Best DFS sites: Top daily fantasy sports apps 2024

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Best DFS sites: Top daily fantasy sports apps 2024

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In traditional fantasy sports, you draft a roster of players and are (largely) stuck with that team for the season.

By contrast, DFS lets you draft a team for a day—hence daily fantasy sports—and pit that team against the rosters of other players, the house, or thousands of competitors in the biggest contests.

The best DFS sites and top daily fantasy sports apps make it easy to test your sports knowledge in free and paid contests. In addition to household names like FanDuel and DraftKings, newer top daily fantasy sports apps include Underdog, Betr, and PrizePicks.

With years of experience reviewing and playing on DFS apps, we can confidently recommend the best DFS sites below.

  • PrizePicks DFS: Best for prop-style player picks
  • Underdog Fantasy: Best variety of games
  • Betr Fantasy: Best for big prize plays
  • FanDuel DFS: Best for full lineup contests
  • DraftKings DFS: Best range of leagues
  • Simplicity
  • Similarity to prop betting
  • Escalating prize structure
  • Daily DFS contest types: Over/under picks across several sports, including NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, soccer, golf, esports, tennis, and more
  • Ongoing DFS promotions: Pre-made parlay selections, $25 referral bonus
  • Notable pros: Simple game structure and easy to get started; variety of markets, including first-half picks; special cross-sport combinations
  • Notable cons: Too simple for players who prefer playing with full lineups
  • Downloadable app ratings: 4.8 at App Store / 3.5 at Google Play
  • Fastest cashout options: PayPal, approved banking institutions, Visa, and Discover credit/debit cards
  • Range of game types
  • Celebrity backing (e.g., Mark Cuban, Kevin Durant)
  • Best Ball contests
  • Daily DFS contest types: In addition to pick’em games, Underdog Fantasy hosts some of the industry’s most popular Best Ball contests
  • Ongoing DFS promotions: Initial deposit match up to $100
  • Notable pros: Daily, weekly, and season-long contests; play against large pools of contestants or against the house
  • Notable cons: Range of sports is not as vast as some competitors’ offerings, cashout methods somewhat limited
  • Downloadable app ratings: 4.8 at App Store / 4.0 at Google Play
  • Fastest cashout options: PayPal, eCheck
  • Over/under picks similar to prop betting
  • Up to 300x payout
  • Daily DFS contest types: Over/under-type fantasy contests and pick’em games
  • Ongoing DFS promotions: First contest entry is insured up to $250
  • Notable pros: Activate up to 300x on picks (this will require very challenging, eight-leg picks)
  • Notable cons: Smaller variety of sports compared to some competitors’ offerings
  • Downloadable app ratings: 4.7 at App Store / 4.7 at Google Play
  • Fastest cashout options: PayPal, debit cards, bank transfers
  • Full lineup contests
  • Play 1 vs. 1 or in GPP contests
  • Multiple withdrawal methods
  • Daily DFS contests types: Full and partial lineup games across multiple sports, including NBA, NFL, MLB, EPL, Champions League, and more
  • Ongoing DFS promotions: In-season vouchers, promos, reward bonuses
  • Notable pros: Industry-leading full lineup contests, large GPP tournaments, Best Ball contests
  • Notable cons: Light on sports and leagues in comparison to DraftKings
  • Downloadable app ratings: 4.8 on App Store / 4.7 on Google Play
  • Fastest cashout options: PayPal, approved banking institutions, Visa and Discover debit cards, Venmo
  • Full and partial lineup contests
  • Largest range of sports and leagues
  • Large prize pools
  • Daily DFS contests types: Full and partial lineup games for a wide range of leagues, including NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, European soccer, golf, esports, NASCAR, and more
  • Ongoing DFS promotions: In-season freeplay vouchers
  • Notable pros: Among the industry’s best full-lineup contests across the widest range of sports and leagues
  • Notable cons: App interface and layout are not as clean and seamless as FanDuel’s
  • Downloadable app ratings: 4.9 at App Store / 4.6 at Google Play
  • Fastest cashout options: PayPal, approved banking institutions, Visa and Discover debit cards, Venmo, Apple Pay

Many factors play into how we rank daily fantasy sports fantasy apps. These aspects include:

  • Deposit/cash out options
  • Range of sports
  • Variety of games

This is far from a comprehensive list of the considerations for ranking DFS sites. However, instead of dissecting the minute details that differentiate one DFS app from another, we like to remind prospective players that there’s nothing wrong with using multiple platforms.

