Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard about DraftKings.com - the daily fantasy sports website that holds weekly fantasy football contest where you can win big money. Their featured weekly contests includes thier Millionaire Maker - a weekly contest paying out $7 Million and over $1 Million to the top team. Through our partnership with DraftKings, we were able to meet and interview the Week 1 Millionaire Maker Winner Jared Beisel, and he shared with us some of his strategy and what it was like to become a millionaire from Daily Fantasy Sports.
FBG: How did it feel going into the final game of the week? Did you feel confident in your chances to win?
Jared: Yes I felt very confident. I believe I was up 35 points. I was with my brother and friend and we as a group said it was probably 100 to 1 that I didn’t finish first.
FBG: Where did you watch the final game?
JB: At home with my brother and one of our friends.
FBG: How did you celebrate your big win?
JB: I haven’t celebrated at all actually... my friends and family have partied every day since I’ve won and I’ve just stood back and let the reality of it all sink in.
FBG: DraftKings allows you to change your lineup any time before the game starts. Did you change or consider changing any players at the last minute? What were your thoughts behind why you did or did not do it?
JB: I thought about making the change from Jordan Matthews and Julio Jones to Dez Bryant and Odell Becham but my brother told me not to. That was a massive decision.
FBG: What was the strategy behind taking the players that you did? Did you target a particular matchup or were there specific players you wanted in your lineup that week and why?
JB: Benny Cunningham was the first player selected, then Mariota because of how cheap they were and how talented I thought they were. Basically I predicted every score of every game almost to the exact.
FBG: How long have you been playing Daily Fantasy Football on Draftkings? Do you play in any of the other sports and if so, what are they?
JB: That was my very first week of playing, my favorite DraftKings sport is definitely golf and I do play baseball as much as I can.
FBG: How many DraftKings contests do you play each week? How many cash games (Double Up or 50/50) do you play compared with tournaments each week? Is there a strategy that you use in choosing your contest and if so, would you describe it?
JB: I probably play at least 3 times a week I would say. Yes there is a strategy to every sport, for example in golf, I look at the stats very closely and what the golfers excel at.
FBG: Some people think that to win the big games, you have to risk a lot of money. We’ve also heard stories of people that turned $25 into big money. If I may ask, how much of your own money have you paid into DraftKings and how did it build up to you playing in the Millionaire Maker?
JB: In total probably $1K. Maybe less. I put 5 teams in the week I won 1 million.
FBG: Do you have any advice for other DraftKings players? Let’s face it – you’re living the dream that all of us have!
JB: Yes. Don’t just click buttons. You’ll never win. Take time to predict the outcome of a game and go with it.
Jared actually finished second in the Week 1 Millionaire Maker contest, but he still took home a $1 Million paycheck.
Here's his winning lineup:
Stay tuned for more 'Meet the Millionaire' interviews with the top winners from DraftKings.
