Get in the Excitement of DFS Games Across the Top Platforms

If you want to get more out of your DFS experience, there's no shortage of DFS games to help you get there. We breakdown all of the major DFS platforms and their games so you can get into the action.
Get in the Excitement of DFS Games Across the Top Platforms

There are countless DFS games across popular platforms like FanDuel, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, PrizePicks, Jock MKT, and ParlayPlay. 

Each platform tries to pull in the biggest crowd by offering unique gaming formats, from salary cap-based contests and head-to-head competitions to innovative stock market-style games and simple prediction contests. 

Whether you’re strategizing for the long haul in season-long contests or making quick picks in more/less formats, these platforms provide a range of ways to engage with DFS.

FanDuel & DraftKings Game Types

FanDuel DraftKings Side by Side Screenshots

Platforms like FanDuel and DraftKings offer a thrilling blend of strategy, excitement, and the potential for victory. With their game formats, there’s a good reason they stand at the top of the list when it comes to DFS sites.

Salary Cap-Based Contests

In these contests, players get a fixed budget, typically referred to as a ‘salary cap,’ to build their dream team. 

Each player in the actual sports league has a price tag, and the challenge lies in assembling the best possible lineup without exceeding the cap. 

This format demands strategic thinking as you balance between high-cost star players and potential hidden gems who could deliver great value for their price.

Head-to-Head Competitions

Head-to-head contests are all about one-on-one battles. This is a lot like traditional fantasy leagues.

You face off against a single opponent, and the one with the higher-scoring lineup at the end of the game takes the prize.

It’s a test of skill and strategy, offering a more direct and personal competition compared to larger tournaments.

50/50s

These contests are an interesting twist where you don’t need to be the top scorer to win. Instead, you just need to finish in the top half of the field. 

You win about double your entry fee if you’re in the upper 50% of scorers. 

It’s a format that rewards consistency over the occasional big win, appealing to those who prefer a more balanced approach to risk.

Large Tournaments

For DFS players who love the thrill of a big win, large tournaments, often called Guaranteed Prize Pool (GPP) tournaments, are the way to go. 

These contests can accommodate a vast number of participants, with the prize money distributed among the top scorers, usually the top 10-20%. 

While they’re harder to win due to the large number of entries, the potential for a substantial payout makes them irresistibly attractive for many. Who wouldn’t want a hefty $20,000 windfall?

Underdog Fantasy Game Types

Underdog Fantasy DFS Games Screenshot

Underdog Fantasy has carved out its niche in the DFS landscape with unique and engaging contest formats. There’s a good reason they’re one of the up-and-coming platforms.

Pick ’em Contests (Rivals and Over/Under)

Pick ’em contests on Underdog Fantasy, including Rivals and Over/Under, offer a straightforward yet really fun experience. They’re a lot like prop bets but with a twist.

In these contests, you’re making predictions on player performances. 

In ‘Rivals,’ the challenge is to choose between two players, predicting which one will perform better in a specific category. 

‘Over/Under’ contests have you predict whether a player will exceed or fall short of a specific statistical benchmark. 

These game types are exciting because they require a mix of statistical analysis and gut feeling, making them both challenging and accessible for players at all levels.

Battle Royale – Daily Draft Contests

Battle Royale brings a competitive edge to DFS. 

In this daily draft format, you select players from a limited pool in a snake draft format.

The challenge here lies in outmaneuvering your opponents during the draft process. It’s like playing a game of chess, where each move (or draft pick) has to be carefully thought out. 

When we talk to Underdog players, we’ve found that the allure of Battle Royale lies in its blend of strategy, foresight, and adaptability. This is something you don’t get all at once on most platforms.

Best Ball – Season-Long Contests

Best Ball contests are perfect for those who love the long game like a traditional fantasy league.

With Best Ball, you draft a team at the start of the season, and that’s it—no weekly management is required. 

Your best players automatically start each week, ensuring you always field your strongest lineup. 

This format particularly appeals to those who enjoy the draft process and prefer watching their decisions unfold over the season rather than engaging in weekly management.

When you’re picking your Best Ball lineups, you’re not going for the players who will have breakout games; you want players who deliver consistent and reliable results.

Standard Pick ’em and Insured Pick ’em

Standard Pick ’em is all about making a series of player performance predictions for a single slate of games. 

The twist comes with Insured Pick ’em, where you get some leeway—a chance to miss one pick and still win. Although, with this mitigated risk comes mitigated profits. So it’s entirely up to your risk level whether you want to go ‘all in’ or ‘insured.’

These formats are exciting because they mix the thrill of prediction with a bit of a safety net, making them a hit among both casual and serious fantasy players.

PrizePicks Game Types

PrizePicks App Screenshot

PrizePicks offers a unique spin on DFS, blending the excitement of sports betting with the strategic elements of fantasy sports.

