In what often seemed a foregone conclusion, Jacques Smith of Chevy Chase, Md. won the 2019 Fantasy Index Blackout championship. Jacques will receive a free subscription to the SuperFanatic newsletter package in 2020, plus a free copy of the 2020 edition of Fantasy Football Index magazine, plus a spot in our magazine Experts Draft or Experts Auction -- his choice. Second place finisher Rob Rinehart of Petaluma, Calif. will be invited to participate, as well.
Hotshot readers often tell us that they belong in our Experts Poll, Experts Draft and Experts Auction. We promise to put them in the magazine. All they need to do is play Blackout every week and outscore hundreds of competitors like Smith and Rinehart (or win the Fantasy Index Open rankings accuracy contest -- final results for that will be posted soon).
Jacques seized the overall lead in Week 5, and he held it for 11 of the final 13 weeks. We asked if there was a particular strategy or method he used to win the contest, and he gave a totally un-helpful answer: "As for my secret sauce, I am originally from New Orleans, so I look at success like making a good gumbo. You need to have a good roux, fresh ingredients, and patience. It is the same for fantasy success - it takes a gumbo to win - with equal parts preparation, luck, and patience."
Fantasy Index Blackout is our free, all-comers weekly game. Participants submit a lineup consisting of two quarterbacks, two running backs, three receivers, two tight ends, two kickers, and two defense / special teams. But we remove some players from the pick-list (i.e., they are "blacked out").
The margins in the game are slim. The official Fantasy Index Weekly picks finished 24th overall in the contest. But each week Fantasy Index publisher Ian Allan played a hunch here or there, and his hunches finished 25.0 points ahead of the official picks -- 19th overall. This year 692 people played at some point during the year, and a solid core of about 300 people played all 17 weeks. Thanks to everybody who played this year. Play again beginning next September.
Final 2019 standings - Top 50 overall | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rk | Last | Pts | Team | Owner | Hometown |
1. | 1. | 3440.4 | VooDoo | Jacques Smith | Chevy Chase, Md. |
2. | 2. | 3418.0 | FYFFL | Rob Rinehart | Petaluma, Calif. |
3. | 4. | 3402.3 | VK | Victor Kitzes | Maple Valley, Wash. |
4. | 6. | 3390.4 | Mike T. | Mike Taylor | Meridian, Idaho |
5. | 8. | 3377.4 | Bellview Bashers | Treavor Phipps | Salem, Ind. |
6. | 5. | 3358.9 | Joe Mic's Picks | Joseph Michelangelo | Oceanside, N.Y. |
7. | 7. | 3356.1 | SlappyWhite | Steve Lantvit | Lisle, Ill. |
8. | 3. | 3354.8 | Steve K. | Steve Klitzner | Miami, Fla. |
9. | 11. | 3352.8 | Niner Nut | Vern Davis | Sacramento, Calif. |
10. | 12. | 3328.4 | zilladogg | Philip Browning | Honolulu, Hawaii |
11. | 23. | 3327.5 | Chubbs Peterson | Ed Weiss | Parsippany, N.J. |
12. | 22. | 3324.0 | Naugatuck Riverrattlers | Chris Bielik | Beacon Falls, Conn. |
13. | 16. | 3321.3 | Livengood Rules | Michael Livengood | Ward, Ark. |
14. | 20. | 3318.1 | Dam Guy | Dave Garner | Mossyrock, Wash. |
15. | 14. | 3312.3 | Renegades | Mark Christie | Fairport, N.Y. |
16. | 17. | 3312.3 | Scott A. | Scott Anderson | Troy, N.Y. |
17. | 21. | 3310.5 | It Ertz when I Wentz | Kenneth Yuen | Arlington Heights, Ill. |
18. | 19. | 3309.6 | BUCXPRESS | Robert Buckmann | Mount Dora, Fla. |
19. | 25. | 3306.7 | Fantasy Index (Ian Allan) | Ian Allan | Seattle, Wash. |
20. | 39. | 3293.1 | Benton's Bullies | Benton Hitt | Lorton, Va. |
21. | 27. | 3292.7 | 18 rocks | Brad Dengler | Morton, Wash. |
22. | 15. | 3285.5 | Frank S. | Frank Sui | New York, N.Y. |
23. | 32. | 3284.7 | Brian B. | Brian Baker | Sparta, Mich. |
24. | 28. | 3281.7 | Fantasy Index (official picks) | Fantasy Index | Seattle, Wash. |
25. | 37. | 3279.6 | Headbangers | Chad Henslee | Nederland, Texas |
26. | 36. | 3279.5 | BASHERS | Dan Bowman | Liberty, Mo. |
27. | 26. | 3269.8 | Dukman | David Kennedy | Steamburg, N.Y. |
28. | 30. | 3267.3 | JR'S RAMMERS | John Ruppe | Fort Myers, Fla. |
29. | 31. | 3263.5 | Barney's Rubble | Paul Barnes | Silver Spring, Md. |
30. | 40. | 3260.3 | O Club | John Sokolosky | Wilburton, Okla. |
31. | 24. | 3259.7 | French Taunters | Mike Hernandez | Yakima, Wash. |
32. | 29. | 3258.8 | Scott K. | Scott Kaliska | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
33. | 38. | 3257.4 | Den's Dawgs | Dennis Salisbury | Cranston, R.I. |
34. | 35. | 3255.8 | SDBOLTGUY | Michael Genesi | Oceanside, Calif. |
35. | 33. | 3254.6 | Justin S. | Justin Skinner | Springfield, Mo. |
36. | 45. | 3246.2 | Johnathan H. | Johnathan Hicks | Pasco, Wash. |
37. | 34. | 3244.8 | Jarrett A. | Jarrett Applegate | Manchester, Mo. |
38. | 49. | 3239.7 | Miles | Brent Miles | Pasco, Wash. |
39. | 46. | 3234.9 | Mighty Grimmace's | Todd Blinn | Obetz, Ohio |
40. | - | 3232.8 | Travis P. | Travis Perry | Coeburn, Va. |
41. | - | 3229.6 | Physically Unable to Perform | Dave Cohen | Brooklyn, N.Y. |
42. | 41. | 3228.1 | IOFTHETIGER | Richard Hodges | Tacoma, Wash. |
43. | 44. | 3227.3 | DT BOMBERS | Dennis Thomas | Royal Oaks, Calif. |
44. | 50. | 3226.4 | Harveynuts | William Harvey | Pittsburgh, Pa. |
45. | 42. | 3223.6 | Mile High Hoosier | Kevin Johnson | Rio Rancho, N.M. |
46. | - | 3222.2 | Riverboat Gambler | Pat Schlyer | Hays, KS |
47. | 43. | 3214.0 | Timothy B. | Timothy Bryner | Anchorage, Alaska |
48. | - | 3210.9 | Rancor Keeper | Dwight Johnson | Columbia, Md. |
49. | - | 3201.4 | fairball | Steven Morrow | Eagle Lake, Minn. |
50. | 47. | 3200.5 | Super Bowl Cowboys | Jeff Roberts | Powell, Ohio |