Is There Interest In A 2024 NFFC Championship Qualifier League?

[Greg Ambrosius]

Many of the new contests we have developed over the last several years have come from our die-hard NFBC players. The NFFC Silver Bullet is a perfect example of that, while the Draft Champions concept was pushed by KJ Duke and others almost 15 years ago.

Those contests are now a staple of our lineup of NFFC games, but we're always looking for new ideas.

One of those new ideas is playing out right now in the NFBC where Toby Guevin and a handful of other baseball die-hards came up with a side challenge contest that has really taken off. Right now we have 101 players signed up and ready to go and we could finish with 150+ or so. It's a fantastic idea and I'm wondering if this Side Challenge National Championship has merit in football.

I believe it does.

Toby has written the rules for the NFBC Champions Qualifier League concept below. Basically, it's a single-entry contest where each owner designates one NFFC Primetime team, one Rotowire Online Championship team and one NFFC Draft Champions team to the CQL and the combination of those three teams' scores determines the top teams. The prize money accumulates from an extra $250 side pot that each person pays and that pool of money is distributed 100 percent to the Top 12 finishers in the NFFC. Obviously, you designate the teams you want for the CQL BEFORE you draft any of them, so there's some strategy deciding when to pick the draft dates for each of those teams.

For football, I'm not sure if we need the CQL the following year with the Top 12 finishers or if we should just pay the top teams at the end of the 2024 season. This is straight points for all three teams and the overall standings page would reflect those three totals from each person's account. We can discuss the playoff/payoff format later, but I think this idea has merit here. There's no need to buy extra teams, it's just using ones you are already drafting and adding a $250 sidepot that could grow to $50,000 or more (200+ unique owners) for the finalists.

First please read how this works in baseball and then let's discuss if this could work in football. Thanks Toby for explaining this better than I could and I look forward to everyone's feedback for 2024. Here you go:

By Toby Guevin
The NFBC is known across fantasy baseball circles as the place where the best fantasy baseball players go to ply their craft. As more and more people look to the NFBC as the place where the best fantasy baseball players go to play, the NFBC is taking fantasy baseball to the next level by creating a single league where the best players, based only on performance–play in a high-profile, high stakes league that serves as the pinnacle of Rotisserie baseball.

That league is The NFBC Champions League.

How does it work?

The NFBC offers a “Champions League Package,” which is a stand alone package purchased by customers and includes three leagues ($1750 Main Event, $350 Online Championship, $150 Draft Champions, and a $250 Champions League Fee) for $2,500. Only one Champions League Package can be purchased per player to ensure players can’t qualify for The Champions League purely through volume.

The $250 Champions League Fee would go toward prizes for the following year’s Champions League.

The Champions League Qualifier teams play in the usual overalls for those events, but the teams purchased through the Champions League Package are identified as “Champions League Qualifier (CLQ)” teams. They show up on your My Teams page as, for example, Main Event - CLQ.

These Champions League Qualifier teams, in addition to participating in the usual overalls (i.e. a Main Event Champions League Qualifier team could still win the Main Event overall), would have a separate overall standing system (in the same way as current sidepot contests do). The overall points for each player in the Champions League Qualifiers in all three formats are aggregated and the top 15 players in points in the Champions League Qualifier overall competition participate in The Champions League the following year. There wouldn’t be a Champions League in Year 1, but there would be in every subsequent year.

These 15 players would have earned their seat at the table in a high profile, ultra competitive league with high stakes.

The Champions League would be a 15-team auction, offering everyone an equal chance to get every player and a range of strategies to employ.

The prize pool in The Champions League depends on the number of players participating in qualifiers. Last year, 149 NFBC players had at least one Main Event, Online Championship and Draft Champions league entry. At 149 players, The Champions League prize pool would be $37,250 with 60% going to first ($22,350), 30% to second ($11,175) and 10% to third ($3,725). At 250 players, the prize pool would be $62,500 with a $37,500/$18,750/$6250 split. The prizes could also be supplemented by advertisers who are interested in attaching their name to the highest profile fantasy baseball tournament in the world.

