DFS explained: Daily Fantasy sports advice, strategy, how and where to play NFL, MLB, NBA and more

Do you have friends and family who love playing fantasy sports, and now you want to dive in too? Welcome; you've come to the right place! Here, you'll find everything you need to get started with daily fantasy sports, from essential tips to advanced strategies, making it easy to enjoy the action.

Our resources cover everything from the basics to strategies for NFL, NBA, and beyond, helping you kick off your DFS journey with confidence!

Origins of Daily Fantasy Sports

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) evolved as a modern twist on the traditional fantasy sports concept, which dates back to the 1960s with fantasy baseball leagues. Unlike season-long fantasy leagues, DFS was designed for quicker gameplay, allowing participants to draft teams and compete in contests that last just a single day or a game week. This new format gave players immediate results, adding excitement and accessibility to the fantasy sports experience.

The rise of DFS in the late 2000s: In the late 2000s, DFS emerged on digital platforms, quickly capturing interest among sports fans who wanted more frequent competitions and instant rewards. With its rapid popularity growth, DFS soon offered contests across major sports like football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. By introducing diverse formats like head-to-head challenges and tournaments with large prize pools, DFS transformed sports engagement, bringing fans closer to the action on a daily basis.

The global expansion of DFS: Today, DFS continues to expand globally, attracting millions of enthusiasts who enjoy the thrill of drafting teams and testing their skills in a fast-paced, daily setting. The format’s popularity has solidified it as a major branch of fantasy sports, blending strategy and real-time excitement for fans around the world.

Overview of DFS rules

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) offers a unique twist on traditional fantasy sports by condensing competitions into a single day or game week rather than a full season. Participants draft players to form their team, selecting from real-life athletes across various sports like football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. Teams accumulate points based on player performances in actual games, and the goal is to score higher than your opponents to win prizes or advance in contests. DFS rules may vary by platform and sport, but the basic framework remains consistent across most games.

Drafting a team

The draft is one of the core elements of DFS and usually takes place before the day's games begin. In DFS, players have a salary cap, a virtual budget they must use wisely to “buy” athletes for their team. Each athlete has a price based on factors like performance history, matchup strength, and current form. Here’s how the drafting process typically works:

• Salary cap: each participant has a fixed amount to spend on players, and they must strategically pick athletes without exceeding this budget.
• Roster requirements: different sports have specific roster requirements. For example, in NFL DFS, participants might need to select a quarterback, running backs, wide receivers, and a defense. Basketball might require guards, forwards, and a center.
• Positional limits: Some sports enforce position caps. For instance, in baseball DFS, you may be required to have players from certain infield and outfield positions.

Scoring system

The scoring system, in DFS varies by sport and platform but always reflects how well players perform in real-life games. Points are awarded based on statistics that are relevant to each sport:

• Football: Points are scored for touchdowns, yards gained, receptions, and field goals, with additional scoring for unique plays like interceptions or defensive touchdowns.
• Basketball: Points are awarded for scoring, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Efficiency bonuses or penalties for turnovers may also apply.
• Baseball: Batters earn points for hits, home runs, runs scored, and stolen bases, while pitchers score based on innings pitched, strikeouts, and avoiding runs.
• Soccer: Players can earn points for goals, assists, clean sheets (for goalkeepers and defenders), and other key actions.

DFS platforms often add unique multipliers, bonuses, or penalties to make the scoring more dynamic. For instance, a “bonus” may apply when a basketball player achieves a double-double or triple-double.

Contest types

Daily Fantasy Sports offers various contest formats to suit different styles of play and risk tolerance:

• Cash Games: These are low-risk games with higher chances of winning, where around half of the participants receive payouts. Examples include “head-to-head” matchups (1-on-1 games) and “50/50” contests, where the top 50% of players double their entry fee.
• Tournaments (GPPs): Guaranteed Prize Pools (GPPs) offer larger, guaranteed payouts, often to only the top 10-20% of players. These high-risk, high-reward contests attract players aiming for big winnings. They usually have larger entry fields, requiring strategic thinking and lineup diversification.
• Multipliers and Boosters: In multiplier contests, participants can earn two, three, or even ten times their entry fee by finishing in the payout zone. These contests offer a middle ground between cash games and GPPs.
• Leagues: Custom leagues are player-created contests where friends or small groups compete with their own prize pool, adding a personal and competitive edge to DFS.

