The Best Daily Fantasy Sports Betting Sites

Welcome to FantasyFest! We’ve curated this page to help make choosing the best daily fantasy sports site or app that little bit easier. Play with confidence at a DFS provider that’s guaranteed to be legal and safe in the United States. And, of course, claim a generous new player bonus to get you off to a good start.

Here are our recommended fantasy sports sites:

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Where is DFS Legal in the US?

We truly are in a new era of fantasy sports. Every DFS operator is consistently innovating and raising the bar as they compete for our attention and loyalty. The list of DFS sites grows larger and larger, so we’ve tried and tested the lot to have only the best.

The lure of brilliant sports coverage, cash rewards, and prizes from leading daily fantasy sports websites has encouraged DFS players to get more involved with their favorite leagues while making real money in doing so.

Throughout this page, we take a closer look at the daily fantasy sports industry in the United States, explaining how fantasy sites and DFS contests work, the slate of games that you can play, and current legislation nationwide. We also recommend you check out this expert guide to the best daily fantasy sites found here.

The rules and legislation surrounding DFS aren’t entirely straightforward or linear in the United States. The most important thing to note is that DFS is not considered gambling. In the United States, any product that is chance-based is deemed as gambling. DFS is considered to be a game of skill.

Although fantasy sports is not considered as gambling, it remains illegal in a handful of states in the United States of America. Before you start searching a legal fantasy app, check out the list below to see in what states fantasy sports is illegal.

States Where Fantasy Sports is illegal:

• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Louisiana
• Montana
• Nevada
• Washington

Certain states are lagging behind due to certain gambling laws. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, also known as the Bradley Act, prohibited sports betting nationwide, excluding the state of Nevada as well as state-run sports lotteries in Delaware, Montana, and Oregon.

Had DFS been classified as a form of gambling, it’s likely that it would have initially been flagged by this legislation. However, the state of New Jersey officially challenged the Bradley Act in 2009 and was overturned and determined unconstitutional in 2018.

Meanwhile, when the Uniform Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was introduced in 2006, it was assumed that DFS might suffer along with the rest of the online gambling sector. Although this was not the case.

List of the Top DFS Apps for 2023

• DraftKings
• OwnersBox
• ParlayPlay
• Jock MKT
• Monkey Knife Fight
• Yahoo! Sports

The rise of daily fantasy sports has led to an increase in DFS sites over the last decade or so. Some are admittedly better than others, but big names like DraftKings and FanDuel have set the bar high. The newest daily fantasy sites are making their mark and should not be overlooked.

Read on for a brief overview of our top picks for online fantasy betting apps right now. With that said, the best DFS sites change frequently, so make sure that you bookmark this page and keep checking back as we update it.

DraftKings DFS

DraftKings is the biggest and most popular DFS operator in the US. Even with the likes of Fanduels and Monkey Knife Fight pushing out an endless stream of original game types, DraftKings is keeping up with the competition.

The reason for their success? Well, it’s because DraftKings are innovators of new and exciting formats, both free and pay-to-play. The operator is bold in its strategy, and is constantly on the front foot in the hope of innovating in a crowded market.

The best daily fantasy app is DraftKings. They offer a seamless mobile app experience where players can find the most extensive range of sports. And that doesn’t even cover all the e-sports that DraftKings accommodates a DFS service for.

With DraftKings there no clear benefits of using app vs computer for daily fantasy sports betting. Both options are fantastic. It will come down to taste. Those who want to switch between the DraftKings website and app will have no worries.

In terms of the buy-in to enter into a contest, there are plenty of options ranging from $1 up to the thousands. At the end of the day, there’s always a contest for you. Read more about it in our DraftKings review.

OwnersBox

The OwnersBox platform is fast becoming America’s favorite DFS app. Why? Because this is a DFS service that aims to do things differently. With a stacked selection of contests and a massive welcome bonus to those who sign up, it’s east to understand why this is an operator making massive strides in the DFS landscape.

ParlayPlay

The newest kid on the block. ParlayPlay has arrived on the scene with the intent of being the no.1 platform on the market. They’ll be doing this differently from most DFS platforms. When playing, contestants to respond to or formalize their own propositions on players’ performances. They’ll For more details, check out our review of ParlayPlay.

