DraftKings and FanDuel are the two giants of daily fantasy sports. Both offer NFL DFS contests, but they have important differences that can affect your experience and strategy.

Here’s our 2026 roundup of the key pros and cons of DraftKings versus FanDuel, for NFL DFS.

The Main Metrics

Let’s start with a tale of the tape for our contenders:

* Rounded approximations. Updated March, 2023.

The NFL Experience

Each platform has gameplay distinctions. Here are the big ones…

Note: Salary data is as of Week 1, 2021

The biggest difference is that FanDuel has a half-PPR format. DraftKings is full PPR. The result is that you get more oomph from pass-catchers, particularly from pass-catching running backs and cheap tight ends, on DraftKings.

DraftKings also gives you a 3-point bonus when your offensive player exceeds 100 yards rushing/receiving or 300 yards passing. That may not sound like a lot but it’s almost always more than the score spread between first and second place in big tournaments. Thus, an extra factor for your chances of winning.

When it comes to salaries, FanDuel salaries are much higher than DraftKings, over $1,100 higher overall as of this writing. But so is FanDuel’s salary cap. It’s $10,000 more.

All in all, DraftKing’s lower salary minimums give you more flexibility to pick studs while saving money on fliers. DraftKing’s minimum tight end salaries are a whopping $1,500 less than FanDuel’s, for example.

Sign-up Offers

Promotions change frequently. At the time this is being written, DraftKings was offering bigger bonuses for new accounts. Check both sites for updated details when you’re ready to take the plunge and decide which promotions best fit your needs.

The User Interface

This is largely subjective but from our view, DraftKings has a cleaner, more intuitive interface.

That said, FanDuel provides live feedback on player selections, which could be appealing to more casual players.

DraftKings Lineup Builder

FanDuel Lineup Builder

The Other Guys

DraftKings and FanDuel aren’t the only games in town. They’re simply the sites that appeal to the most users. And they have a massive head start on the competition in terms of users, name recognition and contest selection.

Other DFS players include:

• Yahoo Daily Fantasy — the #3 player in the DFS space

• Monkey Knife Fight — users predict individual player performances

• Draft.com — merged with FanDuel

• StatHero — a small outfit where you play DFS 1-on-1 against the house

• Draftboard — another small player that pitches a “Fair Match” system to “level the playing field”

The Final Verdict

You don’t have to choose. You can try out each platform, exploit their unique benefits and, better yet, take advantage of both sites’ deposit bonuses. In DFS there’s nothing better than free money.

But if you have to choose one, base the decision on the style of play you prefer. If you prefer higher-scoring contests and more strategic complexity, then lean towards DraftKings. Complexity is a good thing if it heightens your advantage over casual players using inferior tools and analysis methods. If you want to prey more on complete fish or are just looking for a casual experience yourself, FanDuel may be the way to go.