How Old Do You Have To Be To Play Draftkings
This is a 21-year-old kid who’s only going to get better, and it’s time for DraftKings to start taking notice. We love the matchup against a Hawks team that surrenders the most fantasy points. While DraftKings players have to deposit $25 for $1 of site credits, Fox Bet bettors only have to deposit $2 for $1 site credit. That allows new players to accumulate account funds faster for larger bets in the beginning.
All hail NFL DFS! There’s simply nothing better. DraftKings is my go-to site. Here are all the ins and outs and reasons why: Setup If you’re new to DraftKings, you can start by playing in Beginner Contests. These contests are only available to players who have entered 50 contests or less, regardless of when they registered.
The General Rules – The Basic Things To Know
The difference between Daily Fantasy Sports and regular fantasy sports?
Daily style fantasy sports are similar to regular fantasy sports with the main exception that the entire contest starts and ends in a much shorter time frame. Contests last a single day for some sports like baseball and basketball while NFL football DFS players will get two or three days to get the Monday night games in.
You’ll pick a team full of players based on salary cap and those players earn points by doing well on the field.
Don’t think you can find this one at the stores, but we got you!
A Quick “How It Works” – Or, “The Things All Players Should Know”
- You legally risk and win real money
- Instead of an entire season it takes just 1 day from start to completion. *Football and golf last a weekend.
- The draft is done via a salary cap. Most of the time
- Your draft has nothing to do with anyone else.
- By that same token. you could potentially draft the exact same team as someone else.
- No season long waits to get paid. You’ll get paid that night.
- Again, the main difference between season long fantasy is the obviously shortened time of the contest.
The sport you are playing will determine exactly how you build your team and how they score points. The general rule of thumb is that the better your players do on the field, the more points your team scores on the leaderboards.
Sport by Sport How To Play Guides – The Basics of Each DFS
Let’s take a look at the actual playing of a DFS contest based on which sport you are playing.
- Football 101 – check out my Fanduel Football 101 Guide
Make sure you check out any fine print on any site as they will all have their individual rules and scoring models. But basically, if your players do well, you’ll score points like traditional fantasy leagues.
**Some sites will have rotisserie style tourneys and ‘pick-em’ style contests, such as (DraftDay)
4 Steps For New Players – Follow Exactly To Join & Play Today!
- Join a Daily Fantasy Sports league website.
This is the hosting site that creates the contests and makes payouts. Create your account and make a deposit.
I recommend FanDuel and DraftKings.
The 2 of them have been the clear market leaders for quite a bit now and continue to march that way. Click on those names to read our full reviews. - Choose a fantasy contest
There will be dozens if not hundreds of contests listed in the lobby. You can start with a small buy-in or even a free one. - Draft your team
Put together a line-up of the best possible players you can get while staying under your salary cap. - Compete!
This part is hands free as the hosting site keeps track of the leaderboards and updates everything in real time or at least pretty damn close. Watch your team rise and fall on the leaderboards as the games progress!
It is fast, furious fun. I love it. Especially when you have a good “sweat” going where if a player does well you could hit a monster sized score.
Creating A Team – How To Pick Your Players
The building of a team is literally click of the button easy. Once you join a contest, you are prompted to draft your team.
- See a list of players and their price tags.
- Click on their names to see more or click on the ‘add/draft’ button to add them to your line up.
- Fill up your team completely, staying under the salary cap.
- Easily change, add, remove players until you are satisfied with your team.
- Save and submit your line-up.
- And that’s it! You are in the game.
Your team is all set, but you can still make changes up until the fantasy tournament locks. Depending on which site and which games you are in will determine when that is.
For example on DraftKings you can make late changes up until the point where your players game starts, where as on FanDuel the line-up’s lock at the point of the first days games begin. Even though your pitcher plays the late game on the west coast, line-ups are locked as soon as the 1st game of the day begins on the east coast.
You are now in and now playing daily fantasy sports!
The current landing page at FanDuels. Hey! A free $20!
Fantasy Sports Basics
If you are not sure how fantasy sports in general work then you should probably go ahead and study up a little on that first. You can go through these sport-by-sport guides (football, baseball, basketball, golf) and get a better idea.
