ON CHRONICLE.
ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, ABOUT 1500 PLAYERS SUIT UP TO PLAY PRO FOOTBALL IN THE NFL.
MEANWHILE AT HOME, MORE THAN 35 MILLION LOG IN PLAY A DIFFERENT KIND OF FOOTBALL.
>> THERE IS A SENSATIONAL APPETITE AMONG CONSUMERS FOR ANY AND EVERYTHING TIED TO FANTASY FOOTBALL.
ANTHON FANTASY FOOTBALL IS A BILLION INDUSTRY, SUPPORTING AN ARMY OF YEAR-ROUND ANALYST, FEW BIGGER THAN ESPN’S FIELD YATES.
WE CAUGHT UP WITH YAT AT EARL’S KITCHEN AND BAR TO BREAK DOWN THE GAME HE LOVES.
>> YOU DRAFT A TEAM AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEA , WHICH MAY BE AS SIMPLE AS NOT CHANGING YOUR QUARTERBACK ALL SEASON, IF YOU HAVE TOM BRADY.
YOU PLAY AN OPPONENT EACH WEEK.
ANTHON THE GAME IS SCORED BY TRANSLATING YOUR PLAYERS’ WEEKLY STATISTICS INTO POINTS, A PROSPECT WHICH FANTASY PIONEERS DID BY HAND BUT IS NOW HANDLED SEAMLESSLY BY APPS.
>> I DON’T THINK IT IS A SURPRISE THAT FANTASY FOOTBALL HAS COINCIDED WITH THE RISE OF NFL POPULARITY.
THURSDAY NIGHT, GETTING BACK FROM A LONG DAY’S WORK.
DO I FEEL LIKE WATCHING THE CAROLINA PANTHERS?
MAYBE NOT, BUT I HAVE GOT CAM NEWTON IS MY QUARTERBACK, SO I AM GOING TO WATCH.
ANTHON THE GOAL OF EVERY FANTASY FOOTBALL PLAYER IS TO BE LEAGUE CHAMPION.
THAT JOURNEY STARTS ON DRAFT DAY.
WHAT BETTER PLACE TO HOLD YOUR DRAFT DAN AT A BAR CALLED CHAMPIONS, WHICH IS WHERE WE FOUND THE BOSTON BALLAS FANTASY LEAGUE.
>> THIS IS PEOPLE I KNOW AND PEOPLE THAT KNOW EACH OTHER.
TALK CRA TO EACH OTHER AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.
ANTHONY: THESE GUYS HAVE INVITED US TO JOIN THE FUN.
PICKING 12, TEAM CHRONICLE NOW WE ARE ON THE CLOCK.
AND IF NOT FOR THE AMAZING FOOD AND DRINK, YOU MIGHT THINK THESE GUYS WERE STUDYING FOR THE SATS.
AS EARLY PICKS COME IN, THE FANTASY EXPERT BREAKS IT DOWN.
>> THE FIRST FIVE PLAYERS OFF ANY DRAFT BOARD NEED TO BE THESE FIVE PLAYERS.
I WOULD HAVE MADE A CASE FOR ANY OF THESE FIVE PLAYERS AS THE NUMBER ONE OVERALL PICK.
KEEP AN EY OUT, WHERE DOES THE FIRST TIGHT END GO?
IT IS ALWAYS GRONK.
IN THIS CASE HE GOES IN THE BACK END OF THE SECON ROUND, EXACTLY WHERE HE SHOULD BE.
ANTHONY: AS THE DRA PRESSES ON, OUR PLAYERS RECHARGE WITH CHAMPIONS’ SIGNATURES SAMPLER TOWER -- WINGS, WAFFLE FRIES, AND MINI BURGERS AROUND AN ONION RING TOWER.
IF WE WERE DRAFTING FOOTBALL FOOD, THIS WOULD BE A FIRST-ROUND PICK.
>> WHEN I THINK OF FOOTBALL SEASON, I THINK OF FOOD.
EVERYONE LOVES OUR SAMPLER TOWER.
ANTHONY: BACK TO T DRAFT AND WITH THE BIG NAMES OFF THE BOARD, STRATEGY COMES INTO PLAY.
OUR OWN TEAM CHRONICLE TAKES A DEFENSE IN ROUND 10.
TO EARLY?
WE TYPICALLY TELL PEOPLE TO RESERVE YOUR DEFENSE AND PICKERS FOR THE FINAL THREE ROUNDS, BUT THE JAGUARS DEFENSE IS A TRUE DIFFERENCE MAKER.
IN SOM DRAFTS THIS YEAR, I HAVE REACHED A LITTLE BIT.
ANTHONY: THE ONLY THING LEFT TO PICK IS THE WINNER.
BUT A SOLID DRAFT IS ONLY THE FIRST STEP TOWARD A FANTASY CHAMPIONSHIP.
TEAMS MUST BE MANAGED, LINUX SET, -- LINEUPS SET, PLAYERS ADDED AND DROPPED.
THAT IS WHERE YATES AND HIS COLLEAGUES GIVE YOU THE WINNING EDGE ON THEIR HIT PODCAST, FANTAS FOCUS, STREAMING DRYLY -- THE STREAMING DAILY LIVE ON TWITTER.
>> IT IS LIKE FRIENDS SITTING IN A BAR NOT DRINKING AT 11:00 A.M.
EASTERN, BUT IT IS ALWAYS A BLAST.
ANTHON THE CHEMISTRY HAS MADE FOR AN AVID FOLLOWING.
THEIR ANNUAL LIV SHOWS SELLOUT IN HOURS.
>> A LINE AROUND THE BLOCK.
ANTHON THAT LOYALTY DOES NOT STOP WHEN THE SHOW ENDS.
LAST SPRING WHEN YATES AND HIS FANS A DECIDED TO RUN THE BOSTON MARATHON - >> WITH THE VERY GENEROU DONATIONS OF MANY PEOPLE THAT LISTEN TO THE PODCAST, RAISED
NORTH OF $35,000.
ANTHON IMPRESSIVE REAL WORD ACHIEVEMENT A COMMUNITY FORGED IN FANTA