WEBVTT - DraftKings CEO Jason Robins

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<v Speaker 1>We do, in fact have Jason Robbins on the line.

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<v Speaker 1>Jason is the CEO of DraftKings. Thank you so much

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<v Speaker 1>for joining Fantasy Freestyle. How's it going there? You're getting

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<v Speaker 1>ready for the season? Open or hot? Jason? Oh, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>today is an exciting day. I'm sure it is. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>sure it is. It's gotta be a huge day on

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<v Speaker 1>the Draft Kings calendar, right, I mean, that's my first

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<v Speaker 1>question for you, Jason, Like, truly, how much of a

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<v Speaker 1>spike do you guys see over at DraftKings for the

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<v Speaker 1>start of football season. I mean, football has to be

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<v Speaker 1>like your main you know, your main season. This has

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<v Speaker 1>gotta be like waking up on Christmas morning seeing the

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<v Speaker 1>beginning of football. Just how big is football relative to

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<v Speaker 1>some of the other sports on DraftKings. You've pretty much

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<v Speaker 1>nailed it. I've been watching the stats all day. I've

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<v Speaker 1>been hooked on watching them, and numbers keep going up.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a great day. The first Thursday in the first

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<v Speaker 1>Sunday are usually the two biggest customer acquisition days of

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<v Speaker 1>the year. We're gonna add about a hundred thousand new

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<v Speaker 1>registrants today, um probably even more on Sunday. And you know,

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<v Speaker 1>This is the fun time. This is when all the

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<v Speaker 1>numbers are going up. Everybody's excited, and it's a good time.

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<v Speaker 1>Because I'm a sports fan, football fan too, so I

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<v Speaker 1>get double benefit of being excited about the football season

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<v Speaker 1>and it being a big day for draft teams. Yeah. Absolutely, absolutely,

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<v Speaker 1>Like who is your team, Jason, who's your team? Well,

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<v Speaker 1>we're based in Boston kind of probably guess the Patriots.

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<v Speaker 1>But fair enough. You know, I like all football and

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<v Speaker 1>I'm a fantasy player, So whoever is on my fantasy

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<v Speaker 1>That's what I was just gonna say. I like, that's

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<v Speaker 1>what I was gonna ask you share more for the

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<v Speaker 1>Patriots or for your fantasy team or for your lineup

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<v Speaker 1>in Draft Kings, which which is your true allegiance? Okay, alright,

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<v Speaker 1>fair enough. Let me ask you something. You mentioned that

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<v Speaker 1>you guys are gonna add like hundreds of thousands of

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<v Speaker 1>new users just in this weekend. Okay, so, as not

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<v Speaker 1>only the CEO of DraftKings, but like you said, a

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<v Speaker 1>fantasy football player yourself, what kind of advice would you

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<v Speaker 1>give the first time player, someone who's just dipping their

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<v Speaker 1>toe in the waters of daily fantasy, you know, should

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<v Speaker 1>they started maybe like a cash game or a head

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<v Speaker 1>to head or go straight to some of the g PPS,

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<v Speaker 1>some of the big tournaments out there. What advice would

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<v Speaker 1>you have for someone who's just getting started with Daily Fantasy,

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<v Speaker 1>one of these new hundred thousand people that were just

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<v Speaker 1>added today to your site. Oh, you're probably a lot

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<v Speaker 1>better guy to be asking that than me, but I'll

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<v Speaker 1>give it a shot. I think it depends on your goals.

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<v Speaker 1>If you're looking to, you know, play it for a

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<v Speaker 1>few bucks and try to win a big score, and

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<v Speaker 1>you're gonna want to focus on the big guaranteed price pool.

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<v Speaker 1>If you're looking to kind of practice and get to

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<v Speaker 1>know the game and you know, maybe make you know,

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<v Speaker 1>smaller kinda winds wins but bit more steadiness, then I

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<v Speaker 1>would focus on playing the double ups or sit tifties

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<v Speaker 1>or head to head. So it really depends on what

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<v Speaker 1>your goal is, all right. I guess it depends on

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<v Speaker 1>how risk averse you are as an individual. But if

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<v Speaker 1>you're on DraftKings wage and you gotta have a little

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<v Speaker 1>bit of action on it, and it sounds like this

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<v Speaker 1>is good time of the year for DraftKings, let me

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<v Speaker 1>ask you something, Jason, because I saw over on DraftKings.