Beginning in Year 3, the previous year’s champion would automatically qualify for the following year’s Champions League, with the top 14 in the Champions League Qualifier overall standings joining the champion in the next season’s Champions League.

The Champions League has no buy-in (outside of the $250 Champions League Fee). Qualification is entirely based on last year’s performance, with the incentive the chance to win a huge prize for those who are good enough to qualify.

The Champions League draft is one of the last events in Las Vegas. Players would be required to attend in-person to participate.

The winner of the Champions League, in addition to the prizes, is crowned the Champions League Winner and best fantasy baseball player in the world for that year.

Why do we need a Champions League?

The NFBC is full of competitive fantasy baseball players who are working continuously to be the best at their craft, putting a lot of time, energy and money into the game and playing in the best leagues. Some players are more interested in the fun and social aspects of the game, but everyone is playing to do their best and hopefully cash or win their leagues. None of this changes with a Champions League.

Right now there is a vacuum of a single league for people who love the game of fantasy baseball to focus their attention on. It used to be that expert leagues filled this vacuum, but with the NFBC increasing in popularity, and expert leagues being based on an affiliation with a fantasy baseball community instead of performance, The Champions League can fill this vacuum.

The $2500 is a high threshold for entry, but for people already playing in these leagues, the $250 fee provides the opportunity to participate in a stand-alone high stakes league at minimal additional cost.

In addition to the financial prize, the Champions League would offer virtually unparalleled recognition for the winner, as someone who not only qualified for The Champions League through a grueling process the season before, but went toe-to-toe with the best players to take down the crown. This chance at glory will drive interest in playing and interest in the competition itself.

Building the Fantasy Baseball Community

Social media and podcasting has allowed communities like fantasy baseball to flourish, allowing some of the sharpest minds and dynamic personalities of the game to increase in visibility. The Champions League would provide the perfect venue and singular league to introduce the broader fantasy baseball community (of which the NFBC is just a small fraction) to these players.

Phil Dussault is known as The Robot: Let’s introduce the world to an analytical approach to fantasy baseball that is measured but effective.

Jason Duponte’s auction antics and anti-Yankee bias is well-known in the NFBC. Let’s introduce the broader fantasy baseball community to his booming voice in auctions. This also gives those players (if they want), the opportunity to build a network of supporters, start a Patreon or access promotional opportunities.

The previous year’s Main Event winner, Online Championship Winner and Draft Champions winner (assuming they qualify) competing against each other the following year.

Below are some examples of the type of media, advertising and promotional opportunities that could be connected to fantasy baseball:
Official sponsors of the Champions League who want to attach their name/brand to the best fantasy baseball league in the world while contributing to the prize pool.

An official podcast of the Champions League that interviews all 15 players in the lead up to the draft about their philosophy, strategy and thoughts on the upcoming draft and league.

Individual sponsorship opportunities for players who compete. X Player is sponsored by a fantasy baseball content site (as an example) and promotes their draft guide as an important part of their fantasy baseball preparations.

The Champions League draft streamed live with players mic’ed and interviewed in front of a live audience.

Incredible narratives of the player who wins their $50 home league who wants to be the best in fantasy baseball. They take the winnings and enter an OC, wins their league and finish in the overall. The following year they take those winnings and purchase a Champions League Package, finishing in the top 15 and earning a seat at the table for a large cash prize, which all started with a $50 home league and desire to be the best in fantasy baseball. This will then inspire others to try to take the same path, if they think they can be the best.

Do you think you can be the best?

Let’s find out.


Well done Toby. I couldn't have explained this better myself. Now, who's game for a three-pack and a chance to join The NFBC Champions League? Damn, great idea and another great opportunity to prove you are among the best players in the entire fantasy baseball community. Game On!!!

