Introducing DraftKings

The long rumoured arrival of DraftKings is now a reality as the big American daily and weekly Fantasy site makes the trip across the pond to provide a new platform for UK players. The game is already well established in the States with a large player pool and plenty of substantial prize pots to compete for. It is anticipated that we’ll see this game make a significant impact here in the UK.

What is DraftKings?

The concept of DraftKings will be familiar to those that play the current daily games such as FantasyBet, Premier Punt and PlayOn. The game should also be accessible to those that play Fantasy Premier League, though the points scoring matrix and formation options certainly have some fundamental differences that warrant attention.

The contests require an 11 player line-up to be selected with a fixed salary cap of $50,000, this squad or “roster” must include players from at least three different teams but beyond that there is no restriction on how many players from each club you can select.

The team must include a goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and two forwards. There are then two ‘utility’ spots that can be filled by players from any category apart from a second keeper. Unusually, this means it’s possible to pick four forwards.

Player prices like many of the daily sites are based on algorithms that are derived from factors such as recent form and levels of usage in the latest lineups. These vary from week to week and the DraftKings pricing means it’s likely that you’ll need to hunt out some bargains to field a competitive XI.

We will be looking at some of these budget options in “Poundstretchers” section of future Weekly Shop articles.

Your lineups can then be submitted into contests for an entry fee and can be saved so that they can be imported easily into other games. There are various formats on offer, the tournaments or leagues (often referred to as GPP’s or Guaranteed Prize Pots) are the large entry competitions which have the largest pots. The head-to-head section provides a list of stakes for one-on-one battles, you can choose how much you would like to risk and view available opponents. Double-ups or 50/50s are quite self-explanatory with half the entries getting a twofold return on their fee.

Why Should I Play?

The daily Fantasy Football market is growing by the season in the UK – there’s already a wide variety of games available. However DraftKings is an interesting prospect as it’s been offering money based Fantasy competitions for a variety of sports much longer than most of the other platforms.

Though the game only started covering ‘soccer’ since September 2014, the relative longevity and sophistication of the site should guarantee stability and polish. Combined with the alternative scoring system and potentially big prize pots, it makes DraftKings an exciting addition to the UK scene.

The scoring should be of particular interest to “hands-on” Fantasy managers that enjoy trying out new systems for picking players based on performance related statistics. The points are rewarded based on Opta data so our members should get an edge when it comes to analysing data and trends.

It’s worth taking a lengthy look at the point scoring list as there are a substantial number of extra sources for accumulating points beyond the standard recording of goals (10 points), assists (6pts) and clean sheets (Goalkeepers 5pts, Defenders 3pts) that we are used to. For example, there is no reward for minutes played but if the players side win they bag 5 points.

Attacking players do not necessarily have to contribute goals to rack up points, shots, shots on target and even crosses (completed or otherwise) all provide point returns making players that appear undesirable in other games serious contenders for inclusion here. The reward for crossing (via corner kicks, open play and set pieces) is particularly unique, making full-backs from mid-table teams that rely on aerial balls into the box a focus of your attention – Robbie Brady is suddenly a factor.

Defensive attributes also get a payoff, it’s the usual 60-minute cut-off point for clean sheets for defenders and goalkeepers, your back-line are also likely to benefit the most from the extra points for winning tackles (1 pt) and pass interceptions (0.5 pts), while keepers get a generous two points per save.

How Do I Start?

Register for a free account at DrafkKings via this link.

Right now, the game is only accessible via the iPhone or Android app, so you’ll need your mobile to login to your account and select your squads and join contests. There’s already a big variety on offer, including a free entry UK contest with $1000 prize pot.

DraftKings plan to rollout their desktop version very soon.