The best DFS sites deliver the most exciting contests with huge prize pools and plenty of rivals to compete against. When your sports team wins in real life, you win, too!
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Our number one pick, DraftKings, offers new players a $1,000 welcome bonus alongside frequent promos and the chance to bet on over 17 sports.
In this article, our team of experienced DFS bettors will run you through the top Daily Fantasy Sports sites you can legally and safely join today so that you’ll have a better idea of where to sign up and compete in the best DFS contests.
Let’s go!
| Sportsbook | Bonus | Overall Rating | Payout Speed | Benefits |
| DraftKings | Up to $1,000 welcome bonus | 4.55/5 | 2-4 business days |
|
| FanDuel | Bet $5 get $150 | 4.75/5 | 24-48 hours |
|
| DFS Site | Bonus and promo code | Bonus validity date | Platform | Legal states |
| DraftKings | 20% Up to $1,000 Sign-up Bonus | January 2024 | Desktop, iOS, Android | PA, NJ, IN, WV, IL, VA, TN, IO, NY, MI, OH, AZ, NH, CT, CO, WY, MD, MA |
Launched in 2012, DraftKings has been opening up in states across the US ever since. It’s positioned itself as the number one sports betting site for Daily Fantasy Sports, with contestants attracted to its flexibility and massive prize pools.
You can join DFS contests with amazing guaranteed cash prizes. And with so many different types of contests on offer – including simple head-to-heads and full-blown leagues – there’s something here for everyone.
And while some tournaments require a higher buy-in, others come with a much lower buy-in, so players from all backgrounds are happy. Moreover, all new players get one free entry when they make a first deposit.
DraftKings also offers regular sports betting, and you can bet on over 17 sports here, including all the major US sports and popular global sports like soccer and tennis.
Meanwhile, regular offers include seasonal giveaways, while a VIP club gives you access to exclusive bonuses and refer-a-friend bonuses.
A DraftKings mobile app is available to play on the go, and the desktop version runs smoothly with no lags whatsoever.
DraftKings is the royalty of Daily Fantasy Sports that offers something for all types of bettors, with everyone entitled to a $1,000 welcome bonus straight off the bat.
DraftKings is legal in Arizona, Maine, New Hampshire, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New Jersey.
>> Join now for a $1,000 bonus
| DFS Site | Bonus and promo code | Bonus validity date | Platform | Legal states |
| FanDuel | Bet $5 get $150 to play around with | January 2024 | Desktop, iOS, Android | AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, and WY |
FanDuel is another solid option when it comes to Daily Fantasy Sports betting. It offers a seamless experience across all devices, with a user-friendly lobby making it easy to access all upcoming contests.
What we like about FanDuel is that you can rifle through various data points and stats for all players, making it easier to pick your teams and plan your bets.
Player rankings are tracked each week, and you can choose from a range of sports, including the NBA, the NFL, and the MLB.
NASCAR, tennis, and soccer are also available for Daily Fantasy Sports betting.
Regular sports betting is also offered on this site, and it’s accompanied by an in-depth “Research” section that keeps you in the loop with all the latest sports news.
Market coverage is excellent, bet limits vary, and customer support is 24/7.
FanDuel is a top-rated DFS betting site that’s packed with data and analysis and offers up to $150 worth of bonus bets to new players who place an initial $5 bet.
Payers from Colorado, Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Maryland are welcome.
| Sportsbook | NFL Odds | NBA Odds | MLB Odds | NHL Odds | Soccer odds |
| DraftKings | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| FanDuel | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
DraftKings is the go-to sportsbook for NFL and NBA odds. Not only does it offer early betting lines on these sports, DraftKings offers value-driven odds on the moneyline, the spread, and the totals markets.
Even better, DraftKings comes complete with an odds calculator tool that lets you easily work out your potential profit.
FanDuel, on the other hand, is a good option for soccer bettors. Major leagues like the English Premier League, the Italian Serie A, and the German Bundesliga are superbly covered. FanDuel offers generous odds on various markets, including game props like half-time/full-time and both teams to score.
FanDuel is a good option for MLB betting lines, while both sports betting sites fare well for the NHL.
If you’ve never played at a DFS site before, the good news is that signing up can be done in less than a minute.
Here’s how to join our top pick DraftKings and claim their welcome bonus in four quick steps:
The best Daily Fantasy Sports sites offer plenty of variety when it comes to their DFS contests. They offer daily contests, weekly fantasy sports contests, and even season-long fantasy contests.
There’s variation in who you play against, too. Sometimes, you can join a league and do battle against hundreds of other participants, whereas other times, you can take on just one other person in a head-to-head.
Want to play Daily Fantasy Sports with NFL teams, NBA teams, or MLB teams? How about soccer teams or even tennis players?
