Much like DFS play: if you want to reach the top, you have to do something different from the field. Never provide “general research” through OWS Collective, but instead, look to build your brand through a unique angle or area of developed expertise. Focus specifically on cash games, or on GPP, or on correlations, or on DFS data, or on team data, or on player data, or on coaching tendencies, or on pace, or on regression analysis, or on weather, or on injuries, or on running backs only, or on O-line/D-line matchups, or on linebacker speed and potential coverage mismatches, or on players with big-play potential, or on scrubs who have a shot at breaking the slate, or on something else that I didn’t just think of off the top of my head. By focusing on a specific angle, you will gain a more dedicated audience, as people will always know exactly what to expect from the research/content you provide. (Also: provide more than just opinions! The majority of readers are looking for research.)
Do you only have a couple hours for research each week? No worries! You don’t need to cover every single game. Instead, isolate the slate into a smaller number of games that stand out to you the most, and focus on those. Quality tends to rise to the top — so focus on crafting high-end content in the time you have. (Also :: a simple bullet-point-style list can go a long way toward helping people prepare for the slate! A lot of times, uncovered information speaks for itself.)
It’s easy to crowd into groupthink — and honestly, it’s also easy to swing too far the other way: intentionally going against the grain simply because you’re saying something different from what everyone else is saying. The best way to find angles that others might have overlooked (angles that will stand out to readers!) is to think for yourself. Don’t listen to or trust the noise; but instead, commit to diving into some research on your own, and allowing yourself to see what interesting thoughts, ideas, and angles you uncover. “Sure, this game is likeliest to play out in this way…but check this out. Here’s another angle that no one is considering, and while it isn’t the likeliest path for this game, this data and research points to it being far more likely than most are assuming, allowing us to play this angle for an edge.”
Trust me: this goes a long way! Always keep in mind that you are writing for OWS subscribers who likely read the NFL Edge, and likely know plenty about football. Don’t waste time assuming you have to explain everything to your audience.
In the “doing something different from the field” category :: every major DFS site waits until at least the middle of the week to start posting their signature NFL content, which leaves a hole in the content-consumption community at the front end of the week. If you start getting your research up early in the week, you will not only be competing against fewer researchers for upvotes, but you will also be filling a currently-open space in the DFS research world.
It’s great that people can visit your profile and see all of your published research on One Week Season; but if you are truly serious about carving out a space for yourself in DFS, you will want to pay attention to the ways in which you can move your brand off-site (especially as this can enable you to continue building your name in other sports, after football ends!).
Maximizing the value you provide on Twitter is also important if you are looking to increase your visibility in the sports/DFS space. Tweet snippets of your research designed to catch the attention of followers and OWS subs — linking to your profile. (Pro tip :: your OWS Collective profile is public; which means that you can effectively use it as your own, already-hosted, high-traffic research center, reaching both OWS subscribers and non-subscribers!)
As with anything: there is no guarantee that you will be great at this right away. But if you are genuinely interested in carving out a space for yourself in DFS (as I know many of you are! — and why not, as it’s pretty much the coolest job in the world), realize that those who continue grinding || assessing their work || and grinding some more will make improvements at a faster rate than their peers, and will begin to put separation between their own research/content and everything else that’s out there.
Find others whose research you appreciate. Connect with them on Twitter. Learn from them. Swap ideas. Grind || Assess || Grind!
