How to Play
Players Challenge 2005 is a unique and exciting fantasy football game, where you put your gridiron knowledge and fantasy GM skills to the test by creating your own dream football team and competing against other team owners for prizes and bragging rights as to who’s the best! And it’s EASY to play. Everyone, from the novice to the hard-core fantasy player, will enjoy Players Challenge!
Each week of the football season your job as the Owner/General Manager/Head Coach is to take a $40 million salary budget to build a team of 10 players you think will score the most fantasy points using our scoring system. You get to select the players you want! Each player has a price that will fluctuate from week to week depending on his real-life performance on the field and fantasy point production. After you set your lineup watch the games and watch YOUR players gain yardage, score touchdowns and even make sacks and interceptions, while racking up fantasy points. The better your players perform on the field the more points scored for you! Score the most cumulative fantasy points during the season and the playoffs and you’re on your way to claiming the $50,000 Super Grand Prize along with other great prizes for the top teams!
FORMATIONS
Players Challenge offers you a choice of two (2) formations for you to choose from: the Split Back/”I” formation, or the Shotgun formation. Look at the description below. You can change your formation from week to week, so if you have Patrick Vieira or David Dunn you can adjust your formation accordingly to fit in around their constant suspensions or injuries, or even just to make it look as if you are some sort of expert.
But first, every week you must choose one of two offensive formations:
- Split Back/”I” Formation
- Shotgun Formation
| Split-Back/”I” Formation |
Shotgun Formation |
1 Quarterback | 1 Quarterback |
| 3 Running Backs | 2 Running Backs |
| 2 Wide Receivers | 4 Wide Receivers |
| 2 Tight Ends | 1 Tight Ends |
| 1 Kicker | 1 Kicker |
| 1 Defense/Special Teams | 1 Defense/Special Teams |
Remember, you must stay within the total salary cap of $40 million each week. And the values of each player can change from week to week depending on his performance.
You do not have to keep the same players each from one week to the next. Did your quarterback fail you last week? Then pick a new one. Did you just hear that the running back you had last week might not play this week’s game because of an injury? Then choose another one.
Every week you pick your dream team. Did Culpepper disappoint you last week? Think Manning might be a better choice to start this week? If one of your favorite players is in a bad slump, if he gets hurt, has a bye week, or you think you can do better with another player you can drop him and pick up another player to join your team, as long as you stay below the salary cap. Do you feel that next week’s NFL match-ups bode well for the passing game? Then choose the Shotgun formation. This is the flexibility Players Challenge offers YOU. You’re Mr. Big Shot General Manager who makes all the decisions in putting together the ultimate team. You can make changes anytime and as many times as you like up to fifteen (15) minutes before kickoff of the first game of the week. Not only does this put you in control of your team but it consistently evens the playing field among all teams competing. Important Note: Be aware of Thursday games! After Monday nights games you only have two full days and the day up until kickoff of the Thursday game for the weeks in which Thursday games are scheduled.
Cost
$19.95 for each entry.
$29.95 for 2 entries – Increase your chances of winning and play different strategies and scenarios each week with 2 teams—and save $10.
$39.95 for 3 entries (save $20)
$49.95 for 4 entries (save $30)
BRAGGING RIGHTS
Play against friends, co-workers, family and others across the football nation. Prove to them that you got the skills to call yourself THE BEST! Compete all the way to the top of your league. Better yet, prove yourself as the overall champion and walk away with $50,000!
Tips & Pointers
Be aware of what goes on in the NFL every week. Team owners who played salary cap games in 2004 saw what a bargain players like Julius Jones and Larry Johnson who scored some major fantasy points for their owners as the season progressed. In addition, their cheap prices allowed extra room under the salary cap for solid, more expensive players. In 2004, when Priest Holmes went out the smart team owners saw Derrick Blaylock as a bargain who had huge potential. And when Blaylock was out Larry Johnson filled in big time and scored huge fantasy points for their owners at very little cost under the salary cap. You can spot when that unknown player is going to have that breakout week or season.
Remember, the better the player the more expensive he’s going to be. No one will doubt that Daunte Culpepper and Peyton Manning are probably the two best quarterbacks. But with the Players Challenge salary cap style of play you have to decide for yourself whether they’re worth the price they command and how they fit in with your overall lineup and strategy.
Take into account key injuries and off-weeks (byes) for players. Don’t fall in love with one player. Priest Holmes was a favorite in 2004, but when his season ended early due to injury fantasy team owners frantically had to adjust their strategies and backup players.
