Fantasy sports has never been so popular and it naturally follows that the trend has created opportunities for people to bet against each other when it comes to predicting the outcome of sporting events.
Websites such as Draft Kings and Fan Duel allow customers to bet money on which Football, Golf, NFL, NBA, MMA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR or e-Sports players / teams will be the most successful in a particular event. Our DFS betting guide covers the ins and outs of DFS, as well as what to look for in a daily fantasy football strategy.
Fantasy sports are today a multibillion-dollar industry where participants assemble imaginary or virtual teams of real players of a professional sport. These teams compete based on the statistical performance of those players' players in actual games.
So you might log into your account and deposit some money. Then comes the option of which tournament you want to play in. Each tournament has an overall prize pot and a particular entry you have to pay to be part of things.
The goal could be something like picking the best possible fantasy team while staying under a cap which could be $50,000. Each player has a particular value and you have to choose a group of players that will collectively amass the most points.
You can often follow the action live and customers can chart their position on a leader board, with the places decided by what is happening in that particular sporting event.
It’s an opportunity to make a decent amount of money for a small stake. You can enter these competitions for as little as $2 yet sometimes stand to win $5000 or more as a first prize. Similar to an accumulator, the prospect of making a large amount of money from a small stake makes plenty of appeal.
Fantasy Sports is also an interactive betting game which is different to just betting with a bookmaker. Customers have the chance to prove themselves within a large community and the thrill of your predictions being proven right is a great thing, not to mention the chance of making money.
With Fantasy Sports, it’s not just a case of placing a bet and seeing if it wins. You are nominating a bunch of football players to perform well and you get points for how well they do. Therefore, you don’t need each striker to score a goal or each defender to keep a clean sheet. Providing that you put together a solid daily fantasy football strategy, and your fantasy team perform well collectively, then you can make money.
The old-school fantasy football games are still popular. But they involve picking the same sort of team through a season, with no betting involved unless you’re having a side wager where there’s some cash paid out at the end of a season.
The beauty of Fantasy Sports betting is that you are choosing a team to do well for a particular round of matches. There could be a full programme of Premier League games, following a fantasy football daily league strategy, where you pick out the players where you expect to perform well.
This type of betting is especially good for those who follow a particular sport with a passion. Knowing which players are likely to feature for each team along with injury and suspension news means that you could have the edge over your opponents.
Indeed, it’s worth noting that you’re not betting against the house when it comes to Fantasy Sports. You’re betting against other community players and your superior knowledge could provide that important edge.
However, as with other sports betting, luck can often play a big part when it comes to achieving success betting on Fantasy Sports. Over time, if you know more about the sport than the majority of other people, that should be enough to afford a decent sized profit.
Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is similar to season-long Fantasy Sports in that you create a line-up with players from different teams, but are single day or week long rather than an entire season. This means that for example all Premier League and Champions League match days are now opportunities to win big.
Open an account with Draft Kings or Fan Duel and make a deposit. Next, pick up a sport and enter a contest. 50/50s or Beginner contests are a great way to get started. Try a private, friends-only league, or Head to Head contest. Then create your line-up and make sure to stay within the salary cap. Change any player up until the match starts. Injured or suspended players will never plague your line-up again!
When it comes to daily fantasy sports, finding a strategy that works for you is key to improving your odds of success. Depending on whether you're a beginner or a seasoned DFS player, the strategy you choose will likely vary and come down to some crucial areas. If you are looking for a college football daily fantasy strategy, you may also find blending some strategies can help cover more bases, and could create a good balance when it comes to placing bets.
Take beginners for example. First things first, bankroll management is essential. Starting small and allocating a small percentage of your total bankroll, perhaps 5-10%, to each contest can help minimize losses and sustain long-term play. You can also diversify your entries across various contest types—such as 50/50s and tournaments to help reduce risk, while allowing you to test different approaches.
Another popular approach is stacking, which involves selecting multiple players from the same team, such as a quarterback and wide receiver duo. Doing this can allow you to take advantage of the potential increased scoring when multiple players on the same team perform well. This example could mean a single touchdown pass results in points for both players, making it ideal for tournaments where high scores are crucial.
Another area to consider is looking for value players, meaning those who are underpriced relative to their projected performance. By finding value picks, you allow for salary cap space to spend on top stars, or “studs,” who can help carry your lineup.
Leverage is also critical in gaining an edge, particularly in tournaments. This involves moving away from highly owned players to lower-owned options with similar upside. Mastering strategies like leveraging ownership percentages can set you apart in large tournaments, and choosing less popular players with high upside can make your lineup unique and potentially boost your odds. The fade strategy is another tool to add to your bag, and this involves avoiding highly owned players when their value doesn’t justify their popularity.
