Fantasy sports game enhancements and platform

Abstract

A method and system for playing a fantasy sport competition among a plurality of Users, includes transmitting a User roster comprising a User prioritized list of Players according to positions; and transmitting User selections of Enhancements, each Enhancement comprising a scoring exception from an adverse Player statistic for any Player the User roster comprises. Upon receiving the User rosters, the system stores the User roster in association with the League to facilitate scoring among the Users. Upon receiving the User selections of Enhancements, the system stores the Enhancements in association with the User roster. The system also receives statistics for Players at intervals over the course of the Season. Periodically and at the end of the Season, the system calculates scores of Users based upon the Player statistics and the Enhancements.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A method for playing a fantasy sport competition over a defined Season among a plurality of Users, the plurality of Users defining a League, the method comprising:
 by a client device having instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the device being communicatively connected to a network:
 transmitting a User roster comprising a User prioritized list of Players according to positions; and 
 transmitting User selections of Enhancements, each Enhancement comprising a scoring exception for a selected Player statistic for one of any Player the User roster comprises; 
   by the server having instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the server being communicatively connected to the network:
 upon receiving the User rosters, storing the User roster in association with the League; 
 upon receiving the User selections of Enhancements storing the Enhancements in association with the User roster; 
 receiving statistics for Players over the course of the Season; and 
 based upon the statistics and the Enhancements, reckoning a User score for competition over the course of the Season. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising;
 by the server:
 wherein reckoning a User score is reckoning a User score for each User the League comprises. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 By the server:
 generating standings based upon reckoned User scores. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting User selections to suitably order Players in the User roster further comprises:
 by the client device:
 transmitting information identifying the User; and 
 receiving a list of Players available for User selection ordered according to Player positions; and 
 transmitting a User selection of at least one Player; and 
   by the server;
 in response to receiving the User selection of at least one Player, removing the at least one Player the User selection comprises from the list of Players available for User selection; and 
 transmitting the list of Players available for User selection to a second User the League comprises, the second User selected in accordance with procedures for a Draft. 
   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving Invited User rosters from each additional User further comprises:
 by the server:
 wherein receiving statistics for Players over the course of the Season further comprises selecting from among the received statistics at least one Enhancement-capable statistic shown to be correlated to adverse outcomes of individual games relied upon to generate the received statistics; and 
 defining at least one Enhancement based upon the selected Enhancement-capable statistic for offering to a User in a subsequent Season. 
 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the transmitting User selections of Enhancements further comprises:
 by the server:
 receiving compensation from the User in the form of funds belonging to the User from either one or both of a Bank and a Virtual Bank. 
 
 
     
     
         7 . A system for facilitating Users in the play of fantasy sport games within a League of Users for a User-defined Season, the system comprising:
 a Merchant system residing upon a server having instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the server being communicatively connected to the network, the Merchant system to receive:
 a User Player roster from each User, comprising a plurality of Players listed according to a position and in an order determined by a User's prioritized list of Players for that position; and 
 at least one Enhancement, each Enhancement comprising a scoring exception from an adverse Player statistic for any Player the User roster comprises, from a plurality of registered Users each User using a client device to transmit the request, the client device communicatively connected with merchant system through the network; and 
   a Scoring Database, communicatively connected to the Merchant system, the Database comprising:
 a memory having instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium; 
 a data store containing each of the User Player rosters and data reflecting the Enhancements each User has purchased, as the data is received from the merchant system; 
 a means to receive statistics regarding the Player from third party providers; and 
 a central processing unit which, in response to the instructions calculates scores for each User based upon that User's roster and purchased Enhancements. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the instruction causing the center processing unit to reconcile the User rosters comprise instructions to perform the method including:
 for each Enhancement, suppressing those adverse statistics for which the User has purchased the Enhancement.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the central processing unit calculates scores for each User from the Roster and transmits the scores to each User at designated intervals, each interval being a subset of the Season. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the central processing unit reviews Players' statistics and correlates statistics with outcomes of games to determine such statistics as would be suitable for offering as Enhancements in subsequent Seasons. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the User negotiates the purchase of at least one Enhancement by interacting with the Merchant system. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the purchase of the Enhancement includes receiving funds associated with the User from one of a virtual bank and a bank to satisfy the purchase price. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the funds associated with the User in the virtual bank include funds earned in User participation in earlier Seasons. 
     
     
         14 . A computer having instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the device being communicatively connected to a network to facilitate playing a fantasy sport competition among a plurality of Users, the computer comprising:
 instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium causing the central processing unit to perform the following operations:
 receiving User rosters from each User, each User roster comprising that User's prioritized list of Players according to positions; 
 receiving from an User request to purchase at least one Enhancement, each Enhancement comprising a scoring exception from an adverse Player statistic for any Player the User roster comprises; and 
 for each requested Enhancement, transacting the purchase by receiving funds associated with the requesting User on deposit in one of a virtual bank and a real bank. 
   
     
     
         15 . The computer of  claim 14 , further comprising;
 receiving Player statistics reflecting actual play during a relevant period; and   generating scores for each of the User according to the received Player statistics for each Player and the Enhancements each User has purchased.   
     
     
         16 . The computer of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 generating standings based upon comparing compiled scores for each of the User and the additional Users.   
     
     
         17 . The computer of  claim 14 , wherein receiving from an User request to purchase at least one Enhancement further comprises:
 receiving information identifying the User;   determining User eligibility to purchase Enhancements with funds from the virtual bank; and   consummating the purchase of the Enhancements with a combination of funds from the virtual bank and the bank based upon the User eligibility.   
     
     
         18 . The computer of  claim 10  wherein receiving User rosters from each User, each User roster comprising that User's prioritized list of Players according to positions further comprises:
 periodically receiving prioritized User rosters from the User modifying previously received User rosters to change one of priority, included Players based upon one of a trade, a purchase, a retirement, and an injury relative to the Players, and a User determined reordering of priority. 
 
     
     
         19 . The computer of  claim 14 , wherein an Enhancement has a limited duration in time, such duration being less than a Season. 
     
     
         20 . The computer of  claim 14 , wherein an Enhancement is specifically applicable to a specific Player.