UConn Professor Wins $2.5 Million On DraftKings

STORRS, CT — A University of Connecticut professor won $2.5 million playing in the 2020 DraftKings Daily Fantasy Sports World Championship, according to The Hartford Courant. David Bergman, 37, of West Hartford, won picking a lineup for NFL games Dec. 20.

His team finished ahead of 199 other qualifiers for the DraftKings championship. Bergman, who teaches in the masters of business analytics and project management program, said he used concepts that he teaches in creating a daily fantasy lineup, according to The Hartford Business Journal.

He described the process as a "a very cool math problem." He said that the best players might use "a combination of game theory, predictive modeling, machine learning and optimization for selecting entries," according to The Hartford Business Journal.

While he said that there is some luck involved as well, selecting the right daily fantasy lineup does involve skill. Bergman’s lineup included quarterback Kyler Murray, running back Alvin Kamara, running back Chase Edmonds, receiver Emmanuel Sanders, receiver DeAndre Hopkins, receiver Calvin Ridley, tight end Durham Smythe, flex player Tony Pollard, and the Cowboys defense, according to The Hartford Courant.

Bergman said he'd had marginal success playing daily fantasy sports before his big win.

Sports betting isn't legal in Connecticut. However, the state instituted a fee on fantasy sports betting in 2017, allowing for legalization of fantasy sports.

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