BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DraftKings, Inc., the largest US-based online daily fantasy sports destination, has awarded the largest ever daily fantasy baseball prize purse to Peter Jennings following a five-day extravaganza at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The competition, called the Legends Series Fantasy Baseball Championship, brought together elite players from around the country who qualified for one of 50 spots at the event based on their aptitude for daily fantasy sports. In all, more than $3.3 million was awarded at the event, as the seasons change from baseball to football and the NFL.
Jennings is a former stock trader from Fort Collins, Colo., and considered a daily fantasy sports guru by many in the industry. Operating under the screen name “CSURAM88,” he left the “real world” and made the move to playing daily fantasy sports full-time about two years ago. He says his strategy consists of finding the players whose salaries are too low relative to their expected production.
In the Legends Series Finale, this strategy led him to a lineup including (1B) Mike Napoli, (OF) Jose Bautista, (2B) Dustin Pedroia, (C) Carlos Santana, (P) Johnny Cueto, (OF) Allen Craig, (3B) Brock Holt, (SS) Mookie Betts, (P) Alex Wood, and (OF) Yoenis Cespedes. Jennings secured a total of 170.4 points, and a strong 20-point win over the closest runner up. Runners up in the Legends Series took $350,000 for 2nd place, $200,000 for 3rd, $150,000 for 4th and $100,000 for 5th.
“The magnitude of the baseball aptitude and knowledge of the players assembled here in the Bahamas made this year’s Legends Series a landmark event for daily fantasy sports,” said Jason Robins, CEO of DraftKings. “A huge congratulations to Peter Jennings on his big win, and to all the players who participated and won along the way. We had a talented group of players putting their skills on display for the top prize, and see this as the perfect transition as we look ahead to rewarding our most knowledgeable, skilled players as millionaires throughout the upcoming NFL season.”
DraftKings is kicking off week one of the NFL season with a guaranteed $5 million in prizes, and will go on to make four skilled players into millionaires over the four months of the regular NFL season. DraftKings also offers daily fantasy games in major professional and college team sports such as basketball, hockey and golf year-round – designed for experts and casual players alike. The company is offering one final chance to win big on baseball, too, with its $1 million MLB Championship Week competition, with satellite entries running through tomorrow.
Nearly 37 million people in the United States and Canada—nearly 1 in 8 adults and 1 in 5 males—play fantasy sports. Daily fantasy sports are a burgeoning component of this multi-billion dollar market.
DraftKings is the largest U.S. destination for daily fantasy sports, recently closed $41 million in Series C funding and has, in the past month, acquired daily fantasy sports destinations DraftStreet and StarStreet.
About DraftKings:
Launched in April 2012, Boston-based DraftKings, Inc. is the largest, US-based online gaming destination where players engage in daily fantasy sports competitions across fantasy football, baseball, golf, basketball, hockey, and college football and basketball. DraftKings offers free and pay contests every day that award cash prizes. All contests feature a salary cap format, and new contests are offered every day with instantaneous prize distribution for winners. For more information, visit us at www.draftkings.com, like us at www.facebook.com/draftkings, and follow us at www.twitter.com/draftkings.
