FSB.com learned Wednesday night of some apparent big changes at Fanball.

An anonymous source has told us that about a third of the company’s staff has been let go, including CDM Fantasy Sports co-founders Carol Matthews and Brian Matthews. (CDM was acquired in 2006 by Fanball’s parent company.)

FSB.com has independently confirmed that the purge did take place and that Ryan Houston, publisher and senior VP of business development, has been promoted.

Word is that some recent ventures have underperformed financially, though FSB.com has yet to confirm any specifics on that front. We’ll bring you more details as they become available.

Footballguys co-owner Joe Bryant provided an unusual number of announcements in Wednesday’s daily subscription e-mail, the biggest of which was a partnership on a new high-stakes contest.

Bryant and fellow Footballguys.com creator David Dodd have combined with Dave Gerczak and Alex Kaganovsky to create JDAD LLC, which will put on the Footballguys Players Championship this summer. The event will consist of live online drafts from Aug. 1 through Sept. 8, currently set at $350 per entry.

“For years, we’ve had customers asking us to create a high stakes contest,” Bryant wrote in the e-mail newsletter. “I’ve wanted to have a presence in this space for a long time and so has David.

“David (Gerzcak) and Alex have a fantastic reputation for outstanding customer service running their FFPC leagues. We think it’s a perfect partnership as they compliment what we do very well.”

According to the releases on both Footballguys.com and the FFPC site, draft times are set twice daily from Aug. 1 through Sept. 8 — 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on weekdays, and 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with additions possible. Top prize for the contest is set at $50,000.

The entry of Footballguys into this space will be interesting, because the site’s strong content is often mentioned by competitors in the high-stakes space and the subscriber base brings an immediate pool of potential customers.

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Aside from the new high-stakes contest, Footballguys.com also unveiled Wednesday a redesigned site and announced an iPhone app that is awaiting Apple approval for distribution.

Based on screenshots, the free app looks like it will feature quick access to Footballguys content, podcasts and updates as well as NFL team depth charts.