Player Props Prediction

In Player Props Prediction contests, participants make predictions on whether athletes will exceed or fall short of projected statistical lines. This is eerily similar to what you’ll find at most major sportsbooks.

These stat lines could range from points scored in a basketball game to touchdowns in football. 

This format is engaging because it requires a blend of statistical analysis and intuition about individual player performances.

Fantasy Score Contests

Fantasy Score contests center around predicting whether an athlete will surpass or not meet a set fantasy points total. 

These points are accumulated based on the athlete’s performance across various statistical categories. 

This type of contest appeals to those who enjoy the broader scope of a player’s contribution across different aspects of the game.

Single Stat Contests

Focusing on a specific statistical category, Single Stat contests ask DFS players to predict outcomes in one particular area, such as home runs in baseball or assists in basketball. 

This format is particularly intriguing for those who have specialized knowledge or interest in certain aspects of a player’s performance.

Power Play and Flex Play Modes

PrizePicks has really made its name on two distinctive modes of play — Power Play and Flex Play. 

In Power Play, the stakes are high with an all-or-nothing approach. You need to get all your picks correct to win. It’s a more risk, more reward game.

This mode is perfect for those who trust their predictions and are chasing bigger payouts. Think of it like the ‘all in’ approach we mentioned with Underdog Fantasy.

Flex Play, on the other hand, offers more flexibility. That seems pretty obvious. It allows room for some misses, providing partial payouts even if some picks are incorrect. 

This mode suits players who prefer a balanced approach, mitigating risks while still enjoying the potential for wins.

Both forms are great, but they cater to your risk appetite. Don’t mind losing more but want a big payout if you win? Go with the Power Play.

Jock MKT Game Types

Jock MKT Screenshot

Jock MKT stands out from the pack with its innovative approach, merging the excitement of sports with the dynamics of the stock market.

Stock Market-Style Bidding on Player Shares

The cornerstone of Jock MKT is its stock market-style approach to DFS. 

In this game format, DFS players engage in real-time buying and selling of shares in athletes, just like trading stocks. 

Each share’s value is tied to the athlete’s in-game performance, with payouts determined based on final player rankings. 

This game type is thrilling because it mimics real-world stock trading but with a sports twist, offering a dynamic and constantly evolving gameplay experience​​​​.

Live Auction IPOs for Player Shares

The IPO (Initial Public Offering) phase in Jock MKT is a bit different but works just like real-world IPOs. 

Before the start of the game, you get to participate in live auctions to buy players’ shares. 

The final price of these shares is determined in a unique way, akin to a second-price auction where you pay slightly more than the second-highest bid.

This contest requires strategic bidding, as you aim to acquire valuable player shares at the best prices before the real-time trading begins​​​​.

DFS Pick ’em Contests

Jock MKT also offers Pick ’em contests, a more straightforward game type that’s easy for anyone to pick up and play. 

DFS players select athletes and predict their performance on the game day.

Your success in these contests is determined by the accuracy of your predictions, offering something a bit more traditional than the standard stock game Jock MKT offers.

Contests and Jockpot Games

Besides the market games, Jock MKT provides fixed buy-in, tournament-style contests. 

All players start with an equal number of chips, and those with the highest chip count at the end win big. 

There’s also the Jockpot, which sounds a lot like Jackpot, but for good reason, where you create a Pick’Em slip for 11 players and have a shot at winning the nightly grand prize. 

These formats cater to those who prefer a more traditional DFS experience with the added excitement of a big-win opportunity​​.

ParlayPlay Game Types

ParlayPlay Screenshot

If you’ve never played DFS on ParlayPlay before, you’re in for a treat. Like the name, it’s all about parlays.

More/Less

The ‘More/Less’ game format at ParlayPlay is a straightforward yet compelling way to engage in DFS.

In this contest, players are challenged to predict whether a player will score higher or lower than their projected statistics. 

Players love this style because it’s about knowing the players and their capabilities and gauging their potential performance in the context of each game. 

The simplicity of the concept, coupled with the challenge of accurate prediction, makes ‘More/Less’ a hit among DFS enthusiasts.

Hit It

‘Hit It’ presents a different kind of challenge.

DFS players select stat ranges for players and guess the correct range for their performance. 

This game type is essentially about setting benchmarks and predicting whether players will meet them. 

It requires a deeper understanding of player statistics and trends. The satisfaction in ‘Hit It’ comes from not just picking players but also accurately predicting the range of their performance.

What DFS game type is for you?

There’s no right or wrong answer to this. Each game type and format offers something unique and fun for you to get into.

On top of all of the game types, each platform also offers something different in terms of bonuses, app usability, and other analytical features that make their platform exciting.

So, which game is for you?

 

Matt Brown


Head of Sports Betting and DFS

Matt’s love for sports betting and daily fantasy sports, coupled with a deep understanding of football, hockey, and baseball, shapes his innovative thoughts on Hello Rookie. He has a B.S. in Aeronautical Computer Science and a M.S. in Project Management.

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