METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR A FANTASY SPORTS DRAFT GAME

• US 20100137057A1
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sports Draft Daily LLC
• Original Assignee: Sports Draft Daily LLC
• Inventors: Fleming, Christopher Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,192,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/828 Managing virtual sport teams
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A fantasy sports game provides for a league of fantasy teams, each managed and owned by a fantasy game player. Teams are filled through a player draft of active players followed by ranking each drafted fantasy team utilizing current season player statistics in multiple predefined categories. The rankings in the various categories are totaled to determine team, and thus fantasy game player, rankings. The player statistics utilized are current as of the previous night during regular season play, and as of the end of the season between seasons of play. The draft may be an online web application or utilize live video conferencing.

Claims

1. A method of fantasy gaming comprising:

drafting players for a fantasy league comprising a plurality of fantasy teams with each fantasy team comprising a plurality of players;

collecting current statistics for a sport as of the date of the drafting;

calculating rankings in a plurality of categories for the plurality of players in the plurality of fantasy teams utilizing the current statistics as of the date of the drafting of the players; and

calculating an overall rankings of each of the plurality of fantasy teams based on the rankings of the plurality of fantasy teams in the plurality of categories.

2. The method in claim 1 wherein:

the drafting comprises a serpentine draft.

3. The method in claim 1 wherein:

the drafting comprises generating an entire list of draft pick numbers in a random order and assigning those draft pick numbers to each of the plurality of fantasy teams.

4. The method in claim 1 wherein:

the drafting utilizes online conferencing among fantasy game players.

5. The method in claim 1 wherein:

the drafting utilizes bidding by fantasy game players for players for their fantasy teams and each of the plurality of fantasy teams has a fixed budget for players.

6. The method in claim 1 which further comprises:

accepting payment from players of the fantasy game in order to play.

7. The method in claim 1 which further comprises:

paying a monetary prize to a player of the fantasy game.

8. The method in claim 1 which further comprises:

providing advertising to players of the fantasy game.

9. The method in claim 1 wherein:

the calculating of rankings of the plurality of fantasy teams in the plurality of categories ranks the plurality of fantasy teams in each of the plurality of categories and awards a fixed number of points for each place in each of the plurality of categories; and

the calculating the overall rankings of the fantasy teams sums the points awarded each of the plurality of fantasy teams in each of the plurality of categories and ranks the plurality of fantasy teams based on the sum of points for that fantasy team.

10. The method in claim 1 which further comprises:

verifying that each of the plurality of fantasy teams has a roster where each of a plurality of positions has been filled with a required number of players by an end of the drafting.

17. The system in claim 1 wherein:

the calculating of rankings of the plurality of fantasy teams in the plurality of categories ranks the plurality of fantasy teams in each of the plurality of categories and awards a fixed number of points for each place in each of the plurality of categories; and

the calculating the overall rankings of the fantasy teams sums the points awarded each of the plurality of fantasy teams in each of the plurality of categories and ranks the plurality of fantasy teams based on the sum of points for that fantasy team.

11. A system for providing fantasy sports gaming comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing instructions executable by the processor for;

drafting players for a fantasy league comprising a plurality of fantasy teams with each fantasy team comprising a plurality of players;

collecting current statistics for a sport as of the date of the drafting;

calculating rankings in a plurality of categories for the plurality of players in the plurality of fantasy teams utilizing the current statistics as of the date of the drafting of the players; and

calculating an overall ranking of each of the plurality of fantasy teams based on the rankings of the plurality of fantasy teams in the plurality of categories.

12. The system in claim 11 wherein:

the drafting comprises a serpentine draft.

13. The system in claim 11 wherein:

the drafting comprises generating an entire list of draft pick numbers in a random order and assigning those draft pick numbers to each of the plurality of fantasy teams.

14. The system in claim 11 wherein:

the drafting utilizes online conferencing among fantasy game players.

15. The system in claim 11 wherein:

the drafting utilizes bidding by fantasy game players for players for their fantasy teams and each of the plurality of fantasy teams has a fixed budget for players.

16. The system in claim 11 wherein the computer instructions further provide for:

accepting payment from players of the fantasy game in order to play.

18. The system in claim 11 wherein the computer instructions further provide for:

verifying that each of the plurality of fantasy teams has a roster where each of a plurality of positions has been filled with a required number of players by an end of the drafting.

19. The system in claim 11 which further comprises:

a means for communicating with the Internet.

20. A computer readable medium containing computer instructions executable by a processor for providing fantasy sports gaming, said computer instructions for:

drafting players for a fantasy league comprising a plurality of fantasy teams with each fantasy team comprising a plurality of players;

collecting current statistics for a sport as of the date of the drafting;

calculating rankings in a plurality of categories for the plurality of players in the plurality of fantasy teams utilizing the current statistics as of the date of the drafting of the players; and

calculating an overall ranking of each of the plurality of fantasy teams based on the rankings of the plurality of fantasy teams in the plurality of categories.