lineup procedure is in place where you can lock in your starters 5 minutes before their scheduled starting time for that day. Those players lock 5 minutes before their SCHEDULED STARTING TIME and do not change based on weather or any other matters.

NFBC team owners are also allowed to switch out any hitter (or hitters) from their starting lineup and replace him with a hitter from their reserve roster on Fridays. The deadline for doing that is 5 minutes before the start of that player's game on Friday. Pitchers will not be allowed to be moved out of your starting lineup at any time during the season; what is set on Monday remains for the remainder of the week for all pitchers. If there is an MLB tie-breaker game or games, NFBC owners are allowed to reset their starting lineups for that game or games.

First Lineup Deadlines for Week 1: The MLB season starts on March 22 with a two-game series in Australia between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. That will be considered Week 1 in the NFBC and owners will be allowed to set their starting lineups AFTER that game no matter when they draft in their leagues. Everyone will have the benefit of knowing the final results of those March 22-23 games before setting their starting lineups before the Sunday, March 30th game. Owners can then reset their starting lineups for Week 2 on Monday, March 31st. Lineups for Week 1 will lock as described above.
All lineups must be submitted on the league website.

12. Free Agents
There are no free agent pickups in Draft Champions Leagues. What you draft is what you have to manage for the entire season. All 50-man rosters remain intact from Draft Day through the end of the season.

13. Trades Between Managers
To minimize the possibility of collusion, there will be no trading allowed.

14. Scoring
All NFBC leagues will use a 5x5 Rotisserie scoring system. Cumulative totals will be used for the following categories:
1. Batting Average
2. Home Runs
3. RBIs
4. Stolen Bases
5. Runs
6. Wins
7. Saves
8. Earned Run Average
9. Strikeouts
10. WHIP Ratio (walks plus hits divided by innings pitched)

Teams are ranked by comparing their team totals to the other teams in their league. The team with the best total in each category receives 15 points and the team with the worst total receives 1 point. Overall points are calculated by ranking your team's statistics totals versus all other teams in the NFBC contest.

15. Taxes
If the principal team owner's prize winnings are $600.00 or greater (or any other threshold subsequently established by the IRS), the National Fantasy Baseball Championship (“NFBC”) must file a Form 1099 with the IRS at the end of this calendar year. We will request your social security number and signature on this form. The form contains the amount paid to you and you will receive a copy of the form for tax purposes. STATS pays the principal team owner of each NFBC team that was submitted on the entry form and you are responsible for paying any taxes that result from your cash prize; please consult your income tax advisor for filing advice. In the event that the awarding of any prizes to winners of the Contest is challenged by any legal authority, STATS reserves the right in its sole discretion to determine whether or not to award such prizes. After 12 months, any unclaimed prize will be forfeited.

16. Eligibility; Registration
The National Fantasy Baseball Championship is open to individuals who are at least 18 years of age (or the age of majority in your state of residence) and are a resident of the United States of America or Canada. Notwithstanding the foregoing, residents of Washington State, Louisiana, Montana, Arizona, Iowa, and Vermont are not eligible to register or play in the NFBC. All registrations must be in the full legal name of the primary team owner, though owners will have the option to add a co-manager(s).

17. Official Rules
Registration for, and continued participation in, the National Fantasy Baseball Championship constitutes your full and unconditional agreement to these official rules (“Official Rules”) and to STATS’ decisions relating thereto. STATS’ decisions in regards to these Official Rules and all matters pertaining to the National Fantasy Baseball Championship are final and binding.

18. Refunds
Once a participant submits valid payment, no money will be refunded unless the NFBC event for which such participant has registered has been canceled. A team spot is considered filled when the entire entry fee is paid. STATS reserves the right to cancel any entries which are not part of a full league. In addition, STATS retains the right to deny, at its sole discretion, eligibility of any individual to register for any NFBC game or event and/or participate in any NFBC game or event, even after the registration fee has been paid, but in such case, the entry fee will be refunded. Under no condition shall STATS be held responsible for any loss or liability related to any expenses incurred by a denied entrant or any person affiliated with that denied entrant. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in the event that any participant or co-manager is banned from the NFBC as the result of any violation of the Official Rules, then no refund will be given.

