There are only two main sites that users can choose from to play daily fantasy, DraftKings and FanDuel. Both sites share similarities but at the same time they are drastically different. Both are similar in popularity and have been around since the beginning of daily fantasy sports. Both sites offer hundreds of contests and pay out millions of dollars every day. The sites pay out at an identical rate and the contests offer the same rewards on both sites. So how do you choose which one to use?
The answer is pretty simple; try both and choose the one you like best. Both sites will pay the same. So profitability and your chances of winning are basically indistinguishable between the two. The difference between the sites is how you build your lineup for your daily contests. For example, in the daily NBA contests, in DraftKings you choose eight players and in FanDuel you choose nine players. DraftKings offers you a $50,000 salary cap, allowing you to pick eight players with combined salaries of $50,000 or less. In FanDuel, you have a salary cap of $60,000 to pick nine players to fit into your roster. Salaries for each player are different at each site. A popular view is that you can have more superstars or higher paid players in FanDuel due to the higher salary cap. This may be true, but everyone else you compete against also gets more superstars or better players, so it doesn’t really make a difference.
FanDuel lineups are made up of two point guards, two shooting guards, two forwards, two power forwards, but only one center. DraftKings rosters are made up of one each of the five positions (PG, SG, SF, PF, C) and then a shooting guard, so you have to pick a point guard or shooting guard, a forward, either small or wing. center, and then finally a “utility” player (this means you can pick any player at any position) So the main difference between the sites is the strategy you use to build your lineups. I suggest going and playing both sites and seeing which one you like best.
I would suggest picking one site and playing only on that one, not both. The strategies are different for both sites, so once you make your choice, you’ll want to stick with one and hone your own daily lineup building strategy. Bouncing between sites will be more challenging and will require more time and research. Once you figure out which site you want to use, use it every day and hone your own strategy. The more times you play and the more experience you gain in building lineups, the better you will be. There is a skill in building these lineups on a daily basis and with all skills you have to practice them to get better.
