FIDDLIN' FATBACK

FIDDLIN' FATBACK is a competition barbecue team with 39 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 48 at the Morton BBQ Throwdown (2014). They are ranked #4160 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#4,160

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1480

peak 1565 · rated over 39 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 22, 2013

latest Oct 11, 2019 · 6.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#440

Master 2014 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

15 podiums

Overall top-10s

13% of 39 contests

Avg finish

top 57%

overall standings

Best overall

676.4916 / 720

Master · Morton BBQ Throwdown

Perfect 180s

Current form

636.51 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 648.33 (-11.82)

Walk rate

59%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Pork Ribs · Morton BBQ Throwdown

Consistency

±14.42

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 165.86 · weakest Brisket (158.35)

Road miles

3,535

across 39 mapped stops · furthest 167 mi

Schedule strength

42%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1555)

Purse competed for

$27K

listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 3 state-championship entries

Master avg

648.33 / 720

39 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (13 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

High-water mark

676.4916 career-best overall

94.0% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 676.4916 at Morton BBQ Throwdown — 94.0% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jul 25, 2014

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

CLUCK , OINK & MOO BARBECUE has finished one call ahead of FIDDLIN' FATBACK 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2015 their best year

2015 was the year it came together: 6 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 37%.

6 contests
1 overall top-10
0 category wins
average top 37%

A tough matchup

27–1 behind in the head-to-head

One2BBQ ahead in 96% of their meetings

One2BBQ has come out ahead in 27 of their 28 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.5 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.52 points below their pork, and turns into a call 18% of the time against 36%.

Brisket avg 158.35
Pork avg 165.86
7 calls in 39 entries

A strong matchup

10–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 83% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of MEATSMACK in 10 of their 12 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

17 of 28 shared pork entries lost

One2BBQ ahead 61% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, One2BBQ has out-cooked them in 17 of 28 shared pork entries.

Show 6 more storylines

Going the wrong way

-30 rating points in a year

The rating has slipped 30 points across 4 contests since Oct 12, 2018 — from 1510 down to 1480.

4 contests since Oct 12, 2018
now 1480

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

Monsters of the Ribway has landed one call behind them 3 times.

A July team

Top 48% average finish in July

Something about July: average finish in the top 48% across 9 contests, versus top 57% the rest of the year.

9 July contests
top 57% the rest of the year

The long haul

3,535 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,535 miles across 39 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 167 miles to Sam's Club National BBQ Tour.

39 mapped stops
furthest 167 mi

The metronome

±2.00% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.00% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.0% of a perfect score
39 contests

A standing appointment

7 years running at one contest

They've cooked Up In Smoke on the Square every year from 2013 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

7 visits in all
best finish 14th

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019 ↗	Master	#1182 (195 pts)	#1295 (180 pts)	#1152 (230 pts)	#1042 (265 pts)	#1191 (210 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#869 (354 pts)	#919 (354 pts)	#834 (419 pts)	#627 (599 pts)	#887 (364 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1001 (335 pts)	#599 (665 pts)	#1120 (305 pts)	#828 (485 pts)	#1016 (345 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#703 (540 pts)	#791 (495 pts)	#727 (555 pts)	#374 (1,030 pts)	#782 (485 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#516 (733 pts)	#569 (683 pts)	#418 (898 pts)	#461 (848 pts)	#648 (578 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#440 (878 pts)	#536 (728 pts)	#258 (1,278 pts)	#412 (913 pts)	#430 (888 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#534 (591 pts)	#619 (531 pts)	#579 (571 pts)	#360 (861 pts)	#515 (621 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to FIDDLIN' FATBACK, each with one reason worth a look.

136 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

DANDDY BBQ

#4,150 of the rated field

1480 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1503

7–1 in 8 shared contests (88% to FIDDLIN' FATBACK)

These two have cooked 8 of the same contests — FIDDLIN' FATBACK ahead 7–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Jun 1, 2018

⚔ Head-to-head

DAWGHOUSE BBQ

#4,155 of the rated field

1480 power rating

Contests: 38
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1540

They've been 1540 at their best, 61 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 38 contests
last seen Apr 5, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

Griswold Grillers

#4,154 of the rated field

1480 power rating

Contests: 41
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1480

Careers of much the same size, 41 contests to 39, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 41 contests
last seen Jun 27, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