19. Cancellation
At its sole discretion, STATS reserves the right to terminate any NFBC game, event or league at any time prior to the completion of the season due to any acts of God, natural disasters, terrorism, change in applicable law, interruption of the season (including strikes, lockouts and/or use of replacement players), or any other situation beyond the control of STATS. In the event of any such termination by STATS, all entry fees will be refunded, with the exception of any live event fees (if such live event has already occurred).

At its sole discretion, STATS reserves the right to terminate any NFBC game, event or league (including the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Main Event) if there are an insufficient number of teams prior to the scheduled start of the league. In this unlikely event, STATS will refund all entry fees within 48 hours of cancellation notice and/or provide a new application form with the newly stated prize figures. In this situation, all pre-registered applicants have the right to a full refund or to agree to play for the newly announced prize structure. STATS is not responsible for any loss or liability incurred by any participant or co-managers due to cancellation of any NFBC game, event or league, including but not limited to travel or hotel expenses, time taken off from employment, etc.

20. Code of Conduct
All participants and co-managers are expected to behave in lawful, respectful and sportsman-like fashion at all live draft events, throughout the NFBC season, and during use of any NFBC website, including, but not limited to comments posted on any NFBC message board. Additionally the NFBC events, games and/or leagues may not be used for any form of gambling. Any conduct or message board post by a participant, co-manager or other person which is deemed by STATS, in its sole discretion, to be unlawful, or to have the effect of intimidating, harassing, offending or otherwise harming any other participant, co-manager, guest, or NFBC/STATS representative, is strictly prohibited. STATS reserves the right, in its sole discretion to ban any person from current and/or future participation in the NFBC and/or from use of the message boards if such person engages in any such prohibited conduct or is otherwise in violation of any of these Rules. In addition, any person engaging in such conduct forfeits any rights to a refund, as well as any potential rights to a prize award. STATS shall not be responsible or held liable to any person for damage to property or personal injury or death arising from the acts or omissions of any third parties. Any participants or co-managers who collude, or attempt to collude, or who attempts to blackmail, bribe or otherwise influence any representative of STATS/NFBC, or who otherwise attempts to sabotage the league, in an effort to alter the results or outcome of any NFBC game will be disqualified and will be prohibited from winning any prize award. If a participant is banned from participation in a current NFBC game, then STATS reserves the right, to take those actions which it sees fit, in its sole discretion with respect to such banned participant’s team. Any criminal behavior may be referred to the appropriate authorities.

21. Errors
The deadline for submitting any dispute or claim regarding the operation of any league draft is one hour after the conclusion of the draft itself; further, leaving any live draft event without submitting any dispute or claim regarding the draft constitutes your waiver of any right to challenge any aspect of the draft. You are strongly urged to double-check your lineups, trades, and free agent moves throughout the season, as STATS/NFBC will not be held liable for any errors in entering lineups, trades or free agent moves, and STATS/NFBC will not intervene or alter a transaction after lineups, trades or free agent moves are due.

22. Prize Splitting
Prize splitting amongst the principal registrant and co-managers is available, provided that the principal registrant has authorized payment to his co-managers in writing and in advance of the completion of the season. In order to authorize prize-splitting, the principal registrant must completely fill out and sign the authorization form designated by STATS (including the name and address of the co-manager(s) and the applicable prize percentage to be paid to each co-manager(s)). Both the principal registrant and each co-manager designated on a prize-splitting form will be required to fill out a W-9. No prize money will be distributed until all necessary forms have been received by STATS. Both the principal registrant and the co-manager(s) will receive IRS Form 1099 reflecting the prize money paid to each. If STATS deems, in its sole discretion, that the appropriate documentation and/or authorization has not been received, or has not been received in a timely fashion, then STATS will pay prize payments only to the principal registrant.

