How NBA Daily Fantasy works
The NBA daily fantasy market is huge and expected to hit the $24.23 billion dollar mark by 2029. Unlike traditional fantasy sports,
Daily Fantasy Sports
allows you to participate in daily or weekly NBA matchups with no long-term commitment. So, how exactly does it work?
You select your lineup of NBA players within a salary cap decided by the DFS site you join. The idea is to apportion funds wisely, bearing in mind that player salary ranges are between $3, 500 and $11,000 depending on how good they are.
Participants choose 9 players, comprising two point guards, two power forwards, two small forwards, and one center. You proceed to compete with other teams and earn points based on how your players perform in real life. The points you earn per day or week determine whether or not you win a share of the prize pool.
Best NBA DFS sites
Your overall fantasy basketball experience largely rests on the site you join. Different platforms offer different leagues, contests, the ability to customize your league—or not, bonuses, daily promos, etc. After careful consideration, the following are the cream of the crop in most of the highlighted areas.
Underdog Fantasy – Best for Best Ball tournaments
Underdog Fantasy mobile betting
Join DFS tournament at Underdog Fantasy
Pros & Cons
- Seamless app
- Decent welcome bonus
- $15m prize pools
- Legitimate site
- 24/7 customer support
Underdog Fantasy is first in line and impresses with a seamless app for all your NBA DFS on the go. The site matches your first deposit up to $100 to give you a decent head start.
Underdog provides some great game variations you can dive into. Go for Best Ball if you’d like to craft your roster through a snake draft. Pick’em contests are also available, awarding you up to 20x your wager amount if you win. You can also participate in tons of Tournaments, including the Best Ball Mania, with a prize pool currently at $15 million.
Claim your Special Pick via Code + First Time Deposit up to $250 in bonus!
DraftKings – Best for push notifications
Try DFS betting at Draftkings
DraftKings mobile betting
Pros & Cons
- Easy-to-use web design
- Several contests
- Responsive support
- Reputable site
DraftKings can easily pass off as the G.O.A.T in NBA fantasy with its intuitive design and list of ever-green promos. It boasts a wide range of contests, including Guaranteed Prize Pool, Leagues, and 50/50s. You can also enjoy NBA DFS on DraftKings from the convenience of your mobile device as long as you have a reliable internet connection.
You can enable push notifications via the Communication settings page to receive timely alerts on contest results, upcoming matches, etc. Besides getting
DraftKings daily fantasy
points, you’re able to accumulate points as you go and rise the 6-tier loyalty program. The last tier gets you exclusive rewards and tickets for free entry into select tournaments.
20% up to $500
Deposit Bonus
|
18+ in most eligible states, but age varies by jurisdiction. Eligibility restrictions apply.
FanDuel – Best for Head-to-Head and 50/50 leagues
FanDuel mobile DFS betting
Choose from various DFS betting markets
Pros & Cons
- Decent salary cap
- Intuitive interface
- Several games
- Several game modes
- Doesn’t penalize missed shots
- Sometimes shaky customer service
Creating a
FanDuel Daily Fantasy
team using all 9 positions on the roster has never been easier. It’s your premium destination for Head-to-head and low-risk 50/50 leagues if you’re still starting out. Multipliers, Beat the Score, and Tournaments are other game modes available.
The site boasts a huge selection of games. However, it also allows you to handpick your opponent, which does wonders for your win percentage. FanDuel has a $60,000 salary cap, which is sizeable enough to make the best picks. One thing you’ll like about FanDuel is it doesn’t penalize you for missed shots, unlike other sites.
$65 value with just a $10+ deposit
ParlayPlay – Best for free–to–play contests
ParlayPlay mobile betting
Parlay Play DFS cash games
Pros & Cons
- 75x payouts
- Fair welcome bonus
- Exciting promotions
- Free-to-play contests
- Instant deposits
New players joining ParlayPay are met with a 100% up to $100 welcome bonus, which is very easy to claim. Long after you’ve used up the signup offer, indulge in the rewards program and Share4Cash promos. With the latter, you earn points and a $50 prize if you refer the most players.
Plenty of Pick ‘em contests are on offer, including the unique ParlayPlay Pick’M, which allows a maximum payout of 75x. Free-to-play contests are also available if you’re not ready to put real money on the line. They carry no entry fee, and top participants can win prizes based on their performance. Even though it doesn’t have a dedicated community forum for players, users can engage on X (formerly Twitter) for increased interaction.
OwnersBox – Innovative fantasy features
OwnersBox mobile DFS betting
Join sports contest at OwnersBox
Pros & Cons
- Exclusive features
- Intuitive interface
- Massive welcome bonus
- Comprehensive FAQ section
- Mobile DFS access
There’s a lot to like about OwnersBox, including the massive 100% welcome bonus up to $500, which is the biggest we’ve seen. It’s an innovative NBA DFS site that introduces exclusive features like Lightning Lineups. You can select groups of 3 players and pick who you believe will score the most points.
An excellent user interface is available for both mobile and desktop users. The absence of live chat is hard to overlook, although users can get assistance via email. It takes between 48 and 72 hours to get a response.