[Greg Ambrosius]

So just to simplify the NFFC Champions Qualifier League:

* One CQL entry per person
* $2500 price tag with $250 from each team going to a side pot
* One entry from an NFFC Primetime, one entry from a Rotowire Online Championship and one entry from a Best Ball Championship
* Package must be bought with those teams listed as CQL; sign up as TBDs and pick draft dates for each when ready
* 100 percent payout from side pot total to Top 12 teams

What the NFBC CQL is doing is not paying any winners in 2024. Instead, the Top 15 teams qualify for the Champions League Auction in March of 2025 and those 15 players compete in 2025 to determine the winner and the payouts of the prize money.

That might be a little tougher to do in the NFFC, but here are two options:

* Just pay the Top Points team after Week 17 and pay down multiple spots (maybe 12)
* Or you could do the same concept as the NFBC and have the Top 12 finishers compete in 2025 for the championship, whether that be in a live auction or a live draft or just a live/online draft. That's what the NFFC members would have to decide.

Anyway, I like the concept and with our community's input I think we can come up with a cool concept. Let's kick the ideas around here and on Discord and see what works best. Thanks all.

[pjoner]

Love the concept and I would participate if available for football. Only change is not requiring a live draft, live/online better.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Love the concept and I would participate if available for football. Only change is not requiring a live draft, live/online better.

I would agree. Even finding the perfect time for this Champions Qualifier League Final in 2025 will be tough. Might need to be before the live events so that everyone can attend online. I think Online makes sense and on a neutral date picked shortly before the live events. But let's get more feedback on that part first before finalizing. Thanks.

[YAJ2112]

Love the concept and I would participate if available for football. Only change is not requiring a live draft, live/online better.

I'm in for this format as well

[Greg Ambrosius]

Just a heads up that the NFBC Champions League Qualifier Championship attracted 202 unique owners and will have a prize pool over $50,000. It was a HUGE success in baseball and we are DEFINITELY going to do this for football.

I will post the exact rules for the NFFC Champions League Qualifier Championship soon. Basically, we have created an NFFC Champions League Qualifier link under Special Packages and it will include the following for $2500:

* 1 NFFC Primetime Team ($1,750)
* 1 Rotowire Online Championship Team ($350)
* 1 Best Ball National Championship Team ($150)
* $250 for the sidepot CLQ Championship prize pool.

When you sign up, feel free to pick all TBD entries and then change to the date and time of the CLQ draft you want when you are ready. Once you are in a full CLQ league, you can NOT change the CLQ entry. You can change the entries you want until those leagues are created and then you can't change entries based on who is in your league, draft spot or anything else. Once that league is created, that is your CLQ entry for any of the three contests above.

Your 3 CLQ entries will accumulate points for all 17 weeks and standings among all CLQ teams will be based on total points. After Week 17, the Top 12 scoring teams will qualify for the 2025 NFFC CLQ Championship and we'll have a 12-Team Las Vegas/Online draft for all of the prize money. 100% of the sidepot revenue will be distributed to the winners the following year in the CLQ Championship League. We haven't determined the payouts yet, but something like 60%, 30%, 10% or 50%, 25%, 15%, 10%. We have plenty of time to finalize that, but I see merit in both prize structures.

I will create a separate post next week to officially kick off the debut NFFC Champions League Qualifier Championship. Again, the link is under Special Packages and is the first one at the top for $2500. This package must be sold separately, but if you already have one TBD entry and want to use it for the CLQ Package, just let me know and we'll get it done. You just can't convert a Qualifier entry or any other entry if that team has been drafted already. It has to be a TBD entry or an undrafted team entry. Thanks.

Let's top the 200 unique owners that baseball attracted this year and play for $50,000+ next year. Should be a blast as the NFFC has created another unique contest in the high-stakes space. Enjoy everyone.