PrizePicks Launches Free NFL Draft Game with $500K Prize Pool

A New Spin on Draft Night

For the first time, players can pick three viral or cultural predictions, like whether the commissioner gets booed for over 10.5 seconds, and perfect lineups split a $500,000 prize pool in free entries.

With 5 million users and a $1.2 billion handle in 2024, PrizePicks is shaking up the $13.7 billion U.S. fantasy market.

“The online conversation that buzzes on draft night is almost as entertaining as the draft itself,” said Mike Quigley, Chief Marketing Officer, PrizePicks.

“We are fired up to bring players a game that allows them to engage with those viral moments in a totally new format that hasn’t been done before.”

The game, live for the April 24 draft, taps into social media hype, with 60% of fans following draft chatter on X.

Viral Picks and Prizes

The game’s projections are a mix of fun and quirky. Players can predict if Mel Kiper drops “upside” more than 3.5 times, if over 3.5 first-round picks sport glasses, or if Travis Hunter’s draft slot beats 2.5.

Other options include whether more than 1.5 players linger in the green room or if boos for the commissioner top 10.5 seconds. A perfect 3-pick lineup wins a share of $500,000, dwarfing FanDuel’s $10,000 draft contest.

PrizePicks’ data shows 70% of its users engage with prop-style games, making this a solid fit. By focusing on cultural moments, PrizePicks sidesteps traditional player props, dodging regulatory hurdles in states like New York.