DFS Guide: Find Out How to Play Fantasy Sports In The US

We’ve used our experience with sports stats to create a daily fantasy sports (DFS) guide below.

In this article we’ll give you an intro to DFS and traditional sportsbooks, look at core features you need to consider when picking one, and also give some tips for drafting your lineups or entering pick’em contests. Then we’ll finish by recommending three top DFS apps we think you’ll love.

What Are Daily Fantasy Sports Sites?

We’ll start by explaining some core differences between traditional sportsbooks and DFS sites.

Traditional DFS Sites

Traditional DFS sites are where things start. Here you can enter classic fantasy sports contests, where you pick your fantasy team lineup and each player accumulates points based on their real life performance. Your points then contribute to your leaderboard score and you can win a prize if you are near the top of the leaderboard at the end of the contest.

Pick’em-style Sites

In recent years we’ve seen a new type of DFS contest spring up – “pick’em”-style competitions. Instead of drafting complete lineups, you pick over/under for a range of players in specific statistical categories. For example, you might pick Nikola Jokic to get over 9.5 assists for the Nugget’s Saturday night game vs. the Lakers. This is a mode fast-paced style of contest and oftentimes you are simply playing against the odds as opposed to competing in a leaderboard.

Social Sportsbooks

As well as offering odd-based social betting, some social sportsbooks also offer DFS-style Pick’em contests, which are becoming increasingly popular. They are free to enter and instead of real money, you use virtual currencies to place social bets or enter DFS contests.

Features to Look for at a Top DFS Site

Before looking at things like NFL ownership projections and recommendations, you first need to know what to look for when picking DFS sites to play at. There are seven features we always consider before registering at a site, which we discuss below.

Gambling License

For real money sports betting sites you need to look for a valid state-issued license. This means that the operator complies with regulations and standards and has been independently audited and tested. For social sites where there is no real money involved, a license isn’t needed, but the brand must always give free virtual currencies so that customers can make social picks and enter the contests for free.

Welcome Bonus and Other Promotions

We want to feel like a site actually values players, so we always look for a welcome bonus, and then promos for existing customers. For DFS apps you’ll get something like a deposit match bonus or a free amount of bonus cash if you spend a set amount. For social betting sites, the welcome bonus typically gives you a chunk of virtual currency to use immediately after sign up, and there should be plenty of ongoing promotions to collect more.

Competition Variety

This feature depends on personal preference and what you want to get from your DFS experience, but it’s always a great idea to check the sports the site supports, and the type of contests they offer.  The top DFS apps and social sportsbooks will generally have the best coverage for the NBA and NFL, but other major leagues like MLB, NHL, and MLS are typically covered too.

Community Activity

Many people also enjoy the community aspect of DFS sites. If you do, then it’s worth looking for things like user activity, how many people enter the contests, and social features like live chats and messaging boards. Some apps also give you the option to follow other players and view their picks, or create and customize your profile and show your stats.

Usability and Mobile Accessibility

Ideally, we want a downloadable mobile app rather than mobile-optimized version of the website. We’ll check where the app can be downloaded from and browse through the user reviews. We’ll then install and test the app to see how it works, how easily we can switch between contests, and whether we think it gives a good overall experience. We’ll also look at the brand’s main website, as we sometimes manage DFS lineups on PC.

Customer Support

The majority of DFS sites and apps are easy to use, but it’s still good to know that you can contact support if needed. Therefore, we always check customer support options. We prefer if there is a live chat option, but telephone support is fine too. We’ll also look for a help center or FAQ section, as we can often find answers more quickly this way.

Payment Methods and Banking Process

Lastly, we want to make sure we can make deposits easily, so we’ll check the banking options at DFS apps. We typically use Visa, but we think the best DFS sites should offer a wide range of payment methods including credit cards, e-wallets, and online banking options. Making withdrawals should be straightforward and have fast processing times.

Our Top DFS Sites and Their Bonus Offers

Tips for Effective DFS Gameplay

If you’re new to the DFS scene we want to give you a helping hand. Below, we’ve used our DFS experiences to bring you five simple tips to follow.

