DraftKings Fantasy Review – Fantasy Sports Brought to Life
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If you’re interested in adding the elements of a paid contest to your fantasy sports experience, the tournaments offered by DraftKings are a great place to start.
8/10
Cost
8/10
Features
9/10
Services
9/10
Ease of Use
8/10
If you’re a fantasy football nut — or love putting your sports knowledge to the test competing for cash prizes in daily fantasy sports contests — you’ve likely heard of DraftKings. You've probably seen their ads even if you’ve just watched a sports game recently. With a website and Android and iOS mobile apps, DraftKings Fantasy offers a few different contest types to play, no matter what device you like.
Of course, if you’re like me and have never competed for money outside of small pools with your fantasy league, you may wonder how daily and weekly fantasy sports contests work. After all, it’s best to know what you’re getting into before you put money on the line, particularly regarding online sports betting. Read our review of DraftKings Fantasy to learn whether or not it’s a good fit for you and your interests, as well as how it might put a little extra money in your pocket for the next time you head out to watch the big game at your favorite sports bar.
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What is DraftKings Fantasy?
While DraftKings offers casino games and its own sportsbook for sports gambling, daily and weekly fantasy contests are the company’s bread and butter. Founded in Boston by Jason Robins, Paul Liberman, and Matthew Kalish in 2012, DraftKings has become one of the biggest fantasy sports sites in the past decade. While fantasy football is what the website is most known for, they offer a wide range of esports contests beyond the NFL, including leagues like the MLB, MMA, NASCAR, NBA, NHL, and PGA.
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How are Daily Fantasy Sports different from Season Long Fantasy?
In a typical fantasy sports league — such as something you would play through ESPN Fantasy — you will draft a team of players and then be pitted against other league members weekly. In a daily fantasy sports contest, all of the excitement and action are condensed into one daily contest. You can compete in classic draft events or opt for other contest types like the Flash Draft or Single-Game Showdown (more on these below) if you’re itching to try a different way of playing. Each contest type has its own ins and outs, making finding the ideal format for you and your play style easy.
How does DraftKings Fantasy work?
DraftKings Fantasy makes registering simple and fast for new users. If you already have an account for their online Sportsbook, your account will work for DraftKings Fantasy as well. You’ll start by clicking the Sign-Up button and then input information to create your account.
Next, you’ll need to verify your information for security purposes. This includes sharing your first and last name, date of birth, address, and the last four digits of your social security number.
You may also need to take extra steps to verify your account and identity. Again, this is for security purposes and to ensure that you abide by local regulations regarding online betting. Scanning your driver’s license allows you to get instant approval.
After you’ve confirmed your identity, you’ll also need to re-confirm your location. This is to help ensure that you’re participating on the platform properly and to maintain game integrity. For example, if you live in Illinois, you are in a different boat because DraftKings is connected with Casino Queen to run. Once you’ve confirmed your identity, you can add funds to your account and get playing! It’s easy to make a one-time deposit via credit or debit card. You can also use PayPal or a DraftKings gift card.
How much does DraftKings Fantasy cost?
The buy-in for DraftKings Fantasy largely depends on the kind of contest you’re entering. However, most players find that a first deposit of anywhere between $5 and $10 is more than enough to get started by entering contests with entry fees of just $0.25. Some players may also want to make a higher initial deposit of $20 or $30 if they have their eye on contests with entry fees in the $1 to $3 range.
You'll want to do some math to get a deposit bonus and some freerolls. This is because initial deposits currently receive a 20% deposit bonus — up to $500. In addition, for every $25 played on DraftKings in contest entries, wagers, and more, you will receive $1 in site credits released into your playable balance.
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- Deposit/Withdraw with Credit Cards or Your PayPal Account
- Cash tournaments not available in AR, CT, DE, LA, and SD
DraftKings Fantasy features
Mobile or Web Experience
DraftKings Fantasy’s user experience is streamlined and easy to use. This makes it great for tinkering with your lineup throughout the week on a desktop device and watching the game with your smartphone in hand on the couch or at your favorite sports bar.