Sheyenne BBQ

#4,144 of the rated field

1480 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1480

24 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 8% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 24 contests
last seen Sep 4, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

The 28th Amendment

#4,141 of the rated field

1480 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1480

They turned up 7 years after FIDDLIN' FATBACK did, first appearing in 2020.

rated over 18 contests
last seen Mar 20, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

SLOWJOE BBQ SWEDEN

#4,156 of the rated field

1480 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1525

Level with FIDDLIN' FATBACK on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 18 contests
last seen May 14, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
QUAU	28	6	22	21%	⚔ compare
One2BBQ	28	1	27	4%	⚔ compare
Its 5 Oclock Somewhere	26	5	21	19%	⚔ compare
CLUCK , OINK & MOO BARBECUE	23	10	13	43%	⚔ compare
THE CHILLY WATER SMOKERS	20	5	15	25%	⚔ compare
ALL IN QUE	20	2	18	10%	⚔ compare
SMOKY LINCS	18	10	8	56%	⚔ compare
Outsiders BBQ	17	4	13	24%	⚔ compare
CHANNABILLY BBQ	16	5	11	31%	⚔ compare
MONSTER-QUE	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
Carrol Lou's Smokehouse	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
PORK PARADISE	15	2	13	13%	⚔ compare
Monsters of the Ribway	14	8	6	57%	⚔ compare
BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO.	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare
BOSS HAWG BBQ	13	6	7	46%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	39	8	0	1	172.5600	146.2628	161.81	top 61%
Pork Ribs	39	9	1	7	178.8572	146.8228	162.30	top 51%
Pork	39	14	2	7	177.1544	152.5028	165.86	top 41%
Brisket	39	7	0	0	173.1200	142.2056	158.35	top 61%

“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.

By field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	6	top 55%
Medium (20–39)	15	top 63%
Large (40+)	18	top 52%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
IL	34	top 56%
IA	3	top 57%
IN	2	top 63%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Up In Smoke on the Square	7	14	top 63%	May 31, 2019
Central Illinois Bragging Rights (CIBR-BBQ)	4	14	top 56%	Oct 11, 2019
CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ	3	22	top 65%	Oct 12, 2018
Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL)	2	19	top 56%	Jul 20, 2018
I-39 Smokin Car Show	2	11	top 70%	Jun 30, 2018
Route 66 Smoke Out	2	15	top 48%	May 4, 2018
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2	13	top 63%	Jul 8, 2016
Mr. BBQ Barbeque Challenge	2	15	top 59%	Jun 27, 2015
Smoke on the Prairie	2	4	top 31%	May 29, 2015
Morton BBQ Throwdown	2	3	top 21%	Jul 25, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 8 contests

Contests a season 5.6 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in IL 34 of 39 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 21 10 of them more than once

Opponents faced 498 finished ahead 610 times, behind 753

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

20191 milestone

Oct 11 Most recent contest Central Illinois Bragging Rights (CIBR-BBQ)

20162 milestones

Jun 3 Peak power rating (1565) Up In smoke on the Square
Jul 8 25th tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

20144 milestones

Jun 21 10th tracked contest Mr. BBQ Barbeque Challenge
Jul 25 First overall podium Morton BBQ Throwdown
Jul 25 Career-best overall score676.4916 Morton BBQ Throwdown
Jul 25 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8572 Morton BBQ Throwdown

20135 milestones

Jun 22 First tracked contest Mr. BBQ Barbeque Challenge
Jul 13 First call Heart of Illinois Fair BBQ Cookoff
Jul 13 First overall top-10 Heart of Illinois Fair BBQ Cookoff
Jul 13 First overall past 90% of a perfect score658.1140 Heart of Illinois Fair BBQ Cookoff
Jul 26 First category win (Pork) Morton BBQ Throwdown (TEAMS & JUDGES FULL - May email to be put on waitlist)

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.8	Morton BBQ Throwdown	Jul 25, 2014
+12.1	Smoke on the Prairie	May 29, 2015
+8.2	Up In smoke on the Square	Jun 3, 2016
+6.9	Smoke on the Prairie	Jun 13, 2014
+6.8	Central Illinois Bragging Rights	Oct 9, 2015

