Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): The Complete Guide

Daily Fantasy Sports lets you build lineups and compete for cash prizes. Here's how to get started.

DFS Basics

What is DFS?

Build a roster of real players within a salary cap, earn points based on their real-game performance, compete against other users for prizes.

DraftKings vs FanDuel

Feature	DraftKings	FanDuel
Scoring	Full PPR	Half PPR
Salary Cap	$50,000	$60,000
Flex Position	Yes	No
Late Swap	No	Yes (before game starts)

DraftKings: More contest variety, higher prize pools FanDuel: Simpler scoring, better for beginners

NFL DFS Strategy

Roster Construction (DraftKings)

1 QB
2 RB
3 WR
1 TE
1 FLEX (RB/WR/TE)
1 DST (Defense/Special Teams)

Salary Cap Strategy

Stars and Scrubs:

Pay up for 2-3 superstars
Fill rest with cheap value plays

Balanced:

Spread salary evenly
No huge stars, no min-salary punts

Stacking:

Pair QB with his WR/TE
Increases upside in tournaments

Key Stats to Target

High-ceiling players:

WRs in shootouts
RBs with goal-line touches
QBs vs weak secondaries

Consistent floor:

Pass-catching RBs (PPR)
Slot WRs (high targets)
Elite TEs

Ownership Leverage

In tournaments, you need low-owned players who perform well.

Chalk plays: High-owned (25%+)

Avoid in large tournaments
Safe for cash games

Contrarian plays: Low-owned (<10%)

Needed to win big tournaments
Higher risk

Cash Game vs Tournament Strategy

Cash Games (50/50, Double-Ups)

Goal: Finish top 50% to profit

Strategy:

High floor, consistent players
Avoid risky low-owned plays
Pay up for elite RBs and QBs
Minimize risk

Typical lineup:

Expensive RBs/WRs with safe workload
Avoid boom-or-bust players

Tournaments (GPPs)

Goal: Finish top 10-20% for big prizes

Strategy:

High ceiling, low ownership
Stacking (QB + WR combos)
Contrarian plays
Accept higher bust rate

Typical lineup:

Cheap breakout candidates
Game stacks (QB + 2-3 pass catchers from same game)
Leverage low-owned chalk fades

Lineup Building Process

Step 1: Identify Core Plays

Pick 2-3 players you're confident in (regardless of ownership).

Step 2: Find Value

Identify cheap players ($4,000-5,000 on DK) who will play significant snaps.

Sources:

Injury fill-ins
Favorable matchups
Increased workload players

Step 3: Stack Correlations

QB + WR stack: If QB does well, WR likely does too Game stack: Multiple players from high-scoring game Bring-back: Pair opposing team's WR with your QB stack

Step 4: Optimize Remaining Spots

Use leftover salary to maximize projected points.

Advanced DFS Concepts

Game Theory

In tournaments, winning requires differentiation.

Leverage:

Fading chalk when ownership is too high
Playing low-owned players in good spots
Zigging when others zag

Ownership Projection

Estimate how popular players will be:

Vegas totals (high = popular)
Price (expensive = popular)
Narratives (hyped players = popular)

Goal: Find underowned players in good spots

Late Swap

FanDuel allows lineup changes before each game starts.

Strategy:

Wait for inactives list
Pivot if your player sits
Adjust to breaking news

Common DFS Mistakes

❌ Paying down at QB (QB is most important position) ❌ Playing every contest (focus on your edges) ❌ Ignoring ownership (in tournaments) ❌ Not diversifying lineups (enter multiple different lineups) ❌ Chasing losses (increasing stakes after bad week)

✅ Study Vegas lines and totals ✅ Check injury reports before lock ✅ Use multiple lineups in tournaments ✅ Track your ROI by contest type ✅ Bankroll management (never >10% in one week)

DFS Bankroll Management

Weekly Allocation

Max 10% of total bankroll per week
5% in cash games (safer)
5% in tournaments (higher variance)

Contest Selection

Beginners:

70% cash games
30% small-field tournaments

Experienced:

40% cash games
60% tournaments (diversified across many)

Tracking ROI

Calculate weekly:

Total entry fees
Total winnings
ROI% = (Winnings - Fees) / Fees × 100

Break-even: ~0% ROI Good: 10-20% ROI Great: 25%+ ROI

DFS Research Tools

Free Resources

FantasyPros (rankings, projections)
RotoGrinders (ownership projections)
Vegas lines/totals (game script)
Weather reports

Paid Tools (Optional)

FantasyLabs ($19-49/month) - Advanced projections
RotoGrinders Premium ($19/month) - Ownership data
DFS Army ($15/month) - Lineup optimizer

Essential Stats

Vegas totals (higher = more DFS points)
Implied team totals
Pace of play
Target share
Snap counts

Sample NFL DFS Lineup (DraftKings $50k)

Cash Game:

QB: Patrick Mahomes ($8,500)
RB: Christian McCaffrey ($9,200)
RB: De'Von Achane ($6,800)
WR: CeeDee Lamb ($8,000)
WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown ($7,500)
WR: Calvin Ridley ($5,500)
TE: George Kittle ($5,000)
FLEX: Rachaad White ($6,300)
DST: Cowboys ($3,200)

Total: $50,000

Tournament:

QB: Jalen Hurts ($7,800)
RB: Rhamondre Stevenson ($6,000)
RB: Jahmyr Gibbs ($7,200)
WR: A.J. Brown ($7,700) - Stacked with Hurts
WR: Devonta Smith ($6,400) - Stacked with Hurts
WR: Tank Dell ($5,400)
TE: David Njoku ($4,500)
FLEX: Zay Flowers ($6,800)
DST: Eagles ($4,200)

Total: $50,000

Is DFS Profitable?

Reality check: Most DFS players lose money.

To profit:

Study extensively (10+ hours/week)
Specialize in one sport
Bankroll management
Accept losing weeks
Long-term edge (52-55% ROI rare)

Treat DFS as entertainment with a chance to profit, not a guaranteed income source.

⚠️ Must be 21+ to gamble. Please gamble responsibly.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) or visit ncpgambling.org.