Whether you like football, baseball, or basketball, fantasy sports allow you to create and manage your own virtual team throughout the season. This Daily Fantasy Sports guide will help you navigate the complex maze and build a successful team.
I’ll start slow and explain what DFS is. I’m also going to discuss the legal status of fantasy sports compared to conventional sports gambling in the United States. You can also get a good grip on free tools like the lineup optimizer. All in all, you’ll know how to put together a winning team.
Explore the Ultimate Daily Fantasy Sports Sites Today!
- How DFS works
- Is Daily Fantasy Sports legal – All boils down to skill vs. chance
- Choosing the best DFS sites
- Popular types of DFS sports
- Daily Fantasy Sports pros & cons
- How to pick a winning DFS lineup
- DFS tips – Pro strategies for drafting great lineups
- Mobile fantasy sports apps
- Daily Fantasy Sports terms to Know
- Use our DFS guide at Win.gg to help you draft incredible lineups
- Daily Fantasy Sports guide FAQ
How DFS works
Fantasy sports give you the opportunity to make up a virtual team based on professional players in actual sporting events. You get to draft a lineup with different players from various teams and leagues such as the NFL, NBA, or MLB. The DFS betting sites simulate a budget or salary and each player comes at a specific cost.
In the most typical contest, you must pay an entry fee to contribute to the prize pool. Once you’ve created your team, you can watch as the players collect points based on their performance in actual matches. The idea is to score more points than the other teams drafted by other DFS players. As you continue to read my daily fantasy sports guide, you will learn more about how to predict an individual athlete’s performance.
The DFS industry has an illustrious history, but it expanded quickly with the advancement of the internet and relaxation of federal gambling laws. FanDuel and DraftKings emerged as the pioneering fantasy sports sites in the US. Both companies are now worth billions of dollars, which goes to show just how prolific and popular Daily Fantasy Sports is. Generally, getting started with this type of hobby is pretty straightforward.
Is Daily Fantasy Sports legal – All boils down to skill vs. chance
In this guide to Daily Fantasy Sports, I must highlight the role of the federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in the legalization of the game. UIGEA classifies fantasy sports as a game of skill rather than chance and therefore legal. Unlike traditional sports gambling, fantasy betting is deemed to be in the same class as stock trading which requires experience and utilization of stats.
Traditional fantasy sports are based on the player’s season-long stats. But in 2007, major operators, FanDuel and DraftKings started offering DFS where the points for each player is based on a single game and this sparked debate and created legal uncertainty for some states. Different statutes define skill and chance uniquely.
Gambling vs DFS
In sports gambling, you put your money on the line by attempting to correctly predict the results of a given match, and you play against the bookmaker. Fantasy betting is about picking players that you think can produce the most fantasy points. And here, you compete against other players rather than the house.
To enter a fantasy football contest, you pay a small fee, which contributes to the prize pool. Sometimes, the entry is free. You don’t necessarily have to take first place to win. Most contests offer prizes to the top ten players. In sports betting, the bookmaker determines how much return you make based on fixed odds. For example, If you stake $100 at odds +150 (1.50), you win $150.
Choosing the best DFS sites
Yes, plenty of Daily Fantasy Sports sites are available to choose from. But, as part of this ultimate Daily Fantasy Sports guide, I want to share this recipe for picking one that’s ideal for you.
🛠️ Drafting Tools
A DFS website needs to offer some useful features to help the player draft a great team and follow up on all the action with ease. You need to look for sites that offer functions like player projections and DFS picks.
🏅 Selection of Sports
While football, basketball, and baseball are fun to play, you always need to expand the horizon. So, let me recommend fantasy betting sites that also have other attractions such as NASCAR, Golf, and eSports for a more exciting experience.
💬 Chat and Player Badges
To add to the entertainment and possibly huge prizes, it feels so good to have the opportunity to show off your big achievements to your friends or other players. Check if the site has these exciting features.
📊 Live Feeds
The ideal fantasy site should also offer you live match updates so you can check on your team’s progress directly from your PC or mobile device if you are on the go.
🏆 Variety of Contests
In my Daily Fantasy Sports guide, I’ve mostly referred to classic DFS. However, it is important for a site to have a wide variety of contest types. In addition to daily games, good DFS sites include in-game contests and Pick’ems, which are based on over/under stats. Most sites allow you to create your own contests to play with friends.