Ensuring you do enough research and preparation before placing any bets is also vital. Using tools like player projections, matchup ratings, and injury reports can give you an edge, whilst staying updated with breaking news allows you to tweak your lineup right up until the lock. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned DFS pro, refining your strategy will improve your performance over time.
Here’s a quick summary to help you get started:
| Strategy | Description | How it can work for you? |
|---|---|---|
| Stacking | Choose players with positive correlation, such as a quarterback and wide receiver in NFL DFS or a pitcher and catcher in MLB DFS. | Maximizes upside by compounding points from connected plays, ideal for tournaments where high scores are needed. |
| Bankroll Management | Allocate a small percentage (e.g. 5-10%) of your total bankroll per contest and diversify across contest types. | Reduces risk by limiting your exposure, while still giving you opportunities to win consistently over time. |
| Value | Find underpriced players who are expected to perform well and use the savings to include high-cost “studs” in your lineup. | Helps you balance the salary cap while building a strong team with potential across all positions. |
| Research and Preparation | Analyze player stats, matchups, and injury updates. Use tools like projections and historical performance data. | Gives you more informed decision making and helps you build competitive lineups. |
| Leverage | Capitalize on lower-owned options with similar potential for high scores compared to the higher-owned players. | Gives you a unique lineup that has potential to outperform if popular players underdeliver, increasing your wins in tournaments. |
| Fade | Avoid overhyped, high-owned players, and select alternative options with lower ownership. | Reduces reliance on popular choices and increases your chances of standing out in tournaments. |
DFS is as much about strategy as it is about your love for the game. Luck can absolutely play a role, but consistent success often comes down to a combination of research, preparation, smart lineup building, and good bankroll management. Whether you're a beginner looking to start from scratch and create the best daily fantasy football strategy, or a seasoned DFS user, having a plan to refine your approach can help massively.
We’ve put together some tips that will help you maximize your chances of climbing the leaderboards.
As with many things in life, avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. i.e spread your entries across multiple contest types and diversify. This could be cash games such as head-to-heads or 50/50 contests. You could also look at Guaranteed Prize Pools (GPPs), which are high-risk, high-reward tournaments where a unique lineup could shine.
DFS sites assign a salary to each user, and you’ll need to build a lineup within this predefined budget. The key is balancing high-performing stars with undervalued players who have the potential to exceed their cost. By maximizing value, you can afford elite performers while staying within the cap.
Deep research can make or break your lineup. Better research leads to more informed decisions, increasing your lineup's upside. Dive into advanced states such as DVOA (Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average) for NFL or PER (Player Efficiency Rating) for NBA. Recent performance trends such as play can help identify players at their peak.
It’s key to be flexible in DFS in order to stay competitive, so monitoring breaking news that includes: Injuries, roster changes, and last-minute starting lineup updates can significantly alter a player’s value. You can also use late swap features at sites like DraftKings to adjust your lineup up until game time. Take advantage of this to swap out inactive players or make use of new opportunities.
Bankroll management is crucial for sustained success in DFS. Allocate only a small percentage of your total bankroll per contest to mitigate losses. Doing things such as setting daily and weekly budgets can help make sure you are not overextended too. Never chase losses and stick to a predefined strategy. By implementing a disciplined approach to your bankroll, you can continue playing even through bad streaks.
By now, we hope you can see that Daily Fantasy Sports offers a great mix of skill, strategy, and excitement for users of all levels. Seasoned pros and beginners can all benefit from reviewing their strategy and making time to plan well. Doing so can help transform your betting and help maintain your DFS journey for longer.
Many sites now offer DFS, with varying salary caps, and options. Be sure to check out our reviews of top DFS providers such as DraftKings and FanDuel, and start planning your line-ups now.
Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is a variation of traditional fantasy sports where players create lineups of real sports players and compete based on their real-world performance.
Yes, although success often depends on a combination of strategy, research, and understanding of the sport, as well as a little bit of luck. Entry fees will usually start from $2, with some contests offering prize pools of $5,000 or more. There is no guarantee of wins though, and losing money is possible, so you should always practice responsible gambling.
Many DFS users will look to strategies such as leverage, value, and stacking. We explain these in more detail in this guide, so make sure you take a read. Your next daily fantasy strategy football line-up could be closer than you think!
To get started, you’ll need to sign up with sites like DraftKings or FanDuel. Once registered, deposit money, choose a sport, and enter a contest. This guide gives you a run down of what you should look for and some top tips to get you going.
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