Jock MKT

The Jock MKT platform merges daily fantasy sports with stock exchanges! But how does this site work exactly? Contestants don’t build lineups based on filling certain positions. Instead, contestants buy shares in players which they can later sell. These are to be bought during an Initial Public Offering (IPO), and depending on where players rank, shareholders can earn payouts on their picks. Curious to learn more details? Check our review of Jock MKT and see why it’s worth signing up to.

Monkey Knife Fight

Forget about calculating a salary or setting a lineups. With the Monkey Knife Fight app, players pick a game, choose props, and select the desired amount to play for. Contestants are able to choose from single games or several games and, for the most part, MKF lets you determine which you want to include. It’s then up to you to pick several selections from a range of markets for each game.

This is a key reason why its becoming the most popular daily fantasy sports sites. It’s not a traditional way of playing, but Monkey Knife Fight is safe and offers a unique spin on DFS.

Yahoo! Sports Daily Fantasy

There was a big change in the daily fantasy landscape on the day Yahoo! launched their DFS service. The operator would change how we played the DFS game, launching their head-to-head contests with an innovative side bets system.

A great aspect of Yahoo! Sports Fantasy is the guaranteed prize pools. Plus there’s 50/50s, and head-to-head options which are a lot of fun. For a complete rundown of what features to expect on the app, plus more info about the latest bonus offers, check out our Yahoo! Fantasy Sports review.

FanDuel DFS

FanDuel has to be included in any list of the best daily fantasy sports websites. They are uniquely known for their guaranteed prize pool games where DFS players can compete for tens of thousands of dollars within each league. One of our favorite features is that of the head-to-head option, where you can take on friends or strangers in a 1v1 match-up.

Between the excellent FanDuel bonus offers and their recent move into online sports betting adds another string to their bow, this operator is a complete package.

PrizePicks

The PrizePicks’ app needs to be mentioned in any conversation about the top daily fantasy sports apps. It must be said that PrizePicks is definitely not your typical DFS provider. The focus of the competitions found on the app are based upon predicting whether an offered player’s score will go over or under.

Basically, players are not competing against other players, rather betting against the house. This does sound a lot like sports betting rather than fantasy sports. But we can assure you that PrizePicks falls into the DFS category.

What is DFS and How Does it Work?

Having appeared as early as the 1980s, fantasy sports has developed into a multibillion-dollar industry. DFS is more accessible than traditional sportsbooks and casinos as most US states allow this special type of betting format to operate.

Despite what some assume, daily fantasy sports is not the same as traditional sports betting. Fantasy sports became popular as a season-long format where users create fictional rosters based on professional sports and then score points according to their performances.

Most fantasy contests and games are set up with a minimum number of players needed and a maximum salary cap for that lineup. This means that each player will need to choose a set number of players for their roster and they’re within a determined budget.

Games will allow the user to then make changes after each game week. It might depend on the game or the rules of the league they are in, but these can range from a cap of one change per game week to unlimited changes for each week.

Users can play in a range of leagues that last throughout the season. Leagues are either private (amongst friends or co-workers) or they are national leagues, where they play against all users on that platform. In our ThriveFantasy review, we cover how a growing userbase can lead to a greater variety in competition formats.

With each league, there is usually some sort of cash reward. Contests require an entry fee before starting, with the cash being distributed at the end of the season. Entry fees can range from as little as $1 to thousands of dollars.

Daily fantasy sports took the season-long format adds another element to the season-long format. The process in how the games work remains the same, but prize pools are usually settled on games that same day or over the game week. They generally don’t last the full season, though this option does exist.

How to Choose a Daily Fantasy Sports App

Step by Step Process:

1. Find a fantasy sports website or app that suits your interests and sign up. Most new accounts are going to be able to claim a welcome bonus of some sort.
2. Once the account has been created, users will need to choose their sport and the game type they want to play. These usually range from single-day games to those over the course of the game week.
3. Start picking sports players for your roster. You will have a salary cap for this, so you need to spread your team accordingly.
4. Submit your team and choose the amount that you want to wager. Most daily fantasy sports sites will have games or leagues that are a fixed buy-in.
5. Track your team as the games start to unfold. Points can generally be tracked live as games take place.
6. Successful teams will receive a real money payout from the league. The number of players who get paid will depend on the number of entrants.

Types of Daily Fantasy Sports Games

First things first, it should be noted that to legally function in most states, DFS sites must ensure that the number of participants does not affect the prize. This means that a guaranteed prize needs to be included for all games.