23. Communication and Access
All NFBC team owners must have internet access and a valid e-mail address for communication. STATS is not responsible for any issues which impede or interfere with the transmission or receipt of any transaction, including but not limited to, draft selections, trades, free agent moves and lineups. STATS is also not responsible for the failure of any telephone networks/lines, internet connections, software/hardware, or internet congestion/transmission rates.

24. Hold Harmless
Each participant and co-owner hereby releases and holds harmless STATS and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries, and their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and representatives from and against any and all liability for any injuries, losses or damages of any kind to person (including death) and property, arising in whole or in part, directly or indirectly from participation in any NFBC event, game or league, as well as acceptance or use of any prize award.

25. Disputes; Limitation of Liability; Disclaimer
Each participant and co-owner agrees that (i) all issues and questions regarding the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or your rights and obligations in connection with the NFBC shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the state of Illinois, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules; and (ii) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with the NFBC or any prize awarded will be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, or the appropriate state court located in Cook County, Illinois; and (iii) in no event shall STATS liability to you for any and all damages, losses or causes of action exceed $250; and (iv) in no event shall STATS, its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries, and their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and representatives, be liable for any punitive, incidental and consequential damages. If your jurisdiction does not allow limitations or exclusions of liability for incidental or consequential damages, the above may not apply to you. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, EACH NFBC GAME, EVENT, LEAGUE,WEBSITE, AND BULLETIN BOARD/FORUM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. IF YOUR JURISDICTION DOES NOT ALLOW FOR THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

26. STATS PASS
In the event that you have purchased a STATSPASS® subscription, then the following additional Terms and Conditions shall apply throughout your subscription period:
1. Your username/password are personal to you, and shall not be shared with, or used by, any third party.
2. During your subscription period, STATS hereby grants to you a non-exclusive license to utilize STATSPASS® and the data contained therein, solely for your personal use. This grant of license is expressly limited to the use described herein, and no additional rights or licenses are included. Any other use, including any commercial or non-personal use of STATSPASS® or use by any person other than you, is strictly prohibited, and shall be considered an Unauthorized Use.
3. In the event of any Unauthorized Use, in addition to any other remedies to which STATS shall be entitled, STATS shall have the right to immediately terminate your STATSPASS® subscription, without notice.
4. Subscription fees are non-refundable.
5. STATSPASS® IS LICENSED TO YOU "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OR GUARANTEE OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT WILL STATS BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS, LEGAL PENALTIES, OR OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE STATSPASS® AND/OR THE DATA ACCESSED THROUGH STATSPASS®. STATS’ LIABILITY HEREUNDER SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE SUMS RECEIVED BY STATS IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR STATSPASS® SUBSCRIPTION.
6. You shall not copy, database, archive, save, or otherwise store any data accessed through STATSPASS®.

[Gekko]

Thanks Greg.

Two questions I know people will ask:
1. What is the overall payback %
2. How many DC leagues is the prize pool based on?

Thanks again!!

[Greg Ambrosius]

Thanks Greg.

Two questions I know people will ask:
1. What is the overall payback %
2. How many DC leagues is the prize pool based on?

Thanks again!!

It's 80 percent, same as last year, same as the satellite leagues. Based on 11 more leagues than last year. That's because we expect 11 full leagues the first week Registration opens.

[mrogovin99]

Hi Greg. Are you still planning on handling registration entirely through the site without an e-mail/message board sign up list?

[Greg Ambrosius]

Hi Greg. Are you still planning on handling registration entirely through the site without an e-mail/message board sign up list?

Yes. That's how we'll officially form those first DC leagues anyway. We are proofing the site now and we're on pace for a site launch shortly. Hang in there for a few more days and we'll get leagues forming soon, I promise.

[Gekko]

Hey Greg. I finally got a smartphone so I can stay more connected and make picks on the to. Even though the mrs won't like it, I'm gearing up to put in more time than I have the past couple years.