Contest types
One of the best things about DraftKings Fantasy is that there are various contest types to suit different skill sets and play styles. Learn more about each of these contest types below.
- Classic. DraftKings’ classic fantasy contests will be the most familiar for frequent fantasy sports players. You’ll pick players to draft for your team and win or lose based on their real, in-game performance. One thing to keep in mind is that there is a salary cap for Classic competitions. You’ll need to watch what players might be diamonds in the rough or provide good value to help round out your team and take you over the top.
- Flash Draft. If you love to draft—or think you’re a quick draw in picking the best players left in the draft pool—then Flash Draft may be your competition. It forces you to speed through your draft in a race against the clock while navigating twists in various in-game multipliers.
- Single-Game Showdown. Want to level up your viewing experience? A single-game showdown allows you to draft from two teams playing against each other, really upping the enjoyability factor while you watch the game live. Single-Game Showdown also involves a salary cap, so you’ll need to think about which positions and players have the opportunity to be real breakouts during the game.
- Tier Draft. An easy way to get into the action, tier drafts use no salary caps and smaller player pools to help you get playing fantasy as quickly as possible.
- In-Game Draft. Itching to use up-to-the-minute data on each player’s performance to inform your draft strategy? An in-game draft lets you draft during the first half of a game and play during the second half. Overtime has never been so exciting!
- Double-ups. These are a great way to hedge your bets if you’re looking for the best odds of winning. If you finish in the top 45% of players, you can double your money in double-up contests.
- Qualifiers. DraftKings Fantasy also runs various qualifiers with large prize pools, such as the King of the Baseline Qualifier. This year's Baseline had a top prize of $100,000. Qualifiers generally consist of several rounds, with top finishers moving on to the next weekly round.
Cash-out options
Earnings and winnings are eligible for withdrawal. Pending bonuses or other promotional credit types can't be withdrawn.” When cashing out in DraftKings Fantasy, you’ll first be refunded for eligible deposits from the past 90 days.
Any portion of your withdrawal balance that hasn’t been refunded can be paid out via check or PayPal.
Who is DraftKings Fantasy best for?
- Fantasy nuts. With so many variations on the same fantasy sports concept, any fantasy sports lover will have a field day with DraftKings Fantasy. Suppose you want to take your fantasy skills outside of your annual league to really up the ante and dominate in a wide range of contests. In that case, DraftKings Fantasy provides many options and variants to satisfy even the most addicted fantasy player.
- Frequent sports watchers. If you have sports playing throughout the week, regardless of whether or not your team is playing, DraftKings Fantasy offers a fun, low-stakes way to increase the enjoyment you get from watching certain games. Thanks to the added investment your fantasy picks layer onto the contest, you'll engage with what's on-screen in a new way.
Who shouldn’t use DraftKings Fantasy?
- People looking to make serious money. While it’s true that you can win some decent money playing DraftKings Fantasy, just because you’re running hot doesn’t mean you should quit your day job. While some Fantasy contests do have guaranteed prize pools, this form of sports betting should really only be considered for fun and not as a source of income.
- Individuals with gambling problems. Betting on the outcome of a game or playing for money can be great ways to add an extra layer of fun to your fantasy sports hobby, but it can also become a serious problem. If you have an addictive personality or have struggled with gambling, it’s best to stick to more traditional fantasy sports games.
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- Deposit/Withdraw with Credit Cards or Your PayPal Account
- Cash tournaments not available in AR, CT, DE, LA, and SD
Pros and cons
Pros
- Desktop and mobile app. The user experience between DraftKings’ mobile app and web-based browser experience is consistently excellent, allowing you to make the most of your fantasy contests regardless of what device you have on hand.
- Inexpensive to start. Many contest entries are just a quarter, making it easy to spend $5 to get to learn the platform and see what DraftKings Fantasy is all about.
