Daily Fantasy Sports betting (also know as DFS betting) was initially a popular pastime only in the United States and Canada. However, the recent boom in popularity for the form of sports betting has seen many punters around the world welcome the hobby with open arms. Australia is one such country.
There are loads of different sites that offer Australians the chance to place DFS bets. Two popular sites include Draft Kings and Moneyball. If you’re new to the fantasy sports scene, you may want to keep reading. Down below we get into how daily fantasy sports work and tips you should keep in mind when visiting the best sports betting sites.
Best Daily Fantasy Sports Betting Sites 2020
What are Daily Fantasy Sports?
Daily Fantasy Sports (also known as DFS for short) is the most popular form of fantasy sports betting online. Essentially, while most punters will be familiar with season-long contests, the bets made most frequently are those based on daily competitions. This is because there is a competition available each and every day to bet on.
Generally, most DFS tournaments begin with the day’s first match and end with the last one. The limited time frame essentially affects the manner in which punters draft teams as now the focus is on a singular match as opposed to a season-long tournament. This paves the way for punters to make use of riskier strategies that may or may not pay off.
It is important to note that DFS leagues work the same way that season-long tournaments work. Punters build a team based on the players in a specific league. Each team is given a salary cap and the players a price. Punters need to keep the salary cap in mind when selecting players. Real-world players will then earn points based on their performance in a match. For example, if the player scores, you earn points. If they commit a foul, they lose points.
Ultimately, the team with the most points wins the bet. The game is good a way to check your knowledge of the sport and whether you really are better than top-level sports coaches.
How to Play Daily Fantasy Sports
There are many different bets that can be made on daily fantasy sports competitions. Some of the most popular with Australians include the following:
- Beginner Games – these tournaments are usually aimed at new players who are still getting used to DFS games. They tend to offer higher salary caps, but the payouts are lower. Essentially, it’s just a fun way to learn how to play these types of games.
- Head-to-Head – these bets pit two players against each other to see which is the best. Punters place their bets and hope to see their team perform better than their opponent.
- Guaranteed Prize Pools (GPPs) – these are contests that offer guaranteed prizes up to a certain amount of cash. This is due to the fact that punters pay an entrance fee to enter into the tournament.
- Double Up Games – Essentially, with these games, every player that finishes in the top half of the table layout has secured a prize. The amount of money you win increases according to the percentile you finish in.
There are a number of different contest styles that can affect the rules of the DFS game you choose to play. Some such include the following:
- Salary Cap – this is the most common rule used in fantasy tournaments. As mentioned above, players are given a value and their team a salary cap that they cannot pass.
- Snake Drafts – punters go around selecting players each round until their team is filled. Each player can only be selected once.
- Pick ‘Ems – a select number of players are made available to pick for a certain match week and punters must do what they can with these players.
DFS Betting Tips
The daily fantasy sports betting game is hard to break into when you’re going up against some of the nation’s best players. However, with some time and practice, you should be able to get onto a winning streak soon. To help you on your way, we have provided you with some top tips to keep in mind with DFS tournaments:
- Stay Away from Optimal Line-Up Formulas – many players have tried to use programs to help them build the ultimate fantasy team. While these applications may help you build the best team your salary cap can buy, it does not mean that this team will win. It’s very important to note that player prices don’t always reflect their current form. Thus, you definitely need to do some outside research before submitting your final squad.
- Don’t Just Focus on Results – it is important to note that playing fantasy sports games is about more than just the results. Essentially, players need to focus more on the process that leads them to picking players than how the overall team performs. If you focused on just picking star players and filling remaining positions with the cheapest players money could buy, your team’s results may force you to rethink that strategy.
- Use Multiple Lineups if Your Bankroll Allows – the greater the number of teams you enter in a particular tournament, the greater the number of chances you have to win. We do recommend using multiple teams if possible.
Is Daily Fantasy Sports Betting Legal?
Yes, daily fantasy sports games are legal in Australia as are all forms of sports betting. We will say that it is very important that players ensure that they are playing at a legal DFS site that is actually registered with the gambling authority in your state.
Currently, popular fantasy sports betting sites include Moneyball and DraftKings. Both sites offer Australians the chance to create fantasy sports teams for a multitude of different sports across the world. Some popular options include the following:
- AFL
- NRL
- NBA
- NFL
- EPL
- A-League
- Big Bash League
Be sure to have a look for all the latest daily fantasy sports betting promotions in our blog, where we post all the latest fantasy sports news.