Overview
Fantasy is Golf Nerd Leagues' full-management format — the one for groups who want more than a draft-and-watch season. You draft 12 PGA Tour pros, but only 5 start each week. The other seven ride the bench while you read schedules, course fits, and hot streaks to make the right call before lineups lock Thursday morning.
Rosters stay alive all season: a $100 FAAB budget runs blind-bid waivers every Wednesday, and trades go through a 24-hour league review window. Standings run on weekly points or real tournament earnings — your commissioner picks the mode at creation. The season runs through the BMW Championship.
How It Works
Create Your League
Set up a private league as commissioner and invite 2–10 teams with a shareable code. Pick your standings mode: weekly points or real tournament earnings.
Snake Draft 12 Pros
A live 12-round snake draft builds your roster. Depth matters more here than anywhere else — seven of these golfers sit every week, and bye-week style scheduling calls are real.
Set Your Lineup & Work the Wire
Start 5 each week — lineups lock Thursday 7 AM ET. FAAB waivers process Wednesday 6 AM ET from a $100 season budget, and trades clear after a 24-hour league review (50% veto threshold).
Win the Season
Only your five starters score. After the BMW Championship, the team on top of the standings — points or earnings — takes the league, with cash bonuses for the top finishers.
How It Looks
Here's what a Fantasy week looks like once the season is underway.
Weekly Lineup
Waivers & Trades
Rules & Scoring
Lineups
Rosters hold 12 golfers; you start 5 each tournament. Lineups lock Thursday 7 AM ET. Only starters score — a benched winner earns you nothing but regret. Unchanged lineups carry forward, so you're never zeroed out for missing a week.
Scoring Modes
Leagues run in one of two modes, set at creation: Points — top finishing positions among starters earn weekly points — or Earnings — starters bank their real tournament prize money toward the standings.
Waivers (FAAB)
Every team gets a $100 blind-bid budget for the season. Claims process Wednesday 6 AM ET — highest bid wins, ties break by standings. Unrostered golfers are free agents after waivers clear.
Trades
Teams can trade golfers and FAAB dollars. Accepted trades enter a 24-hour league review window; a trade is vetoed if 50% or more of the other teams object. The trade deadline is the day before The Open Championship tees off (July 14 for 2027).
Season
The Fantasy season runs through the BMW Championship. Top finishers split the league's cash prize pool by the commissioner's payout percentages. The complete rulebook lives at /fantasy-rules.
Commissioner Options
League Size & Mode
2–10 teams. The commissioner picks the standings mode (points or earnings) and the payout split when creating the league.
Draft Scheduling
Schedule the live snake draft at creation or any time from the league page — on the website or in the app. The commissioner starts the draft when everyone's in.
Trade Review
The 24-hour review window and 50% veto threshold protect the league from lopsided deals without making the commissioner the bad guy.
FAQ
How is Fantasy different from Season?
Season is draft-and-ride: 10 golfers, no moves, every finish counts. Fantasy adds the management layer — weekly start/bench calls, FAAB waivers, and trades. If your group argues about lineups, this is your format.
What happens if I forget to set a lineup?
Your previous lineup carries forward automatically. Starters who aren't in the field that week simply score nothing — the app flags “In Field” status so you can catch it before Thursday.
Points or earnings — which should we pick?
Points keeps every event on a level scale; earnings makes the majors and signature events swing bigger, since the real purses do. Both use only your five starters. Pick the flavor your group will argue about less (or more).
Can the league block a bad trade?
Yes. Every accepted trade sits in a 24-hour review window, and it's vetoed if half the league objects. FAAB dollars can be included in deals.
Is there a cost to play?
Fantasy has a $25 service fee per member, paid once per league per season — it covers the transaction engine that runs all year. Member-to-member entry-fee pools (if your league runs one) are between you and your commissioner; Golf Nerd Leagues doesn't collect or hold pool money.
Can I run my league from the app?
Yes — create the league, schedule and start the draft, set lineups, make waiver claims, and manage trades from the GNL app on iOS or Android, or on the website.
Ready to Manage?
Create a Fantasy league in under a minute. Draft 12, start 5, and let the roster wars begin.
Start a Fantasy League