It is Sunday morning, about an hour before the early games kick off. Your lineup has been set since Thursday night. Then a lead running back is ruled out, the wind forecast at an outdoor stadium jumps, and a backup you never looked at is suddenly the best value on the board. What you do in that hour can matter more than everything you did earlier in the week.
That is daily fantasy football. The research builds the foundation, and the news decides the finish. This page covers how an NFL roster is built, how the two biggest sites score it, and how to play for steady results or a shot at a big prize.
The roster and the cap
Most classic football contests ask for nine players. A typical build is one quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, one tight end, one flex spot (a running back, receiver or tight end), and one team defense. Every player has a salary, and your total has to fit under the cap. The two biggest sites set up their classic contests a little differently.
| Detail | DraftKings classic | FanDuel classic |
|---|---|---|
| Salary cap | $50,000 | $60,000 |
| Catch scoring | Full point PPR | Half point PPR |
Full point PPR makes receivers who see plenty of short targets more valuable, and it rewards running backs who catch passes out of the backfield. Under half point scoring, yards and touchdowns carry more of the load, so a bruising back who gets the goal line carries can hold his value even with few catches. Smaller details like bonuses and penalties can change over time, so read the scoring chart in the app before your first entry.
Main slate, Showdown and primetime
The main slate is the big Sunday afternoon set of games, with the most contests and the biggest fields. More games give you more room to find value and to build something different.
Showdown contests use a single game. On DraftKings you pick a Captain who scores 1.5 times the points at 1.5 times the salary, then fill several flex spots. FanDuel single game contests use an MVP slot with its own point multiplier, so check the contest rules for the exact setup. Because everyone draws from the same two rosters, kickers and defenses matter more than you might expect, and the Captain choice decides a lot. Our Showdown strategy guide walks through it.
Primetime slates, such as the Thursday, Sunday and Monday night games, are small. Fewer games means more overlap between lineups, so one surprise touchdown can swing the whole contest.
Stacks and bring backs
A stack pairs a quarterback with one or more of his pass catchers. When he throws a touchdown, you score it twice, once for the throw and once for the catch. That link between players is why most winning tournament lineups include some kind of stack.
A bring back adds a player from the opposing team, usually a receiver. The logic is simple. If your quarterback's team scores a lot, the other side probably has to throw to keep pace. Games with high totals and two good passing offenses are the classic spot to build this way.
- Quarterback plus one. The most common stack and a good default.
- Quarterback plus two. More upside, and more risk if that passing game stalls.
- Add a bring back. You capture a shootout without having to guess which team wins it.
For more combinations, read stacking your football lineups.
Where value running backs come from
Running backs are the easiest place to find salary relief because their workloads change fast. When a starter goes down, his backup often inherits most of the carries at a price set before the news broke. Salaries are usually released early in the week, so a cheap back who suddenly has the job can be one of the best plays on the slate.
Look for volume first. Carries near the goal line and targets in the passing game are worth more than raw rushing yards, especially under full point PPR. A back who handles both is rare and worth paying for. Our article on why running backs win weeks goes deeper on reading backfield roles.
Picking a defense
Team defenses score for sacks, takeaways and defensive touchdowns, and they lose points as they allow more. You rarely need to pay up here. Target defenses facing quarterbacks who turn the ball over often, or offensive lines that give up a lot of pressure. Home favorites are popular for a reason, since an opponent playing from behind throws more and creates more chances for sacks and interceptions.
Defensive scoring swings a lot from week to week, so many players fill this slot last with whatever salary is left.
The news check before lock
Football news breaks right up to kickoff. Before your contests lock, run through three checks.
- Inactives. Teams announce their inactive players about 90 minutes before kickoff. A surprise scratch can open up a cheap starter.
- Weather. Strong wind hurts passing and kicking more than rain or cold does. Heavy wind is a reason to lean toward running backs and defenses in that game.
- Role changes. Reports about a split backfield or a receiver returning from injury can shift projections in minutes.
If your site offers late swap, players in later games can still be changed after the early games start. Our guide to using late swap wisely explains how to plan for that window.
Cash games versus tournaments
In cash games, such as head to head matchups, double ups and 50/50s, roughly half the field gets paid. You want a safe floor. Pick players with steady volume, skip the long shots, and do not worry about being different.
In tournaments, only a small slice of the field cashes, and the top spots take a big share of the prize pool. Now being different matters. Stack aggressively, consider a bring back, and add a player or two whom few people will roster. You do not need to fade every popular player, but a lineup that matches thousands of others cannot win much even when it hits.
Build cash lineups to survive and tournament lineups to stand out. One lineup that tries to do both usually does neither well.
Our page on every contest type lays out the full menu. Whatever you play, set aside only money you can afford to lose. A simple plan from our bankroll guide keeps a bad Sunday from turning into a bad month.