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<v Speaker 1>You guys are offering not a thousand, not even a million,

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<v Speaker 1>but a billion with a B. I feel like dr evil.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, it's even saying that you're offering a billion

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<v Speaker 1>dollars to someone if they can get the perfect line up. Hey, Jason,

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<v Speaker 1>why don't you tell us about that fun contest you

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<v Speaker 1>guys are doing for a week one? Uh, this is

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<v Speaker 1>the biggest contest far we've ever run. And you know

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<v Speaker 1>the basic gist. It is totally free to enter, so

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<v Speaker 1>no I go to use existing players common Wanter. It's

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<v Speaker 1>no cost um. There's a hundred thousand and guaranteed prizes

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<v Speaker 1>no matter what happened. So about a hundred thousand people

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<v Speaker 1>are going to be getting something paid into their account

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<v Speaker 1>for doing well. And then if you hit the perfect lineup,

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<v Speaker 1>you went a billion dollars and it's fully insured. That

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<v Speaker 1>don't worry, We're not taking the risk ourselves. We got

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<v Speaker 1>number of different insurance companies to back it, so you know,

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<v Speaker 1>it's pretty exciting. Obviously, it's very difficult, takes a ton

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<v Speaker 1>of skill to be able to pick the perfect lineup,

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<v Speaker 1>but if you do it, you get a billion dollars,

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<v Speaker 1>which is I'm sure enough to stay. It's pretty amazing

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<v Speaker 1>sum of money for anybody to win. Sure you said it,

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<v Speaker 1>just it was free to enter that contest, right, so

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<v Speaker 1>I like my return on investment, might as well going over,

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<v Speaker 1>might as well going over to Draft Kings. Right now,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna throw in a lineup, and Jason, if you

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<v Speaker 1>want to know the billion dollar perfect lineup, all you

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<v Speaker 1>gotta do is tune into Fantasy Freestyle tomorrow, man, and

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<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna be giving it out for you. I'm gonna

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<v Speaker 1>be giving it out for you. Let me ask you

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<v Speaker 1>this because we've heard so much in the fantasy community

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<v Speaker 1>about the back and forth with UM all of these

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<v Speaker 1>dfs and different states. I got a listener that asked me.

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<v Speaker 1>His name is Taco and Alabama. He said he's been

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<v Speaker 1>going through withdrawal from Draft Kings for like two years.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, he really wants to play. Where are we

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<v Speaker 1>right now in some of the different states as a

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<v Speaker 1>state by state kind of thing. I'm here in New

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<v Speaker 1>York and it was, you know, it was off the

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<v Speaker 1>radar for a few months last year. Where do we

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<v Speaker 1>stand right now? So that our players know what they

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<v Speaker 1>can do, what they can't do, where they can deposit

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<v Speaker 1>where they can play all that. Where are we standing

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<v Speaker 1>right now, Jason, Well, right now, there's forty one states

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<v Speaker 1>where you can play Draft Kings, and unfortunately Alabama is

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<v Speaker 1>and one of them actually saw that. Guys, twea taco

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<v Speaker 1>in Alabama? Yeah, I mean, how you gonna forget taco

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<v Speaker 1>on exactly exactly I saw that, but unfortunately not yet.

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<v Speaker 1>Now Abama, we're working on it. We have some legislation.

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<v Speaker 1>It's active. So something you're passionate about you can help. Yeah, send, send,

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<v Speaker 1>send a note and email will make it really easy

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<v Speaker 1>to do your legislator, get your friends to do it.

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<v Speaker 1>Let them know you care. Um, let them know this

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<v Speaker 1>should be a priority for them in the next legislative session.

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<v Speaker 1>We'd love to go back to Alabama. It was really

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<v Speaker 1>disappointing for us that we ended up having to exit

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<v Speaker 1>that state. It's great state, great sports fans, and looking

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<v Speaker 1>forward to hopefully getting something done in the in the

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<v Speaker 1>legislature and getting back up and running in Alabama. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>absolutely said Hey, my last question because I know we're

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<v Speaker 1>up against it, but um, thank you so much for

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<v Speaker 1>joining Fantasy Freestyle. But Jason, what's next on the horizon

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<v Speaker 1>for DraftKings. You know you got the billion Dollar Game.

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<v Speaker 1>There any other fun contests out there? I know, my man? Uh,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, Mayo is joining you guys and sometimes soon

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<v Speaker 1>what about like DFS Bachelor or DFS Politics. What's next?

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<v Speaker 1>What's next? One you guys branch out away from football?