Lineup management and late swaps

In DFS, it’s essential to manage lineups carefully to maximize scoring potential. Some DFS platforms allow “late swaps,” which enable participants to replace players after the initial lineup lock if games are yet to start. This can be critical for reacting to last-minute player news, like injuries or game-time decisions. However, once games begin, lineups generally lock, and no changes are allowed.

Budgeting and bankroll management

DFS involves an entry fee for each contest, and strategic bankroll management is important to maintain a sustainable play level. Common bankroll strategies include:

• Percentage Play: Only a small percentage (often 5-10%) of your bankroll should be used for daily contests to minimize the impact of losses.
• Diversified Entry: Spreading entries across multiple contest types, such as a combination of cash games and tournaments, helps balance risk and reward.
• Tracking and Adjusting: Regularly reviewing performance and adjusting your bankroll allocation can prevent losses and help capitalize on winning strategies.

Rules for fair play and integrity

DFS platforms, enforce strict rules to ensure fairness and maintain integrity. These rules include prohibiting multi-account use, collusion between participants, and insider trading (e.g., using privileged information to gain an advantage). Breaking these rules can lead to disqualification or even permanent suspension from platforms. DFS sites also verify participant age and location, as DFS is regulated in certain states or countries.

Different Types of Fantasy Sports Formats

Fantasy sports have grown far beyond the traditional season-long leagues, now offering fans a wide range of formats to suit different playing styles, preferences, and levels of commitment. From daily contests and best ball leagues to playoff-focused games and auction drafts, each format provides a unique experience, adding layers of strategy, competition, and engagement to every game. Whether you’re looking for a fast-paced, daily thrill or a season-long management challenge, exploring these various formats can help you find the perfect way to enjoy fantasy sports and put your sports knowledge to the test.

Traditional Season-Long Fantasy Sports

Season-long fantasy sports are the original fantasy format, offering fans the chance to manage teams over an entire season, generally lasting several months. Participants draft players at the beginning of the season, forming a roster they’ll manage weekly. Points are earned based on the real-world performances of these players, and team managers can trade players, make roster adjustments, and compete in head-to-head or points-based leagues. Season-long leagues are particularly popular for sports like NFL, NBA, MLB, and EPL, where fans stay engaged throughout the season, often building a sense of camaraderie and rivalry with league-mates.

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS)

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) offers a faster-paced, condensed version of fantasy sports. Unlike season-long leagues, DFS contests take place over a single day or a limited number of games, with participants drafting a new team for each contest. The goal is to accumulate the most points within that day’s games. Players manage a virtual budget, known as a salary cap, to build a roster of athletes based on their real-world stats. DFS is popular across multiple sports, including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and PGA, and is often chosen for its flexibility, allowing fans to compete without the long-term commitment of a season-long league.

Dynasty and Keeper Leagues

Dynasty and keeper leagues are a unique blend of season-long fantasy and long-term team management. In dynasty leagues, managers retain their entire team from season to season, building a roster that they can trade and develop year after year, similar to a real sports franchise. Keeper leagues, on the other hand, allow managers to retain a set number of players (often 2-5) each year, while drafting new players to fill the remaining roster spots. These leagues require strategic planning for both the short and long term, as managers focus on building a sustainable team over multiple seasons.

Best Ball Leagues

Best ball leagues simplify fantasy sports by focusing solely on the draft, eliminating the need for weekly management. In these leagues, players draft a team before the season starts, and the system automatically selects the highest-scoring players each week to form the “best” possible lineup. There are no trades, waiver wires, or start/sit decisions. Best ball leagues appeal to those who enjoy the draft process and prefer a hands-off approach afterward, allowing them to enjoy the fun of drafting without in-season management.

Points Leagues

In points leagues, fantasy sports are scored purely on cumulative points rather than head-to-head matchups. Each player’s performance contributes directly to their team's total points for the season. Teams compete to accumulate the highest total score by the end of the season, making points leagues simpler and faster-paced than traditional head-to-head formats. Points leagues are popular in fantasy basketball, where consistent scoring allows teams to make steady gains over the season.

