Motivation In Daily Fantasy Sports Is... Varied

For the first time in my DFS career I took some shots at a "championship". Most of the time these big tournaments are not worth the effort. Your EV is usually found in one day events where the entire prize pool is paid out that day.

However, the DSBC on DraftStreet hold a couple of appealing qualities: Limited entries (per user & entire field), plus significant runner up prizes. I was able to cash in both of the qualifiers I entered for a tidy profit.

I did notice that the 2nd round prizes were somewhat lacking. Of the 40 semi-finalists, places 13th-40th will most likely make less than the players they beat to win their seat.

Now I realize those seats give you a shot at the $35,000 1st prize. If I had won a seat, I would be very nervous about not making the final 12 playoff.

When I pointed this prize discrepancy out, I was met with some hostility. I wasn't trying to rain on anyone's parade. I think it's a neat event.

But it did get me thinking again about what motivates people to play DFS in the first place. Don't all of the contest sites advertise that you can win money for playing DFS? Isn't profit the ultimate motive here?

Apparently not.

Some people play these championship promos just to feed their action jones. They can enter the biggest prize pool very cheap, to get the rush of potentially winning a jackpot.

Others play to feed their ego. They want to be the biggest swinging dick in the room so they need to get in the biggest event around, regardless of the cost.

If others played just for enjoyment, it would be logical to think they would stick to the free games. If they needed prize incentives, freerolls should do the trick.

I play to make money. I look for my best opportunity to turn a profit, so I don't have to go back to humping a lousy job ever again. So many players have come and gone, for various reasons. But the good players who can turn a profit 12 months a year (with maybe two exceptions) are not the ones who win these championships.

It's probably good for my goals that players sometimes don't have a profit motive. That will leave the best money making opportunities undervalued.