Newsletter and Subscription Sign Up
Subscribe

Leveling Fantasy Football's Playing Field

Published Friday Nov 1, 2019

Author Judi Currie

Just in time for football season, a Salem-based fantasy sports company, SuperDraft, has entered the world of daily fantasy football with an app it claims will level the playing field for casual gamers. Fantasy football apps, such as Draft-Kings and FanDuel, allow players to build a dream team and compete for prizes based on how their players do in actual NFL games.

Players pay a per-game entry fee, but because they are creating something it is considered a game of skill and not gambling.

SuperDraft founder Steve Wang, also the founder of Contour Design in Windham in 1995, which manufactures and markets ergonomic pointing devices (computer mouse products), says his new venture is motivated in part by his own enjoyment of fantasy sports.

Wang says SuperDraft levels the playing field by removing the salary cap that limits a gamer’s ability to choose certain players and it allows the selection of any combination of players without restriction. “A salary cap constrains because you can only have so many high-paid players and must mix them with others,” he says of the restrictions of other apps.

SuperDraft players fill out a roster consisting of one quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, one tight end and a flex position, that can be filled with a running back, wide receiver or tight end. The entry fee is $20 and the maximum number of entries per game is capped at 7,350. As a small company with smaller prize pools, “The big guys aren’t coming in. We attract players that are not as skilled as the pros,” which increases the chances of winning, Wang says. “In DraftKings, they mix pros and average Joes and that’s not fair. The pros win most of the money.”

Wang says SuperDraft has about 10,000 registered users, and is looking to double that by the end of the year. It has been acquiring users through Facebook advertising and recently struck a deal with Boston-based restaurant chain Kings Dining & Entertainment to be its exclusive daily fantasy football contest throughout the NFL season. Every Sunday, SuperDraft will offer a special game solely for Kings guests at any of its locations.

In development for three years, SuperDraft went live in July when the platform became available in the app stores. The company held an NFL kickoff on Sept. 8, featuring players from 24 teams in 12 games, with $125,000 in total prizes and $20,000 going to the first-place winner. It offers daily fantasy football, baseball and golf contests and more sports will be added soon.

The SuperDraft app is available for download in the Apple app store and on the Google Play store. More information about the company can be found at superdraft.io.

All Stories