Under The Hoodie

Eric Balkman, the voice of the Fantasy Football Players Championship @HighStakesFantasyFootball , joins Scott Hoyt to break down the 2026 NFL Draft and what it actually takes to compete for a million-dollar prize.Eric has been inside the FFPC since before it launched, watching it grow from a $75,000 grand prize to two separate million-dollar payouts in 2026. In this episode, he breaks down which rookies fell into the right spots, who the market is already overvaluing, and why he believes Kyle Pitts could have an all-pro season.Topics covered:- How recency bias is dying in fantasy and what that means for 2026 draft strategy- The FPC tight end premium format and why it changes how you build a roster- Why Fantasy Mojo is the most important tool for any serious FFPC drafter- Top rookie landing spots: Jadarian Price in Seattle and Jonah Coleman in Denver- First-round wide receivers ranked: Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, KC Concepcion- Flag plant picks for 2026: Brock Bowers, Tucker Kraft, and a back coming off an ankle injury- Bold take: Kyle Pitts hits 100 catches with Kevin Stefanski and a concentrated Atlanta offenseEric Balkman hosts the  @HighStakesFantasyFootball  (Wednesdays 10pm ET), the High Stakes Lowdown on RotoViz (Tuesdays 10pm ET during the season on  @FFPCfantasy ) and FPC Insider Access on the  @bettornetwork  (Thursdays 7pm ET). Chapters:0:00 Highlight Reel0:30 Intro and Welcome4:00 Eric's Path to the FPC9:15 From $75K to Two Million-Dollar Grand Prizes10:20 How Fantasy Players Have Gotten Smarter17:00 FPC Format: Tight End Premium and Dual Flex21:30 Fantasy Mojo: The Must-Have High Stakes Tool28:35 2026 NFL Draft Overview33:20 Rookie Landing Spots to Target42:00 First-Round Wide Receivers Ranked52:50 Flag Plants and Bold Takes for 20261:00:30 Favorite Sports Movie

Trevis Waters is the Founder and CEO of PlayerProps.ai, the 2025 FSGA Sports Betting Business of the Year, the only company outside FanDuel and DraftKings to ever receive that honor. He bootstrapped the platform to profitability, grew a community of over 250,000 bettors, and is on a mission to replace reactive responsible gambling with proactive education.

Episode Highlights

- The 2820 bankroll management rule -- and why Trevis says every bet without this foundation is money burned

- His six-step research checklist for identifying high-value props (even if every platform uses the same AI)

- Version 4.0 of PlayerProps.ai: a first-ever sneak peek at the in-app community chat room, never shared publicly before this episode

- Why prediction markets are heading toward a 'Robinhood moment' -- and how he's already planning for it

- How he won a fantasy football championship, a golf league, and an in-gamer ring at the FSGA Awards in the same year

Chapters:

0:00 Highlight Reel

0:30 Intro & Welcome

1:57 Trevis Reacts to the Hoodie Question

2:33 Origin Story: From Nickelodeon to Fantasy Sports

5:25 Writing the Books, Building Mr. Fantasy Guru

7:03 How His Career Shaped His Thinking on AI and Data

9:57 Why He Built PlayerProps.ai

12:15 How the Industry Abandoned Responsible Gambling

14:11 The 100K Users Milestone Celebration

16:00 The Biggest Mistakes Player Prop Bettors Make

19:16 The Best Prop Bets Right Now (MLB, NFL, NBA)

20:44 Why Player Props Are Exploding in the US

22:26 AI vs. Sportsbooks: Who Actually Has the Edge?

26:34 How to Get Started on PlayerProps.ai

28:11 Building a Toxic-Free Betting Community on Discord

30:26 Future Vision: What's Next for PlayerProps.ai

32:34 BREAKING: Version 4.0 Sneak Peek

39:04 Player Props Legislation: What's Actually at Risk

43:42 AI and Prediction Markets: The Future of Betting

48:53 Personal: Fantasy Sports Championships & Wins

54:46 Advice to Your Younger Self

56:41 From Nickelodeon to the Fantasy Sports Space

59:29 Favorite Sports Movies

1:01:29 How to Find Trevis & PlayerProps.ai

Connect with Trevis:

