DFS Fantasy Football Tips For Beginners
Daily Fantasy Sports is an industry that has exploded over the last few years. Websites like Draftkings and Fanduel are bringing in record numbers of traffic each day, and millions of dollars have exchanged hands. Since 2014, when Scott Hanson became the first multi-millionaire from a one-day DFS fantasy event, casual bettors have been rushing to the window to try and emulate Hanson’s success.
What is DFS?
The concept of DFS is quite simple. You are given a salary cap, and with that cap, you need to construct a roster of players. Each player has a monetary value based on the expected number of points they will score. As an example, last season a player like Alvin Kamara would have averaged anywhere between $8,000 and $10,000 on any given week. This can be done per game or per slate of games. There is a slew of different formats, including head-to-head, large participant tournaments, and 50/50s.
Besides the money, what has caused DFS to become such a huge industry? Well, DFS hits on America’s favorite past time; fantasy football. The concept of drafting a brand new fantasy football team each weekend, or in some cases each game, is enough to entice gamblers and non-gamblers alike. According to Nielsen Scarborough, fantasy sports participation in the U.S. increased from approximately 8.3 million in 2012 to 15.6 million in 2017. That means that 6.2-percent of the general adult population played some find of fantasy sport. DFS gives those players more opportunity and more flexibility to make America’s favorite game even better.
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Like with all gambling-related activities, DFS is not a get rich quick game. It takes an insane amount of skill and knowledge to be profitable. Even then, it is difficult to beat a “shark.” As DFS grew in popularity, the emergence of sharks was inevitable. A shark is someone who employs elaborate statistical modeling and automated tools that can manage hundreds of entries at once and identify the weakest opponents. A shark doesn’t always win, but to be able to compete, follow these DFS fantasy football tips.
Find Value At Quarterback
Like in most season-long fantasy football leagues, the quarterback is the position that can make or break you. In season-long, most experts agree that holding off until the late rounds of the draft to get a quarterback is the most effective strategy. The same concept can be used in DFS. The variance between the number one quarterback of the week and the number ten quarterback is rarely very high. It is the position you want to find the most value for the salary spent. This way, you can apply the remainder of your salary on positions that provide more value like running back and wide receiver.
Know The Settings
It is important to remember that not all DFS websites are the same. Draftkings, for example, is a full point per reception website. This means that positions such as running back, wide receiver, and tight end all have premiums because they get an extra point per reception. Fanduel, on the other hand, uses a half-point per reception format. Another point to keep in mind is that Draftkings has a FLEX position, meaning you need to pick an extra running back, tight end, or wide receiver to fill that slot. This makes variances in Draftkings lineups even higher because there is an additional position to consider.
Game Selection Is Crucial To Be A Successful DFS Player.
There are so many games that you can enter on Drafkings and Fanduel that it can be quite overwhelming. If you are not the kind of player or shark that wants to manage anywhere between 100-150 lineups in the same tournament, then the game selection is crucial. In the lobby, you need to find a tournament where the rules are either single entry or maximum three entry. Obviously, due to the smaller entry limits, they won’t have that massive $1 million first prize sitting up top.
Before submitting your well-thought-out lineup, find the game that best suits you. Draftkings now has beginner matches that you can enter so that you can play without the fear of being destroyed by a veteran DFS player. Do not start by jumping headfirst into the biggest prize pool tournament you can find. Build up your experience and make sure you know what you are doing before taking on the big boys.
Correlate Your Scoring
When selecting your roster, it is essential to try and correlate your scoring as much as possible. I am not saying take a quarterback, running back, tight end, and wide receiver all from the same team, but you do want to try and monopolize points. If you have a feeling that a specific team is going to put up big points, try to grab the quarterback and the receiver you think will profit the most.
Don’t Be A Sheep
If you are going to try to win big GPP tournaments, the worst thing you can do is submit a lineup that is similar to everyone else’s. You need to find that diamond in the rough that other participants have over-looked. Anyone that has ever won a million dollars on Draftkings has done it with a shot in the dark player. Look at the games, trust your instinct, and pick a player you think will have a big week. Just because someone is owned in 90-percent of teams, does not mean he has to be on yours. The key to winning in DFS is being able to be unique.