All the top daily fantasy sites cover a range of fantasy sports and leagues so that you get to pick players and create teams using your expert sport knowledge.
While people who sign up to DFS sites are looking to play fantasy sports, it goes without saying that you might want to indulge in real sports betting from time to time, too.
Indeed, while our top picks are known for their daily fantasy contests, they, like most DFS sites, also excel when it comes to real sports wagering.
Here are some of the current odds available at our top DFS site:
The best fantasy sports sites are just like traditional sports betting sites when it comes to bonuses and promotions. This means that they offer a generous welcome bonus, often followed by a series of regular offers, including reload and cashback bonuses.
You’ll also find VIP programs at the best Daily Fantasy sites, which treat you to exclusive bonuses and other extra perks.
Before you start playing Daily Fantasy Sports, it helps if you can safely and securely fund your account via a payment method that you recognize and trust.
All the top DFS sites are fully licensed and support banking options like credit and debit cards that their US customers are familiar with. Moreover, deposits are always instant, and withdrawals are executed quickly and reliably with no hassle.
If you ever run into problems when competing in daily fantasy contests or if you’re not sure what’s happened to your fantasy points, you should be able to access customer service easily. They can then resolve your queries in a timely manner.
When choosing your new daily fantasy sites, it helps a lot if they use the likes of live chat and telephone support to assist their customers.
DFS cash games are a big deal in 2024, and all the best DFS sites take safety and security seriously. They are legal and licensed. These sites use additional security measures like SSL encryption and two-factor authentication to ensure your details are never under threat.
When you sign up for a DFS site, you should be able to play DFS contests however you want, whether on your desktop computer or mobile device.
In 2024, all the top DFS sites offer a superb mobile experience, with some giving you the chance to download a mobile app so that you can easily access the DFS site, enter contests, build your teams and accrue fantasy points whenever you want.
DFS sites offer plenty of choice when it comes to their DFS contests. Let’s break down the most popular types that you’ll come across:
The head-to-head contest is one of the most basic and yet hotly contested DFS contests.
In a nutshell, a head-to-head contest pits you against one other bettor. No one else is involved. There’s a fixed buy-in, and whoever builds the top-scoring team wins. Nothing else needs to happen.
You’ll find head-to-head DFS contests at all the best DFS sites, including DraftKings and FanDuel.
Sometimes known as 50-50s and sometimes known as double-up, this type of contest is another staple at any self-respecting DFS site.
Its basic premise is similar to head to head but it involves more players. Like the head to head, a 50-50 is a cash game that can start if there are just 10 players. However, it could theoretically incorporate thousands of bettors.
Your aim is to finish in the top half. If you do, the prize pools are split evenly and you’ll double your entry fee (although the house takes home a percentage of the winnings, too).
Just like 50-50s are similar to head to head contests, multipliers are similar to 50-50s. The key difference is that a 50-50 pays out just less than double your buy-in, whereas a multiplier pays out double your buy-in. The house still takes home their share but you get a little bit extra.
Like a 50-50, you still need to finish in the top half in order to collect. If you achieve this, and if – for example – the buy-in was $10, you’ll take home $20 along with everyone else who finished in the top half.
Another thing worth noting is that, while many multiplier fantasy sports contests offer to double your buy-in, some offer to triple your buy-in. Some DFS sites (including DraftKings) even have multiplier contests that are 10x your buy-in.
With this fantasy sports contest, you’re guaranteed to take home a slice of the prize pool even if the contest doesn’t attract the sort of numbers it had initially advertised for. In other words, even if all the openings aren’t filled, you’ll still be rewarded your winnings.
This concept can make guaranteed prize pool contests very attractive to players, and indeed this fantasy sports contest is now one of the most popular.
Not just that, but guaranteed prize pools are a big draw because they typically offer gigantic payouts – sometimes as much as $1,000,000 to the winner.
On the flip side, the winnings are broken down into a tiered format. The winner gets a big payout but those who finish second, third and so on will receive a much smaller share.
Some DFS contests come with free entry. These are typically not cash games, which means you probably won’t be playing for real money. Instead, DFS sites reward winners with entry tickets for cash-based games.
The clue is in the name with this one. If you’re new to fantasy sports and don’t want to compete against the experts, you can take part in beginner contests at DFS sites.
Beginner contests are ideal for anyone who’s played in less than 50 contests so far.
Daily fantasy leagues take place over the course of a single day. However, the daily fantasy sports world has expanded so much that it now offers season-long leagues.
A season-long league covers the entire season of – for example – a major league baseball season, a football season, a college sports season, and so on. They’re less ideal for casual fans and more ideal for those who are prepared to commit to working on their teams each week.
Leagues are very similar to guaranteed prize pool contests. They have a tiered prize pool but offer a smaller field.
And while many leagues have a less lopsided payout structure than a guaranteed prize pool contest, you’ll find that it’s still only the top 30% who win money (sometimes it’s only the top 10%).
