Best DFS Sites: Top Daily Fantasy Platforms Ranked

Our current picks as the best DFS sites are PrizePicks, Underdog Fantasy, and Sleeper. These platforms unlock simplified pick ‘em formats, $15 million prize pool contests and comprehensive integration with Discord respectively, while providing competition to industry stalwarts like FanDuel and DraftKings.

We’ve selected these daily fantasy sites after an extensive testing and review process. So, although we earn commission if you choose to register with one of the platforms covered in this guide, this simply helps to fund our free content and in no way impacts our recommendations.

Daily fantasy sports is currently legal and licensed in 45 US states, including California, Florida and Texas (where traditional sports betting remains unavailable and unregulated). This creates an open and accessible marketplace, which is home to lucrative contests and significant prize pools.

Understanding DFS - Formats Explained

Before we explore the best DFS sites in the US, let’s delve a little deeper into daily fantasy sports and precisely how it works. Below, you’ll find an introduction into DFS, its categorization and the most popular contest formats.

What Is Daily Fantasy Sports?

Daily fantasy sports enable you to draft lineups across multiple sports, including American football, basketball and baseball. Your teams can then compete in various contests and tournaments, with outcomes determined by the real-world performances of the players you select.

DFS is so-called because it provides an accelerated version of traditional fantasy sports. Instead of being played across an entire season, contests cover a single gameweek or day of fixtures.

As we’ve touched on, DFS is legal in 45 US states, including several that have yet to regulate sports betting. This has much to do with the vertical’s classification, with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) establishing DFS as a game of skill as opposed to a gambling activity.

This status is further reflected by the minimum age requirement for daily fantasy sports, which is 18+ in most states. This increases to 19+ in Alabama and Nebraska and 21+ in Arizona, Massachusetts and Virginia. In most of the 38 US states that have legalized sports betting, you must be aged 21 or older to wager lawfully.

DFS Format Types - Pick'em vs Salary Cap vs Best Ball

You’ll find a number of popular contest format types at the leading daily fantasy sports sites. Below, we’ve outlined the four most popular formats and offered an insight into how each one works.

Best Daily Fantasy Sports Apps for 2026

Now, we’re going to drill a little deeper into the best DFS apps in the US. You’ll find reviews of our top seven daily fantasy sports sites below, including sports availability and each operator’s unique pros and cons.

PrizePicks Review

Why PrizePicks Is #1
PrizePicks is our current pick as the number one DFS site in the US. At the heart of this is the brand’s simple pick ‘em format, which enables you to select between two and six players from a number of eligible sports and leagues, including the NFL, NBA, MLB and WNBA.

You can then predict the over/under on your choice of player prop markets, from the number of passing yards completed in an NFL game to receiving yards and receptions. You can then choose to field Flex or Power Play formats (we’ll touch on these in the next section), before submitting your first $5 lineup.

PrizePicks also operates one of the market leading daily fantasy sports apps, with the iOS variant having achieved an average score of 4.7/5 from over 431,000 reviews. Although the native Android app has been slightly less well received, this has a respectable 4.3/5 rating from 61,000+ reviews.

PrizePicks Game Types
As we’ve touched on, there are two primary pick ‘em formats at PrizePicks. We’ve outlined these in more detail below:

Power Play
The Power Play format unlocks the biggest payouts here. However, this requires each of your picks (up to six) to hit, otherwise you won’t bank any winnings at all. Below, you’ll find the standard payouts depending on the precise number of picks in your Power Play lineup:

• 6 Picks - 37.5x your spend
• 5 Picks - 20x
• 4 Picks - 10x
• 3 Picks - 6x
• 2 Picks - 3x

If a player in your lineup doesn’t play or ties, your payout multiplier simply adjusts to the next level down. So, if you pick a six-fold lineup and one player misses out through injury, you’ll receive a 20x payout if the other selections hit.

Flex Play
If you’re a more risk averse player who priorities your likelihood of winning over payout size, the Flex Play format offers significant value. This will trigger a proportional payout even in instances where one or two of your picks lose, although the amount you receive will be noticeably lower. For example:

Additional Promotions
Additional promotions include Taco Tuesday, which sees several projections and player prop markets discounted. Discounts often range between 15% and 25%, and are denoted by a taco image that replaces a player’s headshot.