Certainly, an attribute like deposit and withdrawal options will weigh heavily in a lot of cases. That said, most high-end DFS sites provide sufficient options to deposit funds and withdraw winnings. Options like PayPal and eCheck (withdrawal) are certainly reasonable, but they’re not always as seamless as withdrawing straight into a bank account.

The range of sports is another significant factor to consider, but most of the top DFS sites will at least have the “bread and butter”: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAAB, and NCAAF. Market range isn’t so much an area where a daily fantasy sports app will lose points, but it is where another brand can gain points.

Finally, a variety of games helps a DFS site or app rank high. Variety comes in a lot of ways, but in this case, let’s focus specifically on contest types.

It’s worth reiterating that this is an area of personal preference. If a player only cares about making over/under picks on players, then more variety won’t be important. However, as we consider the player population in general, it’s a positive feature to offer over/under games in addition to full lineup games and perhaps even season-long contests.

Players will be hard-pressed to find a DFS site that offers every type of contest, so we’ll offer one more reminder to keep multiple in your rotation to give yourself a full array of contest types.

Some DFS platforms allow you to play via desktop, but others are apps only, so we’ll discuss the steps necessary to get started below:

  • Click one of our links while using your phone will take you to the landing page.
  • Then, you’ll be prompted to download the app. If you navigate via our link, the promo will be applied automatically.
  • (Keep in mind that you can also head straight to the App Store or Google Play Store and download the app directly. If you do this, keep our promo code handy to claim your bonus.)
  • Once you download the app, you must register with the necessary personal information—name, date of birth, address—and create a username and password. Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll venture to the site’s lobby or main page. You’ll see all the sports and contest types. You’ll also notice zero money in your account.
  • Each app is slightly different, but finding where to deposit funds will be an intuitive process. Some may have a “wallet” icon. Others will have you navigate to your account page.
  • When you deposit funds, they will be available and ready for play instantly.

On balance, DFS sites and apps will be similar. They provide ways for players to compete and win money based on their fantasy picks. Of course, there are differentiating factors. Let’s break them down.

  • Game types: There are quite a number of games available across the industry’s collection of DFS apps and sites. Some apps may feature full or partial lineup contests, while another specializes in player picks.
  • Sports and leagues: Not every DFS app offers games for every sport and league in existence. DraftKings and FanDuel are probably the premier brands on that front, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best option for you. The good news is that with all the sites available, DFS players can find just about any sport or league they want—from the NFL to esports to La Liga.
  • User experience: DFS apps, on the whole, do a fine job making their platforms user-friendly. Of course, this doesn’t mean they’re exactly the same. Some players may find that one app is easier to navigate than another, but generally speaking, you should get along fine on any top platform.

It’s common for the top DFS apps and sites to offer bonuses and promos to both new and existing players. These can be packaged in many ways, but perhaps the most popular promo type is the initial deposit match for new users.

PrizePicks and Underdog, for example, both offer initial deposit matches of up to $100. Other brands may offer more or less, but the concept is the same.

The app will add funds to your account in the form of credits or tokens. These are perfectly usable to place picks, and a win will result in a cash prize. However, bonus funds are not withdrawable as cash.

That said, bonuses and promos aren’t limited to new users. Returning players are often treated to bonus funds or special promos when there’s a big sporting event. For instance, FanDuel and DraftKings often provide bonus funds or free tickets for particular contests or sporting events.

Peruse your preferred apps to see if there are any reward structures or playing incentives that appeal to you.

Yes. DFS is legal in Oregon and 33 states overall, plus every Canadian province and territory except Ontario.

The good news for many of the states that do not allow DFS games is that sports betting is legal and fully operational. Unfortunately, there are sports fans in states that neither allow sports betting nor DFS games.

It’s natural to wonder if you can trust a DFS site in the moments leading up to your first deposit. Luckily, every site on this page is extremely trustworthy.

These sites utilize strong encryption and advanced security measures to protect players’ accounts. Perhaps the quickest one-way ticket to going out of business is losing players’ money. Because these are regulated US platforms, serious legal action would likely ensue as well.

It stands to reason that these sites and apps will take every reasonable measure to keep their digital borders protected from hacks and digital threats.

The most important thing to keep in mind when playing on DFS sites and apps has nothing to do with game types or promos. Your top priority is always this: understand your personal limits and adopt a disciplined approach to making picks.

Play within your means and treat DFS as a recreational activity, not as any source of income. See more on responsible gambling.