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.2	Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ Contest	Jun 24, 2016
-12.9	Up In Smoke on the Square	May 31, 2019
-10.7	Up In smoke on the Square ( WAIT LIST ONLY FOR JUDGES)	Jun 1, 2018
-9	Hog Capital Challenge	Jun 14, 2019
-8.7	Central Illinois Bragging Rights (CIBR-BBQ)	Oct 11, 2019

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	3	0	0	0%	top 89%	87.8%	87.5%
2018	5	0	0	20%	top 71%	92.9%	88.9%
2017	4	0	1	75%	top 58%	90.7%	89.4%
2016	6	1	0	50%	top 63%	93%	90.1%
2015	6	1	0	83%	top 37%	93.2%	91.9%
2014	7	2	1	86%	top 43%	94%	91.5%
2013	8	1	1	63%	top 58%	91.8%	89.3%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 11, 2019	Central Illinois Bragging Rights (CIBR-BBQ) 🏅 Arthur, IL	39 / 43 (632.4340)	42 (146.2628)	20 (164.5484)	17 (168.5600)	40 (153.0628)
Jun 14, 2019	Hog Capital Challenge 🏅 Kewanee, IL	20 / 25 (631.2916)	23 (155.9888)	18 (159.9428)	14 (162.8228)	18 (152.5372)
May 31, 2019	Up In Smoke on the Square 🏅 Lincoln, IL	35 / 36 (627.2228)	35 (155.3484)	31 (156.5372)	35 (152.5144)	24 (162.8228)
Oct 12, 2018	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Arthur, IL	33 / 45 (639.8516)	40 (154.2972)	25 (159.9660)	14 (167.3828)	38 (158.2056)
Jul 20, 2018	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) Peoria, IL	31 / 43 (651.7596)	37 (158.1940)	34 (159.3600)	5 (174.2628)	33 (159.9428)
Jun 30, 2018	I-39 Smokin Car Show Minonk, IL	23 / 29 (622.0688)	23 (158.8000)	15 (158.8000)	11 (160.5488)	28 (143.9200)
Jun 1, 2018	Up In smoke on the Square ( WAIT LIST ONLY FOR JUDGES) Lincoln, IL	36 / 40 (618.6052)	20 (162.8112)	19 (161.0856)	36 (152.5028)	39 (142.2056)
May 4, 2018	Route 66 Smoke Out Dwight, IL	15 / 38 (669.1548)	20 (165.2004)	16 (165.7144)	14 (169.6800)	11 (168.5600)
Oct 13, 2017	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Arthur, IL	22 / 41 (652.9940)	5 (171.9884)	21 (161.6456)	30 (157.0856)	24 (162.2744)
Jul 21, 2017	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) Peoria, IL	19 / 48 (639.2344)	2 (171.9772)	21 (159.9544)	17 (162.8000)	42 (144.5028)
Jul 1, 2017	I-39 Smokin Car Show Minonk, IL	11 / 18 (641.0056)	10 (163.3828)	16 (146.8228)	1 (172.5600)	9 (158.2400)
Jun 2, 2017	Up In smoke on the Square Lincoln, IL	25 / 32 (641.5312)	16 (166.2284)	27 (150.8572)	25 (161.6456)	18 (162.8000)
Oct 14, 2016	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Authur, IL	37 / 55 (651.2224)	47 (157.0744)	24 (166.8112)	24 (166.8112)	43 (160.5256)
Aug 20, 2016	Illinois BBQ Fest at Hillcrest Event Center Orion, IL	6 / 12 (654.1832)	11 (159.4172)	7 (162.2516)	2 (171.4172)	7 (161.0972)
Jul 8, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Indianapolis, IN	24 / 30 (644.5144)	26 (157.0972)	22 (161.6800)	2 (174.3200)	26 (151.4172)
Jun 24, 2016	Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ Contest Assumption, IL	17 / 18 (633.4740)	15 (161.6572)	15 (154.8000)	14 (161.6684)	16 (155.3484)
Jun 3, 2016	Up In smoke on the Square Lincoln, IL	14 / 52 (669.6572)	27 (166.2628)	13 (165.7144)	2 (174.8572)	21 (162.8228)
May 6, 2016	Route 66 Smoke Out Dwight, IL	23 / 40 (639.9656)	13 (167.4056)	24 (159.4172)	14 (169.1428)	37 (144)
