If you’re someone that’s passionate about major league sports and you have a competitive streak, daily fantasy sports (DFS) could be the ideal pastime for you. It’s the latest craze surrounding fantasy sports which, historically, is played out over the course of a tournament or season. The difference being that DFS games are staged across a single game week, inviting players to try and hand-pick the best roster of in-form players at the present time.
The format and rules of DFS are like a season-long fantasy sports game. You’re given a salary cap to select your roster ahead of the next game week. It’s your job to find the players most likely to perform in the upcoming round of fixtures. It could be that certain players match-up well against certain opponents. Alternatively, you may prefer to look for players that have been underperforming in recent weeks but are likely to find their form soon.
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The biggest operators in the world of DFS
There are two major players in the DFS industry – FanDuel and DraftKings. The former was the original pioneer of DFS, established three years before DraftKings in 2009. However, it has principally competed with DraftKings for DFS custom ever since. It’s a similar story in America’s fledgling iGaming market, where both operators have branched out in recent months. FanDuel already has a license in Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New Jersey. It’s also one of the few online casinos with free sign-up bonuses for real money payouts, including a two-phase promotion that compares favorably with the rest of the marketplace.
DFS game types
The types of DFS games available are separated into two primary categories – cash games and tournaments. Cash games are either 50/50 contests or head-to-head battles against one other DFS player. 50/50 cash games see the top 50% of all entrants in the game week receive a share of the prize pool. Those who finish in the bottom 50% do not receive a cent in winnings. In 50/50 cash games, there is no bigger prize for finishing first or 49th, so you don’t have to focus on building the best roster, just one of the best!
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DFS tournaments have a different structure to 50/50 cash games or head-to-head encounters. Tournaments usually have a tiered payout structure, whereby those towards the top of the leaderboard get paid the most. First place gets the biggest payout, so tournaments are the ideal place for the most experienced and competitive DFS players. Some DFS tournaments will have guaranteed prize pools, while other prize pools will be determined solely by the number of entries.
Why DFS has an enduring appeal for sports enthusiasts
There are two great aspects to DFS. Firstly, it’s entirely legal. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) exempted fantasy sport games from its regulatory framework, which means that DFS is not deemed illegal at a federal level. Secondly, DFS gives you a chance to turn your major league sports know-how into a win. If you pick a top-performing roster for the next game week, you’ll be in with a great chance of landing a big return on your initial buy-in.
Becoming a regular DFS player doesn’t have to be a time-consuming love affair. You can dedicate as much or as little time as you wish to researching and picking your DFS rosters. Sites like FanDuel and DraftKings make it intuitive and fast to hand-pick your rosters via their desktop sites or native mobile apps.
As DFS platforms have evolved, you can also find DFS games covering far more than just the NFL, NBA and MLB. In fact, you can get involved with DFS tournaments for many other sports like golf, MMA, soccer, motorsports, and cricket. Whichever sport you’re into, the chances are there’s a DFS game for you.
Of course, you’ll never be able to guarantee that you win at DFS. After all, the success of your roster is in the hands of the players you select. However, DFS adds a fresh dimension to watching live sport. Having something at stake on live sporting events can take even the most mundane of games to whole new levels of immersion.
