It’s Week #1 of the NFL season, and pretty much every one of the big daily fantasy sports sites has special contests to kick off the new season. This is a good way to get the ball rolling for you, and it also builds up their client base and excitement, generating more profits for them, too. It’s a win-win situation, and it’s definitely worth taking a look at to try and build your own bankroll up and see if you can win one of the huge prizes currently being offered.
FanDuel is the current largest daily fantasy sports site there is, and they have a very heavy focus on football. This year, they have a $5 million payout event, with $1 million set aside just for first place. This is a big tournament, and it pays the top 46,000 spots. The last prize earning position still wins $40, which isn’t bad considering the buy-in is $25. A good lineup can place in this, and a great lineup can change your life. There are currently 229,885 entries available, and it is filling in quickly. As of 10 AM Eastern, the contest was more than half full.
They have other contests, too. Some are really attractive depending upon what stakes you play. The $1 Million Sunday NFL Rush is popular. The entry is just $5, and there are $1 million in payouts. First place gets $100,000, which is a huge sum of money for a tiny amount. There’s also a $300 entry contest called the $1 Million Sunday NFL Monster. It’s a guaranteed contest with only 3,703 slots available. Top prize gets $125,000. This doesn’t seem as attractive as the others because of the big buy-in price, but remember that there are far fewer people in this one, and that means the odds of winning are based more upon skill than luck, which gives entrants a huge advantage if they know what they are doing.
At DraftKings, there are other big contests, too. DraftKings is the second most widely used daily fantasy sports site on the web, and they have a big client base outside of the NFL. This actually is to your advantage if you love NFL fantasy contests as it implies a weaker competition base, especially on Week #1 of the season. Their $10 Million Millionaire Maker contest is extremely popular right now. There are more than 572,000 entry positions available, and the top prize is $2 million. Second prize is an even $1 million, which is also a very nice number to see show up in your bank account. Entry to this one is just $20, and a top 10 finish can change your life. Even 10th returns $50,000. Prizes go to the top 125,700 places, with the last payout being $25. These kind of returns show that even a mediocre finish can give you a small return on your money, which is nice. Entering gives you a decent shot of winning something, and it puts you in the running for a huge amount of cash in the off chance that you get very lucky.
Other DraftKings contests include the $1 Million Blitz. Entry is $300, and top prize returns $150,000. It’s limited to 3,700 spots, so it will fill up very quickly. Another popular one is the MASSIVE Double Up. Entry to this is $25, and your money is doubled if you finish in the top 50 percent or so. There are over 45,000 entry slots available for this one, hence the “MASSIVE” in the title. There’s also a $10 version of this, if you are more comfortable with lower stakes.
Also remember that each of these sites has their typical leagues and smaller contests, too. You can enter a heads up match if you want, or a 20 person league if you want. Multiple stakes and size levels are available, and all of them provide ways to grow your money because of your fantasy knowledge.