Comparing fantasy basketball sites
Use the following comparison table to pick the best NBA DFS sites for your needs.
| DFS Site | Welcome Bonus | Live Streaming | Live Betting | Number of Users (2023) |
| Underdog Fantasy | 100% up to $100 | ❌ | ✅ | 60,000+ |
| DraftKings | Bet $5, Get $200 | ✅ | ✅ | 8 million |
| FanDuel | Bet $5, Get $200 | ✅ | ✅ | 6 million |
| ParlayPlay | 100% up to $100 | ✅ | ✅ | – |
| OwnersBox | 100% up to $500 | ✅ | ✅ | – |
Choosing the best fantasy basketball sites
I always like to provide you with the best fantasy basketball platforms on the market. To do this successfully, we rely on the following criteria to evaluate DFS sites:
- Exclusive features:
Innovate features elevate the overall NBA DFS experience. A good example is how OwnersBox introduces the Lighting Lineups for easier drafting.
- Usability:
A streamlined UI ensures you can easily navigate the website as opposed to wandering confused about where to find different features. Look for a well-organized interface.
- Customization:
Sites like FanDuel that allow users to customize their leagues and pick their opponents are a step ahead of the competition.
- Real-time updates:
Staying ahead of upcoming matches is crucial in NBA DFS. For instance, how DraftKings allows for push notifications on your mobile to keep you in the know.
- Community aspects:
Community forums at DFS sites are useful platforms where users can share strategies and tips for enhanced NBA daily fantasy.
- Tools for drafting and managing teams:
The best sites will give you up-to-the-minute Drafting lists, projections, and cheat sheets to help you draft and manage your team effectively.
How to pick a winning NBA DFS lineup
You’ll soon realize that putting together a killer NBA team isn’t child’s play, and so much goes into it to wind up with a serviceable squad. The biggest rookie mistake is to pick players based on name only.
Instead, check usage stats and playing time, to pick the best players possible. Also, consider their travel schedules and rest. A player who has been on the road without adequate rest might not put up their usual best performance.
Putting together a fantasy basketball league team also requires you to stay on top of injury news throughout the day, and have a backup plan just in case. Injury decisions in basketball can be announced minutes before the tip-off.
I also usually start with value picks before bringing in the studs. That way, you don’t eat into your budget prematurely. You might also want to watch out for inconsistent rookies, as they won’t do anything for your points. Reading on their past performances should give you an idea of how they will perform in upcoming matches.
Fantasy basketball DFS tips – pro strategies for winning
Once you’ve lined up your winning team, it’s time to incorporate a few
fantasy basketball strategy
options to help bring the money home:
Low-risk contest selection
You get the best return on investment in single entry 50/50s and Head-to-Heads. These are ideal for first-timers looking to wet their feet with NBA DFS.
High-risk contest selection
Leagues are the best high-risk tournaments to play if you want high payouts. Seasoned players can also enter Satellites. These are your keys to entering future contests.
Ideally you must have only 1-2 players from the same team on the lineup. Also, block players who cannibalize each other’s playing minutes.
The NBA is a projections-heavy sport so agility is paramount. Stay tuned to the latest news and be prepared to change your lineup at the drop of a hat.
Here you compare a player’s chance of being in the optimal lineup to their ownership value. For example, when you consider lining up a high-usage, often injured player to leverage your team’s position.
Fantasy basketball terms to know
A lot of jargon gets tossed around in NBA DFS, which can be hard to understand if you’re new to the game. Below are terms you must know to understand the sport better.
- Usage rate:
It calculates the percentage of plays a player experiences on the floor. In the NBA DFS world, players with high usage rates show they’re more involved, touching the ball more, resulting in more chances to earn points.
- Minutes:
These are the total number of minutes each player sees in a game. The more minutes a player has, the more chances they have of scoring fantasy points.
- Value position:
This is a cheaper player who can hit 5-7 fantasy points value on a slate.
- Defense by position:
This describes how well a player matches up with the opposing defense.
- Points per minute:
These are fantasy points divided by the minutes a player plays in a current game.
- Player projection.
This is a prediction of the number of fantasy points a player is expected to score.
Manage your team to success
If you want to take up a new challenge while following the NBA, you won’t go wrong with playing fantasy basketball. Suitable for both new and pro players alike, this is your chance to construct your ultimate basketball dream team.
You compete with other fantasy players, picking real NBA players and earning points based on how your picks play on the court in the real world. You need the help of a few strategies and tips to build a winning lineup and can possibly win real money if you come out on top. But first, you may want to sign up with sites like Underdog Fantasy and DraftKings that offer the best NBA fantasy experience.
Get off to a great start with these betting bonuses
1.
Claim your Special Pick via Code + First Time Deposit up to $250 in bonus!
Players from Virginia accepted
2.
100% up to $100
Players from Virginia accepted
3.
100% up to $100
Players from Virginia accepted
4.
$65 value with just a $10+ deposit
Players from Virginia accepted
Min. Deposit: $10
5.
20% up to $500
+ free $3 ticket
Players from Virginia accepted
Requirements (WR): 25x Deposit, Min. Deposit: $5
Fantasy Basketball League FAQ
🏀 What is NBA Daily Fantasy?
NBA DFS is when you construct a team of professional players from the league and compete with competing teams. You earn points based on how your picks perform in the real world.
🧮 How are points awarded in a typical NBA DFS game?
Points in an NBA DFS game are awarded through various plays on the court. For example, rebounds earn 1.2 points, assists earn 1.5 points, steals earn 2 points, and a block earns 2 points.
💰 Where does the money from the NBA DFS prize pool come from?
Money for the NBA Daily Fantasy sports prize pool comes from the players. You participate in paid competitions and get a share of prize pools funded by entry fees.