Oct 9, 2015	Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL	14 / 48 (670.8116)	25 (165.1316)	9 (170.8228)	18 (166.8572)	15 (168)
Jul 24, 2015	5th Annual Morton BBQ Throwdown Morton, IL	15 / 47 (661.0396)	25 (159.3600)	16 (166.2856)	2 (174.2628)	24 (161.1312)
Jul 10, 2015	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Indianapolis, IN	13 / 28 (655.3260)	9 (170.8344)	13 (164.5828)	5 (171.9888)	24 (147.9200)
Jun 27, 2015	Mr. BBQ Barbeque Challenge Davenport, IA	15 / 32 (663.3028)	7 (169.6800)	3 (171.4172)	19 (164.5600)	20 (157.6456)
Jun 5, 2015	Up In Smoke On The Square Lincoln, IL	18 / 40 (647.9088)	14 (166.2628)	28 (156.5488)	27 (159.3944)	14 (165.7028)
May 29, 2015	Smoke on the Prairie Brimfield, IL	4 / 18 (669.6228)	7 (166.2628)	2 (173.7372)	5 (165.0972)	7 (164.5256)
Oct 17, 2014	Casino Queen BBQ Competition Greater St. Louis, IL	27 / 44 (655.8968)	35 (161.6456)	3 (175.4516)	14 (169.6912)	42 (149.1084)
Oct 10, 2014	Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL	16 / 37 (647.9088)	19 (162.8228)	22 (157.6916)	11 (164.0116)	15 (163.3828)
Sep 5, 2014	Heart of Illinois BBQ, Beer & Bluegrass Festival Peoria, IL	7 / 16 (664.9940)	13 (155.9428)	3 (173.1428)	2 (171.9772)	8 (163.9312)
Aug 22, 2014	Up In Smoke On The Square Lincoln, IL	29 / 50 (646.6856)	45 (150.1828)	22 (164.5600)	36 (158.8228)	6 (173.1200)
Jul 25, 2014	Morton BBQ Throwdown Morton, IL	3 / 48 (676.4916)	11 (169.1200)	1 (178.8572)	13 (165.7144)	13 (162.8000)
Jun 21, 2014	Mr. BBQ Barbeque Challenge Davenport, IA	13 / 25 (655.3372)	5 (172.5600)	15 (160.5488)	10 (165.0856)	17 (157.1428)
Jun 13, 2014	Smoke on the Prairie Brimfield, IL	11 / 28 (663.2916)	21 (161.6572)	2 (173.7028)	19 (158.8116)	7 (169.1200)
Oct 11, 2013	Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL	32 / 53 (635.8856)	40 (152.5372)	38 (154.2628)	8 (170.2628)	25 (158.8228)
Sep 27, 2013	Taste of Downtown Danville BBQ Competition Danville, IL	16 / 25 (639.8856)	18 (158.8456)	15 (161.6800)	10 (166.2628)	18 (153.0972)
Sep 13, 2013	Q the Lou Litchfield, IL	16 / 25 (628.3652)	20 (156.4912)	18 (152.5372)	11 (164.5140)	15 (154.8228)
Sep 6, 2013	Smoke On The River Quincy, IL	17 / 28 (642.2284)	25 (152.5828)	23 (151.9772)	7 (170.2628)	7 (167.4056)
Aug 23, 2013	Up In Smoke on the Square Lincoln, IL	20 / 46 (661.0744)	18 (166.8228)	23 (161.7028)	14 (168.0116)	20 (164.5372)
Jul 26, 2013	Morton BBQ Throwdown (TEAMS & JUDGES FULL - May email to be put on waitlist) Morton, IL	16 / 45 (649.6112)	25 (160)	25 (158.2284)	1 (177.1544)	30 (154.2284)
Jul 13, 2013	Heart of Illinois Fair BBQ Cookoff Peoria, IL	9 / 15 (658.1140)	8 (168.5256)	3 (169.6684)	12 (162.8228)	11 (157.0972)
Jun 22, 2013	Mr. BBQ Barbeque Challenge Davenport, IA	23 / 32 (630.8566)	18 (164)	26 (156.5712)	29 (152.5712)	19 (157.7142)

FIDDLIN' FATBACK

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (13 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Pork nemesis

Going the wrong way

Looking over their shoulder

A July team

The long haul

The metronome

A standing appointment

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)