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In 2013, “Rossmore” a team name partially derived from a street in Los Angeles where Makous grew up, placed 11th in the World Championship Main Event. While they were happy with their result, they still wanted to achieve their ultimate goal: to win it all.
In 2014, the teammates regrouped and prepared rigorously for the draft, as always. Makous updated his algorithm — one with thousands of lines of code, measuring several hundred variables. The two lawyers traveled to Vegas, as most World Championship participants do, for FullTime Fantasy’s greatest experience.
Although owners can draft online, all World Championship participants are invited to draft in Vegas during the NFL’s opening weekend. Last year, the event took place in the dazzling Grand Ballroom of the Mirage Hotel and Casino and was a Fantasy Football experience that was impossible to forget. Players capped off their memorable weekend at SCOUT’s free Sunday NFL viewing party and left Vegas with teams that could potentially win thousands of dollars. Each individual league offers $12,500 in prizes. Meanwhile, the World Champions take home $150,000 plus a trip for two to Vegas on Super Bowl weekend (with flight and room accommodations) for the live check presentation!
Makous and Casano said they don’t have a specific strategy for Fantasy drafts. They don’t target specific players; they simply take the most valuable player available. After drafting Matt Forte and Le’Veon Bell in the first two rounds in 2014, “Rossmore Magnus” was looking golden, especially after grabbing Kelvin Benjamin as the 37th WR off the board and Odell Beckham Jr. with the second-to-last pick of the draft.
“The NFL is littered with injuries every single year,” Casano said. “While we knew Beckham would start the year off on the bench, we were hopeful that he would produce later on in the season. As you get down to the last few rounds, you’re pretty much trying to discern who is going to produce at a level that no one expects.”
Boy, were they right about Beckham! Forte, Bell and the New York Giants’ rookie sensation led the team all year. “Rossmore Magnus” made just seven moves on the waiver wire throughout the season and only one was significant. After Nick Foles suffered a season-ending injury, the two law-school teammates added Mark Sanchez to take his place. This move paid dividends as Sanchez threw for 374 yards and two touchdowns in Week 16 to help “Rossmore Magnus” capture the World Championship.
“It was a very nervous time,” Casano said. “When the final whistle blew, I was overwhelmingly relieved, as the last game had been so tense. We were following the stats and that’s another great thing about (the World Championship). The software is great because you get real-time updates as to how things are going. When the whistle finally went off, it was relief followed by disbelief and then exhilaration.”
The reigning champions will be in Vegas again this year and will attempt to become the first team to successfully defend the crown. The competition will be fierce, featuring only the best of the best. However, one of the great things about Fantasy Football is that anyone can win any given year with the right preparation. Perhaps a first-year World Championship contender will win it all this season.
Makous has some advice for newcomers to the World Championship who are looking to take their game to the next level: “I would say to draft two teams if you can afford it. You never know if one team will get hit with a bunch of injuries or if the fall of the cards won’t go your way.
“Be thoughtful about taking investors,” he added. “Basically, one guy is enough. If you have a partner, you’ve got to have an alpha male or lead dog who makes the final call.”
He also mentioned how important draft preparation truly is. Not all Fantasy owners will create a complex algorithm like Makous, but you have to do your research if you want to contend. Makous watches every single NFL game every single week. Now that he has retired from the legal profession, he has the time to really focus on the game and learn about the players. He spends hundreds of hours over the course of a season studying game film and acclimating himself with the 700 players in the league. Learning everything you can about the players is critical to Fantasy success.
“Don’t follow the herd,” he said. “Think for yourself and, at the appropriate times, take risks.”
Some would say that drafting Forte with the second overall pick was a risky move for the eventual champions. However, Makous and Casano went with their guts. They didn’t allow others to influence their picks. For that, they were heavily rewarded.
“Lastly, watch the waiver wire,” Makous said. “The waiver wire is used for two reasons. There are the bye-week fill-ins where you drop a defense or kicker. Then there’s the emergency pickup where you have a key injury and you have to fill a roster spot.”
The World Championship provides the ultimate chance to prove that you are truly among the elite Fantasy Football owners in the world. With $12,500 in prizes awarded to each individual league, the investment is surely worth the fun and excitement. Owners will compete in one of many 12-team leagues through a 13-week regular season. The team with the best record and the team with the most points will be rewarded at the end of Week 13. The playoffs will consist of the two teams with the best records and the two teams with the most points in your league. Those four teams will also advance to the Championship Round, where they can win large cash prizes. Following a three-week points shootout from Weeks 14-16, one skilled league winner will take home $150,000 and reign as the 2015 Fantasy Football World Champion! For more information on rules and regulations for the World Championship, click here.
“I participate because it is just such a fun activity,” Casano said. “FullTime Fantasy Sports does a great job with the live drafts. I think it’s really fun to be in a room with all the other team owners in Vegas. It’s fun to see how all the other owner’s operate. I think one benefit I got out of playing Fantasy Football at such a high level is that I got to know the League better. Then there is the monetary aspect that can’t be overlooked. There is a real opportunity to win money, and the prizes are truly great.”
Not only does FullTime Fantasy Sports offer the best cash incentives, we also utilize the most advanced software in the industry. You never have to print a cheat sheet again! Color-coded draft boards, real-time on-screen cheat sheets, blind bidding and more.
David Makous and William Casano will be back in Vegas to protect their title as World Champions. Sign up for the World Championship today and meet them on the battlefield!
Are you a Die-Hard Fantasy Football Player? CLICK HERE to Start Your Road to the 2018 Fantasy Football World Championships.
