Overtime fuels $100K comeback win in Yahoo Fantasy Football Championship

Yahoo Fantasy held its inaugural Yahoo Fantasy Football Championship on Sunday, bringing together the top fantasy players in the country at MGM National Harbor Resort & Casino to compete for $200K in cash prizes.

The first ever Yahoo Fantasy live final didn’t disappoint, with the DFS contest going down to the wire. Ultimately, the overtime period in the 49ers-Bengals tilt proved to be the difference.

Barath Seshadri won the event by 2.48 points, taking home the $100K grand prize and being crowned champion with a total score of 163.7.

But just minutes before winning, Seshadri actually sat in third place. It took a missed Robbie Gould field goal at the end of regulation in the 49ers-Bengals game to open the door for a comeback. George Kittle caught three balls for 38 yards in overtime, accounting for 5.3 points and providing Seshadri’s winning margin.

Seshadri, originally from Chennai, India, plans to pay off the mortgage on his home in Lexington with the winnings.

Scott Stewart, who came in second, had a shot to take home the crown too, but was still thrilled to win $25K. He plans to donate part of his winnings to Shriners Children’s.

“This win means everything to me. It validates me as a player,” Stewart said. “I am disabled, and because of that I’m in my house a lot, which gives me time to get great at fantasy.

“This weekend gave me a wonderful weekend away with my beautiful wife (Sheila), who is my best friend and greatest supporter, after two years of being home so much.”

More charity on display

Former NFL players and Super Bowl champions Vernon Davis and Torrey Smith hosted the exclusive group of contestants at an all-expenses paid weekend before squaring off in a one-on-one daily fantasy contest of their own for a great cause.

The proceeds from their head-to-head matchup will go to their personal non-profit foundations, both of which focus on improving the lives of young people in their communities.

Davis beat out Smith by 32 points, earning a $12K contribution to the The Vernon Davis Foundation. Smith secured $8K for the foundation he started with his wife, Chanel, LEVEL82.

The quarterback in each of their lineups (Taylor Heinicke and Lamar Jackson, respectively) didn’t finish due to injury, limiting overall scoring in the contest. Both squads also rostered Antonio Gibson, who had his worst fantasy game of the season, finishing with 41 total yards and losing a fumble.

Davis' top scorer was the Kansas City Chiefs defense, accounting for 24 fantasy points. He shared what it's like to be the one setting a fantasy lineup.

Just the beginning

Over the past 10 weeks, Yahoo Fantasy users had multiple free and paid ways to qualify for the live final, including Daily Fantasy, season-long leagues, Best Ball, and social media.

The top players in the country then flew to National Harbor in Maryland for a VIP weekend filled with a lineup of festivities, including a welcome reception on Saturday and a private viewing party on Sunday with open bar, outdoor games, and raffles for exclusive prizes. At a minimum, participants left with a cash prize of $1K in addition to a memorable experience and major bragging rights.

Yahoo hopes to make this an annual event and replicate it for other sports. Stay tuned next season for how to get in on the action for the 2022 Championship event.