Iditarod nerds, get ready to pick your mushers.
Led by "contest marshal" Danny Seavey -- son of Iditarod champion Mitch and a three-time race finisher himself -- the Iditarod Fantasy League is back.
It's free to play. Each person who signs up has a "salary cap" of $27,000 to sponsor seven mushers. Each musher has a different "sponsorship" cost. For example, competitive mushers like Aliy Zirkle go for $6,000 while rookies like Heidi Sutter go for $2,000. Some mushers have lower buy-ins if they have scratched in a previous race.
Points are awarded for teams on a descending basis for when they arrive in checkpoints and where they finish, with bonus points for collecting special awards like Most Improved Musher.
Contestants can play as individuals or form a "pack" to play against family and friends.
Danny Seavey said more than 500 people have played each year since he began organizing it. He said he started the league for three reasons: As a way to give fans something to do during the race, to pay attention to mushers fans might not normally watch and to keep interest in the race alive after the leaders finish.
The deadline for league submissions is when the first musher arrives in Nenana, or approximately 2 p.m. Monday. Seavey said winners are eligible for some prizes, but the biggest payoff is the "pride" of doing well. Sign-up is here and full race rules can be found here.