For example, let’s say that LeBron James of the Lakers is projected to score 30 points against the Denver Nuggets. A Taco Tuesday discount of 15% would drop the projection to 25.5, making it much easier to cash in when picking More.

Then there’s the Flex Friday promotion. Available each week, this requires you to make a minimum of three picks, which can be combined using the Flex Play format. Winning picks will qualify for a 40% payout boost.

Sports Available

• American Football: NFL, CFB
• Baseball: MLB
• Basketball: NBA, WNBA
• Esports
• Golf
• Ice Hockey: NHL
• Soccer: MLS
• UFC

PrizePicks Pros & Cons

Underdog Fantasy Review

Why Underdog Is Elite?
There are several things that set the Underdog fantasy offering apart, including its industry leading and annual Best Ball Mania. In 2025, this NFL-based contest had a $15 million total prize pool, with the eventual winner claiming a $2 million share.

You can enter for as little as $25, while the innovative Best Ball format eliminates the traditional challenges associated with fantasy football management. Simply draft 18 players at the beginning of the regular season, including a single quarterback, three wide receivers and one tight end.

From here, your weekly lineup is automated, based on your highest performing selections. You don’t have to deal with trade negotiations or waiver wire scrambles, while there are multiple checkpoints at the end of the regular season and ahead of the playoff semi-finals.

Alongside the Best Ball format and this lucrative tournament, you can also access pick ‘em and Battle Royale formats at Underdog. To fund its huge prize pools and payouts, the site has received significant financial backing from Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban and NBA star Kevin Durant.

Underdog Game Formats
Outside of the Best Ball format, Pick ‘em and Battle Royale contests dominate at Underdog. Here’s a summary of how these alternative formats work on the site:

• Pick ‘em: With the Underdog Pick ‘em format, you can choose up to eight players’ statistics from a minimum of two different teams. Once again, this uses a higher or lower format with regards to player props, including rushing yards and touchdowns scored. Underdog also lets you adjust selected props in some instances, while you can flex your picks even if one or two of your selections fails. If you get all your picks right, you can win up to 500x your cash.
• Battle Royale: Utilizing aforementioned snake drafts, Underdog’s Battle Royale contest can feature up to 12 competing players. You’ll participate in six or more live draft rounds, with the precise order reversing after each one is complete. This format sees you compete against both the players in your draft group and all other teams within the contest. If scores are tied after a particular gameweek, the available prize pool will be split equally between qualifying players.

Underdog vs PrizePicks
While both Underdog and PrizePicks offer Pick ‘em contests, the latter boasts a much simpler interface. However, Underdog provides a far greater variety of tournament formats, with the Best Ball contest exclusive to the brand. You can enter some Underdog contests for just $1, but note that the welcome bonus T&Cs would make these ineligible.

Sleeper Review

A Social DFS Pioneer
Sleeper DFS is a relative newcomer to the market, and one that combines outstanding social functionality with hybrid contest formats. In terms of the former, you can follow other users in real-time and even copy their picks, while sharing your own reasoning and strategies via Discord. You can even interact with other players on the similar Dabble DFS site.

Outside of live chat and social integration, Sleeper offers a huge variety of contest formats. These include daily and weekly pick 'ems, alongside tournaments that run weekly eliminations and season-long contests that borrow heavily from the Best Ball format. We’ll touch more on these formats a little later in the guide.

The iOS app is highly thought of too, boasting an average score of 4.7/5 from more than 247,000 reviews. The Android app has received over 57,200 rewards in total, which have yielded an average score of 4.4/5.

Sleeper's Unique Features
There are three main contest formats available at Sleeper. Here’s a brief summary of each one:

• Sleeper Picks: The Sleeper Pick ‘em format lets you select between two and eight players, across leagues such as the NFL, NBA and NHL. The site lets you access a detailed statistics and insights hub to help inform your picks, with a top payout of 1,000x your initial lineup cost.
• Chopped Format: This contest adopts a longer format, and the team with the lowest score each week will be eliminated or chopped from the league. When a team is chopped, its roster is released to the waiver wire and the remaining teams can bid on the players. This process continues until the last team standing is crowned champions.
• Season-Long League Management: Sleeper has followed the example of Underdog and the Best Ball format to create engaging season-long contests. Although they lack the size and generous prize funds of the tournaments available at Underdog and similar DFS sites, the operator has developed an intuitive UI to help draft and manage your roster. This also adds flexibility and value to slightly older players.