[joshguy]

why raise 1st place by 4k, but lower 2nd and 3rd place by 1k and then raise 19th and 20th? Seems odd to me. I hope if entries are higher than expected this year that the rest of the top 20 gets some more lovin before the top spot does.

[teflontim]

I loved this format last year, but the equal prize money for the top 3 in the $400 league makes no sense at all to me.

[Bronx Yankees]

I loved this format last year, but the equal prize money for the top 3 in the $400 league makes no sense at all to me.

FYI, on a different thread, Greg said the NFBC is willing to run $400 leagues with a different prize structure if folks are interested. Instead of $1,500/$1,500/$1,500 for the top 3 finishers, I think an alternate pay-out could/should be $2,500/$1,500/$500. Then again, other folks might like almost a 4x payout just for getting in the Top 3.

Mike

[Greg Ambrosius]

I loved this format last year, but the equal prize money for the top 3 in the $400 league makes no sense at all to me.

This was a request by our owners way back when we first started this format. They felt that if we are going to draft so early in the off-season they didn't want so much money being on the line and having injuries play such a big factor in the prize money. Maybe times have changed since then; honestly we switched from the equal payouts in football and the number of signups increased dramatically. That being said, we had 16 $375 leagues last year so folks must have liked this plan. But sure, if 15 owners want a different payout we'll make it happen.

[joshguy]

I love the 1500/1500/1500, something different, variety is the spice of life.

Greg, was lowering 2nd place overall intentional?

[Greg Ambrosius]

I love the 1500/1500/1500, something different, variety is the spice of life.

Greg, was lowering 2nd place overall intentional?

All of our national contests have second place overall as 1/4th or 1/5th of first place. When we expanded the Draft Champions National Championship overall prize pool last year we went up to $16,000 for first and $5,000 for second, a percentage higher than any other national contest. An adjustment was in order.

Yes, we wanted that magical $20,000 grand prize and felt we would be extending our overall prize pool too far if we didn't adjust somewhere else. Prove us wrong with 130+ leagues and one day we'll get second place overall up another $1,000 and make other overall prizes higher as well. But when guaranteeing all of this prize money, you have to be smart and hopefully not over-reach. It's not an easy job to hit every number perfectly and still keep every person happy. Hopefully the $20,000 grand prize keeps some folks happy.

[joshguy]

ok, thanks for the reply, I was just wondering. I would bet on at least 150 leagues this year. 4 months of drafting with at least 1 per day on average.

[Greg Ambrosius]

ok, thanks for the reply, I was just wondering. I would bet on at least 150 leagues this year. 4 months of drafting with at least 1 per day on average.

That would be a great season and would help us all reach new levels. Let the games begin!!!

[Deadheadz]

As much as I'm JACKED about drafting in a DC soon, it'll be my first ever venture into the format so as much as I'd like to do dozens of leagues like some of the others around here, I'm going to wait until my first draft has gone all 50 rounds before I decide to start another.

I'm saving money for multiple OC leagues and at least one ME so I might end up doing only 2-3 DCs.

But much like those geeks who line up for every new iteration of the iPhone, I'll be putting in my signup today (finally!)


Cheers!

[DOUGHBOYS]

ok, thanks for the reply, I was just wondering. I would bet on at least 150 leagues this year. 4 months of drafting with at least 1 per day on average.

I'm not Nostradamus, far from it. But, I believe that somebody (Let the Gekko jokes begin) will have a team in every 50 round league.
Maybe not this year or next, but I can see somebody doing that at some time....

PS- If this is a thought for somebody, PM me, I'll help....The coolness factor would be awesome

[Deadheadz]

ok, thanks for the reply, I was just wondering. I would bet on at least 150 leagues this year. 4 months of drafting with at least 1 per day on average.

I'm not Nostradamus, far from it. But, I believe that somebody (Let the Gekko jokes begin) will have a team in every 50 round league.
Maybe not this year or next, but I can see somebody doing that at some time....