Head-to-Head Leagues

Head-to-head leagues are popular in season-long formats, where participants compete directly against one other team each week. Wins and losses accumulate based on these weekly matchups, and the teams with the best records often advance to playoffs. This format allows for a higher level of competition, as managers can experience both victories and rivalries, and it’s often chosen for sports like NFL, where weekly matchups align with the natural rhythm of the season.

Survivor Leagues

Survivor leagues are elimination-style competitions where participants pick a single team each week that they believe will perform well. If the team succeeds, they “survive” and move on to the next week; if they fail, they’re eliminated from the competition. This continues until one player remains, making it a high-stakes format that’s popular for football and baseball, where it can capture the excitement and unpredictability of each game.

Superflex Leagues

Superflex leagues add an extra layer of flexibility by allowing managers to use a flex position that can include a second quarterback or other key players. The superflex slot provides flexibility and strategy options that elevate the importance of quarterbacks in fantasy football, where this format is especially popular. Superflex leagues challenge participants to balance their team composition and maximize points from high-impact positions.

Fantasy Playoff Leagues

Fantasy playoff leagues are short-term leagues that cover only the playoffs of a given sport, such as the NFL or NBA playoffs. These leagues usually follow a draft format, but with a twist: as teams are eliminated from the playoffs, managers lose access to those players. This adds an extra challenge of predicting which players and teams will advance far into the playoffs. Fantasy playoff leagues offer a unique experience, as they focus solely on the postseason and require a different approach to player selection and strategy.

IDP (Individual Defensive Player) Leagues

In IDP leagues, fantasy football participants draft individual defensive players instead of a traditional team defense. Managers can select linebackers, defensive ends, cornerbacks, and safeties, scoring points based on individual stats like tackles, interceptions, and sacks. This format provides a deeper, more complex experience for football fans who enjoy defensive play. IDP leagues demand a thorough understanding of defensive positions and add significant depth to the traditional fantasy football experience.

Salary Cap Leagues

In salary cap leagues, participants have a fixed budget and must select players while staying within this virtual salary cap, similar to DFS. Rather than a draft, managers "buy" players to fill out their roster. Managers may also be allowed to adjust their rosters weekly, swapping out players while staying under the cap. Salary cap leagues are ideal for those who enjoy financial strategy, as they need to find undervalued players and manage their virtual finances effectively.

Auction Leagues

Auction leagues provide a unique take on the draft process, where participants bid on players to build their team. Each manager has a set budget, and every player is up for bidding, allowing all managers an equal opportunity to acquire any player if they’re willing to spend enough. This format allows for deeper strategy and control over roster building, as managers allocate their funds and target specific players rather than relying on draft order. Auction leagues are popular for their competitive nature, as they allow managers more autonomy in building their ideal lineup.

Each of these fantasy sports formats provides a distinct experience, appealing to different types of fans and levels of engagement. Whether you enjoy the quick turnaround of DFS, the sustained strategy of season-long leagues, or the hands-off approach of best ball, fantasy sports offer a way for fans to engage deeply with their favorite sports, test their knowledge, and compete against others.

What Sports DFS Cover?

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) offers a wide range of sports, catering to fans of almost every major league and even some niche sports. Here are some of the most popular sports available in DFS:

Football (NFL, College Football)

The most popular DFS sport, football contests allow participants to build lineups featuring quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and more. College football has also gained traction, providing fans with even more variety.

Basketball (NBA, College Basketball)

With frequent games and high-scoring action, basketball DFS contests keep fans engaged with daily updates. Basketball DFS can include the NBA, college basketball, and international leagues.

Baseball (MLB)

Baseball is ideal for DFS due to its long season and daily games, offering plenty of opportunities for players to build lineups featuring pitchers, infielders, and outfielders.

Hockey (NHL)

NHL DFS appeals to hockey fans who can create lineups of goalies, forwards, and defensemen. The fast-paced action of hockey makes it a thrilling DFS option.

Golf (PGA)

DFS golf is popular, especially for major tournaments, where participants can pick golfers for rounds or full tournaments and score points based on performance.

Soccer (MLS, EPL, Champions League)

Soccer DFS features leagues from around the world, where fans pick players based on goals, assists, and other key stats.

Auto Racing (NASCAR, Formula 1)

Motorsports DFS is growing, with NASCAR and F1 as the main offerings. Fans score points based on drivers’ placements, laps led, and other performance metrics.