After that, you may want to start out in the free-rolls or $1 big field tournaments. These are great for getting a feel for how it works before you go and risk a good amount of your real money.
Scoring points is also site dependent. Readthe scoring rules of each site or one of our comparison guides, like this fantasy baseball scoring chart I put together for the big 3 sites for MLB.
The short answer on how DFS work is that players score points in fantasy by doing well in their respective sport in the games. Football players score touchdowns, make positive yardage and baseball players get rbi’s, basketball players score points etc.
That is the basics of how you play fantasy, of course each sport has its unique ways to play fantasy style. We are creating new player guides for each sport, linked below.
The Different Types of Fantasy Leagues To Play
In addition to different sports, there are a variety of contests you can enter just about at any time. They include:
- Large Tournaments
- Double Up Games
- Triple / Quadruple / Quintuple Up’s
- Sit-N-Go’s
- Head 2 Head’s
- Beginners Only
Newer players are strongly encouraged to start small and play in the larger field tournaments at first. If you start out thinking head 2 head matches will be easier to win you are likely to be wrong.
Sharp and strong players play in the head 2 head matches by entering the same line-up in multiple contests. They do the research, build a few line-ups and then enter those line-ups against as much varied competition as they can. One way they do this is by requesting and accepting head 2 head matches. My tip – start out with the single entry, low buy-in games to start out!
How New Players Get Started Playing Daily Fantasy Sports
The first section you should read through is our top 10 daily fantasy sports websites list which links to reviews of the leading places to play. From there you can read through our constantly updated promos and news articles that will let you know the latest and greatest bonuses and freebies you can take advantage of.
Finally you can also read our tips and strategy articles. Free advice pieces to help you get an edge on your opponents.
Enjoy the site and good luck in your games! I’m Spry13 on DraftKings -and I hope to see you on the leaderboards!
So what now?
- Check out today’s games on DraftKings.com – get signed up and play in a freeroll tonight.
- Sign up for my email newsletter. It’s over there on the right hand side of the page.
- Read through a list of daily fantasy sports tips aimed at beginner and intermediate players
- Go all in and read the more in-depth dfs strategy articles
- Read reviews of FanDuel, DraftKings and Victiv
Updated 06/2020
This Draft Kings 101 review will explain how to create your account on Draft Kings and find the right contests to play in. We’ll go through the entire process step-by-step.
Then, I will review the actual playing of contests including drafting your team and entering line-ups. Along the way, we’ll point out details and features to watch for in order to make the most of your experience. Create your account here.
Ready to jump in? If so, let’s get started!
DraftKings.com Review – The Basics and The Things To Know
- Official Website: www.DraftKings.com
- Office Address: 225 Franklin St, 26th Floor, Boston MA 02110
- 100% Legal Contests – Risk & Win Real Money
- Editor of DFS101’s personal favorite fantasy site for NFL and PGA
- Sign up to my free ebook list to get included in special DFS promo’s.
- Now publicly listed on NASDAQ with the ticker symbol DKNG
Editors NoteDraftKings.com is my personal favorite DFS site to play fantasy football and one week PGA contests.
I can’t help myself. Their golf games get me every week. The site is super easy to use, they allow last minute player swaps and they have a constant series of on-going promotions. I recommend playing fantasy sports at DraftKings. I am confident you will be glad you did.
Getting started at a daily fantasy sports site like DraftKings can be a daunting experience for anyone. Even if you’ve played in fantasy sports leagues for years, they’ve probably been traditional leagues – the type that last the entire season. If that’s the case, playing in the weekly and daily contests hosted by Draft Kings may seem like an entirely new ball game.
DraftKings 101 – My New Players Guide
You have seen the commercials, now it’s time to see how it works. If you’re new to daily fantasy football, basketball, and baseball, having never played in traditional leagues or daily contests, you’re starting from ground zero. It can be scary. We understand. It might seem as if everyone but you is a pro.
But, here’s a secret: the reality is that weekly and daily fantasy sports leagues are a relatively new trend.