Website: playerprops.ai

Discord: available through the app

YouTube: @PlayerPropsAI

#PlayerProps #SportsBetting #FantasySports #AI #PlayerPropsAI #SportsBettingTips #FantasyFootball #UnderTheHoodie #FantasySportsStrategies #BettingStrategy

Joey Wright, Community Ambassador at Footballguys,  ⁨@TheAudible⁩ , joined Scott Hoyt to pull back the curtain on what makes Football Guys different from every other fantasy platform out there and what his day-to-day role actually looks like building it from the inside.Joey shares how he went from discovering fantasy football in 2009, to finding the community on Twitter during the pandemic, to creating content under the Football Guys umbrella, to now planning the Football Guys Bowl (5,004 teams last year) and representing the brand at every major industry event.This episode covers the Football Guys philosophy of putting the home league player first, why the brand is intentionally stepping back from prediction markets and doubling down on community, honest 2025 fantasy draft strategy, and what Joey has learned about finding your lane in a crowded industry.If you play fantasy football, you know Football Guys. This is the story behind the people building it.

Fantasy Sport Strategies and Signal Sports Consulting are officially partnering up — and this is where it goes public.

Scott Hoyt and Jordan Frank sit down to announce their strategic partnership and explain what it means for early stage companies, creators, and the broader fantasy sports and gaming industry.

Jordan Frank is the CEO and Founder of Signal Sports Consulting. He spent nearly a decade as a practicing corporate and gaming attorney in Chicago, co-founded one of the earliest DFS companies, then spent seven-plus years as part of the founding team at Stokastic (formerly Awesemo), where they built and launched the OddsShopper sports betting brand. Signal Sports launched about a year ago focused on helping early-stage companies, growth-stage businesses, and creators in the fantasy sports and gaming space.

In this episode:

• The story behind how Scott and Jordan connected on LinkedIn — and why they kept talking for months

• What each firm brings to the table and why the skills are genuinely complementary

• How prediction markets, AI, and the creator economy are reshaping the industry right now

• Why early-stage companies and scrappy startups still have massive room to win

• What Scott and Jordan plan to do together for companies, creators, and founders in this space

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Highlight Reel

0:30 Intro & Welcome

1:21 The Announcement: FSS x Signal Sports

3:00 How Scott & Jordan Found Each Other

5:43 Jordan's Background: From Lawyer to Gaming

8:00 Building Signal Sports from Scratch

11:00 Why This Partnership Makes Sense

15:26 The State of Fantasy Sports & Gaming Right Now

20:22 Prediction Markets, AI & the Creator Economy

24:42 Startups Can Still Win — Here's Why

29:47 What This Partnership Means Going Forward

32:46 How to Connect with Jordan & Signal Sports

Connect with Jordan Frank: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-frank-93345016/Signal Sports Consulting: https://www.signalsportscs.com/Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnderTheHoodiePodListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2XgXiZtVg5wtE0OAyo3HYl

#FantasySports #SportsBusiness #FSGA #FantasySportsGaming #StartupConsulting #SportsIndustry#UnderTheHoodie #SignalSports #PredictionMarkets

Howard Bender is back on Under the Hoodie and the 2026 NFL Draft just handed us a week's worth of takes.

Scott Hoyt sits down with Fantasy Alarm's Head of Content to break down who actually won the draft from afantasy perspective, which players are already overhyped, and the one tight end Howard will have ridiculousownership in 2026.

ABOUT HOWARD BENDERHoward Bender is the Head of Content at Fantasy Alarm, one of the most recognized voices in the fantasy sports industry. A two-time FSGA award winner (Best Written Content + Best Audio Show), Howard has been covering fantasy football for over two decades. He currently calls Juneau, Alaska home and somehow survived his first winter there.