The guaranteed games are the most popular and accessible on all legal fantasy sports sites. This is where the platform will put up a prize fund and, regardless of if that game fills or not, that amount of money will be paid out.

Prizes can range from just a few dollars to tens of thousands. Access to these cash games will be buy-in dependent. The higher the buy-in, the lower the number of players (usually) and the larger the prize pool for most games.

Leagues can include anywhere from 3 to 100 players and are among the favorites for players. A league tends to include a larger number of games and usually will last for a full game week. In some cases, they will be extended even further and roll over to the next week.

Head-to-head games are where players go 1v1 over a set number of cash games. These are usually winner-takes-all games and can be played privately or randomly on the site.

Then there is the tiers format, a variation where the salary cap is removed and you can pick several players from each pool. For example, you might be asked to choose 5 players in total for your team. With this comes 5 pools with 10 players in each. You can choose any of those players from a single pool or tier, and this then makes your 5 picks.

Beat The Score is a game that was initially set up by FanDuel in which the player needs to create a team that would beat a set score. It’s now been adopted by other DFS sites and has grown in popularity over the last couple of years.

Single-game matchups target days when there are not many games taking place. For example, during Monday Night Football. In this format players are required to make teams based around a single match using both teams. Some rules state that teams must be made using an equal number of players from each team, adding to the difficulty.

Why Play Daily Fantasy Sports Over Season-Long?

One of the main reasons that sports fans choose DFS over season-long formats is the speed of the games. Picking a team and seeing results the same day or within a couple of days means that players can dip in and out as they please. Best one-day fantasy sites

A season-long fantasy league requires more time to be invested, and if your team starts to fall away early it can be difficult to get back into the mix, especially in larger leagues. Even forgetting to alter your team for one game week can mean that your team suffers a hard hit.

DFS is overall very flexible and has become so popular largely for this reason. As online gambling is only legal in a handful of states, fantasy contests offer a realistic legal alternative to use sports knowledge while trying to win real money.

Fantasy Sports to Choose From

Daily fantasy sports, for the most part, was originally set up around American football. It was a way for fans to wager on games without actually betting on the direct outcome of a game. Finding a fantasy sports betting site offering more than just football is incredibly easy.

The success of DFS meant that it was adapted very quickly for other sports. This includes baseball, basketball, and hockey. Given that it’s very much a US-product, all US sports and leagues are well covered.

Golf has also proved itself a great addition to DFS. There are tournaments played every week across the globe, and the addition of women’s league on big DFS sites has expanded the reach further.

Big-name DFS operators such as FanDuel and DraftKings have all the leagues that are a necessity for any top fantasy sports betting site. This holds true for lesser-known platforms as well such as Boom Fantasy which offered more than expected.

Do DFS Sites Have Fantasy College Sports?

Yes, fantasy college sports are now available to players in the United States. For years the NCAA and relevant bodies were determined to keep their intellectual property away from this type of betting.

Times have changed rapidly. College basketball and college football are playable across most of the daily fantasy sports sites and apps. Plus, the more niche college sports are making their way to platforms as well. In summary, college sports will feature on most daily fantasy sports platforms & apps.

Current DFS Bonuses and Offers

Deposit bonuses are the next most common offering. DraftKings is currently gives out Deposit Bonus up to $500. Some sites may limit the cash games you can play but these are great ways to get involved without having to invest any of your own money.

Top daily fantasy sports sites will match your deposit up to a certain amount and then you must play to clear the bonus. New sign ups to OwnersBox will get a 100% Deposit Match up to $500.

Attached to these offers are wagering requirements. This is where you need to play or wager a certain amount over a set period of time to turn your bonus cash from a bonus balance to that of a cash balance.

Then there’s the $100 Bonus from ParlayPlay which is definitely nothing to scoff at. The new player bonuses is an important factor of determining what is the best app for daily fantasy sports. The ParlayPlay platform puts its best foot forward with its generous offer.

We encourage readers to keep your eyes peeled for bonuses and offers throughout the year. Big fantasy sports websites will run campaigns to attract new sign ups. Guaranteed prize pools and million-dollar games are not unheard of. So signing up to a new DFS app at a small cost may lead to a chance to win big.

Conclusion: DraftKings Retain Their Crown

It’s no surprise that DraftKings is our number one recommended DFS operator. The company has been the pioneer for fantasy sports betting since they first launched. And even with growing competition in the DFS landscape, DraftKings can boast as being the best overall fantasy app.

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