PS- If this is a thought for somebody, PM me, I'll help....The coolness factor would be awesome

Some may choose the shotgun strategy to get the overall prize but I'll be a sniper.

[Greg Ambrosius]

ok, thanks for the reply, I was just wondering. I would bet on at least 150 leagues this year. 4 months of drafting with at least 1 per day on average.

I'm not Nostradamus, far from it. But, I believe that somebody (Let the Gekko jokes begin) will have a team in every 50 round league.
Maybe not this year or next, but I can see somebody doing that at some time....

PS- If this is a thought for somebody, PM me, I'll help....The coolness factor would be awesome

I hate to say it, but I think this time Dan is writing fiction. That would be a bit much, especially since last year we went like 31 straight days of filling at least one league a day. Anything is possible, I guess, but that one seems crazy.

We better start drafts soon. You folks are starting to hallucinate.

[Gekko]

I only did 30 last year. At one point in time, I had 9 drafts going on at the same time. That was too much to handle effectively and still have job and a family. I would literally sleep for only four hours and got worn out. Good luck if a single owner is going to try 150 of em

[Roger Dorn]

ok, thanks for the reply, I was just wondering. I would bet on at least 150 leagues this year. 4 months of drafting with at least 1 per day on average.

I'm not Nostradamus, far from it. But, I believe that somebody (Let the Gekko jokes begin) will have a team in every 50 round league.
Maybe not this year or next, but I can see somebody doing that at some time....

PS- If this is a thought for somebody, PM me, I'll help....The coolness factor would be awesome

I hate to say it, but I think this time Dan is writing fiction. That would be a bit much, especially since last year we went like 31 straight days of filling at least one league a day. Anything is possible, I guess, but that one seems crazy.

We better start drafts soon. You folks are starting to hallucinate.

do you think we'll get one setup this weekend?

[Greg Ambrosius]

I hate to say it, but I think this time Dan is writing fiction. That would be a bit much, especially since last year we went like 31 straight days of filling at least one league a day. Anything is possible, I guess, but that one seems crazy.

We better start drafts soon. You folks are starting to hallucinate.[/quote]

do you think we'll get one setup this weekend?[/quote]

No, but Registration will be open tonight and the goal is to start drafts next Wednesday.

[Deadheadz]

Will there be multiple leagues available at one time or do you wait until a league fills before the next one opens for registration?

And once the league fills, how long until we get access to the 2014 player database including up-to-date position eligibility?

[DOUGHBOYS]

Logistics may be the only interference. It would take a guy with time and money.
Let's work with even numbers since most are partial to them. Let's go money first...

$$22,000 spent for 150 leagues. I know that doesn't work EXACTLY, but this is just making it easier with zeroes....

To win the money back, the drafter would have to just win one of every seven leagues.
That is not even counting second place and third place league money PLUS all the chances provided for the Overall Pool.
There will be 15 drafters risking that sort of money on one draft. One draft.
This drafter has the benefit of 150 drafts and all the info provided. The ADP will be HIS ADP

The Platinum drafter has to consider FAAB every week during the season. This drafter will not.
Time would still be an enemy for this drafter. Although the loosening of lineup times will benefit this drafter, it'll still be tough to make the time for 150 lineups twice a week. And this will be before a pitcher is added to Friday lineup decisions next year when more folks come to their senses.
Time will also be the enemy while drafting. Drafters will have to be courteous to him in knowing what he is trying to do.

It could be fiction, I don't know.
I do know that it would be damned cool if somebody could pull it off. I have the time, but not the money. Others probably have the money, but not the time.
I'll bet there is somebody that has both. He would have to be ultra-committed or maybe be committed after trying, but I can see somebody calling and asking Greg to reserve a spot in every league.
If he does, he should get some kind of bonus!

[Roger Dorn]

Registration seems open. Let's get this going

[Roger Dorn]

Registration seems open. Let's get this going

Email confirmation and everything. We're live!