Dfs Betting
Keep up with DFS community news, stats, trends and more with the RG Newsletter. This week's edition is headlined by Big Game Showdown content, NFL sports betting tools and the best sportsbook promos. Regular Sports Betting. Well, there you have it! Next time you’re torn between playing DFS or simply putting a bet on, remember: DFS takes more skill as it requires strategy and planning. Both involve spending money and taking risks, but only regular sports betting is strictly considered gambling.
Daily Fantasy Sports (also known as DFS) is blowing up, and for great reason – it is a ton of fun. I’m still a sports bettor at heart, but I love the DFS action as well.
Daily Fantasy Sports is almost what the name says – you are playing fantasy sports, but instead of the season long competitions you are playing for just a single day (or week for football). Scoring is similar to the year long fantasy leagues, but in DFS the winners are paid out daily/weekly.
The big payouts is what makes DFS exciting, as you can watch football on a Saturday and Sunday and have a chance at winning $1 Million from a $20 entry. Even if the odds of winning are like a lottery, it still makes the game really exciting!
Best Daily Fantasy Sports Sites:
#1 – FanDuel
FanDuel has become one of the most well-known daily fantasy sports providers on the planet. The company, which was founded in 2009, was acquired in 2016 by Irish bookmaker Paddy Power Betfair. The deal made FanDuel Paddy Power Betfair’s top brand in the United States for sports betting.
FanDuel offers no shortage of contests in a number of different sports, including the NFL, NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and soccer. They are always looking to broaden their horizons, and they were the first major DFS outlet to offer WNBA contests, for example. The site is easy-to-navigate, and the mobile app is one of the most refined in the industry. FanDuel is on top of the DFS world for a reason.
#2 – FantasyDraft
FantasyDraft may not be as renowned as FanDuel in the DFS, but they are trying their best to close the gap. While offerings like contest sizes and payouts are larger over at FanDuel, FantasyDraft has been able to survive for years in a competitive market that has seen other platforms come and go over the years. FantasyDraft offers plenty of payment methods – including PayPal – and they offer contests in most major sports, as well.
The scoring systems and contest formats differ from those offered on FanDuel, so if you’re looking for a unique way to play while still being able to bank big winnings, FantasyDraft is certainly a site worth checking out. As is the case with FanDuel, FantasyDraft also offers an easy-to-use mobile app, allowing you to play on the go.
Daily Fantasy Sports Strategy:
DraftKings NFL Strategy – In this article I go over my Top 10 strategies for DFS NFL at DraftKings. This includes what positions to focus on, how to utilize the late-swap feature, and how to use the Vegas betting lines your favor.
DFS Bankroll Management – Managing your money when playing Daily Fantasy Sports is essential if you want to be a winner long term. In this article I talk about what a bankroll is, how to determine your own bankroll, and how you should be using that bankroll to help you make money playing DFS.
DraftKings NBA Strategy – This guide covers my top 10 DraftKings NBA strategies to help you win more money throughout the season. This is somewhat of a beginner guide, but there are some strategies in there that will help guys with experience playing DraftKings NBA as well.
DraftKings PGA Strategy – PGA golf can be one of the best type of contests to play at DraftKings, as you get to enjoy it for a full action packed four days. In this article I’ve invited DFS expert, Evan Cheney, to talk PGA DraftKings strategies.
DraftKings MLB Strategy – DFS baseball is one of the most entertaining sports to play and watch throughout the summer months. There are usually 10-15 games per night, and with two pitchers going in your lineups there is always action to follow. Check out these DraftKings MLB strategies and tips to help you win more.
DraftKings NASCAR Strategy – While not one of the most popular daily fantasy sports out there, NASCAR is a lot of fun at DraftKings and there are some big prizes to be won. Check out this DraftKings NASCAR strategy article that goes over some basic tips and strategies.
DFS Videos:
Types of DFS Contests:
There are two main categories of DFS contests – Tournaments and Cash Games.
Tournaments, also referred to as GPPs (for Guaranteed Prize Pools), are the contests with a higher amount of entries and the prizes front loaded to the higher place finishes. For example 1st place will be rewarded a large % of the prize pool. In most cases the top 15-20% get paid out.
Cash Games is a poker term that has made its way over to DFS. These refer to the head-to-head contests, double up and triple up tournaments, and 50/50 contests. These are the contests where roughly 45-50% of the entries get paid out, but you only win about double your entry (or triple in the triple up). These are less risky, but provided lower upside if you have a top lineup.
The DFS rule of thumb for those who are looking to make a consistent income from Daily Fantasy Sports is to play at least 80% of your buy-ins in the cash games, which are generally more EV+. This is also known as the 80/20 DFS rule.
If you’re like me, and would rather just go for the big score instead of grind out smaller profits, you can forget about that 80/20 and play in more tournaments hoping to get lucky.
We will continue to grow this DFS section of The Sports Geek. Feel free to give us feedback or suggestions on what type of content you’d like us to produce.
When it comes to turning your sports knowledge into a profit, you have two major options: Daily Fantasy Sports or regular sports betting. The two often get lumped together, but this kind of thinking ignores some key differences.
