DraftKings Beginner Contests: How to Avoid DFS Sharks
If you’re a complete newbie to daily fantasy sports, you have your work cut out for you. Sure, the basic idea is simple enough. It only takes a few minutes to read through the rules and draft your first team, but there is still a lot to learn as far as developing a strategy and winning money. It doesn’t get any easier when they throw you in with the lions to compete against other people who may have several years’ worth of experience more than you.
DraftKings has had beginner contests for a while now, but this week they are adding extra money to the prize pools to make them even more worthwhile. Tuesday’s NHL Beginner Sniper tournament will have $3,000 guaranteed, for example. The other prize pools haven’t yet been released, but you can be sure they will be a lot better than the average newbie contest.
Types Of DraftKings Beginner Contests
- NHL: Beginner Sniper for $3 ($3,000 guaranteed)
- NHL: Double-Up for $2
- CBB: Beginner Student Section for $1
- CBB: Double-Up for $3
- MMA: Beginner Haymaker for $3
- MMA: Double-Up for $5
Why You Should Try DraftKings Beginner Contests
You can make the transition to real money fantasy sports a little easier by trying the beginners-only DraftKings DFS contests. In every sport they offer, DraftKings hosts special contests that are only open to people who have played in 50 or fewer contests in that sport. The DraftKings system only allows people who have played in a handful of games to enter these contests but still compete for real money.
The whole purpose of these DraftKings for beginners contests is to give you a chance to try the DFS concept but without having to compete against highly skilled sharks. You can sharpen your skills and test-drive drafting strategies without getting demolished by people who have been around a lot longer than you. The odds of winning are better and the pressure to perform isn’t quite as intense as it is when you play in larger contests that are open to all.
Beginner contests also make the transition to a new DFS site easier. If you’ve been over at FanDuel or some other site for the past year, it will take some time to adjust to the new way of doing things. For example, DraftKings uses a unique scoring system and allows late swaps. Even though you may be a pretty solid player by now, it is only smart to ease your way in to the new rules and subsequent strategy implications.