Popular types of DFS sports
As I’ve already indicated, fantasy sports contests are based on actual pro leagues and player statistics. Now, here is a quick look at the most typical sports covered by both established and new daily fantasy sites.
Fantasy Football (NFL)
My Daily Fantasy Sports guide won’t even be complete if I don’t mention football. The NFL presents some interesting scenarios and is, therefore, perfect for DFS. You can build a team to include strong quarterbacks and running backs and score points based on passing yards, touchdowns, and fumbles. Some of the best teams to draft from are the LA Rams and the New York Seahawks. And since football receives substantial publicity, it is also easy to get your hands on the latest news, stats, and injury reports to help you with those tough decisions.
Fantasy Baseball (MLB)
Running in sync with Major League Baseball (MLB), fantasy baseball is typically available from March to September every year. In the real-life game, players don’t always play the same positions. Now, the most fundamental rule for MLB contests is player position eligibility. Using data from preceding seasons, bookmakers determine which players can fill positions like a first baseman, pitcher, or catcher.
Fantasy Hockey (NHL)
While hockey is probably not as popular as football, the NHL is pretty popular for DFS and must be covered in any detailed Daily Fantasy Sports guide. The goaltender is the most valued position since each of the 32 teams in the league only get one player for this position. It is, therefore, crucial for researching well and coming up with the best fantasy draft strategy.
Fantasy Basketball (NBA)
You can also have fun, drafting a formidable team from top tier NBA players. The trick is to mind the salary cap. For instance, while Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic may be worth over $20k, this player has recorded one of the best performances for the 2024/25 season. There is also a lot of risk involved but it comes down to consistent research and gut decision making.
Other Fantasy Sports
Just like the sports betting industry, the daily fantasy sports arena is quite competitive. It is essential for each website to look and feel unique while staying easy to use for players. Therefore, many sites are moving to include a variety of lesser sports, such as golf and cricket. You can also find Formula 1, UFC, and tennis. But the most engaging option for me is Fantasy eSports.
Daily Fantasy Sports pros & cons
Just as sports betting has its upsides and downsides, my DFS guide will shine the spotlight on fantasy sports advantages and disadvantages.
How to pick a winning DFS lineup
Picking successful winning lineups is a lot of work, but as you gain experience, it gets a whole lot easier. You need to do tons of research and prepare yourself for drafting, which is the most critical part of the game. In this guide to Daily Fantasy Sports, I will show you how to create productive lineups.
Snake drafts in fantasy football
What is a snake draft in fantasy football? This is a format where team managers take turns to pick a player. You have to be online when the time for the draft arrives. The order of the draft is switched up for each round to ensure fairness. Your job is to fill all nine positions, including, quarterback, wide receivers, and flex, while staying within the salary cap.
It gets tricky when your favorite player is snatched up before you have the opportunity. So, what you want to do is make player tiers before the draft begins. Tiers allow you to group players according to their worth so that you can easily go to an alternative when your opponent steals your quarterback. As part of my Daily Fantasy Sports guide, I must advise you to be well-prepared for the draft.
DFS Lineup Optimizers
As I mentioned, picking a great team is no easy task. A fantasy lineup optimizer can help you create a team with the most suitable players in a blink. By using projections, this tool can find which players will produce the highest fantasy points while staying within your set salary cap. You get to save lots of research time when you use the app. And you can create multiple lineups in a few seconds. An optimized lineup may look like this.
| Position | Player | Projected Points | Actual Points | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Kylie Murray (ARI) | 20.94 | 27.03 | 6.09 |
| RB | Chase Brown (CIN) | 18.50 | 18.13 | -0.37 |
| RB | Derrick Henry (BAL) | 20.51 | 22.34 | 1.83 |
| WR | Amari Cooper (BUF) | 13.03 | 15.65 | 2.62 |
| WR | Devaughn Vele (DEN) | 10.90 | 9.67 | -1.23 |
| WR | Kayshon Boutte (NE) | 8.86 | 10.22 | 1.36 |
| TE | Jake Ferguson (DAL) | 10.56 | 12.39 | 1.83 |
| FLEX | Saquon Barkley (PHIL) | 23.78 | 31.03 | 6.25 |
| DST | Philadelphia Eagles | 7.07 | 11.27 | 4.20 |
DFS ownership projections
NFL DFS ownership projections show you how often a particular player is likely to feature on rosters. It is an estimated percentage and helps you spot the most popular players to pick. It is essential to have a look at these projections before creating your lineup. Players with the highest percentages are typically the best to use, but ownership projections help you identify some sleepers (valuable players who are generally overlooked).