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<v Speaker 1>Oh man, I don't know, ye haven't you know? We've

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<v Speaker 1>talked about doing different types of games like that. Right

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<v Speaker 1>now we're sticking to sports, but you know it's in

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<v Speaker 1>the future. The latest thing we did is we launched

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<v Speaker 1>a new game called Pick Them. And the reason we

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<v Speaker 1>want to pick them is we're getting a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>feedback from people if they wanted to try it, but

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<v Speaker 1>they didn't like be on with the salary cap and

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<v Speaker 1>you put a player in and then you're over and

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<v Speaker 1>you can't pick who you want. You got to take

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<v Speaker 1>them out, and it's just annoying for people, and a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of people like if it's something. So the pick

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<v Speaker 1>them game by the same idea. You pick some players,

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<v Speaker 1>you get to score. Team might think, but instead of

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<v Speaker 1>having salary caps, we've created tears of players. So you

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<v Speaker 1>just go and you have a list that I got

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<v Speaker 1>to pick one of the ten guys I hat to

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<v Speaker 1>one of the easy guys, and you go down the

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<v Speaker 1>list and picking the group together players that would be

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<v Speaker 1>a similar salaries, So you're picking from a similar set

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<v Speaker 1>of people. Um, So it kind of effectively balances the

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<v Speaker 1>salary cap for you and you don't have to worry

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<v Speaker 1>with you going within tears than to play. But yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>it's great because it involves just as much skill, but

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<v Speaker 1>it's easier for especially a new player to be able

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<v Speaker 1>to come in and figure out and play. It's just

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<v Speaker 1>picking players, not worrying about the salary cap. Alright, awesome,

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<v Speaker 1>And let me ask you this. You say your last

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<v Speaker 1>question for you, Jason, and thanks so much for stopping

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<v Speaker 1>by the cipher here on Fantasy Freestyle, you said you're

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<v Speaker 1>a fantasy football player yourself. You're out there for Pat's chiefs.

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<v Speaker 1>Which Patriots chiefs you have in your line of trying

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<v Speaker 1>to win a billion dollars? Well, you know it's tough

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<v Speaker 1>to play GROUNK today. Becaus got Eric Berry on him.

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<v Speaker 1>I think he will. Um, I think Brady is gonna

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<v Speaker 1>have a big game. It's hard to say that he's

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<v Speaker 1>gonna throw it too, But who's gonna fill that? Julian

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<v Speaker 1>Edelman role. Come on, Jason, we need your inside Who's

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<v Speaker 1>filling that role? Is it? Mitchell is one of the

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<v Speaker 1>running backs. Well, Mitchell just cut put on the I R.

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<v Speaker 1>Not him. Ammon Dola, give me a little Danny, Ammon Dola.

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<v Speaker 1>Emmon Dola is probably the best. You know, Hogan is

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<v Speaker 1>more of a deep threat, thank you, am and Dola

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<v Speaker 1>is probably the best bet to fill that. I also

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<v Speaker 1>think they could lean on James White a bit in

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<v Speaker 1>this game. He was cheap on DraftKings, and he's a

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<v Speaker 1>guy that had an incredible Super Bowl and he won

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<v Speaker 1>for the ages. He was arguably if Brady didn't do

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<v Speaker 1>what he did the m v P at that game.

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<v Speaker 1>And you know, he's a player that can catch a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of passes the back field, So I think they

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<v Speaker 1>might be leaning on him a lot without their slot

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<v Speaker 1>guys a full strength. Alright, fair enough. This is Jason Robbins,

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<v Speaker 1>the CEO of DraftKings, telling us about the billion dollar

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<v Speaker 1>contest for the perfect lineup and all things going on

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<v Speaker 1>on DraftKings, into including some of the little mini tournaments

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<v Speaker 1>that he's got going on. Thank you so much for

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<v Speaker 1>stopping by the show, Jason. After I win my million dollars?

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<v Speaker 1>Can I invoice you directly? You mean you're billion? Right? Hey, listen,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna start small with the million dollar maker, and

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<v Speaker 1>then I'll get to the bill, you know. Okay, baby, staff,

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<v Speaker 1>you gotta crawl before you could. I thought you were

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<v Speaker 1>going to give out the winning lineup tomorrow. Hey, listen, listen,

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<v Speaker 1>I can still win a million dollars and not have

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<v Speaker 1>the perfect lineup for the billion. You know. Listen, I'll

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<v Speaker 1>take a million. I'll be just fine with that. Don't

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<v Speaker 1>worry about it. I'll be happy winning my fifty fifty contests.

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<v Speaker 1>You're getting me? Well, if you win a million or

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<v Speaker 1>a billion, yeah, you can invoice me directly. I'll take

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<v Speaker 1>care of it. Sounds good, Jason, thanks for stopping by

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<v Speaker 1>the Fantasy Freestyle. Enjoy the season opener out there, and

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<v Speaker 1>come on back on the show when you get a

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<v Speaker 1>chance sometime, all right, anytime. I'd love to thanks guys.

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<v Speaker 1>He's really opener.