Draft Kings is one of our “go to” sites for playing in real money daily fantasy sports leagues. When you arrive on the site, you’ll see 2 buttons, one for signing up with email, the other with Facebook. Click the one of your choice and you’ll be given a window to sign up.
Basic To Do’s:
- Choose a username you like
This one will be with you for life at DK and it will be seen by other players. (I’m Spry13).
- Select your state of residence
Most states are allowed for real money DFS and some states are allowed for their sportsbook where you can bet on the games like at your normal bookie. My home state does not allow me to play in the DK sportsbook so I can’t give you any true insight into that. This guide focuses on the DFS product which I’ve been playing since they initially launched in 2011.
- Check off the tick boxes underneath the state drop-down menu to accept DraftKings’ terms of use and validate that you’re 18 years of age or older
After completing that step, hit the “REGISTER” button. After you click the “REGISTER” button, you’ll arrive at a page that displays several dollar figures and bonus amounts.
You don’t have to choose any of the dollar figures displayed on the page. On the right side of the screen, you’ll see a box that allows you to input the amount you’d like to deposit. Regardless of what amount you enter, you’ll still receive the ticket.
- Select A Funding / Depositing Source
Draft Kings gives you 2 ways to fund your account –
- Any major credit card, (VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express)
- Paypal
If you decide to use a credit card, you’ll be asked for basic card details, such as card type, card number, expiration, and CCV. You’ll also need to supply your mailing address and phone number. That’s how DK determines whether you’re an authorized cardholder.
If you want to use Paypal, just click the button for that option. The default fields for entering your credit card info will disappear and be replaced by a single large button labeled “DEPOSIT.” When you click that button, you’ll be transferred to Paypal to authorize the deposit. After giving your authorization, you’ll be automatically shuttled back to DraftKings. Your deposit amount will be displayed at the top right of your screen to the right of the heading titled “Balance”.
- Visit The Lobby
Quick Info
You can play real money games starting at $.10. Dime package contests. These are fun, cheap and a fantastic way to get your feet wet playing for the first time.
There are plenty of low entry contests: $.10, $.25, $1, $2, $3 $4 and $5 events as well as high roller entries up into the thousands of dollars for an entry.
There are also free games but these usually do not have any prize of value.
There are free events and promotions ran throughout the year that you will get access to once you are signed up and have an account created.
Sports Offered
DraftKings has the widest variety of sports available. There are games to play all year round every day of the year.
- Football – NFL (multiple football formats to play)
- Baseball – MLB
- Basketball – NBA
- Golf – PGA and Euro
- MMA – UFC
- Racing – NASCAR races all season
- Soccer – EPL and UEL all season
- Tennis –
- eSports – LoL – League of Legends (video games)
How Does The Money Work?
I’m “Spry13” and have $106.15 in my wallet currently.
Create your account by registering completely for free.
You can now enter free contests with no charge. You will see your account balance shown as “$0.00” under your name at the top of the screen.
To play contests with real money you need to make a deposit. When you deposit, your account balance will update to how much ever you deposited. This is your ‘Draftkings wallet’ and now you can spend it entering contests of your choice.
You can withdraw it out whenever you want. You don’t start spending that balance until you buy an entry into real money contest.
When you win money on the contests it is added to your balance. Use it to play more or withdraw it. That’s up to you.
Finding A Fantasy Contest To Join
The first thing you’ll want to do is to check out the weekly and daily fantasy games to join. You’ll notice 6 tabs, lined up side by side, near the top of your screen. Click the one labeled “Lobby.”
Scroll down the page until you see the list of contests. Take a minute to notice everything that is displayed on the page. You’ll see 8 tabs that let you filter the list according to the type of contest you want to play in. For example, you can limit the list to games that come with a guaranteed prize pool. Or click “HEAD-TO-HEAD” or “50/50” to see only those types of contests.
You can also click on “Advanced Filter” to narrow these options just a bit more if you’re looking to play in something really specific.
Notice that each line shows the number of entries, the entry fee required to join, and the associated prize pool. Each one also shows a countdown that reflects when the contest goes live. You can sort the list on any of these fields. For example, if you want to find games that have a low entry fee, just hit the “ENTRY FEE” column label to bring the freerolls and $1 contests to the top.