By using free fantasy ownership projections, you are in a position to make better choices. Below is an example of an ownership projection for the NFL.
| Position | Player | Salary | Projected Ownership % | Actual Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | Isaac Guerendo | $5400 | 34% | 41% |
| QB | Sam Darnold | $6100 | 17.4% | 12.79% |
| RB | Saquon Barkley | $9000 | 26.9% | 33.9% |
| TE | TJ Hockenson | $4300 | 16.1% | 11.29% |
Meet our recommended DFS betting sites!
DFS tips – Pro strategies for drafting great lineups
Although you can build your team using the NFL DFS lineup optimizer, you still need to put your thinking cap on and apply your knowledge of the actual sport and the individual players. While an element of chance is there, DFS requires skill. Here are some tips to help you out.
📝 Practice with small buy-ins
In this daily fantasy sports guide, I must emphasize the need for all newbies to take baby steps. Many DFS providers offer tournaments with as little as $1 for entry fees. This helps you manage your bankroll. The good thing about DFS is that the odds are not complex. So, once you master the ins and outs, the winnings can be great.
📚 Understand specific drafting rules
As a well-travelled sports fan, I’ve played on a wide range of DFS sites. And I can tell you right now that no platform is 100% identical to another. You need to take the time to study the specific rules, such as scoring systems before you pick your team.
💰 Recover with 50/50s
With 50/50 odds, cash games are much safer than tournaments. If you have suffered a long streak of heavy losses with tournaments, cash games come with less risk and hence help you rejuvenate your bankroll.
🔍 Look at previous games
Any credible daily fantasy sports guide should encourage managers to look at past matches and see how their players performed. This practice helps you adjust your drafts and potentially improve your skills in the future. Also, check out updates on YouTube and other outlets before and after each DFS game.
Mobile fantasy sports apps
As a keen fantasy team manager, you will need 24/7 access to all the updates. And having your favorite DFS site on your mobile device is the most effective way to stay connected. Many brands offer apps for Android and iOS, catering to players with varying tastes.
Newer fantasy sites are offering up a mobile friendly drafting platform. This allows players with older versions of Android or iPhone to play through mobile browsers without limitations. As I continue with this Daily Fantasy Sports guide, I want to point out that not all DFS sites have an easy-to-navigate mobile experience. So, pick your app carefully.
Daily Fantasy Sports terms to Know
If you are a beginner, you may easily get confused by the strange words that are pretty common to pro drafters. As part of this Daily Fantasy Sports guide, I will now explain some of the basic terms used in DFS.
- Buy-in: The entry fee that DFS players must pay in order to participate in various tournaments.
- Cash Games: Unlike tournaments, cash games present 50/50 outcomes.
- Ceiling: Refers to the highest outcome of a statistic. For instance, the highest passing yards/receiving yards in the NFL.
- Flex: A slot that you may fill with more than one position.
- Guaranteed Prize Pool (GPP): A contest where the prizes are guaranteed, even if a few players join up.
- Usage rate: An estimate of how much a player utilizes passes from teammates. This reference is to actions such as free throws.
- Sleeper: is an underrated player who has the potential to boost the value of your lineup.
Use our DFS guide at Win.gg to help you draft incredible lineups
Fantasy sports is a fun and smart alternative to traditional sports betting. However, you have to carry out extensive research and interpret tons of data to gain advantage over other players. I recommend using tools like the DFS Lineup optimizer as well as ownership projections.
It is also important to choose a DFS site carefully. You have to look for a site that offers favorable features like the wide range of fantasy sports and great tournaments. In this Daily Fantasy Sports guide, I have also highlighted that DFS is available in more than 40 American states and that the laws surrounding virtual games are more relaxed than those for traditional sports gambling.
Snag the ultimate DFS bonuses of 2025
Daily Fantasy Sports guide FAQ
🏆 What is Daily Fantasy Sports?
💰 How much cash can I win in Daily Fantasy Sports contests?
🔰 How do I get started with DFS football?
📈 What is the best strategy to win in DFS?
🔄 What is a flex position?
Simon Day
Simon has been writing about Gaming and Sports for over a decade, with his work featured in a variety of well-known gaming magazines. This year, he joined win.gg as an Editorial Specialist, where he continues to share his passion for the industry through insightful and well-crafted content pieces.
View full profile