Three Awesome DFS Sites to Try Today

Now that your head is bursting from our DFS draft strategy guide and what to look for when picking these sites, we want to give you three options we think represent the cream of the crop. We’ve tested a huge range of daily fantasy sites and recently we’ve been swerving towards three particular apps. We’ve created a mini review for each, plus listed their welcome bonuses in the below table:

Underdog – Specializes in DFS Pick’em Contests

• Hundreds of daily Pick’em contests
• Several weekly Best Ball contests
• Generous welcome bonus
• Fantastic mobile app

• Fewer sports to choose from

Visit Underdog

Using something like a lineup optimizer won’t work on some of the Underdog game modes as they spearheaded the pick’em-style DFS contests. We love the concept of this contest and it is great if you want more consistent action and game-by-game results compared to the long-play DFS competitions. You can make the over/under selections on a huge range of NBA, NFL, and MLB stats and depending on how many picks you make, prizes can be up to 325x your initial stake.

Underdog still has solid state availability too but this varies depending on whether you play their Pick’em, Champions, or Drafts game mode. New customers can also benefit from a huge welcome bonus of a 100% deposit match of up to $1,000 for their first deposit. We also like the streaks feature here where your potential prize increases depending on how many correct picks you make in a row, up to a maximum of 1,000x if you get an 11 streak!

FanDuel – the Top-branded DFS Site for Good Reason

When it comes to the best DFS apps, FanDuel is usually at the top of people’s rankings and we’ve always had fun here. It remains our favorite DFS app and we’ve been a member here for ages. You can get daily promos for the DFS contests, but there isn’t a true welcome bonus. There is, however, a bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets offered for the sportsbook if you’re interested in that too.

FanDuel has some of the best coverage for DFS in the US being available in 43 states and it has a huge range of contests including some free to play options. Our favorites are the single game lineup drafts and the friends mode where you can create brackets and contests with your friends. The FanDuel app is also one of the best available and it makes selecting your lineups and browsing through stats incredibly easy.

Sleeper – Unique DFS and Social Features

Three Alternative Sportsbooks to Try

While DFS is widely available, it’s not universally available in all 50 states. With that in mind, we wanted to give you three sportsbook alternatives that also offer great value and a huge range of sports betting markets.

Caesars Sportsbook – Top Site for Football and Basketball

Bet365 – Tried and Trusted Sportsbook Brand

• Multiple welcome promos
• Longstanding rep.
• Regular “Bet Boosts”
• Great for props and parlays

• Only available in 17 states

While we love the Caesars app, we generally prefer the bet365 app. It has awesome loading times and everything is easy to find. If you’re a soccer fan then you’ll appreciate the depth of the markets here – you can bet on the MLS and other top-tier leagues, but also second and third flight competitions such as the English Championship. You also get a choice of two welcome offers, either a $1,000 ‘first bet safety net’, or bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets. Both of these offers come without tedious T&Cs and give you great value.

ESPNBet – Best Live Coverage and Stats

ESPNBet is one of the newer sites to launch but it’s already a top US sportsbook and a great alternative if DFS contests are not available in your state. If you create an account here and place a $10 initial bet, you get a whopping $100 in bonus bets! We also see loads of odds boosts, insurances, and parlay offers on the promotions page so there is always a deal to be had. The in-play betting section here is incredible and you benefit from the extensive coverage and stats database that ESPN has.

Put Your Sporting Knowledge to the Test and Join a DFS Site Today!

We’ve always loved this concept and we hope this guide to daily fantasy sports has given you a starting point if this is something you are interested in. New DFS sites and social sportsbooks are springing up all the time so understanding the basics like what to look for and how to pick your lineups is an essential aspect.

Remember to check out the core features like DFS contest variety, prize pools, community activity, and the promotions available. Once you’ve done that, all that’s left is to sign up, collect your welcome bonus and start entering DFS contests. If you want to immediately jump onto a site, Underdog, FanDuel, and Sleeper are three awesome options you can try today.

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Daily Fantasy Sports FAQs

• 💰 Can you win real money when playing at DFS sites?
  Yes! If you deposit real money at these sites and enter the contests then you have a chance of winning a share of the prize pool.
• 🏛️ Where are DFS sites legal in the US?
  This depends on the DFS brand. Generally speaking DFS sites are available in 35+ US states, while social sportsbooks are usually available in 40+ US states. Always check this out first before trying to register.
• 📊 How do you pick lineups for DFS contests?
  We always look at the players average fantasy score, their current performance, how long the contest runs for, and the matches within that stretch. We’ll then try to pick a lineup that has a balance of consistent performance together with some high-floor options who could “go off” on any one night.
• 🤔 What’s the difference between DFS and Pick’em contests?
  Classic DFS contests are where you pick a lineup and earn fantasy points for each game your players participate in. Pick’em contests are usually where you select over/under options for players on a given night and you are typically competing against yourself.