Ranking the Best Daily Fantasy Sports Sites

Over the past few years, daily fantasy sports have rapidly become a popular pastime among sports fans. In this guide to the best DFS sites, we have covered the top platforms according to their bonuses, contests, and usability. We’ve paid particular attention to golf DFS and how it is offered.

To ensure that you know what to do when playing DFS golf at the best daily fantasy sites, we’ve provided some helpful tips and strategies for successful gameplay. This includes some advice on roster construction and useful resources to help your picks. You will also learn about the legality of DFS.

Daily Fantasy Sports 101

Daily fantasy sports (DFS) are a unique type of competition whereby contestants create lineups of players from one league, such as the NFL, NBA, or PGA daily fantasy golf. While each type of contest is different, contestants usually need to form their lineups within a set budget and score points based on their chosen players’ real-life performances.

All players in a pool will be priced according to their stats, so successful players will need to draft strategically to include favorites and underdogs. Unlike traditional fantasy sports, DFS contests are usually held for one day or one round. Therefore, users must draft new lineups every week on fantasy sports apps. 

Golf DFS Overview

Fantasy golf is a common option at the major DFS apps. These tend to last for the duration of a tournament, with players earning points for achievements such as eagles, birdies, and pars, whereas points are taken away for missteps such as bogeys. These are usually salary cap contests.

One of the best things about this activity is that it changes the viewing experience of golf in that rather than backing one player to win, you’ll be keeping a close eye on several players. There are several types of contest modes available to add more versatility to the gaming experience.

Overview of Fantasy Golf with DraftKings

Of all the daily fantasy sports apps servicing the USA, DraftKings is our top pick. Not only does it offer the most contest options, but it also has the largest pool of contestants in most states. There are a staggering 16 contest modes for golf at DraftKings so there is always something new to try. 

Types of DraftKings Golf DFS Contests

We can fully recommend that readers sign up to DraftKings. It is among the best daily fantasy golf sites because of the versatility of its contest modes. The most common contest type is the Classic Mode. This requires players to create a lineup of players in a tournament within a $50,000 salary cap. Lineups are to consist of six golfers.

Many of the contest modes are similar to this but have varying numbers of players and different point-scoring systems. There are several modes that require players choose a Captain, which will cost more but see this player earn 1.5X the points. There is also a snake mode for those looking for alternative drafting methods.

Overview of Fantasy Golf with FanDuel

FanDuel is another one of the best fantasy sports sites for golf due to its versatility in contest offerings. The site is also trusted by major sporting leagues, so its prices and statistical data are accurate. Whether you want to compete against your friends or against thousands of strangers, there’s something for you here.

Types of FanDuel Golf DFS Contests

Like DraftKings, FanDuel gives golf fans the opportunity to play classic-style contests, whereby you are to draft lineups within a salary cap. During major golf tournaments, there are featured contests with increased payouts, with buy-ins often starting from as low as $2. Common contest types are Head to Heads and 50/50s.

Popular contest modes are Weekend Golf and Final Round Golf. While the former only considers achievements on Saturday and Sunday, the latter only takes Sunday scoring into account. You also have the option to draft within a salary cap or with a snake draft.

Golf DFS Tips & Strategy

Before you enter a contest at the best daily fantasy sports sites, we suggest you consider a few tried and tested tips and strategies. Firstly, you’ll need to get used to research. The top platforms will provide a wealth of data for you to consider regarding their recent and historical performances.

Be sure to check the course and how each player has performed there in the past or on a course with similar conditions. On the day, check the weather and news updates such as injury reports and make adjustments to your selections right up until the contests close. You should also always set a playing budget and never exceed it.

Guide to Golf DFS Roster Construction

The more you draft at the top daily fantasy sites, the better you will become at lineup construction. However, there are a few things to consider when you get started that will give you an advantage. You will want to build a balanced lineup of strong and consistent contenders and value picks.

While elite players will always be more expensive, these are reliable and will almost guarantee points. These will likely have a high-ownership rate. Choosing value picks requires a lot of research. They may be undervalued due to historical performances but recent performances may indicate promise.

You will usually get extra points if your players finish in the top 25, so you don’t want to lose sight of this while you’re choosing value picks. Depending on the course, too, you may need to choose either accurate drivers or power drivers. You’ll also want to choose players that generally make it to the weekend as these will score more than those who miss out.

Helpful Golf DFS Resources

At the top daily fantasy sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel, you’ll be able to visit on-site blogs regarding upcoming golf tournaments. These will include expert predictions and picks. We suggest you read these always as they will have valuable insights and indicate how other contestants may draft.

You’ll be able to find expert insights elsewhere through podcasts, vlogs, forums, and pundit blogs too, while the official websites of the PGA will include the latest injury reports and news. You may also want to consider sportsbook odds for different outcomes to see how bookmakers expect players to perform.

The Legality of DFS

It’s worth mentioning that the best DFS websites may not be legal in your state. The legality of daily fantasy sports is a state issue. While some states explicitly permit these activities in legislation, other states tolerate DFS and it exists in a legal gray area.

Currently, DFS is only illegal in Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Washington. These states have either created legislation to classify DFS as illegal gambling or their courts have outlawed it. If you use your mobile to play DFS, keep in mind that access will be restricted in these jurisdictions.

Difference Between DFS and Sports Betting

Depending on the legality of sports betting in your home state, the top daily fantasy sports sites will likely offer sports betting options too. It is usally possible to play DFS along with betting on golf online using the same platform. There are key differences between these activities though. Namely, DFS is considered to be a game of skill due to its research-intensive nature, while sports betting relies more on chance. Sports betting also requires you to back particular outcomes of a sporting event, while DFS requires you to draft fantasy teams.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are looking for fast answers to your questions about the top DFS sites, keep reading. Here, we’ve covered a range of topics so you don’t have to read the whole guide.