I love fantasy sports, but I'm not keen on season-long contests that drag on. Daily Fantasy Sports are more up my alley, as games only last for a day or weekend at most. And every day brings a new opportunity.
With numerous DFS sites popping up, I'm clearly not the only one who prefers this shorter and more sweat-induced format. These platforms give players new and better ways to engage with the games they love. They offer the perks of season-long contests, minus the long-term commitment. Let me reveal the best ones and all things DFS-related, from tips to leagues.
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So, what is Daily Fantasy Sports? I like to think of DFS as a high-speed version of season-long fantasy sports. You get to play coach, and draft your virtual team of professional athletes from a particular sport, such as basketball. From there, you put your dream team against others for a single weekend game instead of an entire season. By the end of the night, you’ll know if you've won or not!
Teams earn points based on how the players perform in real-life matches. If you choose the right team, you’ll find yourself at the top of the league with a chance to bag amazing prizes. Daily Fantasy Sports games typically have a fixed prize pool that is divided among the top performers based on accumulated points.
The drafting, research, and planning of lineups make Daily Fantasy Sports exciting. You do have a limited pool of players to pick from based on the eligible players for a given day, but I like how DFS offers more flexibility with roster changes, allowing you to swap out players throughout the competition.
There are a lot of reasons I and many others love Daily Fantasy Sports, but it’s not all sunshine and roses. I’ve listed the good and bad of playing at DFS platforms so you know what to expect.
Most Daily Fantasy Sports sites provide a similar service, but the experience will be slightly different, depending on the site you join. Whether you’re a seasoned DFS gamer or a newbie, it’ll help you to seek out certain qualities from the sites. Below are the factors I consider.
Any Daily Fantasy Sports site worth its salt will offer contests for the four most popular sports leagues in the US - the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. Extra points if the brands cover niche sports like racing, golf, esports and soccer (ideally with leagues such as the EPL).
Next, I look at the leagues and contests, which are the building blocks for DFS sports betting. The best sites offer contests such as head-to-heads, tournaments, and 50/50s. More than that, I shouldn't have to struggle to enter these competitions.
Unlike regular sportsbooks, I noticed that Daily Fantasy Sports sites don't have as many offers for their existing customers. That's why I'm more interested in the availability of free-to-play contests. Of course, the welcome offer for new signups is always something to check out. The bonus is a great way to get used to the platform with less risk.
Playing at Daily Fantasy Sports platforms that are completely safe and secure is paramount. Only play at licensed platforms held accountable by the necessary regulatory bodies. They are more inclined to uphold player safety and honor your dues. I also like to examine the safety seals like if the operator has any Responsible Gaming logos.
Most DFS platforms make it easy for players to fund their accounts. I award high Daily Fantasy Sports rankings to sites that maintain the same simplicity when withdrawing. Frustrating players with absurd payout speeds and fees is a deal breaker. A smooth payment process improves your experience and largely hinges on the type of payment methods available.
If I have to wait hours for a response to my query, I'm canning the DFS site. I believe customer support should be responsive, courteous, and helpful. Also, the platform must have several support outlets, such as live chat, email, and phone that make it easy (and quick) to reach support. My DraftKings Daily Fantasy review shows how that DFS site fits the bill.
Now that you know what DFS betting is, let's get you signed up. Registering won’t take more than a few minutes at any site mentioned on my FanDuel daily fantasy review page. Follow these simple steps:
Fantasy sports betting sites may not cover as many sports as regular sportsbooks do. However, the good ones will at least offer most of the popular US sports I’ve listed below.
Football is America’s most popular sport by a significant margin. As a result, bigger prize pools and increased competition at Daily Fantasy Sports is the order of the day. The NFL offers more contest types, such as GPPs with top-heavy payout structures.
If you read my Underdog Fantasy review, you’ll see how the NBA is a big part of what top DFS sites cover. You can build your line-ups with strong players like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Points are awarded for various stats in fantasy basketball, including free throws, field goals, and rebounds.
The NHL runs from October to June. Most times of the year are perfect to get your hockey dream team geared up and ready for action. To build a successful NHL DFS lineup, you must incorporate key player stats such as the Shots on Goal, and the Team implied Total.
Top DFS sites round up an assortment of contests and leagues for fantasy baseball with different price points and prize structures. Most leagues use a snake draft format to limit player usage. Usually, pitchers who manage to put up a lot of strikeouts are considered the top-scoring players in MLB DFS.
Besides the popular US sports, some sites allow you to draft teams for College sports, cricket, NASCAR, F1, WNBA, Esports, and UFC. Golfers like Scottie Scheffler currently boast some of the biggest back-to-back winnings in the 2024 PGA Championship DFS player pool.
You can enter your teams in different DFS betting contests, each with different rules. Not all platforms feature the same leagues. I want to bring your attention to the five most popular contests you can join for an exhilarating experience.
Guaranteed Prize Pools have to be the most popular contests of the bunch. As the name implies, players pay a set entry fee to compete for a share of a guaranteed prize pool. The competition will run regardless of how many players join. It usually adopts a top-heavy payout structure where the top 18-25% of the field are paid.