Let’s take a closer look:
Skill
Arguments separating DFS from gambling often point out that it is a game of skill, rather than luck. Indeed, the process of creating a fantasy team involves a lot of in-depth research, and some players even use software to create algorithms that form successful line-ups. It’s no coincidence that many of the top DFS players have backgrounds in finance and analytics.
Anyone can play, but to consistently do well one needs skills that are developed over time. Players track numerous factors that affect games, such as weather and injuries. They may even follow athletes during their college careers and later attempt to cash in on a rookie’s early triumphs before they become full-blown sports stars. As you can see, maths, computing and analytical skills sure do come in handy!
When it comes to regular sports betting, you still need to follow games closely and make good judgement calls to do well. However, it’s gambling at the end of the day, so it is largely up to chance. Especially with single bets, the process doesn’t tend to involve as much preparation and thought. There will always be those who take it very seriously and religiously study odds and trends. But for those who place match day bets with their friends, for example, it’s often a case of working on impulse or simply backing their favourite teams.
Cost
DFS and sports betting both involve parting with your cash and accepting that you may lose. Spending money on anything slightly risky requires careful consideration, and you should never fork out more than you can afford. Both allow you to spend as much or as little as you want—though with DFS you often need to spend big to win big (that is, if you’re aiming for millions!).
Regular sports betting offers single bets that are very straightforward to place. This simplicity can be dangerous because it means you are able to spend your money quickly, without much thought. New odds are even offered mid-game, by which point you may have had a drink or three! When you’re caught up in the excitement of a match it can be tempting to simply click a button and spend more money.
With DFS it usually takes longer to spend your money because you need to put a team together—which demands a more considered process. This gives you the opportunity to think carefully about how much money you want to spend. Then again, whether you decide to utilise the time in this way is up to you! Obviously we must remain aware that DFS is a business. As a result, it is similar to regular sports betting in that there will be further tournaments on offer and higher stakes and prizes advertised to tempt you into spending more money.
Legal Issues
In the USA, DFS is legal in many states because it is not considered to be gambling. However, law makers across the country are looking to change this, with New York being one of the latest to ban it. On the other hand, states like Pennsylvania and Florida are drawing up bills to protect or at least legalise DFS. This is in contrast to sports betting, which is banned across most of the USA due to the damaging potential of gambling. The fact that they remain largely separate in the eyes of the law is further proof that they should be considered different pursuits in general.
That said, the two are obviously closely linked. The reason many think DFS is not as popular in the UK as it is in the USA is because sports betting has been legal in the UK for a very long time. DFS provides a fun alternative to sports gambling for American players. In the UK, however, DFS has to compete with incredibly successful gambling companies that are able to flood the market with advertisements and offers.
Variety
A major pro of sports betting in comparison to DFS is that it is a lot more flexible and offers more variety in terms of style of bet and the sports involved. You can basically set up bets on any kind of sport and even non-sporting events—as long as someone can come up with odds, it’s fair game! The most common options are single, accumulator and system bets. You can find out what each one involves in our guide to betting.
DFS cannot be as flexible because it’s usually based on a pre-arranged structure. Tournaments are set up to accommodate multiple players, each with line-ups selected from lists of players with set prices. The disparity in choice is something DFS companies are aware of and they are branching out to include other sports. For example, why not check out our guides to DFS Nascar or Tennis?
In the UK, there are lots of betting companies offering different sports and odds. In contrast, the top ranks of the DFS industry are not at all crowded, with DraftKings reigning supreme. If they don’t offer what you’re looking for, you might have to search far and wide for a satisfying alternative.
Risk vs. Payoff
Both DFS and regular sports betting involve an element of risk. This is what contributes to the thrill, so it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Then again, it depends how likely you are to profit from your efforts. If you’re constantly losing money that thrill can turn to despair very quickly!
An important difference lies in the fact that with fantasy sport you’re playing against other DFS-ers like you (kind of), whereas regular sports betting pits you against bookmakers. These people are experts on betting and odds, which makes them formidable opponents. Indeed, their very livelihoods rest on the expectation that most gamblers will lose. Then again, the presence of so-called ‘sharks‘ in DFS almost replicates this unfair odds system.
In order to win significant money with sports betting you also have to take higher risks. Betting on favourites yields little compensation unless you are throwing down major cash.
When it comes to DFS, your wins may feel even sweeter because you have invested more—all that time spent forming and nurturing your line-up. The obvious presence of your competitors on leader boards and tournament pages is also a reminder that lots of people are trying to beat you, so you may be more careful with your cash.
A consistent stream of modest wins is probably what you should be aiming for if you’re not a DFS pro. The big DFS success stories, though incredible, are fairly rare.
DFS vs. Regular Sports Betting
Well, there you have it! Next time you’re torn between playing DFS or simply putting a bet on, remember:
- DFS takes more skill as it requires strategy and planning.
- Both involve spending money and taking risks, but only regular sports betting is strictly considered gambling.
- Regular sports betting provides more options in terms of style of play and choice of sport.
- DFS offers a more even playing field because you are competing against other DFS-ers, rather than a bookmaker.
Dfs Sports Betting
Alternatively, if you’re flush with cash—you can always do both!
Best Dfs Strategy Sites
For the best tips and tricks of the trade, keep checking in with DailyFantasyUK!