If you’re going to start betting on fantasy sports, then you should use this complete guide to
fantasy sports betting.
The traditional sports industry has amassed such success and wealth for itself, that the time was
right for an alternative system of betting to be created.
Fantasy sports betting exists as a form of wagering that is easy to play, without the fun being
taken out of it. It requires little betting experience to engage in, and it gives you absolute control
over the team and players.
This guide gives a step-by-step on everything there is to know about fantasy sports betting,
including how it works, different sites where you can play, and how game points are awarded.
What Is Fantasy Betting?
Fantasy sports betting is a gambling method where you create a fantasy sports team to compete
with other bettors and win money. It can be played on football, hockey, tennis, basketball,
American football, and NFL.
In fantasy betting, you create your own team and your players’ performance will increase or
decrease your points. Winners are determined by total points obtained, and points are acquired
from played performances in real-life games.
How Does Fantasy Betting Work?
This section covers an overview of how fantasy betting works, as well as certain concepts you
need to understand before staking on a game.
- Register on a trusted fantasy prediction site.
- Choose your preferred sport, league, and team.
- Gather players to form a team, based on your existing knowledge of a sport.
- You earn your points based on your players’ performance – assists, goals, etc. And lose
points through yellow cards, misses, etc. - Competition between players happens and lasts a day, weeks, or months.
- The winner at the end of a contest is the team with the highest points.
Best Types Of Fantasy Bets
There are several fantasy betting options you can play, below we’ve explained some of the
popular ones.
Prize pool leagues – here, you pay a fee to compete in a league to win a fixed amount. You get
paid based on the position you finish on the league table.
Head-to-head contest – in head-to-head contest you compete against other players to bag a
unified prize.
50/50 chance – larger leagues allow for a 50/50 chance. This bet gives every player at the top half
of the table double their stake, and players at the lower half of the table get nothing.
Fantasy cash games – this bet ushers you into a custom-made league where the better side gets a
financial reward. While fantasy cash games are easier to understand, it offers little reward
compared to the other bets.
How Fantasy Betting Points Are Assigned
Your teams and players earn points depending on the sports you choose. We’ve sampled two
different sports and how points are assigned for them.
Basketball:
Points earned –
● Players getting to double-figure – you earn extra 5 points
● Steal – 2.5 points
● Free throw – 1 point
● Three-pointers – 3 points
● Assist – 1.5 points
● Blocks and interceptions – 3 points
● Baskets – 2 points
● Rebounds – 1.2 points
Points lost –
● Fouls – 1.5 points
● Losing free throws – 1 point
● Player gets sent off – 3points
Football:
Points earned-
● Man of the match – 2 points
● Assist – 3 points
● Clean sheet by the keeper – 4 points
● Keeper and defender scores – 5 points
● Penalty saves – 5 points
● Midfielder scores – 4 points
● Striker scores – 2. 5 points
Points lost –
● Yellow card -1
● Red Card -3
● Own goal -2
Best Fantasy Betting Sites
If you need a good prediction site where you can register and play a fantasy bet, we have listed
some below.
- Betcha – Betcha merges gaming with its innovative platform, it has an activity feed and
offers bettors the ability to follow friends and experts. - DraftKings – offers an excellent contest selection variety and traditional tournaments,
50/50s, multipliers, satellite qualifiers, head-to-head, and Fantasy World Championships
too. - FanDuel – FanDuel is customer friendly, has great user experience, and provides good
selection for games like NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. - Monkey Knife Fight – Monkey Knife Fight lets you choose a favorable game you can
play and enjoy. Here, players can compete against the house instead of regular play-to-
player contests. - Yahoo – One of the largest sites to bet on fantasy sports, Yahoo allows contests in NFL,
NBA, MLB, and the NHL.
What To Know Before Joining Fantasy Betting Sites
- Good Reputation – learn what you can about a site’s reputation before betting with them.
