DFS bankroll management decides who is still playing in December. Most small DraftKings bankrolls do not die from bad lineups. They die from bad contest selection and from putting too much money on one slate. This guide explains how to build a DFS bankroll the slow way, which is the way that works. It covers NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL.
What is DFS bankroll management?
Your DFS bankroll is the money you set aside only for daily fantasy sports. Bankroll management is the set of rules that controls how much of that money you put in play, and where. Good rules keep a bad week from ending your season. They also let your skill show up over hundreds of entries instead of three.
How much of your bankroll to play per slate
Use one fixed rule and follow it every slate:
- Put 5-10% of your total bankroll in play on one slate.
- Keep each GPP entry to 1-2% of your bankroll.
- Calculate the numbers again from your current balance each week, not from your starting balance.
On a $100 DraftKings bankroll, a slate is $5-10 total. That can be three or four $1 double-ups, one $2 single-entry GPP, and one $1 shot in a bigger field. It feels small. It is meant to be small. A cold week costs you 10% of your bankroll, not 60%.
When your bankroll grows, your entry sizes grow with it. When it drops, your entry sizes drop too. You never need to "win it back" on one slate.
DFS contest selection: know who you play against
Contest selection is the biggest edge a small bankroll has. The lineup you build matters less than the field you play it against.
DraftKings Beginner and Casual contests
The DraftKings lobby has two contest types that keep the best players out:
- Beginner contests are for players with 50 or fewer contests in that sport.
- Casual contests block every player with an experience badge.
DraftKings gives an experience badge to a player who passes 500 contests, or who gets three or more payouts of $1,000 or more. A player can also get one by winning $2,500 or more in total with payouts from five or more entries. A player with a badge cannot enter Beginner or Casual contests, and you can see the badge next to the username. If you qualify for these lobbies, play there first. A soft field is worth more than a good lineup.
How to avoid DFS sharks in other contests
Outside those lobbies, open the entrant list before you enter a contest. If many usernames have badges, or one player has the maximum number of entries, find a different contest. Single-entry and 3-max contests take away the volume edge of players who enter 150 lineups.
Cash games vs GPPs: where your money goes
Cash games build the bankroll
Cash games are double-ups, 50/50s, and head-to-heads. They pay about half the field, so they have low variance. Most of your weekly money goes here.
For cash games, build for a high floor. Pick players with locked roles, safe volume, and good matchups. You need to beat about half the field, not every lineup in it. Start with the NFL Projections, MLB Projections, NBA Projections, or NHL Projections, and sort by floor.
Single-entry double-ups are the best place to start. Each opponent has one lineup, the same as you.
Small-field GPPs, not flagship tournaments
GPPs (guaranteed prize pools) pay about the top 20-25% of the field and give most of the money to the top few spots. That is where the big wins come from. It is also where most small bankrolls go to die.
Field size matters more than entry fee. In a 7-10 max contest or a 3-max with a few hundred entries, a good lineup can take first place. In a flagship GPP with 100,000 or more entries and $50K or more up top, you need an almost perfect, low-owned lineup.
GPP rules for a small bankroll:
- Use single-entry, 3-max, or small max-entry contests.
- Look for small fields first, then low entry fees.
- Treat a big-field GPP as a $1-2 lottery ticket, not as a plan.
In GPPs, projected ownership matters. The NFL Projections page has an "Ownership by contest type" setting, so you can see how the field changes from a single-entry contest to a 150-max. Then build lineups that are different from the field in the NFL Lineup Optimizer, MLB Lineup Optimizer, NBA Lineup Optimizer, or NHL Optimizer.
Rake and overlay
Every DFS contest has rake, which is the part of the entry fees that DraftKings keeps. Rake is different from one contest to the next. Before you enter, compare the prize pool to the total entry fees. A lower rake keeps more of your money in the prize pool.
Overlay happens when a guaranteed contest does not fill. DraftKings still pays the full prize pool, and the extra value goes to the players in the contest. You will see it most on off-peak slates, like early games, small slates, and smaller sports. Check those contests close to lock.
Track your DFS results with a bankroll tracker
You cannot fix what you do not measure. Most players think they know where they win. When they look at the data, they usually find out they were wrong.
The BankrollSZN Bankroll Manager is a free DFS bankroll tracker:
- On DraftKings, go to your History page and click Download Entry History. You get one CSV file with every contest you have played.
- Open the Bankroll Manager and select Manual CSV Tracking from the tracking method menu.
- Click Upload CSV and choose the file. You can also upload FanDuel history, and the tracker puts both sites in one view.
The tracker shows your profit and loss over time, your ROI, and your results by sport and by contest type. The CSV tracking guide shows each step.
Upload a new CSV once a week, or after each big slate. After a month, compare your ROI by contest type. Most players win in one format and lose in another. Put more money in the format that wins and stop playing the one that loses.
When to move up in stakes
A good week does not mean you should play at higher stakes. Move up only when your bankroll supports the new entry fee under your 5-10% rule. Higher stakes also bring stronger players, so start at the lowest buy-in of the new level. If you lose 30-40% after you move up, go back down. That is bankroll management doing its job, not a failure.
A weekly DFS bankroll plan
- Use the DraftKings Beginner and Casual lobbies when you qualify.
- Put 5-10% of your bankroll in play on each slate.
- Put most of that money in single-entry cash games.
- Spend the rest on small-field GPPs, plus a $1-2 shot at a big field.
- Upload your contest history to the Bankroll Manager each week and move money to the formats where you win.
For daily slate breakdowns, see the BankrollSZN articles and the NFL DFS hub.
DFS bankroll FAQ
How much should I start with for DFS?
Start with an amount you can lose without stress. The amount matters less than the rule. On any bankroll, put 5-10% in play on one slate.
What are the best DraftKings contests for beginners?
Beginner contests, Casual contests, single-entry double-ups, and small-field single-entry or 3-max GPPs. These fields are the softest, and each player has one or a few lineups.
Are cash games or GPPs better for building a bankroll?
Cash games. They pay about half the field, so your bankroll moves up and down less. GPPs give bigger wins, but the variance can empty a small bankroll fast.
How do I avoid sharks on DraftKings?
Play Beginner and Casual contests, where players with experience badges cannot enter. In other contests, check the entrant list and choose single-entry or small max-entry contests.
How do I track my DraftKings ROI?
Download your entry history CSV from DraftKings and upload it to the free BankrollSZN Bankroll Manager. It shows your ROI by sport and by contest type.