Best for Community/Social Players
Sleeper is our pick as the best daily fantasy sports site from the perspective of community and social players. This is thanks to live-chat functionality via excellent Discord integration, while the ability to interact with Dabble users also adds a unique dimension. You can also access free DFS contests at Sleeper, making it a popular choice among beginners.

DraftKings DFS Review

The Traditional Salary Cap Leader
DraftKings DFS is renowned for its traditional salary cap contests, which adopt a comprehensive structure and set of rules. The precise guidelines can vary from one sport to the next, but Classic contests require you to draft players within a salary cap of $50,000.

Such contests are available across a huge selection of sports, including tennis, MMA, Formula 1 and various esports games. We also like that in many of these contests, you can appoint a team captain who will cost 1.5x their normal salary. However, they’ll also accrue points at the exact same rate.

DK is also known for running some of the largest contest prize pools in the US. Take its Millionaire Maker format, for example, which usually comprises multiple gameweeks and a $20 opt-in. You’ll then compete on a leaderboard, with the top 2,500 players after six weeks eligible to receive prize money.

The DraftKings app is available on iOS and Android, where it has maintained an average rating of 4.8/5 from more than one million user reviews. The app works seamlessly and unlocks free and paid contests, while there’s a Flash Draft which comprises five rounds that last 15 seconds each.

Contest Variety
In addition to covering numerous sports, DK’s traditional salary cap contests include variable formats, including cash games and head-to-head matchups. There are alternative contest types too, including the following:

• Showdown and Captain Modes: This format simply enables you to select a captain who can boost your team's point-scoring capacity. Remember, the captain’s points tally will have a 1.5x multiplier applied, but his player will also earn points at the exact same increased rate. So, your selection of captain is crucial if you’re to be successful, especially as this can change each gameweek.
• DraftKings Pick 6: This is a new pick ‘em format that has recently been rolled out by DraftKings. Available in selected states, you can pick 2+ players across your chosen sport and a number of prop markets. Make your predictions and pay your entry fee, which can be as low as $1. Participation also unlocks the DK fantasy welcome offer.
• DraftKings Best Ball: DraftKings also has its own Best Ball contest offerings. These run for the duration of a particular season, while snake draft snakes are also used to create fair and even picks for all participants. You won’t have to trade players or deal with waiver wires.

FanDuel DFS Review

Beginner Contests and Sportsbook Integration
The FanDuel DFS is pioneering, having launched in 2009 and blazed a trail for rival brands to follow. FanDuel boasts one of the highest rated DFS apps on both iOS and Android, having amassed nearly two million reviews across both operating systems. The brand has maintained a 4.9/5 rating on iOS, with this falling slightly to 4.7/5 on Android.

These ratings are driven by the app’s ease of use, with the mobile registration process much shorter when compared to rival brands. There’s also seamless integration between FanDuel’s fantasy and sportsbook platforms, simplifying the process of switching between the two.

This makes FD particularly popular among beginners, as does the range of contests available. This includes three dedicated Beginner contests, including 50/50s (which allow a high volume of competitors to win) and Double Ups (where you can double your lineup cost and nearly 50% of entries win).

You can participate in these and similar contests for your first 50 entries with FanDuel, enabling you to hone your DFS skills over time.

FanDuel Strengths
In addition to beginner tournaments, there are also intermediate contests available at FanDuel. They’re competitive but don’t allow entrants from Experienced or Highly Experienced players, while you can enter until either your 500th contest or you’ve recorded 4+ $1,000 tournament wins.

We’ve already touched on the FanDuel app too, which has the cleanest interface according to extensive UX studies. This contributes to the most straightforward salary cap fantasy experience, while contests of this type unlock a higher maximum cap of $60,000.

