Forces Unite to Eliminate Unfair Advantage in Fantasy Football

STERLING, ILL. (August 28, 2014) – Sports analytics leader STATS and men’s grooming leader Wahl are responding to concerns that facial haired players offer fantasy football owners a distinct advantage, according to a new, lighthearted study. In an attempt to keep things fair for the millions who play fantasy football, the two companies have developed a new, more facial-hair friendly fantasy game. Translation: They’ve simply removed the ‘inferior element’.

In celebration of facial hair’s dominance on the football field, Wahl and STATS today announced the Wahl Fantasy Football Challenge, a new fantasy football game open to the public that exclusively features pro football players who embrace a mustache, goatee or bearded lifestyle. Aside from its unique approach, the Wahl Fantasy Football Challenge at wahlfantasyfootball.com is free, easy and rewarding—the top scorer at season’s end earns a free seat in the high-stakes 2015 National Fantasy Football Championship in Las Vegas, the winner of which comes away with $150,000.

Fantasy football…facial-hair style

As the game’s tagline, “more ‘stache, more cash”, boldly implies, the Wahl Fantasy Football Challenge is about winning with facial hair. However, it’s also about making the fantasy football experience easier. Each week participants simply select three players—one quarterback, one running back and one wide receiver/TE—from a menu of available options. The common dominator, of course, is that each player available rocks facial fuzz. In addition to the grand prize, the top scorer each week wins Wahl grooming tools.

Registration for the Wahl Fantasy Football Challenge opens August 28 and runs throughout the season. To sign up or learn more, visit wahlfantasyfootball.com.

The power of facial hair on the football field

How much of an impact does facial hair have on fantasy performance? According to STATS’ and Wahl’s investigation, a whopping 86 percent of facial haired QBs averaged 20 or more points per week for their fantasy owners in 2013, compared to just 56 percent of clean-shaven QBs. Scruff-sporting running backs, too, enjoyed success on the field, as all but three of the top 10 rushing leaders pounded the rock while rocking facial hair. Similarly, the majority of top 20 fantasy wide receivers in 2013 had facial hair. And when they weren’t racking up more yards and catches, they were catching more touchdowns—44 percent more than their clean-shaven brethren to be exact.

Which scruffy players top this year’s rankings? Check out Wahl’s Fantasy Football Facial Hair infographic cheat sheet at wahlgrooming.com. Learn more at wahlfantasyfootball.com and connect with Wahl on Facebook or Twitter  to join the conversation.

Study Methodology

The fantasy football facial hair study includes analysis and comparison of 2013 statistics of fantasy football players with and without facial hair based on player profile photos for that season. Projections of facial haired players ranked among the top 10 fantasy leaders by position for 2014 is based on public photography of those players as of August 21, 2014.

About Wahl Grooming 

Since 1919, with the invention of the first practical electric hair clipper, the Wahl Clipper Corporation has been the leader in the professional and home grooming category. A quarter-century ago, Wahl, recognized the desire for well-kept facial hair and created the facial hair trimmer category. The Wahl Groomsman was the world's first battery operated facial hair trimmer, and featured the same type of blade quality that defined Wahl’s clippers in 1919. Today, Wahl manufactures a variety of facial hair trimmers and clippers, including the first-ever line to harness the power of lithium ion. For more information, visit wahlgrooming.com.

About STATS LLC

STATS is the world's leading sports technology, data and content company. The company passionately abides by a mission to revolutionize the way sports contests are viewed, understood, played and enjoyed. STATS' calling card consists of real-time scores, historical sports information, Associated Press editorial content, a turnkey fantasy sports operation and SportVU technology. Today, STATS' worldwide client network of media companies and professional sports leagues and teams utilize a broad spectrum of dynamic in-game broadcast presentations and virtual images, multimedia enhancements and game analysis and tactical coaching tools. STATS is owned by Vista Equity Partners. For a complete tour of STATS' sports content portfolio and solutions, visit www.stats.com.

# # #