UltimateFan. Think Ultimate team/MyTeam meets NFT pack drops meets fantasy football. Interest piqued? UtimateFan may have the game for you. 

UltimateFan has created a unique fantasy offering where fantasy managers open packs to determine their squad and build a lineup. When you sign up, you will get a free pack that will include at least one gold card and will give you enough positional variety to fill out a team for your first week of action. To add more players to your team there are a few options. The standard pack, available free of charge, can be opened once a week on Tuesdays. The silver packs guarantee you at least two silver cards and one gold. The gold packs guarantee two gold and one silver. The packs are not for sale like with Ultimate team or MyTeam but can be had via subscription. The silver package will grant you one silver pack drop per week for a month, while the gold package will grant one gold pack per week.

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UltimateFan’s settings are as follows: touchdowns worth four points for QB’s and six for all other positions. It is full-point PPR with bonus points. Quarterbacks get one point at 200+ yards, two points at 300+ yards, and three points at 350+. On the ground, one point is awarded for 40+ yards, one point for 70+, and three for 100+. Through the air, there is one point for 50+ and one point for 100+. Interceptions and fumbles lost cost one point. For the team cards, you get five points for a win and -1 for a loss. One point for field goals between 40-49 points, and two for 50+.

Furthermore, one point is awarded per sack and two per interception. A special teams touchdown nets you six points. And for the D/ST-like scoring, you get eight points for a shutout, two points for allowing 1-13 points, zero for 14-28, and -3 for 28+. This scoring makes your lineup decision at that spot a critical piece of your weekly lineup decisions. The roster spots are QB, RB, WR, WR, TE, Flex, Team. 

Week 9 Team-Building Decisions

QB: Justin Herbert, Derek Carr, Russell Wilson, Andy Dalton 

RB: Austin Ekeler, Nick Chubb, Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, Benny Snell

WR: Justin Jefferson, Michael Pittman, Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault, Jalen Guyton, Tyron Johnson, KhaDarel Hodge, 

TE: Mark Andrews, Jared Cook, Dawson Knox, Austin Hooper, Tommy Sweeney

Team: Chargers, Ravens, Packers, Broncos, Washington

As you can see above, my team has finally started to take shape. It took a few weeks to field a competitive team, especially when four Chargers comprised the bulk of my team during their bye. It does take a while to get going at UltimateFan, but the excitement begins once your roster begins to fill out. 

At quarterback, Justin Herbert is the only QB1 I currently have who is healthy. He gets a soft Eagles defense in Week 9 and is an enticing option due to throwing multiple touchdowns in four of his last five contests. He has 15 touchdowns (14 through the air and one on the ground) in that span and should come into Week 9 angry due to being on a two game losing streak. Derek Carr has an interesting matchup against the New York Giants this weekend but does not have the ceiling or floor of Herbert. 

At running back, my decision is likewise relatively easy. I can play up to two running backs maximum. Austin Ekeler and Nick Chubb are locked into my lineups for Week 9 as Christian McCaffrey’s Week 9 outlook may not become clear until Friday, one day after the lineups lock prior to Thursday Night Football. My running back room looks exceptional after landing McCaffrey and Derrick Henry this week. Unfortunately, both are currently injured.

It is another easy decision at wide receiver with Justin Jefferson and Michael Pittman standing head and shoulders above the rest of my current options. Like with Nick Chubb, I have duplicates of Justin Jefferson, something that has hurt my depth but could be exciting once trading is opened up at UltimateFan. 

At tight end, I will be rolling with Mark Andrews for Week 9. Dawson Knox is still sidelined. And while Jared Cook has had his moments this season, he is not a featured part of the passing game like Andrews. Andrews is the QB2 on the season and is a strong play against Minnesota. 

My biggest decision of the week came at Team. Green Bay is playing Kansas City and was eliminated due to the potential for the Chiefs to pour it on against a Packers team that will be without Aaron Rodgers. Baltimore is a consideration but is playing a strong Vikings offense. Despite the smaller spread, Los Angeles offers the best combination of a soft opponent and win probability.  

Now for the golden helmet and the golden football. The golden football doubles the points of anyone who scores a touchdown, and as always, I will be keeping it on my QB, Justin Herbert. The golden helmet doubles the points of the player it is assigned to, and for this week, I will be placing it on Austin Ekeler. Ekeler should be able to feast against Philadelphia this weekend, but it was a tough decision due to Chubb also being on my roster. However, the Browns may find themselves in a negative gamescript, so I leaned Ekeler instead.

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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.