• About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling
This site contains commercial content
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
No Result
View All Result

Daily Fantasy Football Strategy: Cash Game vs. GPP Lineup Construction

Mark Dankenbring by Mark Dankenbring
August 30, 2017
in Sports
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

An important distinction to understand when playing daily fantasy sports (DFS) is the difference between β€œcash games” and β€œguaranteed prize pool” (GPP) contests. These are the two most popular formats on FanDuel and DraftKings, and require a different approaches when making lineups.

When 50% of the player pool receives prizes (the same prize), it’s considered a cash game. GPPs make up the other main segment and are usually large tournaments with very high payouts at the top that cascade down to other top finishers. Usually around 20% of the player pool gets paid in GPPs. They’re two different beasts and require different approaches.

Cash Game Strategy

Creating a cash game lineup usually centers around one thing: establishing a scoring floor (a minimum, base number of scoring) that will result in finishing in the top half of the player pool. It sounds simple enough but the approach can get lost in the process of making lineups.

Fantasy players have a natural desire to score as most points as possible, but in a 100-person contest, the 50th finisher gets paid the same as the 1st place finisher. Therefore, the goal is Top 50. Consistency or predictability are keystones of establishing a floor, so β€˜boom or bust’ type players don’t belong on the radar.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned playing cash games is that only a portion of the player pool is really in consideration when building lineups. There are certain players I can automatically eliminate due to lack of consistency or players that no one else in the field will likely select.

Understanding value plays is another huge part of cash game lineup construction. It sounds obvious, but if I identify two running backs with the same floor and one is $1,000 cheaper in salary, I’m almost always going to plug that running back in, regardless of their ceiling (the top end of possible production). Identifying popular value plays is crucial because if 60% of entrants use that player and he performs very well, you are going to have a tough time making up the value at other positions.

Titans rushers Murray (L) and Henry (R)

Here’s an example. Let’s suppose Tennessee Titans RB DeMarco Murray gets hurt in practice and the team announces that Derrick Henry will start against the Colts in the upcoming week. Henry began the week as the backup when FanDuel and DraftKings created their pricing, so his salary is depressed compared to other starting running backs. At just $5,300, Henry is $1,500 cheaper than the running back you’ve chosen (let’s say Isaiah Crowell). Henry ends up running for 80 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 20 fantasy points while 60% of the cash game contest field has rostered him. Crowell rushes for 90 yards and catches couple passes, finishing with 12 points.

That eight point difference isn’t make or break, but when it comes from a player with $1,500 less in salary that is 60% owned, it can be hard to overcome. Now, the rest of your lineup that costs $1,500 less than your opponents’ must make up that difference, and your opponents will have had more money to spend on higher priced players that typically score more points.

Value plays aren’t always as obvious as a backup RB taking over starting duties, but it’s important to do your research and understand who DFS players will be inclined to play the upcoming week.

Odell Beckham Jr. makes a diving catch against the Redskins

Identifying chalk (popular) plays isn’t just important when you want to play them, but also when you want to fade (avoid) them. If you know a player is going to be 50% owned in cash games but you like someone better at a similar price point, it may be beneficial to fade the chalk. If the player you selected at the same price outperforms the guy on 50% of rosters, you have an advantage against those lineups and have a much better chance of placing in the money. This strategy is for those who enjoy a riskier lifestyle.

Cash Game Conclusions:

1) Establish a lineup with the highest scoring floor possible.

2) Avoid boom-or-bust players who can tank your lineup with a bad performance.

3) Understand the value plays at each position heading into your contests.

4) Understand the chalk and determine if they are worthy in your lineup or should be faded.

5) Research, research, research. Value will present itself through research.

GPP Game Strategy

Constructing lineups for GPPs requires the opposite approach of cash games. In GPP games we want to target players with the highest ceilings. Because only about 20% of entrants get paid, it’s a much tougher task to consistently place. While the player selection process is based on ceilings instead of floors, the research principles are still largely the same when examining the GPP landscape. We still want to identify the popular plays of the week, as it will help us make decisions on whether we want to go contrarian (against popular plays) or play the chalk.

Adam-Thielen-Minnesota-Vikings
Vikings WR Adam Thielen

Boom or bust players are welcomed back into our player universe when creating GPP lineups, but we don’t necessarily want a roster of strictly all-or-nothing plays. It’s nearly impossible to have all of your players β€œboom” in the same week. While we’re focused on player ceilings, that doesn’t mean we’re dismissing their floor. I would much rather have a player with a floor of 10 points and ceiling of 30 points than one with a floor of 0 and the same ceiling. The upside is all we’re looking for in tournament plays.

One of the best ways to separate yourself from the field in GPP tournaments is to pick players that are going to be low-owned. It goes alongside the idea of fading the chalk, but choosing the correct contrarian play can vault you up leaderboards quicker than anything else. For example, if you choose Marcus Mariota in a week where he’s only 3% owned by players and he is the top scoring QB, then you have an advantage on 97% on lineups just by selecting the right quarterback. Therefore, a useful strategy is pairing up contrarian plays alongside popular plays. Let’s say Julio Jones is going up against a weak corner and is owned on 35% of teams. You still love the matchup, so you’ll ignore the (likely) high ownership and choose him anyway. Julio has a huge week, but you’re still competing with 35% of the field when just 20% gets paid, so you need to differentiate elsewhere. Choosing low-owned players not found in those 35% of lineups achieve that goal, and finding low-owned gems can make for those huge paydays.

