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In my latest guide, there’s a breakdown of daily cash fantasy games and how they work, plus a quick look at how they compare to that other DFS staple, GPP tournaments. You will also be able to pick up some quick strategy tips, and of course, I’ll tell you all about the best sites so you know where to begin.
The next step is to find somewhere to get started. I’ve checked out all of those available and found that those with an excellent welcome offer, new DFS apps for playing on the move, and an easy-to-use interface will be your top performers. Take a look at some of this month’s leaders.
If you want depth, then DraftKings is where you’ll want to start; you’ll see games over 14 sports, with updates for all of them, so you can keep track of the latest baseball news and developments from the NFL, for which DraftKings is a partner. This will be useful whether you are playing in a head-to-head, a 50/50, or one of the other variations offered here, like best ball or casual games for those with more than 50 contests but don’t have the experience badge yet. There are even free-to-play contests where you make picks for various topics. Yes, there’s a welcome bonus and a good one too. You’ll get a 20% deposit match up to $500 in DK dollars when you sign up and deposit $5 or more.
Established DFS reputation. 14 different sports categories. $100 to $100,000+ prize pools. 25x Deposit. T&Cs apply, 21+
DraftKings not fit the bill? In that case, FanDual also has a vast range of cash game variations and regular head-to-head contests. If you’re worried you might be out of your depth, you can play with other novices so you still stand a chance early on. Want plenty of sports? You’ve got a wide range of sports, which include soccer and NASCAR alongside the big three letter leagues. There’s not a bonus at the moment, but Fanduel TV lets you keep up with the action, and Fanduel research can help you build teams for 50/50s, single or roster games, as well as multipliers and games with just 30-100 players if you want to start small.
Solid welcome bonus. 8 daily fantasy sports categories. Up to $400,000 prize pools. T&Cs apply, 21+
OK, so when you land on a DFS site, where do you start? You won’t see a tab or section marked cash games, but don’t worry—it’s for a good reason. “Cash games” is a blanket term that refers to DFS games where the prize money is distributed among more players instead of the more top-heavy distribution of large funds in GPP tournaments.
This is important as you want to know where to start, right? Making this choice isn’t easy, so to stop you from spending too much time scratching your head, I’ve put together this chart so you can see what each of the main types of cash games involves:
| Type of game | How it works |
|---|---|
| Head to Head | You’ll compete directly against another player, with the highest scorer winning the prize fund, which is likely to to be double your entry fee, minus the site’s rake |
| 50/50s | Here the field is wider, and the top half of the entrants win a prize, again typically double their entry fee minus the site’s rake. For example entrance fee $10, return for top 50% $18, site rake $2. |
| Double ups | With these types of daily cash fantasy games, you can double your money, but less than half of the entrants will win. Here it will be closer to 44% than 50% |
If you think you’ve seen more than this, then you’re not wrong. Different sites have little variations, so you might see an alternative to double-ups, called multipliers, where the individual prizes might be greater, but a smaller proportion of the entrants will win. These can give you some middle ground between cash games and GPP tournaments to get the best of both worlds.
Now you know what they are, there’s something else to cover that’s vitally important: legality. Before you go looking for somewhere to play, step one is to ensure that you are in one of the legal states for DFS. Luckily, this is not as complicated as you think – there is different legislation for DFS to sports betting and casino games, so the list of legal places to play is quite long. In fact, it’s easier to list those that are excluded:
I’ll finish on a high note with a few quick tips to help you get started – is that OK? Don’t worry; I’ve kept them short and sweet.
Remember around 50% of players will get a prize in cash games, and it’s usually the same for everyone in the top half, so no need to try and superstar tactics to try and win, you could well be wasting your time.
Be boring. No, really – pick players with high floors who are consistent performers to get and keep you in that top half of entrants.
Look for games with many entrants. If you go for a game with 500 players instead of 10, You don’t want to miss out on making the top half due to some other players’ blind luck, do you?
Yes, there’s a bit more to DFS than meets the eye, but a little bit of knowledge can go a long way to improving your experience and this guide to DFS Cash Game sites will have you good to go. DFS and Fanduel are my top two picks; however, you’ll find a selection of top sites in the banners on this page.
Remember, once you’ve signed up and released any eligible promotions, you’ll want to check out the prize pools, number of entrants, and number of potential winners. Although usually 50% of entrants can walk away with some winnings, you’ll want to ensure that it ticks your boxes and is still worth building your lineups.
That will depend on what you want – cash games offer smaller, more consistent wins where as many as 50% of the entrants will win something, and GPP tournaments are more for those who like to win big, but are aware of the higher chance of not winning anything.
The most popular cash games include head-to-head, 50/50s, and double-ups, where around 50% of the entrants will win something. There are also multipliers and leagues, where the prize pools are more concentrated towards the top places.
With a better chance of winning prizes, plenty of new DFS players decide to start there, although it’s a matter of choice. We have guides for both cash games and GP tournaments, and checking them out will give you an insight into what might be best for you.
