An Interview with Top Tournament Player, Rupster!
If you are a regular in the RotoGrinders Discord or find yourself always looking at the top of DFS leaderboards, chances are that you already know Rupster. Not only is he one of the most prominent figures in our Discord, but he also has one of the most impressive trajectories of any DFS player in recent memory.
Rupster was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to sit down with RotoGrinders for a Q&A. If you are someone who plays DFS as a hobby but dream of ultimately becoming one of the best players in the industry, we suggest reading what he has to say!
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where you reside, family, favorite sports/teams, etc.
I am a 36-year-old Red Sox fan with a wonderful wife, Rupal (the true Rupster), and two kids, Maya and Ari. I currently live in Bucks County, PA. My top two hobbies by far are DFS and beer.
Tell us what you do for work.
I was an M&A advisor at an investment bank, but now, thanks to the money I have made in DFS, I have been able to dial back my work and just serve as a part-time financial advisor for a select few small companies that I really enjoy working with.
Tell us about your DFS journey. When did you start playing? And which sports?
I started playing DFS in January 2019 when my brother introduced me to both FanDuel and RotoGrinders. I started my FD account with $10 without any knowledge of projections or any other tools. I just listened to the Morning Grind, read Noto’s and Meansy’s articles, and entered tiny NBA contests. It was purely for fun, and never in a million years did I think it was possible to win a lot of money.
Was there any individual at RotoGrinders who was a particularly important part of your DFS journey?
While in RG’s newly formed Discord, I was introduced to a fellow subscriber and eventual RG analyst named blenderhd. It was through him that I learned elements of game theory and started to apply them to my DFS play. In particular, I learned about the three levers of DFS – projection, pOWN%, and correlation. I began to apply everything I learned to my own DFS play, and in my first year, I was able to turn my $10 into several thousand dollars just grinding small, low-dollar contests and satellites.
When did you realize you were hooked?
In my second year of DFS, I was still just playing small NBA contests when the pandemic hit and normal life turned inside out. The NBA was shut down, so I could no longer enter contests, but I knew I had the itch to continue learning and playing. The only sport that did not shut down completely at the time was the Chinese League of Legends league called the LPL. So, I dove into listening to League of Legends podcasts. RG managed to throw together tools and articles, and I feel like I was able to stay ahead of the curve playing this new “sport.” I soon realized it wasn’t NBA DFS that I loved but just DFS in general.
Anyway, the KBO (Korean Baseball League) finally reopened, and I began to play that sport as well. My oldest daughter Maya had just been born, and she wasn’t much of a sleeper, so I would take the all-night shift, which allowed me time to build my KBO and LPL lineups and watch the footage. By the time American sports reopened, I had grown my bankroll into tens of thousands of dollars. I was hooked.
How long have you been a RotoGrinders subscriber?
I have been an RG subscriber since day one, thanks to my brother’s introduction. I was extremely fortunate that he gave me the referral because RG has been an integral part of my DFS journey. I have come to rely on all the tools, particularly the DFS Lineup Optimizer (LineupHQ), ResultsDB, THE BAT X, and THE BLITZ. And the people who have worked for RG have always been extremely kind and helpful. The culture they foster became very obvious to me. They are all very friendly DFS players who put way too much work into making all the tools as useful as possible.
Which DFS sports do you currently play?
I play almost all of the DFS sports now, which, off the top of my head, are NBA, WNBA, NFL, CFB, NHL, MLB, and tennis. I also just began playing soccer. I play mostly the very large $15 contests on DraftKings for all sports except NBA and the FanDuel flagship for NBA.
Even if it might not be your most successful, what is your favorite DFS sport to build lineups for and sweat? And why?
I would say NHL and CFB are my favorite sports to play and sweat at the moment since they have a good mix of standard counting stats to track and also event-based scoring where things flip on their head. Moneyball16 and TastefulTides in the NHL Discord channel and MrTuttle05 in the CFB Discord channel do a really amazing job of making sure everything I need to know is in the Discord, so I don’t have to go anywhere else, which is so important with two kids and a job.
What is the biggest 1st-place prize you have won in a DFS tournament?
I have won $100,000 once in NBA and once in MLB. I have won $50,000 six times across MLB and NBA and countless lower five-figure wins in all sports.
You are currently ranked #14 in the RotoGrinders NHL DFS rankings and have already taken down several tournaments in the first month alone. Any advice for other players?
I have said this a million times in the NHL Discord channel, but goalie really is such a great leverage point in NHL DFS. I have a reputation for playing lower-owned goalies and stacking against higher-owned goalies. I would say my willingness to do that is most directly related to my ability to win contests.
What advice would you give to casual players who strive to be successful in so many DFS sports like you are?
Just always be willing to adapt. The industry and the game change constantly, and being flexible and willing to change your play style is very important. Take all the things you learn from one sport and apply them to all the other sports. Continue to get better every month.
Cover Image Credit: Getty Images