FanDuel’s peer-to-peer Pick ‘em contest also blends elements of DFS and classic sports betting. Simply pick between three and six athletes and choose your preferred player prop markets, before predicting over or under and paying your lineup fee (from $1 and up).

Dabble Fantasy Review

Our Top Picks for Beginners
Notwithstanding FanDuel’s ease-of-use, the Dabble fantasy platform is our pick as the best for beginners.

Dabble Pick 'Em contests are incredibly simple. They also let you select up to 12 players across a huge selection of markets, compared to just six or eight at most DFS sites. Every player that you pick up to 12 will increase your payout multiplier, with a maximum of 1,500x your lineup fee available.

The Dabble platform is also community-powered, with this unlocking several fantasy features. The Copy Entry tool allows you to mirror the bets of fellow players, for example, including those that have a track record of success. Through the Banter feature, it’s possible to interact with rival players, celebrating victories or even sharing gameplay tips.

Through wider Discord integration, Dabble users can even engage with Sleeper Fantasy users and start to cultivate their own base of individual followers.

OwnersBox Review

SuperFlex Innovation and Unique 2QB Lineups
Despite this site’s fantasy offerings only covering a limited range of sports, it boasts a few unique features that help to set it apart from the competition. The first of these is Lightning Lineups, which starts with a spin and produces three different random lineups.

You can keep spinning until you find your optimal DFS lineup, creating a fun and rapid-fire game that’s unlike anything else available online.

Then there’s the SuperFlex game model. This adds a twist to the classic salary cap game, while also affording you greater control over your fantasy experience. It includes a flexible position that can be filled by any player in your lineup, while staying within your salary cap. This increases your chances of winning over a consistent period of time.

Although not exclusive to OwnersBox, the site offers 2QB League formats. This enables you to start two quarterbacks each week, boosting your point scoring capacity considerably. We’d recommend that you prioritize passing quarterbacks, as they score more points on average than other types of players.

Best Pick'em DFS Sites

The pick ‘em format is incredibly popular among beginners. Most of the best daily fantasy sports sites offer this contest format, although some provide far greater flexibility and a wider selection of sports. Let’s take a closer look at the format and the best pick ‘em sites.

Pick'em Format Explained

Rather than having to pick a standard fantasy lineup within a fixed salary cap, pick ‘em contests require you to predict outcomes in selected sports and prop markets. Pick ‘em sites will publish player prop markets across a selection of sports, and you’ll have to select some before predicting over or under each projection.

Typically, you’re permitted between two and six picks, but this increases to eight at Sleeper and Underdog. Dabble’s Pick ‘em format allows you to make 12 selections, with each one increasing your potential payout up to a market high 1,500x. Standard win multipliers range between 2x and 100x your lineup fee.

This format completely negates the challenges posed by salary cap contests, enabling you to pick players based solely on statistical performances and sporting insight. It also allows you to enter daily and weekly contests, creating regular opportunities to profit.

Top Pick'em Platforms Ranked

• 🥇 PrizePicks: This site has a clean and simple pick ‘em interface, which enables you to select up to six players. If you select Power Play mode, each of your picks will have to win to secure a payout, with a maximum multiplier of 37.5x available. There’s also a Flex Play mode, which secures a reduced payout even if one or two of your picks loses. PrizePicks NFL picks are particularly popular.
• 🥈 Underdog: Underdog’s pick ‘em format offers greater sports’ variety, while retain the same over/under (or higher/lower) format as PrizePicks. You can also select up to eight players, while Underdog even allows you to adjust qualifying props in some circumstances. The pick ‘em payouts here are noticeably higher here, with a maximum multiplier of up to 500x on offer if your eight picks are correct.
• 🥉 Sleeper: Sleeper’s pick ‘em contests also allow you to make up to eight picks, across leagues such as the NFL, NBA and NHL. The site’s advanced Discord integration even allows you to copy and share picks with other players. You can also enter your picks into the VS Score format, which unlocks higher payouts and a maximum win of 1,000x.
• 🎖️ Dabble: Dabble also offers a high level of social integration, allowing for picks to be copied and shared with other users. It’s even possible to interact with Sleeper players too. Dabble’s clean and simple Pick ‘em format is highly recommended for beginners, while it allows you to select up to 12 different players. Because of this, there’s a maximum payout of 1,500x your lineup fee on offer.

