Daily Fantasy NFL
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Last Updated: When it comes to Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS), the NFL tops the bill. Thanks to the myriad of teams, players and stats you can survey and assess each week, DFS NFL tournaments offer some of the best action around. Naturally, when there’s more action, there’s more competition and that means you need to know a thing or two before you ante-up.
In this NFL DFS guide, we’ll cover how to choose a site and the nuances of drafting. Before we do that, let’s run through the basics. In general terms, DFS competitions cover a selection of games taking place on a single day or night. The aim of the game is draft players from the teams in action in that period and score points. To make the competition more interesting, you’ll have a set budget with which to draft players and certain plays earn a certain amount of points.
In NFL DFS, the aim is to draft a team of eight players (sometimes nine) ahead of Sunday and Monday night games. Depending on the site you choose, the way points are scored, your budget, the bonuses and tournaments will differ. However, when you join the best NFL DFS sites, you can expect weekly contests to feature upwards of $10,000. Because of this, you need to understand the game like a top coach if you want to win.
- 1Must be 21+ to participate. T&Cs apply.
- 2Must be 18+ to participate. T&C Apply. Play Responsibly. New users only. The bonus will be added to your account. Bonus funds must be used for play and are not available for withdrawal. Bonus will expire 14 days from issue and any unused bonus may be removed from your account.
- 3Must be 18+ years of age or older (19+ in NE, AL) (21+ in AZ, FL, IA, LA (select parishes), and MA). Paid contests not available while physically located in HI, ID, LA (select parishes), MT, NV, OR, or WA. Void where prohibited. Eligibility restrictions apply. Available to first-time DraftKings Daily Fantasy (“DFS”) customers only.
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Choosing a Daily NFL Fantasy Site
Choosing from a daily fantasy site in the US can be tricky. To help cut through the noise, we’ve partnered with the leading DFS providers to bring you the best in the business. However, if you want to find the site that’s perfect for you, we suggest reviewing our top picks using the following criteria:
Bonus and Offers
The best NFL DFS sites will offer newbies a welcome gift that usually consists of bonus cash and/or free entry to some tournaments. Additionally, you’ll find deposit bonuses, freerolls and jackpot games on a weekly bonus. If you’re a newbie, look for a site with a generous welcome offer and plenty of freerolls. If you’re more experienced, find a platform with large deposit bonuses and $1 million+ jackpot tournaments.
Weekly Tournaments
A solid site will have a stocked schedule. Covering the action on a Sunday and Monday is important, but covering it in multiple ways it what separates the strong from the weak. Assess your bankroll and find the site that offers the most tournaments with buy-ins consist with the amount you have to spend.
Drafting and Scoring
The draft is where a tournament is won and lost and, the more skilled you are, the more variables you’ll want to control because it makes it more likely inexperienced players will make mistakes. In contrast, if you’re a newbie, find a site that’s a little more general so that small mistakes don’t equate to large losses. Additionally, it’s typically the case that bigger budgets give you more flexibility, so casual players will often do better when they have more money to spend.
NFL DFS Scoring
Before we can talk about scoring, you need to know the players that will score points for you. Although every site has its own system, you’ll typically draft players in the following positions:
- Quarterback (QB)
- Running Back (RB) X2
- Wide Receiver (WR) X2
- Tight End (TE)
- Flex (here you can choose an RB, WR or TE)
- Defense/Special Teams (DST)
- *On some sites you can also choose a Kicker (K).
Once you’ve drafted a team, your players will earn points for completing the following plays, or lose points for the mistakes:
Offensive Players
- Passing TD
- 25 Passing Yards
- 300+ Yard Passing Game
- Interception
- 10 Rushing Yards
- Rushing TD
- 100+ Yard Rushing Game
- 10 Receiving Yards
- Reception
- Receiving TD
- 100+ Yard Receiving Game
- Punt/Kickoff Return for TD
- Fumble Lost
- 2 Point Conversion (Pass, Run, or Catch)
- Offensive Fumble Recovery TD
Defensive Players
- Sack
- Interception
- Fumble Recovery
- Kickoff Return TD
- Punt Return TD
- Interception Return TD
- Fumble Recovery TD
- Blocked Punt or FG Return TD
- Safety
- Blocked Kick
- 0 Points Allowed
- 1-6 Points Allowed
- 7-13 Points Allowed
- 14-20 Points Allowed
- 21-27 Points Allowed
- 28-34 Points Allowed
- 35+ Points Allowed
DST Plays
The plays listed below will earn your DST points:
- Rushing TDs, Passing TDs, Offensive Fumble Recovery TDs, Punt Return TDs, Kick Return TDs and Blocked Punt TDs
- 2-point conversions
- Extra Points
- Field Goals
Researching Your NFL DFS Team
Drafting your team isn’t easy. In fact, if you want to compete with the best DFS players, you need to put in a fair amount of time, effort and research. However, before you dive into the action via our secure sign-up links, here are a few tips to help you on your way:
Start Small
If you’re a complete newbie, take advantage of freerolls and low buy-in tournaments. Doing this will allow you to master the basics without busting your bankroll. Once you’ve gained some experience, scour the lobbies of the top NFL DFS sites and find competitions with a small number of entrants. This will often mean playing for smaller prizepools, but it should give you a better shot at banking a payout (50/50 contests are great for this as 50% of the field wins something).
Think Match-Ups
Certain teams and certain players do better against different opponents. Just because so-and-so is a star running back, it doesn’t mean he’s going to dominate every week. Look at how the tactics of opposing teams stack-up and then consider how that will affect individual players. If a star player is likely to be shutout in a game, don’t choose them.
Consider Cost to Skills Ratio
Because you only have a limited budget, you need to combine expensive players with value players. For example, if you’re looking for a QB, Aaron Rogers or Tom Brady might be the top picks. However, they’re likely to cost a lot. Kirk Cousins, on the other hand, is still one of the top QBs in the NFL but costs a lot less. So, if money is tight, look for the bargain players. If you can apply the above tactics to your game and use our network of partners to find the right site, you should be well on your way to experiencing the wonders of DFS and the NFL.
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