Daily Fantasy Sports: Navigating the Muddy Waters

12/4/2017- Randy Dicker – For me it started with dreams of grandeur and riches. The commercials for Draft Kings pulled me in boasting how easy it was to make money and if you made a deposit they were going to give you a deposit bonus. Free money, glorious! With all my success in standard fantasy leagues, this will be my ticket out of the nine to five jobs and allow me to stay home and live the life I’ve always wanted.

Did any of you have the same disillusions about daily fantasy sports (DFS) as I did? Three years later, I am still trying to figure this game out and learning more and more every day. I have put in hundreds of hours of work to try and master this frustrating and unpredictable (well kind of predictable, but we will get into this later) newer form of gambling. My goal in writing these articles is to help the you, the normal everyday DFS player, or anyone who may have an interest in playing but haven’t pulled the trigger for whatever reason. I have made the mistakes and lived the ups and downs and I would like to help you have more ups and enjoy a hobby that is fun and can be financially rewarding.

Beware of gimmicks.

Let me start by saying this, DFS is not easy. “Professional’s” pop up daily claiming they can sell you winning line-ups or if you subscribe to their sites you will be rolling in the dough in no time. Most of these are a farce and worthless. I have been suckered in to some these and can help you avoid the mistakes I made and guide you towards sites and resources that really help.

DFS contests differ and you play each one differently. What’s a cash game or a GPP tournament (Guaranteed Prize Pool)? I had no knowledge of this when I started, and I lost money. I’ll go over the different types of contests, what strategies you should use, and help manage your expectations as you get started. This isn’t a get rich quick hobby for most people. Sure, a few people luck into a big payout when they start, but I compare that to winning the lottery. It’s going to take patience and work to become successful and profitable at DFS.

Platforms to play DFS are important to understand. You probably have heard of Draft Kings and FanDuel as they are the most played and recognized brands of DFS. I have found other sites that are fun and offer a better chance of winning, and will go over each in detail in the coming articles. Whichever site, or sites, you decide to play on, it’s important to know that they all play different. Lineup structures and scoring differ from site to site, thus different strategies must be deployed to be a successful player. I will help you navigate the different sites to understand how they operate so you can make educated plays and maximize the chance of turning a profit.

Who are these articles for?

These articles will focus on the player who, like me, has a limited budget and can only play a few lineups per night. If you upload hundreds of lineups a night to hundreds of contests, this isn’t for you. I love sports and I love to play DFS. It’s fun, challenging, and very humbling. My goal is to help the everyday player avoid some of the mistakes I have made along the way. I see so many players start to play DFS, lose all their money, and give-up frustrated and hating the game. I understand that, as I almost did it myself. However, I liked the game and started researching and learned new strategies on how to play lineups and how to manage my bankroll. Now I want to be a resource to help you do the same.

I play NFL and NBA DFS, but the strategies I will cover work on any sport you like. There are so many sports offered: NHL, Soccer, Golf, NASCAR, and even video gaming. You don’t have to be a sports nut to be a successful DFS player, but you do need to put in research and have a general understanding of the sport and site you are playing on. If you’re like me, time is a valuable commodity. I will give you links to different websites, podcasts, and other resources that will cut your research time immensely. I am not affiliated with any of the recommendations I make. If I recommend a resource, it is because it made me a better player.

I hope I have piqued your interest and you will take this journey with me. Please ask any questions or give feedback in the comment section. My thought is to have this be a reader driven series meaning I will write about what you suggest and want to understand. As this series progresses, we have an opportunity to learn and help each other have fun and hopefully win some money along way.

Next Article: Vital information about DFS before you deposit any money