Home I Daily Fantasy Sports I DFS I Daily Fantasy Industry News Sep 20
The return of the NFL has brought with it plenty of cheer and excitement for fans of the sport. Clearly the opportunities for DFS enthusiasts to win big are much bigger.
Perhaps the biggest daily fantasy news to come from the return of American Football was the fact that DraftKings’ first $5m NFL Fantasy Football Millionaire contest of the campaign was won by…a DraftKings employee?
In fact, Al Zeidenfeld is no stranger to those in the industry. He is a prolific contest winner, and one of the first professional daily fantasy sports players on the planet.
Additionally, he contributes opinions on all things DFS related for ESPN and various other sports networks. But it is his position as a content provider for DraftKings TV that has left many hot under the collar.
Lest we forget it follows last year’s scandal when it emerged that Ethan Haskell, a DraftKings employee, leaked line-up information from his own company’s flagship contest. In fact, he used this to earn a prize of $350,000 playing the same team on FanDuel.
This led to both companies banishing their employees from entering the other’s contests. But the difference here is that Zeidenfeld isn’t a full time employee. And so the same rule doesn’t apply, as confirmed to Dead Spin by a DraftKings rep:
“Al Zeidenfeld is an expert DFS player who is an independent contractor and brand ambassador. He shares his tips and expertise with the DFS player community,” he said.
“He is not a DraftKings employee, and does not have access to contest data or any other non-public company information.”
The delicious irony here is that Zeidenfeld actually recommended many of his millionaire-making picks to those who read his ESPN blog. While some were predictable it was his sleeper picks – and this won’t come as daily fantasy news to anybody experienced in drafting – that offered the most value for money, including Stefon Diggs and Corey Coleman.
Whilst many have been left frustrated that a sponsored player and DraftKings ‘brand ambassador’ is able to take home the big bucks, it should help to act as a motivator for DFS players out there who want to be successful on their own terms.
