Fantasy football guru Matthew Berry names NFL player he wants this year... and which celebrities are his toughest rivals

When Matthew Berry was growing up, fantasy sports were far from the all-encompassing hobby they are today.

'I think it was sort of thought of as this nerdy thing, it's this kid game,' he recalled in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail.

Things have changed, drastically. 

Berry's hugely successful career as a fantasy football analyst has seen him compete with Avengers actors, bristle at John Legend's surprising savviness and receive funding from the likes of LeBron James, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen for his Fantasy Life business.

Everyone, as Berry put it, from 'rock stars to grandmas to little kids' is playing now.

'I think it's become a lot more respected,' he said, before lifting the lid on one of his highest-profile rivals.

'I'm in a league with John Legend, and he drives me crazy, because he always snipes me,' Berry cracked.

'I'll have my sleepers and everything. And, I'm like "Ahh, come on, John Legend - EGOT, Chrissy Teigen. He can't be paying attention, he's got a lot going on." And then I'm in the draft room, and he's like two spots ahead of me, and I'm just like, "Effing John Legend, sniping me!" Left and right.'

Fantasy football draft rooms were not always something a 13-time Grammy winner would be found in.

Early versions of the previously niche activity, which is believed to have originated in 1962 from former Raiders minority owner Wilfred 'Bill' Winkenbach, saw the scant amount of participants manually track their players' points by hand. In the 90's, when Berry was a young adult, some football-obsessed fans dialed into a toll-free number to pick their teams for the 'Pigskin Playoff' game.

Several decades later, fantasy sports have exploded into a multi-billion dollar business - and Berry has been one of the biggest benefactors (and drivers) of that transformation.

Now on air at NBC Sports/Peacock, he became a household name at ESPN from 2007-22, providing advice and widespread exposure for a hobby whose rise corresponded with his own. An estimated 62.5million Americans and Canadians played fantasy sports in 2022, according to the Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association - up from 19.4million in 2007.

And the former TV writer has certainly gained access to circles he wouldn't otherwise be a part of due to his fantasy football expertise.

In one league, he faced off against Avengers universe actors like Robert Downey Jr., Ryan Reynolds, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth and Simi Liu. 'The trash talk that was in that was pretty epic and fun,' he said. 

He was once even summoned to Jay-Z's fantasy draft to help the legendary rapper with his picks.

In 2011, during his ascendancy at ESPN, he also provided a hilarious cameo on 'The League,' an FX show about a group of friends competing against one another in a cutthroat fantasy football league. Such was one character's reverence for him that he described Berry as 'the prettiest girl in this bar' as he worked up the courage to talk to him.

More recently, his fantasy and gaming company Fantasy Life, which was founded in 2022, secured a $7million round of seed funding. Investors (in addition to James and Legend) included names like Jacksonville Jaguars owner Tony Khan, former NFL star Larry Fitzgerald, Philadelphia 76ers owner David Blitzer and more.

Back in February on Super Bowl's radio row, he welcomed star receivers Tyreek Hill and Justin Jefferson to his 'Fantasy Football Happy Hour' set. And as he held court with a group of NBC Sports sponsors prior to speaking with Daily Mail, it it was wholly evident that fantasy had far outpaced its more underground beginnings.

'I think what drew me to fantasy is what I think drives a lot of people to fantasy, which is: it's fun, it's really fun,' he said.

'And it's one of the things that's easy to play, it's hard to master, right? And because you're dealing with players that are playing a game with a leather ball that's an oblong shape, weird stuff happens.'

If there is one downside to the fantasy boom that has occurred in recent years, it might the abuse that some disgruntled players serve up to athletes on social media.

While Berry contended that such unsavory fan behavior also happens in the arenas of politics, music and more, he admitted that there is a 'small percentage' of 'a*****e' fantasy players who overstep.

'The ones that really get me are when a player gets injured, and then there'll be some jerks, they'll be like, "Oh, man, you just killed my fantasy league." This guy just tore his ACL, man… this is how he provides resources for his family,' he said. 

'This is how he provides for his family and his health is his livelihood. He's not worried about your fake football team, dude. And so, those are the ones that really bother me.'

By and large, though, there isn't a ton for Berry to be upset about.

He's gearing up for another season of NFL action, and there is finally optimism around his beloved Commanders due to quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Of course, there's also some fantasy advice baked into his excitement surrounding the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year.

'He'll be on all of my teams next year,' Berry said.