NFL DFS Optimizer Guide: Classic and Showdown Lineups

This guide shows how to build NFL lineups with the free NFL lineup optimizer. It covers DraftKings classic, DraftKings showdown and FanDuel classic. If you are new to the optimizer, read the lineup optimizer guide for every sport first.

NFL Roster Rules

Set Up the Build

The header has three menus. "Site - Game Type" has "DraftKings - Classic", "DraftKings - Showdown" and "FanDuel - Classic". "Slate" lists the slates for the week. "Contest" has "Cash / H2H", "150-Max", "20-Max", "3-Max" and "Single Entry".

Select the contest that you will enter. The contest sets the mode and the ownership numbers in the pool. Ownership in a 150-max tournament is different from ownership in a single-entry contest.

The position buttons ("QB", "RB", "WR", "TE", "FLEX", "DST") filter the pool. The pool also has four views: "Players", "Team Stacks", "Games" and "Stack Types". "Stack Types" shows stack forms such as "QB + 2 | 1". That form is a quarterback, two of his pass catchers and one player from the other team.

Use a Preset

Open "Advanced Settings" in the sidebar. The "Contest Type" row has presets for "Single-Entry", "3-Max", "20-Max" and "150-Max". Each preset sets the lineup count, the QB stack, the ownership penalty, the randomness and the salary floor.

A preset locks all settings except your locks, your excludes and the exposure for each player. To change a locked setting, click "Copy to Custom". Then edit the tabs.

Stack Your Quarterback

A stack pairs the quarterback with his receivers. When the quarterback throws a touchdown, his receiver scores too. The "Stacks" tab controls this.

• "Stack QB with pass catchers" turns the stack on.
• "Pass catchers with QB (WR/TE)" sets 1, 2 or 3 teammates.
• "Bring-back from opponent" adds a player from the other team.
• "Bring-back count" sets 1 or 2 players from the other team.

In "GPP" mode, the default stack is the quarterback plus one pass catcher. To use two or three, change "Pass catchers with QB (WR/TE)" or use a preset.

Check the Stacks tab before every tournament build. Click "GPP" first. Then confirm that "Stack QB with pass catchers" is on and that the pass-catcher count is the number you want.

Control Exposure by Position

The "Exposure" tab sets a maximum percent for each position: QB, RB, WR, TE and DST. A low QB maximum spreads your lineups across more quarterbacks.

"Set the FLEX position mix" sets the share of RB, WR and TE in the FLEX slot. In tournaments, a WR or a TE in the FLEX often pairs better with a stack than a third running back.

Build and Review

Lock or exclude two players, then click "Optimize". The lineups show below the pool. Each card shows points, ceiling, salary and total ownership.

The "Lineups" and "Pool" buttons switch the view. "Pool" lists more candidate lineups that the optimizer found. You can filter them by team stack. "Export DK CSV" downloads the lineups for upload.

Use "Build around this" on a card to build new lineups around that core. Use "Rebuild around targets" to rebuild around the players that you selected.

Showdown

Showdown uses one game. Select "DraftKings - Showdown" and then the game in the "Slate" menu. You get one CPT slot and five FLEX slots.

The CPT costs 1.5 times the salary and scores 1.5 times the points. The first player you lock goes in the CPT slot. The "FLEX" and "CPT" buttons above the pool switch the prices in the pool.

"Unique Players" in the sidebar sets how many players must differ between two lineups. With only six slots, a value of 2 or 3 keeps your lineups different. Use 0 only when you build one lineup.

Click "CPT" to see the CPT prices before you lock a captain. A lower-priced CPT leaves more salary for the five FLEX slots.

Late Swap

NFL games start at different times on Sunday. After the early games start, use the "Late Swap" tab. Upload DKEntries.csv, select "Quick swap" or "Full re-optimize", and click "Run late swap". Then click "Download for DraftKings".

How NFL Players Score Together

Correlation shows how closely two players' DraftKings points rise and fall together. A value of 1.00 means always together. A value of 0 means no link. A negative value means one player tends to score when the other does not.

We measured these values on about 2,800 NFL team games. WR1 is the receiver with the most targets in that game, and the same rule applies to WR2, WR3, RB1 and TE1. This method makes the stack values a little higher than you can expect before the game.

The QB and his top receivers have the strongest links. A touchdown pass scores for both players. The running back links only a little with his quarterback, so a QB plus RB pair is not a real stack.

A DST against your own quarterback is the worst pair in the table. When your quarterback has a big game, the DST that faces him has a bad game. Never put them in the same lineup. The contest presets block this pair.

The bring-back link is weaker than the stack link, at 0.11 to 0.18. A bring-back helps when you expect a high-scoring game. It does not add much in a game that you expect to be one-sided.

NFL Strategy by Contest Type

Cash games (50/50 and head-to-head)

• Select "Cash / H2H" and build one lineup.
• Do not force a stack. Correlation makes a lineup more volatile, and cash games pay the steady lineup.
• Use players from several games. Pay for the players with the most certain role.

Single entry and 3-max

• Use the "Single-Entry" or "3-Max" preset. Each preset sets the stack, the ownership penalty and the salary floor for that field size.
• Stack your quarterback with one or two of his receivers. A QB plus WR1 is the strongest two-player pair in our data.
• Small fields reward a strong lineup over a contrarian lineup. Do not fade a good player only because he is popular.

20-max and 150-max

• Use the "20-Max" or "150-Max" preset. The 150-Max preset mixes stack forms across lineups, so not every lineup uses the same form.
• Spread your quarterbacks. The 150-Max preset caps each quarterback for you. In "Custom", set a QB max on the "Exposure" tab.
• Check the exposure panel after each build. Lower any player who is far above his projected ownership unless you have a reason.
• Use a bring-back in about half of your lineups for the games with the highest totals.

Showdown

• Use your top quarterback, running back or WR1 at CPT in most lineups. A kicker or a DST at CPT rarely wins.
• Match the CPT with his teammates. A WR captain needs his quarterback in the FLEX. A quarterback captain needs at least one of his receivers.
• A 4-2 or 5-1 split between the two teams follows one game script. A 3-3 split is the most common build, so it is easier to duplicate.
• Leave some salary unused in tournaments. Lineups that spend the full cap are more likely to be duplicates.

Common Mistakes

• A DST against your own quarterback.
• A QB plus RB pair used as a stack. The link is weak.
• Twenty lineups that all use the same quarterback. Check the exposure panel before you export.
• Locks on too many players. Each lock removes choices from the optimizer.

A Simple NFL Plan

1. For cash games, select "Cash / H2H" and build one lineup. Do not stack for the sake of a stack.
2. For a 20-max tournament, use the 20-Max preset. Lock one or two players you like most.
3. For a single entry, use the Single-Entry preset and build one lineup.
4. Check exposure after the build. Lower any player who is in too many lineups.

See this week's numbers on the NFL DFS projections page. Then go back to the lineup optimizer guide hub for the other sports.

DFS contests use real money. Only play what you can afford to lose. 21+. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.