The NBA’s Transparency Problem: How Daily Fantasy Players Are Left in the Dark
- TDS News
- Sports
- January 24, 2025

Image Credit, Nikolaytaman90
Daily fantasy sports corporations like FanDuel, DraftKings, and Underdog Fantasy are long overdue for a moment of reckoning with the NBA. For years, these companies have poured tens of millions—likely hundreds of millions—into the league as sponsors and promoters, yet they find themselves stuck in a relationship where respect seems to be a one-way street. Fantasy players and gamblers, the lifeblood of daily fantasy sports, are continually let down by the NBA’s apparent lack of transparency and accountability when it comes to managing injury reports, lineup announcements, and player statuses. And the most disappointing part? These fantasy corporations have yet to step up and willingly demand the changes their customers deserve.
The NBA’s handling of player information is, quite frankly, frustrating. Injury reports are released at periodic intervals, but they’re often vague, inconsistent, and unreliable. A designation like “questionable” is essentially meaningless—does it mean the player has a minor issue or that they’re a longshot to play? No one knows, and the league does little to clarify. Coaches regularly announce starting lineups at the last possible moment or make surprise scratches after daily fantasy lineups have locked, leaving fans and bettors in a lurch. This isn’t just an occasional hiccup—it’s a systemic issue that has plagued the league for years, and it shows no sign of improving.
What makes this even more disheartening is how starkly the NBA’s approach contrasts with other leagues, like the NFL. In football, there are hard deadlines for player availability—if you’re not declared active by a certain time, you’re not playing. It’s a simple system that prioritizes transparency and respects the fans, fantasy players, and bettors who invest so much into the sport. The NBA, on the other hand, seems content to operate in a perpetual gray area, where last-minute changes and cryptic designations are the norm.
This is a huge problem, particularly when you consider how much daily fantasy sports and betting platforms have done for the NBA. Let’s not sugarcoat it: a significant portion of the league’s viewership is driven by fantasy players and gamblers. How many fans are tuning in to watch a midweek game between two struggling teams without something at stake? These fantasy platforms are keeping buts in seats on for many NBA games that would otherwise draw minimal interest. They drive subscriptions to League Pass, create buzz around otherwise irrelevant matchups, and keep fans engaged even when the quality of play isn’t at its peak. And yet, the NBA doesn’t seem to value this contribution enough to provide the basic transparency that fantasy players and bettors need to make informed decisions.
And about that quality of play—it’s hard to ignore how much it has declined in recent years. Superstars are resting on back-to-back nights, players are labeled as needing “load management,” and inconsistency reigns supreme. One night, a player looks unstoppable, and the next, they can’t make a layup. Then there are those infamous corner-standers who log 30 minutes and fail to contribute a single meaningful stat. For fans, fantasy players, and bettors alike, it’s increasingly difficult to trust the product the NBA is putting on the court.
The biggest disappointment, however, lies with the daily fantasy companies themselves. FanDuel, DraftKings, and Underdog Fantasy have the leverage to demand better from the NBA. These platforms are integral to the league’s engagement and revenue streams. Without them, viewership for many games would collapse, League Pass subscriptions would plummet, and the league’s overall relevance would take a significant hit. Yet instead of using this leverage, these companies remain passive, failing to advocate for the transparency their customers deserve.
The solution isn’t complicated. The NBA should be required to implement hard deadlines for player statuses and lineup announcements. If the first game tips off at 7 PM, all teams should have to finalize their lineups at least an hour beforehand. If a player isn’t declared active by then, they shouldn’t be allowed to play. This isn’t an unreasonable demand—other leagues have similar policies, and the NBA has the resources to implement them. Yet, for some reason, the league and its partners have allowed the current state of disarray to continue unchecked.
At the end of the day, this is about respect—for the fans, for the bettors, and for the fantasy players who invest so much time and money into the NBA. The league’s current approach shows a lack of accountability, and the continued silence from daily fantasy corporations only compounds the problem. If these platforms truly value their customers, they need to push back against the NBA’s hubris and demand meaningful changes. And if the league refuses to budge, maybe it’s time to reevaluate the partnership entirely.
The NBA is better than this—or at least, it should be. Fantasy players and bettors deserve better, and it’s up to both the league and the corporations that support it to step up and deliver. If they don’t, they risk losing the trust and engagement of the very people who keep their product alive. It’s time for accountability, transparency, and a commitment to doing right by the fans who make it all possible. Anything less is a failure, and it’s one that no one—neither the NBA nor its partners—can afford to ignore.