2 Grinders in Top 3 of FanDuel $1,400 MLB Challenge
FanDuel $1,400 MLB Challenge
Two RotoGrinders Finish in Top Three. Four in Top 10.
The Daily Fantasy industry took a step forward yesterday, with the first large-field contest taking place on FanDuel. The one-time MLB contest took place Monday, so FanDuel could test their large-field software for the upcoming FanDuel Fantasy Football Championship, and it appears to have been a success! The contest offered a $1,400 Guarantee with just a $10 entry fee, paying very top-heavy with 1st place earning $1,000, 2nd place earning $300, and 3rd place earning $100 – A nice return for just a $10 investment. Users were allowed unlimited entries and the field drew 150 competitors (some of which were FanDuel employees who could not qualify for any prizes). While it appears FanDuel were able to about break-even on the contest held yesterday, we are sure they will be big winners once the FFFC rolls around.
If this event were a forecast for how savvy our members are at Daily Fantasy Sports, then we are in good shape. Two Grinders finish in the top three and four finished in the top 10* (*- including and after adjustment for FanDuel employees). The adjustments were forced to be made due to WaiverWire’s (ZooBird on FanDuel) dominant lineup. WaiverWire finished 2nd place overall, but fortunately for those behind him, WaiverWire works part-time for FanDuel and was ineligible for any prizes. That opened the gates for a three-way tie for second place (a potential consequence of such large fields). The tie-breaker was settled with a question answered before the contest: “How many pitches will Ervin Santana throw?” Grinder, and employee of RG, Cal Spears wound up guessing a number that put him 2nd in the tie-breaker standings behind ‘osubase34’, good for 3rd overall and the $100 prize. When discussing his strategy and thoughts on the innovative contest, Cal told us “I used three entries in the competition to vary my lineups and give me a better chance at cashing”. He also told us that “sweating the games in such a large-field was much more nerve-racking and exciting than compared to the usual daily heads-up contest.” Cal has been proving his baseball acumen as of late, with another large field win in the RotoGrinders/DraftZone $250 Freeroll (field of 13) and with a victory over none other than WaiverWire himself in their Relief Pitcher Contest You can check out Cal’s second place lineup in the image on the left.
In addition to Cal and WaiverWire, two other Grinders finished in the top 10. Seventh ranked Zookerman182, proved his MLB knowledge once again with a strong finish, despite not cashing. His lineup finished in fifth place with 69 total points and got boosts from top scorers Robinson Cano, Mark Reynolds, and Jay Bruce. Number 18 KCearnal squeezed his way into the top 10 after WaiverWire’s removal, notching 61 points and 10th place. His lineup got big boosts from both Jair Jurrens (17) and Alex Rios (19). The winner of the contest was username ‘Primeball’ on FanDuel. He notched accumulated a massive score of 91 points, nearly 20 points more than second place, and well-deserving of the $1,000 grand prize. His lineup was solid top to bottom, with only Matt Holliday having an off game meanwhile receiving big nights from all of the following: Ervin Santana (16), Robinson Cano (12) Mark Reynolds (13), Alex Rios, and Jay Bruce (11).
Overall, the challenge went off with minimal issues. There was a long gap in the scoring early, but their developers jumped in and fixed it quickly. After this test Fanduel should be completely prepared to host the first round of FFFC games. The large field and large prizes should be a great addition to the Daily Fantasy World, and excitement is surrounding the FanDuel Fantasy Football Challenge coming September 6th, which we will be fully covering starting next week!
- Cameron