Very easy and very intuitive.
Games Offered By DraftKings
- NHL
- PGA (daily fantasy golf) – with multiple golf DFS styles to play
- eSports
- Explore The Daily Fantasy Contests
Just some of the current promos being offered.
Click one of the contest titles.
Clicking on a promotion will give you more information about it.
A box will pop up on your screen displaying all of the relevant details for that contest. You’ll see the number of people who have joined thus far and the maximum number of participants allowed to join. Draft Kings also displays a list of the folks who have bought into the contest and are waiting for it to go live.
Take a closer look at the “Entry Fee” column. Notice how some of the dollar figures – namely, the ones that say “$2” – have a small orange ticket next to them? That little graphic means you can join the contest without paying the entry fee.
When you make a deposit into your account, Draft Kings automatically gives you a complementary $3 entry ticket. That ticket can be redeemed to join one of the $3 games. It’s a great way to test the waters on DK’s dime!
Games with guaranteed prize pools will go live whether or not they fill to capacity. That’s not the case for contests that lack a guaranteed pool. If they don’t fill to capacity by the time the countdown reaches 0:00, the games are cancelled and the entry fees are returned to the participants. Most all of the daily fantasy sites work that way, due to the way the UIGEA legal requirements are set. You can see the wiki entry on daily fantasy sites here for more info.
The pop-up box also displays how the prize pool will be distributed among the top-ranked entrants. If a contest’s prize pool is $100, 1st place might receive $35, 2nd place may get $25, and the remainder might be split amongst the 3rd, 4th, and 5th-ranked participants. The point is, the payout schedule will be listed in plain sight.
- Keep Track Of Your Account
Close the pop-up box and take a look at the top right of your screen. Notice the graphic that looks like a small gear? Click the gear to display a drop-down menu. Select the menu item that says “My Account.”
There you’ll see your personal information, account balance, Frequent Player Points, and available tickets. (Side note: your balance is always displayed at the top right of the screen regardless of what page you’re on.) You’ll also see your pending bonus.
On the right side, you’ll see a number of buttons. Use them to make deposits, request withdrawals, and to check out your account history.
We’ll go into more detail about these features in an upcoming DraftKings tutorial – particularly the account history feature. For now, realize that this is where you can retrieve all of your account information. Registering your account and finding contests to play in is simpler than you imagined, right? You have Draft Kings to thank for that. They’ve designed their site so that it’s easy to use and navigate. If you haven’t created an account yet, visit DraftKings.com and claim your 100% matching bonus (up to $600).
A shot of some of the current NBA contests that are going on.
Drafting A Team – Building Your Lineup
Want more examples? Watch me enter a real money fantasy basketball contest and win! We’ll explain everything you need to know to join a game and start picking players to win real money and you can see screen shots of me doing just that.
Football Updates
There are now four different contest types or styles to play from when you want to play NFL contests.
The software and games are constantly updated. In 2017 they added a feature to the players themselves, and now we are all classified as ‘Experienced’ or ‘Very Experienced’. You can see more details about who you are playing against and know from a quick glance if they are ‘grinders’ or if they are regular guys. Football is the season for daily fantasy sports sites like DraftKings. It is make or break time for them. They went through crazy growth in 2015 and encountered huge road blocks, legal challenges and insider trading/cheating accusations and shenanigans.
Since last year, things are different. They are taking a lower key stance on advertising. They have announced a new series of “DraftKings community Guidelines” and they have started tagging players who are ‘experienced’. I.E you know not to play against them in head2head matches.
My Final DraftKings Rating – 5/5 Stars
How Old Do You Have To Be To Play Draftkings
DK is my favorite DFS site to play. I love the interface and the on-going promotions. Not to mention the absolutely huge prize pool tournaments they put up each year. I recommend this fantasy site strongly to my personal friends and family and I am doing the same for you. If you are looking for a quality place to play daily fantasy then come aboard. The site works great with mobile devices so you can sign up and draft your team from anywhere.
Related
- 10 Keys to Winning on DraftKings (Part 1) and Part 2