Crown or Clown — The Proving Ground 2026

The purse · 100% paid · no house cut

Twelve hundred.$1,200.

Every dollar goes back to the managers. Held in escrow, paid out in full the moment all twelve seats fill. Top three cash — third doubles their money back, first and second split a grand. Everybody else funds the legend at the bottom.

1st

ChampionCustom acrylic trophy, engraved and donated annually. TrophySmack hardware.

$700

2nd

Runner-upSo close you'll feel it all offseason.

$300

3rd

PodiumDouble your entry back — on the board, out of the red.

$200

Pot 100% paid to top 3 · trophies by TrophySmack · last place funds its own legend

↑ The throne The vest ↓

1 · $700 · Crown

2 · $300

3 · $200

12 · The Loser Vest 🦺

The hardware · two fates

1st place

Custom acrylic champion trophy engraved Champion 2026, on a wood table

The reward

The Champion's Trophy

Custom acrylic, laser-etched “Champion 2026 · The Expansion League's Proving Ground · Last Man Standing.” Yours on the mantel all year. TrophySmack hardware.

12th place Fantasy Football Loser Vest — please be patient, I suck at fantasy football

The reckoning

The Loser Vest

Hi-vis and unmissable: “Please be patient — I suck at fantasy football.” Dead last wears it, and yes, there are photos.

And for dead last…

Somebody Wears It

A manager wearing the hi-vis loser vest at work — Last season's dead-last finisher, wearing it in public. As agreed.

Finish dead last and you don't just lose — you suit up. The hi-vis loser vest — "Please be patient, I suck at fantasy football" — is yours to wear, and yes, there are photos. Somebody wears the crown. Somebody wears the vest. In a twelve-man field, there's nowhere to hide.

Mark the calendar

Lock your seat by

Aug 21

Buy-in due

Paid late, you don't draft. Simple. First in, first locked — when it's full, it's full.

Draft night · live

Aug 29

Saturday · 8:00 PM Mountain

Show up. Autopick drags you toward the vest. Bring your board. Leave your excuses.

The format · why skill wins

Lineup

1 QB · 2 RB · 3 WR · 1 TE · 2 FLEX · 2 OP · K · D/ST (13 starters)

Roster

20-man roster — 13 starters + 7 bench · plus 4 IR · caps 3QB / 9RB / 9WR / 3TE

Scoring

Exact DraftKings scoring. Whatever a player scores on DraftKings that week is his score here — nothing custom.

Draft

12-team live snake draft · 90 sec/pick · order randomized 1 hr before

Free agency

$100 FAAB · continuous blind bidding — no waiver-priority luck

Playoffs

8 teams · rounds 1 & 2 are one week, championship is two · no reseeding · consolation ladder

Keepers

None · full redraft, every seat earned every season

Platform

ESPN Fantasy App

Scoring that rewards ceilings

Through the air

Passing yard0.04
Passing TD+4
300-yd game+3
Interception−1

On the ground / catch

Rush/rec yard0.1
Reception (PPR)+1
Rush/rec TD+6
100-yd game+3

Defense / ST

Sack+2
Takeaway+2
Shutout+10
35+ allowed−4

Full scoring — every number, no draft-night arguing

It’s DraftKings scoring, exactly — a player’s DraftKings points for the week are his points here. The full sheet:

Offense

Passing yard	0.04
Passing TD	4
Interception thrown	−1
300+ yd passing game	+3
Rushing yard	0.1
Rushing TD	6
100+ yd rushing game	+3
Reception	1
Receiving yard	0.1
Receiving TD	6
100+ yd receiving game	+3
2-pt conversion (pass / rush / rec)	2
Fumble lost	−1
Any return TD / off. fumble-recovery TD	6

Kicking

PAT made	1
FG 0–39 yds	3
FG 40–49 yds	4
FG 50–59 yds	5
FG 60+ yds	6
FG missed	−1

Team defense / special teams

Sack	1
Interception	2
Fumble recovery	2
Safety	2
Blocked kick	2
Defensive / return TD	6
2-pt return	2
1-pt safety	1

Points allowed — D/ST

0 — shutout	+10
1–6	+7
7–13	+4
14–20	+1
21–27	0
28–34	−1
35+	−4

D/ST also earns yards-allowed bonuses per the ESPN settings.

The season · 18 weeks of war

Week regular season

Teams make the playoffs

Week per playoff round

Week championship final

Claim your seat

We've got the first twelve locking in now. Fill this board and we open a second twelve-man — same stakes, same rules. Get your name down early; first in, first locked.

Pay $100 through LeagueSafe by Aug 21

Escrowed and safe — released only to the winners. No chasing Venmo, no IOUs, no "I'll get you next week."

Accept your ESPN league invite

You'll get the link the moment you're paid in. First in, first locked.

Be at the live draft — Sat Aug 29, 8 PM MT

Bring your board. Leave your excuses. Autopick is how careers end.

Pay through LeagueSafe

Your $100 entry is held in escrow and paid back out in full to the top three. The pot doesn't move until twelve seats fill — then the full $1,200 goes to the podium. Pay in, and your ESPN invite comes straight back to you.

Pay $100 entry on LeagueSafe →