Matthew Berry is participating in 32 different fantasy leagues this NFL season. The number is terrifying without context, but its a little less daunting when you consider his status as a pioneer of fantasy media.

Berrys in several leagues with his NBC Sports colleagues. Another with ESPN pals. Multiple with investors in Fantasy Life, his sports gaming platform, and one with its advertisers. Then theres his kids. His neighbors. His college friends. If you know Berry and you arent playing him in fantasy, perhaps its time to reassess your relationship. There may not be that many people in my life that arent in a league with me, Berry tells The Hollywood Reporter. They really add up.

For the NBC Sports analyst, fantasy is life hence the name of his booming side hustle, which counts Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, LeBron James, Maverick Carter and Gerry Cardinale among its investors. (The latest round of fundraising this year topped $7 million.) There are a lot of companies that do certain things well, and we just thought we would be able to do everything, says Berry, whose three-year-old company combines content, tools and gaming. We just wanted it to be a one-stop shop.

Talking on the phone during his commute from NBCUniversals Stamford, Connecticut, studio to his home in the suburbs, the father of five offered up some week-one reactions, thoughts on one day returning to his screenwriting roots and, true to form, personalized fantasy advice it might already be time to trade Christian McCaffrey that hes happy to dole out just about anywhere. Almost.

This last year, my wife and I were at a funeral, standing in the receiving line, says Berry, who also hosts the Fantasy Football Happy Hour podcast. A guy behind me taps it on the shoulder and he says, Hey, what do you think about [L.A. Chargers wide receiver Ladd] McConkey? Im like, Dude, were at a funeral. He goes, Yeah, but hell still be dead on Tuesday, and I have a draft. So, what do you think about McConkey?

Alright, not a simple request, but give me some takeaways from week one.

How long do you have? (Laughs.) Lets talk about what I think is legit. Tyler Warren is legit. Hes going to be a top-five fantasy tight end. Hes going to flirt with the top three numbers. Daniel Jones is kind of the perfect quarterback for Tyler Warren. Hes just going to get peppered with targets. Hollywood Brown is going to be an important part of the Chiefs offense. He needs to be rostered in 100 percent of leagues and hes going to be a big part of what the Chiefs do for the next month and a half.

And in less auspicious news?

If you have Ken Walker on your team, you should be very worried. I thought Zach Charbonnet looked better, and then he got more work. So Ken Walker is in a timeshare with Zach. What happens in drafts a lot of times is like youre trying to read the tea leaves and youre like, We think this guys going to get an opportunity We think this guy isnt. We got clarity on some backfield in week one. Meanwhile, a couple of running backs that people sort of ignored in drafts because of the uncertainty of their backfield, Javonte Williams and Travis Etienne, clearly established themselves as the guy in their backfields, especially in Jacksonville. Etienne looked explosive.

Are you still bullish on Omarion Hampton? The Chargers rookie running back was your ride or die pick this season.

I feel pretty good about Omarion Hampton. I think the Chargers are going to be more pass heavy than we expected, based on that first game. He was used a lot, even though with Najee Harris active, they used him in tough situations at the end of the game. I thought this was the most telling thing at the end of the game, when the Chargers were trying to ice the clock, they had the rookie in Omarion Hampton out there. Not Najee Harris. The touchdowns will come. Im not worried about that.

What are some of the biggest overreactions people might be having right now?

Im not going to panic on elite players that have proven production that just had slow starts. Im not worried about Joe Burrow. Im not worried about Jamarr Chase. Im not worried about Nico Collins. Im not worried about Dak Prescott. And I dont think Aaron Rodgers is suddenly back. That was a really weird game. Obviously, Rodgers is a big name. So he got a lot of headlines in publicity. He tossed four touchdown passes: one was a broken coverage, one was just basically a handoff. That was just a weird game. I am not buying that Aaron Rodgers is suddenly back and a viable fantasy option. Id much prefer Justin Fields going forward.

What about my Lions? Give it to me straight.

Ill say that I am not worried about Amon-Ra St. Brown. Im not worried about Jahmyr Gibbs. Im a little nervous about Jared Goff, though. And Im a little nervous about this offense without [offensive coordinator] Ben Johnson.

Moving on! How many times during an average week is a complete stranger asking you for fantasy advice?

Every day in my life. Every hour. Ive been like people in a public restroom, out on the street when Im with my kids. Its every day of my life. As long as theyre polite about it, and 95 percent of the people are, Im more than happy to do that. Im flattered! Its when they stop asking that Im screwed. right? (Laughs.)

Whats a common mistake people make, strategy-wise, in drafting and managing a fantasy team?

At the end of the day, this is supposed to be fun. You want players you want to root for. If you were like, Listen, Im a Lions fan. I dont care if DJ Moore is a steal this year. Im not drafting a Bear. I get that. By the way, Im not convinced DJ Moore is to steal this year. But I dont mind playing with emotions because its ultimately a game we do for fun. Its a hobby. But if your entire goal is just to win, then yes, I think too many people bring emotion into it and they dont bring logic or data into it. Fantasy success comes from two very simple things: talent and opportunity.

To pivot for a moment, you were a successful screenwriter for years before you changed careers and moved into fantasy and broadcasting. Writer is a hard identity to shake. Do you have any more scripts in you?

Yes, I do. Over the years, Ive had one or two producers that Ive worked with before in my former Hollywood career reach out with an idea or a book.I always think about it, but Im so busy with what Im doing now. What I truly miss is being in a sitcom writers room and pitching jokes and making one another laugh. But, yes, at some point, maybe Ill look back at that. In the meantime, I have some reality show ideas that weve been pitching around town. Well see what happens there.

OK, week two kicks off Thursday night with Washington and Green Bay. Youre a Commanders guy. Any thoughts?

Im a diehard Commanders fan. I want to see how we hold up against this Green Bay defense. Its one thing to beat up the Giants, although the Giants have a good defense. The Commanders legitimately have Super Bowl aspirations. And the Packers, especially with the acquisition of Micah Parsons, theyre right there. So this is a real test especially for the Commanders to have to do it on a short week on the road. Green Bay, by the way, is getting back-to-back home games. Feels a little suspect. But what are you going to do?