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How many of you play fantasy football? I myself have a few teams on ESPN, but thats not what I’m asking, I want to know how many of you pla the one week fantasy football such a FanDuel. These have been on a rapid increase in popularity; offering great deals to enter leagues where people are playing for thousands or millions of dollars
. The marketing tactic of these companies is promising the potential client they have a great chance at winning some of these huge prizes. But is what they are saying actually true… Does everyone have an equal chance at winning?
The answer to that question is no, while the sites may make it seem like everyone can win, it is nearly impossible for a first-timer to go out an win the big prizes of 10,000 dollars or more. There are several reasons for this, one being the fact that there are no rules stoping people with inside information from playing these games. Even though there are rules stating that professional athletes are prohibited from participating in games involving their league, there are no such rules prohibiting player’s families or even team employees from playing these games. This allows people such as trainers, or significant others can play these games even though they may have inside information about injuries, or playing time that would give them an advantage in the daily fantasy leagues.
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Another factor that can lead to the unfairness of playing these daily fantasy leagues is the use of algorithms. These algorithms are formulas that people are using to dig deeper into statistics in order to pick better teams and be more successful. One such person using these algorithms is, Nik Bonaddio, who created his own algorithm to use while playing daily fantasy football. Bonaddio’s algorithm is a very proven method of success, he has even claimed that people who use his method “win 30 percent more often than they do when they pick on their own.”
With these factors working against the average player, it is becoming more and more difficult for them to have any success playing in these daily fantasy leagues. More and more people are finding ways to win, whether it is inside information or using algorithms to help them better pick players, it is become a more competitive and exclusive gaming process.
What can the average person do to bring the odds back towards even? Will this ever change or will it continue down the path it is on? Only time will tell.
I am in two ESPN fantasy football leagues myself, and I have been since 7th grade. The main reason I don’t participate in gambling such as Fanduel or DraftKings is because of all the things I hear about from the members of my league about how it isn’t likely you will net a profit. Like you said in your article, there are way too many “professionals”, people that use their own models to make predictions and assemble their teams. I don’t think it’s unfair. If you’re more inclined to guessing correctly by doing adequate research, I see no problem with taking advantage of the people that don’t know what they”re doing. In fact, there are even specific types of leagues called 50/50 leagues, where the top half of the finishers gets money, leaving the bottom half without earnings. If this isn’t fair, I don’t know what is. Statistically, you have a 50% chance of winning. So while fantasy football isn’t worth my money, if you have a proclivity for making models and predicting outcomes, be my guest on Fanduel or DraftKings.
I always wondered about sites like Fan Duel and Draft Kings because of the stakes. I have played Fantasy Football before but in a league with my family so the stakes and cost were very low. When I started seeing commercials for these websites I became very wary because there was a lot of money involved. I think it’s important for people who are considering investing in something like this to do the research necessary to be sure they are making the right choice.
All the boys I know play fantasy football. I never really understood it until now. I also never thought about how insiders could play! That just makes the whole thing unfair. So all of the insiders will win all the big bucks basically. Taylor had a good point about how it is like gambling, and it pretty much is. This article by Tech Insider states that fantasy football is legal in the United States because it is considered a game of “skill”. They do not consider it technically “gambling”.
It is very important for consumers of any product or service to be critically thinking like this. On the surface, this service does seem like it has an equal playing field. But looking deeper into the rules and the possible loopholes allows you to be a smart consumer and better determine your own odds. Another way to be a smart consumer of a service like this is try to figure out your actual odds. It is good to note how many other users you would have to compete with. This way you can weigh your chances of winning with the money you are risking and the amount of money you could possibly win. Knowing this information helps you make an informed decision about whether or not playing this game is a smart investment.
My boyfriend, brother, dad, grandpa all play fantasy football, so I decided to give it a shot. At first I was unsure if I was even going to like the game. But once I started there was no going back. Fantasy football isn’t just about watching football games its about money and once money gets involved our brains take a turn for the worst. Fantasy football is actually a example of gambling once money gets involved, this however is illegal but goes unnoticed and untouched. This article http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-brain-gets-addicted-to-gambling/ describes the affect gambling has on a person’s brain and why one would play fantasy football year after year. I think this would be an intersting point to add to your blog. Even though some people believe the game is unfair they still play it because they are addicted similarly to how people continue to play slot machines when they know the odds are not in their favor.