Best DFS Sites by Sport

As we’ve touched on, each DFS site covers a different range of sports with its fantasy offerings. The most popular leagues for fantasy sports are the NFL, NBA and MLB, but other competitions and disciplines are available at sites such as DraftKings. Below, we’ll reveal the best daily fantasy sports sites for the NFL, NBA and MLB.

Best DFS Sites for NFL & Fantasy Football

DFS is synonymous with American football and the NFL, particularly classic salary cap contests. Both DraftKings and FanDuel built their brands on daily fantasy football offerings, while sites such as Underdog have disrupted this space of late. Here’s a summary of the best DFS sites for different NFL contest types:

• Salary Caps: DraftKings and FanDuel offer exceptional salary cap contests, which benefit from large player pools and huge cash prizes. DraftKing’s tournaments unlock a large range of player metrics and a salary cap of $50,000, while its Millionaire Maker contest comprises multiple gameweeks and requires a $20 opt-in. FanDuel also runs contests that are tailored to suit beginners, while their salary cap is higher at $60,000.
• Pick ‘ems: PrizePicks pick ‘em contests include an NFL special, which is available every single gameweek. This follows the site’s usual pick ‘em rules, so you can select up to six player projections before predicting whether the athletes’ actual performance metrics will be more or less. This unlocks a maximum 2,000x payout, which is higher than the site’s standard multipliers and prize offerings.
• Best Ball Contests: Underdog’s Best Ball format is dominated by Best Ball Mania VI. At the beginning of the 2025 campaign, this had a total prize pool of $15 million, while it costs you just $25 to enter. You’ll draft teams across 18 rounds and in groups of 12, while a snake draft format is used to ensure fairness for all competing players. This tournament runs all season long, but weekly lineup configurations are automated to negate the burden of roster management.

Best DFS Sites for NBA Basketball

NBA daily fantasy contests are also widely available, with these tournaments unlocking a huge selection of player props and performance metrics. Here’s our pick of the leading NBA DFS platforms for different contest types.

• Salary Cap and Daily Contests: DK also runs an exceptional salary cap tournament for NBA fans. In fact, it holds nightly contests during the regular season, unlocking additional chances to win. The site even runs a number of free NBA salary cap contests throughout the season, some of which have prizes up to $50,000. At FanDuel, you can also access a daily NBA snake draft, which eschews salary caps and features up to 12 players per draft.
• Pick ‘em and Player Props: When it comes to NBA Pick ‘em contests, PrizePicks offers the cleanest interface and biggest range of player props. These include everything from points and assists to combined projections that include a diverse selection of metrics. This enables you to carry out more focused analysis and create superior value through your selections, utilizing resources like PrizePicks NBA picks.

Best DFS Sites for MLB Baseball

If you're interested in MLB daily fantasy, each of our recommended sites offers a range of contests. Let’s look at these in more detail, alongside the DFS sites that offer the best MLB coverage.

• Salary Cap Scoring: Not all daily fantasy sports sites are equal when it comes to scoring during salary contests. FanDuel excels from this perspective, awarding more points for doubles, triples and home runs than any of its rivals. The site also awards three points for each RBI and run recorded, while a pitching win is worth four times as much as an inning pitch or strikeout. This is twice the payout available on DraftKings.
• Pick ‘em and Best Ball Offerings: PrizePicks offers extensive MLB player props, including strikeouts, bases and hits. Once again, combination projections are available, so you can pick a player to register over 1.5 hits, runs and RBI. Such props are easier to predict overall. When it comes to MLB Best Ball contests, Underdog offers a simplified interface and three player positions, while the site covers all 162 games and provides maximum DFS value.

Best DFS Optimizer Tools & Resources

When it comes to optimizing your fantasy picks and lineups, there are a number of tools and resources available. By using a daily fantasy optimizer or similar tool, you can identify the best value projections and even access simulations.

DFS Research Tools

RotoGrinders, Stochastic and FantasyLabs are among the best DFS research tools. But what precisely sets these platforms apart?

