Beginning in Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) might seem daunting, but it really isn’t! Here we help you get ontop of the basics and you’ll be a pro in no time! Each week we post selections in our DFS content.
Types of Games
There are two type of games in DFS- especially in the offering from DraftKings. Cash & GPP games, both are very different in how they are played and the required strategy for them. Let’s explore those here.
Cash Games
A cash game is one where around half of the entrants win the same prize- it doesn’t matter if you finish with the most points, or just enough to qualify. For clarity, in a 20-person contest you cash as much finishing 10th as first.
Therefore, the basic strategy is to play consistent options. The more consistent they are, the better really. You might hear people talk about ‘chalk’ plays, but that’s more for GPP than cash games. Therefore, based on opting for consistent options, you are going to be looking to prioritize the QB and RB positions in your lineups, as they touch the ball the most often.
Don’t worry too much about making your lineup too different from the crowd. You don’t need to beat everyone!
GPP Games
In GPPs, this is where you can win life-changing money. Here, the prize pool is weighted heavily to the top of finishes, dropping quickly. In these tournaments you need to be finishing top of the contest- that means it’s about taking risks and having a different lineup to others.
Having consistent players is still important, as you want a platform to build upon, but you need to have some players you can slide into your lineup that could have big games. That could be taking a shot an upside QB and his receiver, or avoiding players who are being overpriced due to previous big performances.
Your win rate in GPP’s will be alot lower, and you might have multiple weeks that you strike out as a result of embracing that variance.
Bankroll
Your bankroll is the money that you deposit that you want to play with. The main thing you need to consider is the type of games that you want to play, and how comfortable you are with your ‘risk of ruin’.
As we mentioned above, different games come with different risk profiles, and therefore different rates of return. So, for example, if you are thinking that you are going to aim to play cash games more than GPP’s, your bankroll can (likely) be lower.
Your ‘risk of ruin’ is defined as the amount of your bankroll that you are risking each week. With that, the chance that you would lose your entire bankroll.
Scoring
Understanding scoring is important, whatever league you are playing in. The scoring for DraftKings is shown below.
Passing
- Passing TD +4 Pts
- 25 Passing Yards +1 Pt (+0.04 Pts/ Yard)
- 300+ Yards in Game +3 Pts
- Interception -1 Pt
Rushing
- Rushing TD +6 Pts
- 10 Rushing Yards +1 Pt (+0.1 Pts/ Yard)
- 100+ Yards in Game +3 Pts
Receiving
- Receiving TD +6 Pts
- 10 Receiving Yars +1 Pt (+0.1 Pts/ Yard)
- 100+ Yards in Game +3 Pts
- Reception +1 Pt
Misc
- Punt/Kickoff/FG Return for TD +6 Pts
- Fumble Lost -1 Pt
- 2 Pt Conversion (Pass, Run, or Catch) +2 Pts
- Offensive Fumble Recovery TD +6 Pts
Possible Differences From Your Leagues
DraftKings scoring is relatively standard, but there are few things that should be noted and considered when you are first looking at the impact of scoring
Points Per Reception
Your league might not award points for receptions, if it doesn’t- time to adjust! This means you are going to be able to find some receivers who you can slot into your lineup each week that get alot of receptions, for limited production and be fine.
Interceptions & Fumbles
The negative scoring for turnovers is limited, which means that it opens up your selections each week. In particular, the low impact of interceptions makes gunslinger QBs who will throw INTs, but also a number of TDs, appealing for your lineup.
Bonuses
This is possibly the biggest difference from your home league- the potential for bonus points. Getting the bonus points is great, but being able to reliably predict them is difficult.
Players that have a good chance are normally ones that are priced up, which means you have to find value plays that have lower expectations for the week.
Game Modes
In each of these game modes, there are cash and GPP games. Each of the modes has a slightly different way of working, and therefore different considerations.
Classic
Draft 9 players under $50,000 salary cap:
- 1 x QB
- 2 x RB
- 3 x WR
- 1 x TE
- Flex (RB/ WR/ TE)
- 1 x DST
Tiers
The tiers game has no salary cap, so makes it slightly easier to play. Instead, you select a player from each group/ tier that DraftKings have put together. The idea is that each of the groups should have similar projections- your job is to find the best from the group.
Showdown
In Showdown games, unlike others, you are selecting from just one game. Lineups are six players of any position with a salary cap. You do have to select a player from each team. You can select two QBs in this mode.
Showdown, Captain mode
Same as the regular showdown, but one player can be put into the Captain slot. That player then earns 1.5x points than he would normally (but costs 1.5x his normal cost).
Bonuses
This is possibly the biggest difference from your home league- the potential for bonus points. Getting the bonus points is great, but being able to reliably predict them is difficult.
Players that have a good chance are normally ones that are priced up, which means you have to find value plays that have lower expectations for the week.
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Image Credit: Robert Hanashiro – USA TODAY Sports