Do they treat customer’s right and pay fast or do they have late payment or slow payouts
scandals. - Good Liquidity Ratio – Fantasy betting sites without a good liquidity ratio or huge
financial coffers might not pay your winnings if the price is too high for them. - Number Of Bettors Playing – a high number of active bettors is a good indicator that a
fantasy betting site is successful. Plus this number makes it possible for you to contest
with other players. - Good Customer Service – Any website you choose should relate well with their
customers and solve issues speedily. - Use-friendly Platform – The site should be easy to use and navigated, it shouldn’t be too
complex or slow, and must have different options for making choices.
Is Fantasy Betting Legal?
On the question of whether fantasy betting is legal, you can bet easily knowing that this betting
form is legal in places like – the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, and other European
countries.
Although it is banned in some states in the USA – Montana, Iowa, Washington, Nevada and
Arizona. Fantasy betting is also illegal in Quebec, Canada.
How To Win In Fantasy Betting
Here is how to guarantee you win in fantasy betting:
Know Your Chosen Sports – It is advised that when fantasy betting, you choose a sports you
already know well and follow.
Select Fit Players – Select players you know are currently in good form, and disregard
information based on past forms and big names.
Understand Risks – To know what you’ll lose or gain in fantasy betting, read thoroughly a
betting site’s terms and conditions. You can also study fantasy sports betting.
Learn From Winners – Learn from professionals in this industry and apply their recommended
strategies.
Fantasy Betting Misconceptions
Disregard these common fantasy betting misconceptions:
Fantasy Betting Is Only About Football – Football betting is the most popular in fantasy sports
betting, but it is not the only one, you can play other sports as well.
Fantasy Betting Is Recreational Not Professional – Fantasy sports betting can be played for
recreational purposes and also make you money.
Fantasy Sports Betting Pros And Cons
These are the pros and cons of fantasy sports betting to weigh before going into it.
Pros
Fantasy sports betting helps you connect with more people, as it encourages socialization and
healthy competition amongst friends.
Forms like Daily Fantasy Sport, takes less time than traditional sports betting which takes days
or weeks.
Fantasy sports betting has few legal age restrictions and can be played by any age.
Cons
Fantasy sports betting like other forms of gambling can lead to addiction and financial losses.
It’s not entirely free, as betting sites charge a commission for each betting service offered.
Fantasy betting has poor winning chances, mostly because bettors put poor effort into research
and strategy, and there’s a lot of circumstances that influence it.
Fantasy Betting VS Traditional Betting
Fantasy Betting Traditional Betting
Fantasy betting can be free for new bettors or
testings
Traditional betting doesn’t allow testings and
needs cash for stakes
Fantasy betting is a skill and game Traditional betting is luck, 99% chance and
1% research
Fantasy sports betting has fewer market
options
Traditional betting has numerous betting
market options
Fantasy sports betting is more expensive
because it takes commission for each bet.
Traditional sports betting is cheaper than
fantasy sports because it requires no
commission for bets.
Fantasy Betting Tips And Strategies
Every fantasy sport is different, but these are general betting tips and strategies you should
follow for betting on all.
- Understand The Rules
To play fantasy sports and win, you need to know and understand the rules of each game. You
can learn about rules on fantasy betting sites. - Weigh The Opposition’s Strength
Know who your players are up against by checking the fixtures and searching for opportunities
where players are competing against weak teams. - Make Changes
Make changes to your team occasionally. Bettors who rotate their players often come out on top. - Pre-Plan
To utilize your budget, scout early by looking for young players who could offer the best value
for money. Don’t spend most of your budget on big scorers, save for future transfers. - Monitor Upcoming Games
Any player you choose, no matter how good they are, should be well-rested and not have any
important game coming up immediately. - Study Player History
In football betting especially, certain players play better against certain clubs and those are the
ones you should side with.
Likewise, ex-players who play well against their former club, can bring additional fantasy points
for you and your team if you pick them.