The PBA season is off to a fantastic start - on the lanes, in the ratings and at the sportsbook. And for a select few who took the initiative to run our own leagues, it has been an exciting fantasy bowling season.
As Commissioner Tom Clark reported on his Facebook page:
"After the first seven telecasts on FOX Sports this year (including two major championships, all four Classic Series events and the debut of regular-season Elite League action), our viewership and ratings have been strong:
- In overall viewership average, we are up 32% for the season to date vs. the 2023 full season.
- We are up across the board in important demographics, including the 18-49 age group, where the PBA is up 37% in viewership. In the Men 18-34 demo, we are up 100% in viewership.
- A total of 9,336,000 viewers have watched a live PBA telecast on FOX or FS1, which is 35% more than last year through seven telecasts (6,924,000).
- The PBA's social channels continue to pick up fans and followers, with our awesome PBA YouTube Channel nearing 300,000 subscribers, which is up 15% year-over-year."
BetRivers Sportsbook has also reported increased volume and handle on bowling betting, which we hope will open the door to additional ways to bet in the future, along with ways to play fantasy bowling.
As for my fantasy bowling league, I'm glad that I started it because A.) it has truly increased my interest in watching each tournament from the qualifying rounds through the championship matches, and B.) I'm currently in first place! There's still plenty of season left, but that's not going to stop me from crowning myself the midseason champ. And I'm not the only one who deserves an award. It's time to hand out some midseason fantasy awards.
If you're interested in running your own fantasy bowling league, consider following these rules that I outlined before the season started (and then updated last month).
MVP: Bill O'Neill
When looking to identify the "most valuable player," I'm looking at how many fantasy points each player has and how much it cost to acquire that player.
In a league where the fantasy points are based on PBA Tour points earned, how could you not give the MVP award to the points leader? Add in the fact that managers bid higher on 14 other players during our auction draft, and O'Neill has provided superior value.
Honorable Mention: Marshall Kent, David Krol
Biggest Breakout: David Krol
Nobody has exploded onto the scene this season quite like "Boog" Krol. He has elevated from impressive PTQ performer to PBA title-winner and is now sixth in Tour points. He has an argument for fantasy MVP too, but considering he has only been rostered on a fantasy team for three of the first six tournaments, he'll have to do more to earn such a prestigious honor.
Honorable Mention: Zach Wilkins, Nate Stubler
Biggest Bust: Kevin McCune
Winning the PBA Players Championship in 2023 appeared to be a sign of big things to come for the 24-year-old son of Eugene and grandson of Don, both of whom are PBA champions themselves. That win and his eighth-place finish in 2023 Tour points led to his pre-season draft status as a top 10 player. However, a disappointing first four tournaments led to him getting dropped in my fantasy league. He's back on a roster now and just had his best finish of the season (15th place), so there is still hope that he can regain his status as one of the PBA's rising stars.
Honorable Mention: Jakob Butturff, Matt Ogle
Best Waiver Wire Pickup: Zach Wilkins
You could argue that Krol deserves this distinction in addition to "biggest breakout," but he falls short because he wasn't even rostered for two of his three highest-scoring weeks in my league. Wilkins, on the other hand, has been locked in as one of the most consistent bowlers this season, providing his fantasy owner with 10th place, fourth place and 25th place finishes the past three weeks.
Honorable Mention: Krol, Cristian Azcona
For more fantasy bowling and betting content, be sure to follow @RotowireBowling and @TheSpatula300 on X (Twitter).