• RotoGrinders: A market leading research site, this provides DFS simulations and in-depth data that pertains to individual player projections. This data covers 16 different sports, and enables you to identify value and make more informed pick ‘em selections. This platform is also home to ownership data, so you can determine which picks are the most popular within the DFS community.
• Stochastic: This is one of the most sophisticated DFS research tools, from a brand that’s synonymous with trading and the financial markets. To this end, it runs advanced daily fantasy simulations, which are carried out thousands of times to capture unique correlations and variance. Here, you'll also access in-depth player projection data and detailing precisely how individual contests pay out.
• FantasyLabs: This is another comprehensive and premium DFS research tool, which includes a lineup builder and optimization tool. This will quickly generate up to 150 potential lineups that have been optimized to capture positive correlations. The site’s various daily fantasy spots models are also completely customizable, so you can base them on the most popular props and projections.

Free vs Paid Tools

Most of these tools offer different levels of analysis, some of which are available for free and others that are paid. For example, RotoGrinders provides most of its content for free, but there’s a RotoGrinders Elite tier that requires a subscription. The same is true for FantasyLabs, which has a free Basic tier.

Stokastic is a paid research tool, although the platform’s Daily Fantasy podcast is available for free.

If you’re considering a paid DFS research tool, it’s important to consider your typical level of analysis and average lineup spend. If you can read and interpret data and fund lineups on a daily or weekly basis, some paid subscriptions may offer value. However, this isn’t necessarily true for casual players who spend little or occasionally.

PrizePicks vs DraftKings: Which DFS Site Is Better?

While PrizePicks and DraftKings are undoubtedly among the top five DFS sites in the US, they both offer a different range of contests and features to players. We’ve conducted a more detailed PrizePicks vs DraftKings comparison below, so that you can choose which platform is best for you.

• Contest Formats and Coverage: DraftKings undoubtedly offers fantasy contests across a broader selection of sports, while PrizePicks covers more player props and metrics for NBA and MLB tournaments. This means that PrizePicks arguably offers the best and most diverse pick ‘em formats, while DraftKings traditional salary cap unlocks greater choice and more sizable payouts.
• Difficulty: Because of its clean and intuitive layout (and the focus on simple pick ‘em contest formats), PrizePicks is more tailored to the needs of beginners or novice players. Conversely, DraftKings provides a steeper learning curve, due to its more complex salary cap rules and the size of the competing player base. However, the rewards available at DK are significantly larger.
• Potential Payouts: PrizePicks also adopts a straightforward approach to paying out contest winners. To this end, it applies fixed multipliers for pick ‘em contests, across both Power Play and Flex Play formats. At DraftKings, the guaranteed prize pools (GPPs) can vary between contests, based on the eventual number of entrants. Some contests can unlock huge prize pools, particularly in relation to the buy-in cost.
• State Availability: Broadly speaking, DraftKings and its classic salary cap contests are available in 45 states, ensuring widespread availability throughout the US. Although PrizePicks’ peer-to-peer Pick ‘em contests are now available in 45 states too, other formats are restricted and only on offer in 30 US jurisdictions. So, you'll need to check availability based on your preferred choice of contest.

Ultimately, PrizePicks is our top pick and highly recommended for beginners. This is due to its clean interface and the simplicity of its pick ‘em contests and payouts. However, DraftKings offers greater value to experienced players, thanks to its larger and variable payouts and range of salary cap contests.

Where Is DFS Legal? State-by-State Guide

If you're wondering whether DFS is legal in your state, the next section of this guide will have you covered. This will explore the states where daily fantasy sports sites are lawful and confirm what restrictions exist.

Where is DFS Legal?

As we’ve discussed, the UIGEA 2006 classified DFS as a game of skill. This put the vertical in a separate category to sports betting, and ensured that it was more accessible to players throughout the US.

At the time of writing, daily fantasy sports are broadly legal in 45 state jurisdictions. The only exceptions are Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Washington, where DFS remains prohibited.

Many of the 45 DFS legal states have also legalized sports betting, but the latter vertical is less widely available overall. In fact, there are just 38 legal betting states, including Washington and Puerto Rico.

