It would be an understatement to say daily fantasy is a popular way to gamble on sports. Because of sports betting laws, it might be THE most popular way to gamble. If you did a quick Google search for “Fantasy Sports’, you would be bombarded with sites ready to accept your deposit.
The market has become so saturated with competition, navigating the DFS world can be slightly overwhelming. This is where my degenerate gambling habit can help. I have spent many hours (and money) playing daily fantasy and have done the hard work for you. Here are my favorite daily fantasy apps, ranked accordingly.
Yahoo
When I hear someone mention Yahoo, I typically think of emailing and chat rooms where people could meet up in 2004. But I’m an idiot and that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s a major player in the fantasy sports and gambling scene.
Yahoo offers a plethora of fantasy options to its users. They offer Best Ball, Survivor, and both NFL and College football pick’ ems.
The mock drafts are another great feature. They help players prepare for their upcoming drafts or just provide a way to scratch that itch until it’s time for the real deal. Yahoo has partnered with BetMGM, allowing them to have a sportsbook section. It provides the user with odds, news and allows eligible players to place bets via the app.
While the UI is formidable and does its minimum job, there’s not much to it. Some people might enjoy the minimalist design. I prefer aesthetics that are going to get me excited to come back. The layout is clean but it definitely caters to beginners. The biggest miss for me is the lack of promotions and specials.
You typically won’t see promos, bonuses, or anything like that. Overall, Yahoo fantasy is good, not great. If you’re new to the scene, this could be the perfect app to get your feet wet. As for the experienced player, there are much better options available.
FanDuel
Fanduel is one of the most popular platforms to play fantasy sports. It caters to both beginner and expert players. They started out strictly salary cap daily fantasy but have evolved into something much bigger.
FanDuel is a gambler’s paradise. Salary cap fantasy, snake drafts, best ball. You name it, they offer it. It doesn’t stop at fantasy sports either. FanDuel has an industry-leading sportsbook and casino. If you like betting same game player props and you live in an eligible state, the sportsbook is a must. They’ve even got horse racing. Albeit a separate app, it’s a great option for those bettors who want the thrill of the track without leaving the couch.
FanDuel is constantly running promos for its new users. While these can help boost your bankroll initially, they’re not as great as advertised. Currently, new users can receive a $500 deposit bonus. That’s great! Eh, read the fine print. You’d have to deposit $2500. It’s a 20% bonus on deposit, up to $500 bonus.
Despite everything Fanduel does well, there’s one thing that puts this towards the bottom of the list for me. It’s only .5 points per reception for football. This is a big deal for some players, including, me. It’s 2021 people, the only correct way to play fantasy football is with FULL PPR scoring.
DraftKings
Another OG of daily fantasy, DraftKings comes in at my second favorite daily fantasy platform. Like FanDuel, they made fantasy sports what it is today. It’s not surprising why DraftKings is one of the most popular fantasy apps. They have a ton of sports available including E-Sports, Tennis, and Nascar.
Like Fanduel, DraftKings also offers a deposit bonus. In fact, it’s the exact same promo as its competitor. Which again isn’t much. Sure, the 20% bonus is better than nothing but for the recreational player – it’s honestly not much.
However, DraftKings does have other great perks. They definitely take care of their returning and loyal players. They do this with the crown rewards program and missions bonus. You earn “crowns” for every tournament you play. These crowns are then used to enter future contests for free.
Speaking of free, DraftKings free player pools are also top-notch. They allow players to get into the action without risking any of their own money. The downside is that these contests are not capped out. This makes winning these tournaments against hundreds of thousands of other players, is pretty damn difficult. But hey… It’s a chance at free money.
There are a few things DraftKings does better than Fanduel. First, the user interface is much better. I have never had any issue navigating around the app and can always find the specific contest I’m searching for. Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, Fanduel is FUll PPR. Hallelujah.
UnderDog
I am absolutely obsessed with this app. Underdog is relatively new but it’s already my go-to fantasy sports app. If you love Best Ball leagues and player props pick’ems, this is the place to play.
Let’s look closer at the popular Pick’em game, over/under. You play by choosing the over/under on specific players’ stats for a certain game. If they all hit, you win. The more players you add – the more money you win. The max is five players, which would result in a 20x payout.
Most sportsbooks don’t offer the ability to parlay player props from the same game. Technically it’s technically still considered fantasy sports, so this app is a perfect workaround to get your fix. Let’s take a look at a contest I played during the NBA Finals. As you can see, this is a fun fresh take on daily fantasy and they nailed it. Now if Lopez could have just showed up in Game 3…
The only downside to UnderDog is they don’t offer salary cap types of contests. It’s just Best Ball, and these pick ’em contests. This is fine, but hopefully, in the future, they will become an all-in-one fantasy provider. For now, you’ll have to go elsewhere to fill that void.
It’s the wild west out there for fantasy sports ladies and gentlemen. I hope this article helped you get your bearings. If not, the only next step is to choose your favorite from the list and jump straight in. Best of luck.
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