Daily fantasy sports sites have worked hard for years to maintain the idea that fantasy sports is different from traditional sports betting and isn’t actually a form of gambling.
This is because daily fantasy sports is a game of skill based on expert knowledge of real life sports, whereas legal sports betting is predominantly a game of chance.
So what does this mean for the legality of fantasy football and the like?
It means that sports bettors can play DFS sports in most US states where sports betting itself is legal. However, the law is so nuanced that some states have not yet permitted DFS (or they did but backtracked).
In short, check the local laws before you sign up for any DFS site and start playing DFS tournaments.
These are the best DFS sites for daily fantasy sports. You can play DFS in a safe, secure, and legal environment at all these daily fantasy sports apps and websites, and build a fantasy team that gives you a shot at glory.
DraftKings is the best DFS site overall, with new players entitled to a $1,000 welcome bonus, which functions as a 20% matched deposit offer.
Whatever you decide to do, please remember that betting on fantasy sports should always be fun more than anything else. We, therefore, remind you to play responsibly and to always stay in control.
Sports fans can bet on daily fantasy sports in US states where online sports betting is permitted. Just check the local laws before signing up for a DFS site, and you’ll be good to go.
Daily fantasy sports are contests that allow you to build a fantasy team based around real-life sports teams and players.
For example, if you’re playing fantasy football, you’ll use data and statistics to base your team around current NFL players, filling various positions, including quarterback, with the aim of putting together a team that outperforms everyone else.
Quite how your team fares depends on real life results. For instance, if you’ve picked an NFL player who scores a touchdown, he will boost your fantasy team with more fantasy points.
The best NFL DFS sites are DraftKings and FanDuel. These are the biggest DFS sites that offer a wide variety of contests, big prize pools, and a great range of fantasy props. You can compete in daily contests, as well as weekly and season-ling contests.
While you can technically play fantasy football at the best fantasy football DFS sites, daily fantasy sports are different from what we traditionally refer to as ‘fantasy football’ by virtue of the fact that a DFS contest can last just a day, whereas fantasy football covers an entire season.
Indeed, one of the reasons the daily fantasy sports industry is so popular is the fast turnaround. Sports fans can – for example – play DFS with NBA teams and compete in a 24-hour contest, with the results based on that day’s NBA games.
DFS players tend to include sports fans who enjoy building fantasy sports teams using their intimate knowledge of a specific sport and competing against other players for real money.
It gives you the chance to get more involved with the sports you love and use data to build teams that score as many points as possible.
No, daily fantasy sports and sports betting are two different things, even if various DFS sites like DraftKings and FanDuel also offer sports betting alongside DFS.
DFS doesn’t come with fixed odds, and its entire concept is based on concepts that allow you to create your own fantasy sports team that uses real-life data to compete against other contestants.
The best way to succeed with daily fantasy sports is to track player data to understand which players are in form and which ones aren’t. Mine the statistics and stay in the loop with everything.
You can also check to see which players will be playing at home on a particular day and which are playing away because home and away can count for a lot when it comes to a team’s collective performance.
Major sports like the NFL, the NBA, and the MLB are available at the best daily fantasy sports sites. Other popular sports include the NHL and college sports, while popular global sports include soccer, cricket, and even tennis.
DraftKings and FanDuel stand out as the best DFS apps. You can play daily fantasy sports on your iOS or Android device, with both DFS sites offering a user-friendly experience that comes complete with the best bonuses in the DFS industry and sports wagering options alongside DFS contests.
DISCLAIMER: 21+ only. The information on this site is for entertainment purposes only. Online gambling comes with many risks. Players are advised to gamble responsibly and only use funds they can afford to lose. Remember, gambling is only intended for entertainment purposes and is not a solution to any financial difficulties.
Gambling laws and policies vary from one region to another. Some sites mentioned in this guide may not be accessible in your area. Always do your due diligence and check your local laws.
If you suspect you’re becoming addicted to gambling, seek help immediately by contacting the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
The following resources may be helpful as well:
0
798 views
0753 views
01140 views
01586 views
01408 views
Interactive map with projections and information about the legalization for every state.
Legalization Tracker
01368 viewsDiscover which sportsbooks are the most trustworthy, offer the best bonuses, and find the active promo codes.
About Betworthy
Our team consists of industry experts, professional gamblers, and passionate sports journalist. We have a rigorous review process and editorial standards and we do our best to keep treating our readers fairly and providing unbiased free and professional information.
120 k Monthly Visitors
200 + Helpful Articles
If you or a loved one is struggling with a gambling addiction, this page will provide you with all you need to know to get help.
Learn more →
Learn how to make educated bets and go from placing simple singles to advanced strategies and how to spot arbitrage opportunities.
Learn more →
