Best Ball Summer Begins: Underdog Fantasy Turns to Flatter Payouts in BBMV
Over the course of the next 128 days, a lot is going to happen. Memorial Day, graduation ceremonies, July 4 celebrations. Weddings, barbecues, vacations.
Heck, Labor Day is on Day 125 of these 128 days.
Point being, it’s a long time.
But for a certain segment of the population, all of the above are mere annoyances. Sure, we all love a good wedding and a fun barbecue, but – brass tacks time – it’s BEST BALL (caps mine) that this season is all about, culminating in opening night of the NFL. Which is 128 days away.
Best ball drafts commence!
And it all kicked off Monday, with Underdog Fantasy’s signature contest, Best Ball Mania V – BBMV to the cool kids – and I am literally, no joke, writing this Tuesday as I draft my second team (it’s 7:45 a.m. ET), in which I decided to start RB-RB like a lunatic. (Jahmyr Gibbs and De’Von Achane, come at me bro.)
This year’s contest does away with last year’s “regular season” sub-contest within the main contest and also features a payout structure that is much, much, much flatter. Reminiscent of DFS, circa 2015 kind of flat.
The top prize – $3,000,000 last year – is down to $1,500,000. But 10th place gets 10% of that number at $150,000, and people finishing 20th will get $100,000.
But perhaps the most significant change is for people who decide to max enter the tournament (at $25 a pop, 150 teams). If you get one team to the 539-person final (no small feat, as there will be over 672,000 entries), it will guarantee a payout of $3,750. In other words: You get your money back if you max enter and get to the final.
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Flatter payouts earn praise from fantasy football vets
“If you’re going to spend the time and the money to max, I think it’s good to have a nice simple benchmark to be free rolling,” said Nick Rudman, Underdog’s Head of Brand.
“Making the final is an accomplishment unto itself, and those who do should not lose money.”
This is echoed by Justin Herzig, the winner of the inaugural Best Ball Mania and Establish The Run contributor.
“It is great to see Underdog Fantasy listen to community feedback and install a payout structure that will pay at least six figures to 20 people and five figures to 100,” he said.
Peter Overzet, the creative lead at Fantasy Life, is also thrilled with the structure.
“It might seem hard to believe, but the ‘Week 17 is all that matters’ guy is a fan of the new payout structure,” he said. “The regular season payouts were a fun wrinkle, but no one plays milly makers for the min-cash – and if they do, they are doing it wrong.”
The contest is already blowing through benchmarks, with nearly 11,000 entries in about 18 hours.
Best ball tips for first-timers
And while there are many veterans in the field already (like yours truly, a BBMII finalist, thank you very much, no applause necessary), there will also be plenty of first-timers in the field.
Advice?
“Stack, stack, STACK!” said Herzig.
Overzet has some thoughts as well.
“BBM is such a unique beast because it spans 4+ months and the strategies you should be pushing when the contest drops are much different than the ones we should employ in August,” he said. “If drafting this week, I recommend taking advantage of the mispriced ADPs which will quickly correct. Players like Xavier Worthy and Ray Davis will be massive risers over the next month, so pack your bags now.”
Overzet also created a video detailing his thoughts on drafting throughout the summer.
It’s handy, but there is no mention of how to navigate a draft while serving as a groomsman. Or while setting off fireworks. Or while sightseeing through Machu Picchu. Maybe next year.
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