A State-by-State Breakdown

The 45 US states where DFS is legal are listed below. These include jurisdictions where no formal laws exist, such as California, Texas and Florida. This creates a so-called grey market in these states, which enables potential users to access DFS sites lawfully.

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Washington DC
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Remember, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Washington all prohibit daily fantasy sports activity and DFS sites. Hawaii lawmakers took significant steps towards legalizing sports betting and DFS in the 2025 legislative session, but House Bill 1308 was ultimately voted down by the state senate and won’t be raised again until the spring of 2026.

State-Specific Format Restrictions

In most states where DFS has been legalized, you'll have access to all contest formats. These include pick ‘ems, traditional salary caps and best ball tournaments. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule, and we’ve detailed these below:

• Colorado Challenges Pick ‘em Contests: Pick ‘em contests have been a bone of contention through the years, with seven different states having suggested that the format mimics prop betting a little too closely. Colorado is the latest state to challenge the pick ‘em format, particularly contests involving single players. The state has form in this regard too, as Underdog’s player-versus-house pick ‘em games were banned upon launch in Colorado back in 2023.
• New York Allows Only Peer-to-peer DFS: The Big Apple has also had several legal run-ins with the providers of pick ‘em DFS contests. PrizePicks was forced to shut down its paid DFS contests in February 2024, including both house-banked and peer-to-peer options. However, the brand was recently issued a new interactive DFS operating license in the state, on the condition that it only promoted peer-to-peer contests to players.
• Individual DFS Site Restrictions: Of course, there are also state-by-state restrictions on each individual DFS site. For example, Sleeper and Dabble aren’t licensed in Arizona and a host of additional states, with some jurisdictions categorizing their paid pick ‘em contests as sports betting. Underdog have faced similar issues with some of their products, which is why they’re restricted in states such as Iowa and Delaware.

Age Requirements by State

Age requirements for daily fantasy sports also differ from legal sports betting states in many ways. The minimum age requirement is 18+ in the majority of legal DFS states, although this increases to 19+ in Alabama and Nebraska. In Arizona, Massachusetts and Virginia, you’ll have to be aged 21 or over to engage in DFS.

How to Choose Your First DFS Site

As you can see, the range of DFS sites that you can choose from will vary from state to the next. Once you’ve created a shortlist of lawful and available options, you can compare these sites in further detail and make the most informed decision possible. Here are some key factors to consider:

• Your Experience Level: If you’re a beginner, you should consider selecting a site with a beginner-friendly interface and pick ‘em contests that are simple and accessible. The best sites from this perspective are PrizePicks, FanDuel and Dabble. If you’re a more seasoned and knowledgeable player, DraftKings’ salary cap contests and Underdog’s Best Ball tournaments may offer superior value.
• Time Commitment: Pick ‘em events lets you engage in DFS on a single matchday, creating only a nominal time commitment. DraftKings also runs daily NBA and NFL contests, some of which are free to enter or incur a fee of just $1. If you want to commit more time and really showcase your skills, consider participating in the type of season-long contests available at Sleeper and Underdog. These tournaments follow the Best Ball format and can unlock significant prizes.
• Prize Goals: Another consideration when picking your preferred contest format is your prize or financial objectives. For example, pick ‘em events offer tremendous flexibility and regular opportunities to win, potentially unlocking consistent (albeit modest) profits. Conversely, DraftKings large-scale GPPs allow you to pursue higher cash prizes over a longer period of time, often for relatively small buy-ins. These are more popular among experienced and well-informed players.

Getting Started Checklist

1. Verify the legality and availability of DFS in your state, alongside any format or age restrictions that exist
2. Browse the available formats, before selecting one that best suits your experience level, preferences and bankroll size
3. We’d recommend that you start with simple contest formats such as pick ‘ems. Also, consider prioritizing contests that are free or have low buy-ins
4. If necessary, consider using DFS research tools to inform your picks. RotoWire offers largely free content to help you get started
5. Always engage in disciplined bankroll management and play responsibly. As a general rule, never risk more than 5% of your total bankroll each day

DFS vs Sports Betting: What's the Difference?