IN THIS EPISODE• Why the 2026 draft class is weaker for fantasy than the hype suggests• Jeremiyah Love: First-round talent or Jeanty 2.0? Howard says second round of fantasy drafts• The one coaching change that changes everything for a specific RB and TE in the AFC West• Howard's top sleeper tight end pick for 2026 — the one he'll have shares in all season

CHAPTERS0:00 Highlight Reel0:30 Intro & Welcome4:46 FSGA Awards Shoutout & NFL Draft Intro6:33 Draft Takeaways: Weak QB & RB Classes, WR Overload9:35 Best First Round Picks: Caleb Downs & Jordyn Tyson17:30 Fantasy Draft Winners from the Rookie Class23:24 Jeremiyah Love: Hype vs. Reality24:43 Draft Losers: Rams, Browns & Harold Fannin Concern27:30 Watson's $250M, Cousins & the QB Ripple Effect36:08 Dynasty vs. Redraft: How to Think About This Class42:16 Coaching Changes That Will Move Fantasy Value47:17 The Tight End Sleeper Nobody's Talking About51:31 Final Picks, Bold Takes & Closing Thoughts

LINKSWatch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnderTheHoodiePodListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2XgXiZtVg5wtE0OAyo3HYlFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fantasysportsstrategies/Fantasy Alarm: https://www.fantasyalarm.com

#UnderTheHoodie #FantasyFootball #NFLDraft2026

What does it take to build a platform when the world keeps telling you to stay quiet?

Carla Hazzam was born in Beirut three days before doctors said she wouldn't survive. She grew up in a war zone, lost her uncle at 14, survived illness, divorce, a major accident, and a year battling vertigo -- and still walked across a stage with a broken arm and broken neck to collect her master's degree with high honors.

Today she's a podcast host, Zumba instructor, teacher, project manager, and mom of three -- including a son on the autism spectrum who she says taught her more about love and patience than anything else in her life. Oh, and she's finishing her PhD.In this episode, Carla sits down with Scott Hoyt to talk about how she discovered fantasy sports through her partner built The Game Changers podcast from scratch, and why she's on a mission to give a microphone to the people the industry overlooks.

She also opens up about Beyond the Beatz -- a show dedicated to the human stories behind the smiles -- and shares a moment that stopped her in her tracks: a friend who told her that a single check-in message from Carla may have saved her life.

This one is different.

IN THIS EPISODE:

-Growing up in war and what it taught her about resilience

- How she stumbled into the fantasy sports world

- Why she intentionally books guests with 80 followers, not 80,000

- The philosophy behind The Game Changers and Beyond the Beatz

- Her advice to anyone afraid to put their voice out there

FIND CARLA:X/Twitter/Instagram: @zincarlah

FIND UNDER THE HOODIE:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnderTheHoodiePod

Fantasy Sports Strategies: www.fantasysportsstrategies.com

#FantasySports #WomenInSports #Podcast #Entrepreneurship #GameChangers #Resilience #Storytelling #UnderTheHoodie

0:00 Highlight Reel

0:30 Intro & Welcome

2:45 Born in Beirut: Carla's Origin Story

9:00 How Fantasy Sports Found Her

11:30 The Game Changers Podcast: Giving a Voice to the Voiceless

20:30 Why She Amplifies the "Nobodies"

24:00 Beyond the Beats: Dancing, Zumba, and Human Stories

27:00 Advice for Aspiring Creators

32:00 What's Next for Carla

36:45 Favorite Sports Movie

What happens when a 48-year jewelry veteran walks into a gym, talks fantasy football, and has a lightbulb moment that launches a whole new business? You get Matty Straus and USA Sports Fan Chains.In this episode, Scott sits down with Matty to talk about his unlikely journey from New York City to the Florida jewelry trade, to becoming the guy bringing fan chain culture into the fantasy sports world. Matty shares how a conversation at the gym sparked the idea, how his decades of wholesale jewelry experience gave him a competitive edge no one else in the space had, and why he built an "I Suck" fantasy football chain that leagues are already ordering.This one is packed with real founder honesty: the early pushback, the pivot, the importance of having the right partner, and what it actually takes to build relationships in the fantasy sports industry.IN THIS EPISODE:- How Matty went from licensed sports jewelry to fan chains- Why the wholesale model sets USA Sports Fan Chains apart- The "I Suck" trophy chain and why losers deserve recognition too- How the affiliate program works and who it's built for- Advice for anyone looking to break into the fantasy sports spaceFIND MATTY AND USA SPORTS FAN CHAINS:- Retail: shop.usasportsfanchains.com- Wholesale: USAsportsstadiumchains.comABOUT UNDER THE HOODIE:Under the Hoodie is hosted by Scott Hoyt, founder of Fantasy Sports Strategies. Each week, Scott sits down with founders, operators, and innovators building inside the fantasy sports and gaming industry. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.#FantasySports #FanChains #FantasyFootball #SportsBusiness #Entrepreneurship #UnderTheHoodie #StartupStory #FantasySportsStrategy #SportsMerch #SportsTech