Cash games are much smaller than GPPs, and popular with the NFL. You can join an existing cash game or create your own, and the winner takes the top prize. The only downside with this contest is it’s not guaranteed to run. Some games may not run until all spots are filled, depending on the entry fee.
Head-to-heads are a favorite of mine because this format is more controlled and boosts my chances of success. Instead of competing against several opponents, I only take on one contestant, which could even be a friend. Naturally, the winner takes all. You don’t have to share the prize money with a hundred other participants.
This is yet another popular DFS contest type for the NFL, mentioned in my ParlayPlay review and many other similar reviews. Only the top half of entries are paid with this format. For instance, if there are 20 teams, the best 10 will win and double their money.
This is an interesting contest where you must build a lineup that can surpass a predetermined scoring total. Winners get a share of the prize pool.
Picking the best Daily Fantasy Sports site is the first step to becoming a DFS pro. I’ll list a few expert tips that can take your DFS journey from good to great.
The key to nailing DFS is to learn as much as you can about it. Utilize the array of online resources at your disposal. Join DFS forums, message boards, and strategy sites. Follow DFS experts on their social media channels and stay updated with their latest commentaries and tips.
I found that identifying soft pricing areas and exploiting these is crucial for DFS success. How successful your DFS lineup will be boils down to salary value and ownership rate. Look at aspects like volume stats, team stats, and projected ownership data to exploit soft pricing optimally.
To increase your chances of excelling in DFS, it’s also a good idea to enter contests that match your skill set and experience level. For instance, cash games are ideal for players new to DFS because there’s less competition. Experienced players can jump into GPPs with more competition, which also means bigger payouts.
Be intentional about your fantasy sports betting journey and set a routine. A smart move is to spend at least 15 minutes each day going over your lineup. Make the necessary adjustments depending on what’s happening in the industry with regard to player injury, etc.
As with sports betting, DFS requires the same bankroll management principles to keep a handle on your finances. Set a budget, deposit limits, and anything else you need to avoid blowing your funds. Even with the ultimate winning team, I say it's still risky to spend over 10% of your total bankroll in a single day.
I've noticed a drastic improvement in the average quality of DFS bonuses. Depending on the platform you join, they'll take one or more of the following forms outlined in the table below.
| Bonus | What it entails |
|---|---|
| Deposit Bonuses | This is a popular DFS bonus mainly reserved for new players and immediately boosts your starting funds. The platform matches your first deposit up to a certain percentage, from anywhere between 10% and 200%. |
| Cashback Bonuses | Some DFS sites extend cashback promos to mitigate the sting of losses. These platforms refund a percentage of losses you incur over a specified period, which could be a week or a month. |
| Parlay Insurance | This is a compelling bonus where the DFS site allows players to insure part of their selections in a parlay wager. Instead of losing out on your entire stake if one selection loses, you still get a portion of the winnings. |
| No Deposit Free Bets | With this offer, you place your DFS bets without needing to fund your account first. |
The best Daily Fantasy Sports platforms offer convenient and secure payment methods for players to deposit and withdraw. Here are the most popular options.
Traditional banking options like cards and bank transfers remain the most popular options at Daily Fantasy Sports sites. They are widely accepted, easy to use, and highly secure, making them ideal for players who want to get started quickly. However, you must contend with significant transaction fees levied on Visa and Mastercard transactions. Also, payout speeds may not be the quickest, taking up to 5 days to conclude.
eWallets like Skrill, Neteller, and PayPal are gaining traction at DFS sites, especially among the newest DFS enthusiasts. These payment methods allow for fast and secure deposits and payouts, with a buffer between you and your bak account. eWallet deposits are instant, and withdrawals usually take between 24 and 72 hours.
Crypto banking methods are a bit of a wild card in the DFS industry, as not all DFS brands have yet embraced them. With cryptocurrencies, payouts are faster, involve negligible fees, and offer anonymity. Popular options at most sites include Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum.
Your dream of becoming a virtual sports coach in iconic leagues is within reach at the best Daily Fantasy Sports platforms. However, this won’t happen by going with the first site you see. Set your sights on DFS platforms that offer several contests across numerous sports.
The best sites also cover their legal bases, offer a wide range of secure banking methods, and are ready to respond to your queries. You won't go wrong by picking any of my recommended platforms, which you’ll find on the banners of this page, and using my expert tips to take your DFS experience to the next level.
Daily Fantasy Sports allows you to play at being manager by lining up virtual teams of professional athletes. You’ll then enter these teams into daily or weekly contests to compete against other sports fans. Points are awarded based on how the athletes perform in their real-life matches.
Yes, Daily Fantasy Sports are legal in 40+ US states. You can find out if your desired DFS brand is legally operating in your state by checking out the banners of this page.
A wide range of sports are available to Daily Fantasy Sports enthusiasts. These include mainstream options like football and basketball as well as more niche sports like golf and UFC bouts.
Yes, you can play in Daily Fantasy Sports freeroll contests, which don’t require an entry fee, but where you can still win a share of the prize pool.
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