Despite Saying Daily Fantasy Sports Dehumanize Players, NFL Star Richard Sherman Founds DFS Platform

Posted on: August 25, 2018, 12:00h. 

Last updated on: August 24, 2018, 12:12h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

NFL star Richard Sherman hasn’t always been a fan of daily fantasy sports (DFS). Last October, the player made comments that the online gaming contests essentially dehumanize players.

daily fantasy sports Richard Sherman
Richard Sherman is ready to tackle his next challenge: operating a daily fantasy sports company. (Image: Daily Number)

“A lot of fans out there have looked at players even less like people because of fantasy football,” Sherman opined during a press conference. “You’re not thinking, ‘This guy got hurt. He’s really physically hurt, and he’s going to take time to recover and it’s probably going to affect his mental state.’ You’re thinking, ‘Oh, man, he’s messing up my fantasy team.'”

Sherman was venting his frustration over the online games, which some have labeled gambling, and how many players shun DFS. Now 10 months later, Sherman has taken a dramatic position change and is getting into the daily fantasy business himself with a company called Daily Number.

I’ve been pitched numerous DFS opportunities, but nothing has even come close to comparing to Daily Number,” Sherman said in a presser. “I’m extremely excited to be a founding partner and look forward to playing an active role in helping the company grow during this very dynamic time in our industry.”

Daily fantasy sports platforms operate in all but just a handful of US states. Daily Number is launching in 23 of them.

After being released by the Seattle Seahawks after seven years with the team, Sherman was picked up by the San Francisco 49ers for the 2018 NFL season.

New Format

Daily Number isn’t just another turnkey daily fantasy sports platform branded with the NFL star. Instead, Sherman says the site will challenge customers to assemble seven-player rosters in the NFL, NBA, or MLB and try and beat a daily predetermined total to win.

Payouts are based on the strength of the players selected for the team. The more quality premiere players one chooses, the lower the payout, and vice versa. Daily Fantasy CEO Tom McAuley says competing against the DFS site instead of other players simplifies daily fantasy contests.

“We’re simplifying the DFS format for the everyday sports fan while maintaining the core gameplay principals that have made fantasy sports so massively popular,” McAuley stated. “We are driven by the opportunity to develop a proprietary platform and customer database that will be extremely valuable to many industry stakeholders as sports gaming continues to evolve in the United States.”

Bizarre Timing

Daily Number isn’t Sherman’s first foray into DFS. Prior to the kickoff of the 2017 season, the cornerback promoted DRAFT.com, a daily fantasy sports site owned by Paddy Power Betfair.

His decision to launch his own DFS business comes at a rather peculiar time. With the Supreme Court of the United States recently overturning the federal sports gambling ban, states are now free to dictate their own rules and regulations on the betting activity.

With full-fledged sports betting now operating in four states, and as many as 18 others potentially following in the months and years ahead, some question whether DFS can survive.

DraftKings and FanDuel, the two leading DFS companies, have both transitioned into sports betting since the May Supreme Court repeal.