We’ve already covered some of the primary differences between DFS and sports betting. Below, you’ll find an at-a-glance summary of these differences, including their legal categorization and state availability.

For more details, check our full sports betting guide.

❓Optimized FAQs

Is daily fantasy sports legal?

Yes, DFS is currently legal in 45 states, including some jurisdictions that have yet to pass formal laws or legislation. This compared to the 38 states that have legalized sports betting, with the UIGEA having historically categorized DFS as a game of skill.

What states allow DFS sites?

Of the 45 DFS legal states in which sites operate, California, Florida and Texas are among those to offer unregulated grey markets. The five states that have yet to legalize daily fantasy sports are Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Washington. A recent attempt to legalize DFS and sports betting in Hawaii failed in the 2025 state legislative session.

What is the best DFS site?

Our pick of the best DFS sites is PrizePick. This offers the most simplistic pick ‘em format and the broadest selection of props and projections. However, Underdog is the Best Ball leader in the marketplace, while Sleeper offers exceptional Discord integration and community features. DraftKings delivers the best traditional salary cap contests.

What's the difference between PrizePicks and DraftKings?

In the battle of PrizePicks vs DraftKings, the former leverages a simple pick ‘em format across numerous sports. It’s ideal for beginners and offers fixed multipliers. Conversely, DraftKings runs more complex and competitive salary cap contests, which include large player pools and more significant prizes.

Is DFS the same as sports betting?

No, DFS is categorized as a game of skill, whereas sports betting is gambling and classified as a game of chance. Daily fantasy sports also require you to compete against other players in most instances, and not against a house or sportsbook. Because of these differences, DFS is legal in more US states.

What age do you need to be to play DFS?

In 40 US states, you can play DFS so long as you’re aged 18 or over. However, the age restriction increases to 19+ in Alabama and Nebraska, and 21+ in Arizona, Massachusetts and Virginia. The minimum age requirement for sports betting is 21+ in all but four states where the practice is legal.

What's the easiest DFS site for beginners?

Thanks to its incredibly straightforward pick ‘em format and easy to understand interface, PrizePicks is the best DFS site for beginners. However, Dabble Fantasy and Sleeper also offer value, as their social features enable you to copy picks and interact with fellow players via Discord. FanDuel DFS also runs a number of dedicated contests for beginners.

Can you make money with DFS?

Yes, you can! Skilled and experienced players can bank regular profits, especially when playing flexible and weekly pick ‘em games. You can target larger sums via high-variance GPPs, but such contests may cover a longer period of time and feature a huge number of players.

What sports are available on DFS sites?

The number of DFS sports available varies between states. DraftKings offers the largest selection of DFS sports and leagues, including Formula 1 and tennis. However, the most popular and accessible daily fantasy sports leagues are the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, CFB and the MLS.

Final Verdict

Our picks as the leading daily fantasy sports sites are PrizePicks, Underdog, Sleeper, DraftKings and FanDuel. PrizePicks is the best DFS site overall, offering an intuitive and clean interface and a pick ‘em format that unlocks a huge range of player projections.

Underdog boasts the trailblazing Best Ball Mania contest, while it’s also home to a variety of formats including the unique Battle Royale. Sleeper runs pick ‘em, best ball and chopped tournament formats too, while it offers highly engaging social features via Discord. You can even copy picks and interact with players from the community-focused Dabble site here.

In terms of traditional DFS, DraftKings and FanDuel continue to lead the way. These sites boast the largest pool of players and biggest cash prizes, especially for those engaging in salary cap tournaments. FD operates several such contests for beginners, while the salary cap here is slightly higher at $60,000.

These contests certainly offer value to novices, especially when you consider FanDuel’s highly intuitive app. The aforementioned Dabble is also recommended for beginners, thanks to its simplified pick ‘em format and $25 no-deposit bonus for new players.

References

• UIGEA 2006 legislation
• State gaming commission sources (for legal status)
• Platform Terms & Conditions
• Industry reports (fantasy sports market size)
• Platform iOS/Android ratings

Related Pages

• PrizePicks NFL Picks
• PrizePicks NBA Picks
• FanDuel DFS Guide
• DraftKings DFS Guide
• Legal Sports Betting States
• Underdog NBA Picks

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