RADIO
Over the course of the 2015 NFL season we'll be exploring DFS Strategy for FanDuel and DraftKings GPPs and cash games. Daily fantasy football is huge and growing, and RotoBaller's DFS strategy experts are here to help you win big!
Last week we looked at how to use NFL Vegas lines and prop bets in Daily Fantasy Football and also discussed fading. Today we’ll be looking at one of the simplest and most overlooked parts of the DFS world: scoring.
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Everyone starts their research with different elements, such as an injury report, Vegas odds, or even projections. While all of these factors need to be taken into consideration before a final lineup is constructed and entered, knowing the rules to your website is the first factor you should consider.
There have been times that I’ve gotten message on Twitter from people complaining and wondering why they used nearly the same team on both FanDuel and DraftKings, yet they cashed on one site and not the other. The simple answer is that they most likely did not know the scoring system, which made one player a great play on one site, but not on the other.
FanDuel and DraftKings have very similar scoring systems for NFL, but they have a few major differences. First, on DraftKings you receive 1 point per reception, while you only receive 0.5 points per reception on FanDuel. Also, you are rewarded with a bonus of 3 fantasy points if a receiver or running back record over 100 yards in a game or if a quarterback throws for over 300 yards on DraftKings. FanDuel doesn’t have these extra points, which will also cause a difference in scores.
Last, and arguably the most hidden scoring of the group, is the dreaded fumble. A fumble is worth -1 fantasy points on DraftKings, while it is worth -2 points on FanDuel. While these numbers seem small and irrelevant, it could certainly change the way your score ends on a full team.
Let’s take a look at an example lineup for each site. For the sake of the argument, we’ll just use a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, and a tight end.
Aaron Rodgers – 350 yards, 4 touchdowns, 1 interception
Adrian Peterson – 150 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 fumble, 4 receptions, 20 yards
Jamaal Charles – 110 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 fumble, 8 receptions, 110 yards, 1 touchdown
Julio Jones – 12 receptions, 150 yards, 2 touchdowns
Odell Beckham Jr. – 9 receptions, 120 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 fumble
Antonio Brown – 14 receptions, 150 yards, 2 touchdowns
Rob Gronkowski – 8 receptions, 100 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 fumble
These numbers are a bit high because you wouldn’t be able to get all of these players on the same team, but this example is just for the sake of the argument. Let’s see how different the scores are, even though the teams are identical.
Aaron Rodgers – 32 FP (DK), 29 FP (FD)
Adrian Peterson – 35 FP (DK), 29 FP (FD)
Jamaal Charles – 47 FP (DK), 36 FP (FD)
Julio Jones – 42 FP (DK), 33 FP (FD)
Odell Beckham Jr. – 29 FP (DK), 20.5 FP (FD)
Antonio Brown – 44 FP (DK), 34 FP (FD)
Rob Gronkowski – 26 FP (DK), 18 FP (FD)
DK Total – 255 FPs
FD Total – 199.5 FPs
As you can tell from these totals, the small differences these sites have in scoring play major parts in how your team finishes as a whole. This “study” may have also been a bit more telling than we even realize at first glance.
This shows that quarterbacks aren’t nearly as dictated by these two scoring systems as the other positions. The only real difference between them if the +3 fantasy point bonus you get on DraftKings for throwing for over 350 yards.
Running backs are affected a bit more by the scoring, as they have a chance for extra fantasy points on yardage bonuses and receptions. Obviously running backs that are heavily involved in the receiving game are more valuable on DraftKings, as you can tell with Jamaal Charles, while running backs that are more of a running focus are more valuable on FanDuel. Keep in mind, this does not mean it is smart to avoid running backs who catch the ball on FanDuel. That actually is the opposite of what you should do, as they still receive 0.5 FP per reception.
Wide receivers may have the biggest changes in points because of the point per reception of each website. As is the case with running backs, receivers that catch the ball more often are more valuable on DraftKings. Wide receivers that are speed burners could make better options on FanDuel for a few reasons. First, the lack of catches isn’t going to kill your fantasy team. Next, they are generally priced a bit cheaper than receivers who catch a ton of balls because they are somewhat less involved in the offense. Last, they are one blown coverage away from a huge play that will allow the cheaper guys to hit value.
If you’re wondering where tight ends stand on this, it is the same as the wide receivers. They essentially get the same points in DFS NFL.
It is essential that you understand that you can’t take DraftKings projections and use them to roster a FanDuel team, and vice versa. That goes for the other sites, as well. Learning the scoring system of the site you’re playing on will only take a few minutes, and it will certainly help your lineups. Don’t cheat yourself out of winning this season because of laziness.