Stacking plays a huge role in GPP lineup construction as well. This isn’t just anecdotal: I went through the DraftKings’ Millionaire Maker winning lineups from 2016 and found the following:

10 of the 14 winning lineups contained a stack involving the QB, with 8 of those 10 using a QB-WR combo, and the outliers coming from a Marcus Mariota-Delanie Walker stack as well as a Kirk Cousins-Jamison Crowder-Jordan Reed stack in Week 11. Five of those winning stacks contained a QB-WR1 combo, three with a QB-WR2 combo, and two with a QB-WR3 combo. The flex is included in two of these stacks, as Robert Kelley completes the Washington four-man stack in Week 11, and Dennis Pitta paired up with Joe Flacco and Mike Wallace in Week 13.

Of the 10 total stacks,Β seven were just a two-player stack, plus one QB-WR2-WR3 stack, one QB-RB1-WR1 stack, and one four player stack that consisted of a QB-WR2-TE-FLEX (RB). Initially we see that it’s rare to find a running back in a stack, as Devonta Freeman is the only RB1 or RB2 to make one, as games are usually tilted one way or the other when it comes to run or pass. Freeman hauled in five passes for 81 yards that week and only carried the ball 12 times, so we can understand why this is an outlier.

The clear best option when it comes to stacking is toΒ fire up the QB and WR1 together.Β That occurred in 5 of the 10 stacks. WR1s averaged 35.7 points when paired with their QB, which obviously impacts how well the quarterback does in that given week. Overall, QB-WR stacks should be favored more than any other, as a QB-TE only took down just one stack by itself, and no QB-RB stack won without the help of a WR or TE.

Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders might pair well with QB Trevor Siemian.

Keep that in mind going forward and check out the full article for a more detailed breakdown of achieving success in GPPs. All the conclusions from that article directly relate to creating successful lineups in GPPs.

GPP Conclusions

1) Identify players you believe have the most upside.

2) Avoid making lineups with only boom or bust plays because they will almost never all boom on the same week.

3) Identify contrarian plays that can separate you from 95% or more of the field

4) Don’t be afraid to play some chalk! They will often score the most points and can still be extremely effective in lineups that utilize contrarian plays.

5) Stacking offers great upside and was found in the majority of 1st Place Millionaire Maker lineups last season.

ShareTweetShare
Mark Dankenbring

Mark Dankenbring

Sports Handle contributor Mark Dankenbring currently covers MLB, NBA and the NFL for The Linebacker. He's a 2017 graduate of Miami University with a B.A. in Sports Leadership and Management/Business Analytics.

Related Posts

whats on tap
Industry

What’s On Tap: Elite Eight, WBC Finals, And Texas Sports Betting Hearing

March 20, 2023
Illinois January 2023 revenue report
Industry

Illinois Inches Its Sports Wagering Handle Record Higher To $1.07 Billion

March 14, 2023
Load More

Top Stories

taylor mathis

Taylor Mathis Got Sacrificed At The Altar Of Responsible Gambling

March 20, 2023
fanduel baseball wall

Premade Same Game Parlays Are Sucker Bets

March 13, 2023
maginfier-over-small-print

Read The Fine Print: A Proposed Federal Rule Could Change Everything For Indian Gaming

March 6, 2023
roman reigns wwe

Colorado Denies Report Stating That It’s Considering WWE Wagering

March 8, 2023

State Sports Betting Guides

Ohio (U.S. state) flag waving against clear blue sky, close up, isolated with clipping path mask alpha channel transparency, perfect for film, news, composition

Ohio Sports Betting – Where To Play, Bonus Offers And Promo Codes

by Brian Pempus
March 22, 2023

Downtown Detroit at twilight (Shutterstock)

Michigan Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
March 22, 2023

VA captial

Virginia Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonus Offers

by Brett Smiley
January 17, 2023

nj flag

New Jersey Sports Betting — Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
March 22, 2023

pa online sportsbooks

Pennsylvania Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonuses

by Brett Smiley
October 6, 2022

Canada Sports Betting Guides

Canada Sports Betting – Best Sportsbook Apps & Bonus Offers

British Columbia Sports Betting – Legal Update, Available Sportsbooks, and FAQ

Ontario Sports Betting – Legal Status And Where To Play

SportsHandle

  • Analysis
  • Casino
  • Features
  • Horse Racing
  • Industry
  • Legal
  • Legislation
  • Opinion
  • Podcasts
  • Poker
  • Politics
  • Promotions
  • Regulation
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized

Better Collective

This website is owned and operated by Better Collective USA. Trademarks and copyrights referenced on this website are and shall remain the exclusive property of their respective owners and/or licensors. Please be sure to visit the operator’s website(s) to review their terms & conditions. We advise you to read these carefully as they contain important information. Copyright Β© 2023 USBets.com | Better Collective USA
21 Play Responsibly
Gamble Aware West Virginia
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
GameSense

Search Sports Handle

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling

No Result
View All Result
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News

loading

Please wait while you are redirected to the right page...