In 2019, two Ithaca College students, Sam Factor and Dylan Shane, turned a simple school project into one of the most promising startups in fantasy football.
It started in a machine learning class, where they built an algorithm that could accurately predict player performance. They named it Walter.
At first, Walter was just their final project. They tested it using past NFL data, a method called back testing. But the real challenge came in the fall of 2019, after graduation, when they decided to test the algorithm on live games.
The results were impressive. The predictions were so accurate that Sam started seeing real business potential in Walter.
Today, WalterPicks processes more than 20 million data points collected over 10 years of American football.
They’re now making around $2,400,000 in yearly recurring revenue.
The fantasy sports market was already massive back then, worth about $8.88 billion in 2021, and led by giants like ESPN and DraftKings.
WalterPicks stood out with an algorithm that’s said to be 17% more accurate than predictions from ESPN and Yahoo.
As of 2025, though, some competitors remain extremely difficult to beat.
WalterPicks soon realized that having a great algorithm wasn’t enough, it also needed strong distribution.
So the team launched an ambitious TikTok strategy, creating accounts dedicated to each of the 32 NFL teams, as well as pages for basketball and hockey (NHL).
In total, it now manages 35 accounts, with over 700,000 followers combined.
As of today, they’ve racked up 118.7 million views.
Access all data here: https://app.shortimize.com/c/2b10rbUlfLUvDA
Every account is managed by a different creator. The first videos they posted were simple app introductions, and many of those are still the most viewed.
Each video uses the same green-screen style, with the creator’s face in front of the app. They go through how it works, using examples from their favorite team to catch the attention of that team’s fans.
Matt Kane, one of creators on the team, runs @bengals.walterpicks, which has gained over 33,000 followers on its own. It’s a clear example of how this type of focused, niche content can help grow the brand.
Interestingly enough, Matt found out about them through TikTok, when he came across a video they posted while hiring for social media creators.
It’s not just TikTok anymore.
Earlier this year, the WalterPicks team brought their blog back to life.
They’re also active on YouTube, sharing both long and short videos, much like what they already do on TikTok. Sure, views aren’t as high just yet, but it allows them to start tapping into a whole new audience of fantasy sports fans who don’t get their news from TikTok.
Still, they’re about to cross the 16K subscriber mark.
When the app launched, Sam mentioned that the algorithm was just one part of the puzzle. The real impact came from their smart social strategy and the tools they built right into the app.
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