How to Play

Everything you
need to know

Fantasy Madness turns March Madness into a strategy game. Pick bracket slots, earn points when underdogs win, and compete across three distinct game modes.

Overview

What is Fantasy Madness?

Fantasy Madness is a March Madness fantasy game where you don't pick winners of individual games — you pick bracket slots. A slot represents a position in the bracket (e.g. the #12 seed in the East quadrant). When that slot's team wins games, you earn points.

The key twist: points are calculated as seed × wins. This means picking the #16 seed to go far is worth far more than picking the #1 seed to do the same — the game rewards bold upset picks.

At a glance

When it opens
After Selection Sunday
When the 64-team bracket is announced
When picks close
When play-ins end
Thursday before Round 1 tip-off
Play-in games
Do not count
Only Round 1 games onward score
Scoring

Seed times wins

The higher the seed, the more each win is worth. A Cinderella run from a 16-seed is the jackpot.

PointsP
=
SeedS
×
WinsW

Play-in games are excluded. Only Round 1 and beyond count toward your score.

Best value
16pts
#16 seed · 1 win
Cinderella pick
16-seed upsets a 1-seed in Round 1
24pts
#12 seed · 2 wins
Sweet run
#12 beats #5 then makes it to the Sweet 16
24pts
#8 seed · 3 wins
Mid-major run
#8 seed reaches the Elite Eight
6pts
#1 seed · 6 wins
Champion but boring
#1 seed wins the whole tournament

The strategic implication

A #1 seed that wins the entire championship earns you only 6 points (1 seed × 6 wins). A #16 seed that wins just one game earns you 16 points. Draft the upsets — safe picks leave points on the table.

Game Modes

Three ways to compete

Global Contest

FREE TO ENTER

Pick any 8 slots you want — no competition for picks

How it works

  • After Selection Sunday, browse all 64 bracket slots and choose any 8 you believe will score the highest.
  • Unlike Draft mode, everyone picks independently — there's no competition for the same slot.
  • Multiple users can hold the same slot. The race is purely about who has the best prediction.
  • Picks lock when play-in games conclude. No changes after that.

Best for

  • Solo players who want to test their bracket knowledge.
  • Higher theoretical ceiling than Draft mode — you can load up on the highest-value upset picks without anyone drafting them away.
  • Compete on the global leaderboard against every other player.

Draft Mode

MULTIPLAYER

Real-time snake draft — 8 players, 64 slots, one chance to pick

How it works

  • A host creates a draft room and invites exactly 8 players (configurable down to 2 for testing).
  • Once all players join, the host starts the draft. Turn order is set and snake-style reversal kicks in each round.
  • On your turn, pick any available bracket slot from the board. Each slot can only be drafted by one player.
  • If a pick timer is set and you run out of time, the system auto-picks the highest-value available slot for you.

Host controls

  • Set an optional per-pick countdown timer.
  • Schedule a draft start date and time so everyone knows when to show up.
  • Remove participants before the draft starts if needed.
  • The draft board updates in real time — everyone sees each pick the moment it's made.

Draft flow

01
Create & invite
Host creates the room and shares the invite code
02
Lobby fills
All 8 players join and wait for the host to start
03
Snake draft
Players alternate turns picking bracket slots
04
Track scores
Watch your points accumulate as games are played

Leagues

PRIVATE OR PUBLIC

Create a private group, everyone picks independently, one leaderboard

How it works

  • A host creates a league with a name, visibility (public or private), and a maximum participant count.
  • Members join via invite code (private) or by browsing public leagues.
  • Each member independently picks 8 bracket slots — the same slot can be picked by multiple members.
  • A private per-league leaderboard ranks all members by total score.

Host controls

  • Kick participants from the league before picks lock.
  • Ban participants permanently (with an optional reason recorded for audit).
  • Unban previously banned participants.
  • Set the league as public (discoverable) or private (invite-only).
Timing

When picks open and close

Selection Sunday
Picks open

The 64-team bracket is announced. All modes open immediately — you can start making picks right away.

Monday – Wednesday
Play-in games

Four play-in games are held. These do not count toward your score. You can still change your picks during this window.

Thursday morning
Picks lock

All picks lock before Round 1 tip-off. No changes are allowed after this point. Draft rooms must also be completed before this deadline.

Thursday – Sunday
Round 1 & 2 play

Games begin. Scores update in real time as results come in. Watch your leaderboard position change with every upset.

Competition

Leaderboards

Three separate leaderboards track performance across each mode.

Global Leaderboard

Every Global Contest participant ranked by their cumulative score. Updated after every game result.

Site-wide · All players compete

Draft Leaderboard

Scores from all completed drafts aggregated into a single ranking across the entire tournament year.

Site-wide · Draft participants only

League Leaderboards

Every league has its own private leaderboard so you can see exactly how you stack up against your group.

Per-league · Members only
FAQ

Common questions

What is a bracket slot?

A bracket slot is a position in the tournament bracket identified by its quadrant and seed number (e.g. #12 seed East). You pick slots rather than teams because the play-in games determine which specific team occupies each slot. This way your pick is valid even before play-in games finish.

Can I participate in multiple modes?

Yes. You can enter the Global Contest, join or create one or more Drafts, and join one or more Leagues — all simultaneously. Each mode tracks its own scoring separately.

What happens if I miss my turn in a draft?

If a pick timer is configured and it expires, the system automatically selects the highest-value available bracket slot for you. If no timer is configured, the draft waits indefinitely for your pick.

Do play-in games count for scoring?

No. Play-in games (the four games on Tuesday and Wednesday before Round 1) are excluded from scoring entirely. Only Round 1 games and beyond count toward your totals.

How do I join a private league?

Ask the league host to share the invite code. Visit your Leagues page, click "Join a League", and enter the code. You'll be added instantly as long as the league isn't full.

Can I change my picks?

Yes — in Global mode and Leagues, you can update your 8 picks any time while the pick window is open (between Selection Sunday and when play-ins conclude on Thursday). Draft picks are permanent once made.

Ready to play?

Free to enter. Sign up now and be ready to pick the moment Selection Sunday ends.

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