The Masters is one of the most unique tournaments in golf — and that means DFS strategy has to change.In this episode of Under the Hoodie, Scott Hoyt sits down with DFS Dashboard founder Matt Korn to break down how sportsbook data can give fantasy players an edge during Masters Week.Matt explains how sports books track player probabilities, how DFS players can use that data to build smarter lineups, and why most fantasy players approach DFS completely wrong.We also dive into:• How sportsbooks build player projections• Why variance matters in golf DFS• Why you don’t need 150 lineups to compete• The importance of ceiling outcomes in tournaments• Which players sportsbooks secretly loveIf you're building DraftKings lineups for the Masters, this conversation is full of insights that could change how you approach DFS.Subscribe for more conversations with founders and leaders shaping the fantasy sports industry.00:00 The DFS Blackjack Strategy01:35 Masters Week & April Sports Madness02:50 The Power of Sportsbook Data06:15 Content vs Data: Why You Lose07:46 DFS Bankroll Management & Strategy11:55 DFS Dashboard Live Walkthrough16:15 Debunking the 150 Lineup Myth20:45 Gaining an Edge at Augusta25:56 Predicting the LIV Golf Impact31:11 Matt's Top Picks for the Jacket35:28 The Ultimate Sports Movie Recommendation

Will Tighe joins Under the Hoodie to break down one of the most unique fantasy sports concepts in the industry.Fantasy Spin turns DFS into something entirely different:a slot-machine style system where you spin to build your lineup.We dive into:• the startup journey behind Fantasy Spin• how “spin drafting” works• the future of fantasy sports and prediction markets• the biggest lesson early-stage founders missSubscribe for more conversations with the builders shaping the fantasy sports industry.

00:00 Intro00:26 Will Joins02:01 Will's Background & Startup Journey05:52 How FantasySpin Actually Works09:45 What Makes FantasySpin Unique14:08 Trends in Fantasy Sports & Betting18:26 The Most Important Metric for Startups20:13 The Hardest Part of Building Fantasy Spin21:30 Growing the Community & Future Plans24:09 Naming the Original Startup26:06 Using AI Tools as a Founder27:56 Rapid Fire: Sports, Picks & Favorites31:14 Favorite Sports Movie33:12 Closing Thoughts

Todd Bailey believes fantasy football can be better.In this episode of Under the Hoodie, Scott Hoyt sits down with the founder of Extreme Fantasy Football, a platform introducing completely new ways to play.Todd explains how years of playing traditional fantasy football inspired him to design formats that remove some of the biggest frustrations fantasy players experience.One of those formats is Extreme Blitz, where fantasy managers can choose any NFL player they want, but can only use that player once during each half of the season.The strategy becomes completely different from traditional leagues.Todd also introduces Extreme Exchange, a stock-market style fantasy football game where NFL players are treated as tradable assets and users build portfolios instead of traditional rosters.In this episode they discuss:• Why traditional fantasy formats frustrate players• The strategy behind Extreme Blitz• A stock-market style fantasy football exchange• Lessons learned while building a sports tech startup• Opportunities for innovation in fantasy sportsSubscribe for more conversations with founders and innovators across fantasy sports, sports tech, and gaming.00:00 Podcast Preview00:36 Intro01:15 Todd Bailey Joins02:00 Todd’s Fantasy Football Background04:21 The Idea Behind Extreme Fantasy Football04:47 The Extreme Blitz Format Explained07:05 Problems With Traditional Fantasy Football08:24 Playing in Leagues With Thousands of People10:09 Why the Brand Name “Extreme”13:57 Early Testing and Feedback16:03 Strategy Mistakes New Players Make18:02 Introducing Extreme Exchange19:11 The Fantasy Football Stock Market Concept24:18 Building the Technology Platform27:30 Startup Lessons From Launching a Company30:22 The Future of Fantasy Sports33:13 What’s Next for Extreme Fantasy Football35:57 Designing the User Experience38:18 Favorite Sports Movie39:01 How to Play Extreme Fantasy Football