Pricing
Every buy-in we run, what it pays, and what I keep. Between 97.9% and 98.3% of every pot goes back to players. The fee is the remainder after the printed prizes — it is not a percentage that moves, and it is never taken out of a prize after the fact.
| Buy-in | Pot | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Fee | Payout | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50 | $600 | $390 | $150 | $50 | $10 | 98.3% | Open now |
| The entry league — the cheapest way to find out whether I run a league properly. Fee is $10. | |||||||
| $100 | $1,200 | $775 | $300 | $100 | $25 | 97.9% | Open now |
| The volume tier — where most money leagues in the wild are priced. | |||||||
| $125 | $1,500 | $970 | $375 | $125 | $30 | 98.0% | On request |
| $150 | $1,800 | $1,165 | $450 | $150 | $35 | 98.1% | Open now |
| $175 | $2,100 | $1,360 | $525 | $175 | $40 | 98.1% | On request |
| $200 | $2,400 | $1,550 | $600 | $200 | $50 | 97.9% | Open now |
| $250 | $3,000 | $1,950 | $750 | $250 | $50 | 98.3% | On request |
Against the lobby you're probably comparing us to
These are Fantrax's own numbers, read off their public lobby on 2026-08-07. The payout percentage in the last column is the one they print themselves.
| League | Buy-in | Total prizes | Kept by the house | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fantrax — NFL TRAX250 Classic Draft (PPR) | $250 | $2,750 | $250 | 92% |
| Ten Yards at the same buy-in | $250 | $2,950 | $50 | 98.3% |
| Fantrax — NFL TRAX500 Classic Draft (PPR) | $500 | $5,700 | $300 | 95% |
At $250 we pay $200 more in total prizes than Fantrax and a bigger first prize — $1,950 against their $1,900. There is no trade-off to weigh here: more money out, and more of it on top.
The obvious questions about the money
What does your $50 actually buy me?
More of your money back, and a league that gets run. Concretely: 97.9% of a $200 pot goes back to players here, against the 92% Fantrax prints on its own lobby — that difference alone is $200 more in prizes on one league. Past that you are paying for the boring things that decide whether a season is worth playing: a scheduled live draft with a person running it, 90-second picks, waivers that clear on time, a written rule for every dispute, and an answer when you message me. I am not selling you analytics — there is free software that does that better than I would. I am selling you a league that is administered.
How do you make money on 2.1%?
Barely, on one league. $50 — capped there, and never more than that at any buy-in — for a season of running a $200 league is not a business; it is about the cost of my time being worth it because I wanted to play in a well-run league anyway. It becomes worth doing across a lot of leagues, which is the plan, and that only works if people come back. That is the actual incentive here: a host who needs you next season behaves differently from one who took $250 up front.
What stops you taking the pot?
I never hold it. Every pot is held by LeagueSafe on majority-approval payout, which means the commissioner cannot move the money alone — the league votes to release it. I submit the exact printed figures to LeagueSafe within 48 hours of the final game — the only payout I will ever submit — and it goes out as soon as the majority approves, normally inside a week. My fee is one line inside that same approved payout, so it is released by the identical vote that releases your prize — I cannot be paid unless the league is.
Do you play in your own leagues?
In 3 of the 3 currently open — each league's page says whether I'm in that one, and when I play it is at full buy-in, with no free seat. That is a real conflict and the bylaws handle it rather than pretend otherwise: any dispute involving my team is decided by a poll I do not vote in, administered by a co-commissioner the league elects — and if nobody wants that job, it is a straight majority of the other 11 managers, binding on me, published either way.
When do I get paid?
I submit the payout to LeagueSafe within 48 hours of the final game — to the top 3 finishers, at the exact figures published before anyone joined, and it is the only payout I will ever submit. The league approves it by majority vote and the money goes out as soon as it does, normally inside a week. That approval is what moves the money, and it is not something I can do alone.