Esports (League of Legends, CS, Dota 2)

As esports rise in popularity, DFS offers contests across major esports titles, allowing fans to use their gaming knowledge for fantasy competition.

Tennis

Tennis DFS features top players across ATP and WTA tours, with participants selecting players based on expected wins, aces, and other match stats.

From popular sports leagues to niche competitions, DFS has options to engage fans of nearly any sport, allowing for a diverse and exciting fantasy experience across the sports spectrum.

Understanding DFS Scoring Systems Across Major Sports

DFS scoring systems can vary significantly from one sport to another, reflecting the unique aspects and statistics of each game. Here’s a breakdown of how scoring typically works across some of the most popular DFS sports, along with key stats and scoring nuances to help you build competitive lineups.

Football (NFL and College Football)

In football DFS, players earn points based on yardage, touchdowns, and key actions on both offense and defense. Here are the primary scoring elements:

• Passing Yards: Quarterbacks earn points per yard thrown, with a common rate of 1 point for every 25 passing yards.
• Rushing and Receiving Yards: Points are awarded at 1 point per 10 rushing or receiving yards.
• Touchdowns: Passing touchdowns often earn 4 points, while rushing and receiving touchdowns bring in 6 points.
• Turnovers: Interceptions or fumbles result in negative points, typically -1 or -2 points each.
• Receptions: Many DFS platforms use a Points Per Reception (PPR) format, giving 1 point per reception, making high-volume receivers valuable.
• Defense/Special Teams: Points are awarded for sacks, turnovers, defensive touchdowns, and keeping the opposing team’s score low.

Basketball (NBA and College Basketball)

Basketball DFS, scoring focuses on a player’s all-around contributions, making versatile players highly valuable. Here’s how points are typically scored:

• Points Scored: Each point (via field goals, free throws, or three-pointers) adds directly to a player’s DFS score.
• Rebounds: Each rebound (offensive and defensive) is typically worth 1.2 to 1.5 points.
• Assists: Assists add about 1.5 to 2 points per assist.
• Steals and Blocks: Defensive actions like steals and blocks are high-value, usually worth around 3 points each.
• Turnovers: Turnovers deduct points, typically -1 or -1.5 points.

Scoring Bonus: Bonuses can be awarded for achieving double-doubles (10+ in two stat categories) or triple-doubles (10+ in three stat categories), boosting scores for well-rounded players.

Baseball (MLB)

Baseball DFS is driven by both batting and pitching performances, with separate scoring criteria for each. Here’s a look at the main scoring stats:

• Batters: Hits, including singles, doubles, triples, and home runs, each earn points, with higher points for extra-base hits.
• Pitchers: Points are awarded per inning pitched, strikeouts, and winning a game.

Hockey (NHL)

Hockey Daily Fantasy Sports emphasizes both offensive and defensive contributions, focusing on players who can impact all areas of the ice:

• Goals and Assists: Points are awarded for goals and assists, typically with goals worth slightly more to reflect their importance.
• Shots on Goal: Each shot on goal earns a small number of points, rewarding players who take chances.
• Blocked Shots: Defensemen who block shots also contribute points, recognizing defensive skills.
• Goalies: Goalie scoring involves points for saves, shutouts, and winning the game, while goals allowed lead to deductions.

DFS Apps: Bringing Daily Fantasy Sports to Your Fingertips

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) platforms have transformed the way sports fans engage with their favorite leagues and players, providing an exciting, fast-paced alternative to traditional season-long fantasy sports. These platforms enable fans to draft teams, compete in contests, and win cash prizes—all in the span of a single day or game week. Unlike conventional fantasy leagues, DFS platforms allow users to draft a new team for each contest, keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging

Most DFS apps cater to a wide range of sports, from popular leagues like the NFL, NBA, and MLB to niche options like golf, soccer, and even esports. Each platform has unique features, such as customizable contest formats, user-friendly interfaces, live updates, and analytical tools, which help users stay on top of player performances and scoring. Many DFS platforms also offer beginner-friendly options for new players, as well as higher-stakes contests for seasoned competitors. This versatility has helped DFS platforms gain popularity among casual fans and dedicated fantasy enthusiasts alike.