- Adds extra fun. Especially for games, you wouldn’t generally have a stake in, placing small bets and competing in fantasy contests can make watching sports even more enjoyable.
Cons
- Not legal in all 50 states. While you can compete in DraftKings Daily Fantasy contests in most parts of the United States, it still is not legal in Washington, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada.
- Takes some research to find the right contest. The sheer amount of contests to join is a double-edged sword for DraftKings Fantasy. While this means that there’s something for everyone, to a certain degree it also means that you can get overwhelmed looking for the ideal contest for you and your play style.
- Welcome bonus incentivizes larger deposits. While there is a welcome bonus for new players, you need to be willing to make a significant deposit to your account in order to make the most of the 20% match up to $500.
DraftKings Fantasy vs. FanDuel vs. Barstool Sportsbook
Platform | Minimum Deposit | Minimum Withdrawal | Daily Fantasy Contests |
DraftKings Fantasy | $5 | $15 for checks, $1 for most others | Yes |
FanDuel | $10 | $25 in most states | Yes |
Barstool Sportsbook | N/A | $250 for checks, N/A for others | No |
FanDuel
FanDuel also offers daily fantasy contests; however, they have a higher minimum deposit and withdrawal than DraftKings. It’s also worth noting that FanDuel's welcome bonus is a bit weaker than the welcome bonus currently offered by DraftKings.
Barstool Sportsbook
Barstool Sportsbook isn’t a destination for fantasy football betting, although they have great content and blogs that could help guide your fantasy strategy in a platform like DraftKings or FanDuel. As a sports betting platform, they offer similar features to DraftKings Sportsbook; however, fantasy fans who also want a one-stop destination for their Sportsbook needs would do better just to select DraftKings rather than try and manage two separate accounts.
FAQs
What countries is DraftKings Fantasy legal in?
DraftKings Fantasy is legal in most states in the United States, as well as United Kingdom and Canada (excluding Ontario).
Can I redeem or trade in tickets for cash?
No. Once you’ve purchased a contest ticket, you need to use that ticket to enter a contest. It cannot be refunded as cash.
What happens if a player in my lineup is injured and I’ve entered a contest?
If a player in your lineup isn’t expected to play ahead of a contest—and you’ve enabled push notifications—you will get an alert and have the chance to make a substitution before game time. The notification will let you know who the player is, what their new injury status is, and the last possible moment you can swap that player out.
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- A Modern Take on the Classic Game Bingo
- Play Against Others to Win Cash Prizes and Real World Rewards in as Little as 2 Minutes
- Over 5 Million Players, 4.5/5 Stars in App Store
- Prizes Include Amazon Gift Cards and Cash Payouts
- Use Code 'JOYWALLET' to Get $5 Bonus Cash On Your First Cash Game
- Deposit/Withdraw with Credit Cards or Your PayPal Account
- Cash tournaments not available in AR, CT, DE, LA, and SD
The bottom line
If you’re interested in adding the elements of a paid contest to your fantasy sports experience, the tournaments offered by DraftKings are a great place to start. With a robust mobile and desktop experience, the variety of weekly sports contests can make every game as exciting as the Super Bowl. It’s easy to reference scoring and player points across different contests, too, so you can see what you’re getting into before you put any money on the line.
Regarding payouts, not every win will be as big as others; however, thanks to the ease with which DraftKings allows you to make deposits and withdrawals, you’ll always have a straightforward experience collecting your winnings. Compared to similar websites like FanDuel or Barstool Sportsbook, it’s clear why DraftKings has made a name for itself as one of the major pioneers for fantasy sports tournaments with cash prizes.
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Writer
Brent Ervin-Eickhoff is a Chicago-based writer, stage director, and filmmaker with a background in digital marketing and content creation. In addition to Joy Wallet, Brent has written for Complex, Volkswagen, HowlRound, Picture this Post, and Third Coast Review, among others. He currently serves as the Associate Director of Marketing for Content Creation at Court Theatre at the University of Chicago. Brent graduated from Ball State University with Academic Honors in Writing.
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