Best Daily Fantasy Betting Sites – Get $1000s in Bonuses and Free Play at the Best DFS Sites

The incredible growth of Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) over the last few years doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. Created as a substitute to online betting, the industry now goes head-to-head with sports betting and we’re going to use this article to find the best daily fantasy betting sites online.

The strength of DFS is that it’s a pastime that many sports fans have undertaken at some point. Be it an office league for the NBA or a group of friends plotting their way through the latest PGA Tour event, daily fantasy sports is as popular as it’s ever been.

It’s online that has allowed the industry to go to the next level. No longer is it just a case of picking a handful of players for a game week and instead, you can choose head to head, points spread, player ratings, individual player matchups and so much more.

As more companies start to want a piece of the market, it means that the number of DFS betting sites is growing. In this article we want to highlight the best daily fantasy betting sites, giving you all the information that you need to pick the site that is right for you.

Best DFS Sites 2023

We’ve invested an incredible amount of time testing to see which we think are the best DFS sites right now. The collection below is not just setting the standard, but they each offer something a little different, which is exactly what you want.

1. DraftKings – Best overall, the highest-profile – Sign Up Here
2. FanDuel – Best for NBA contests – Sign Up Here
3. Monkey Knife Fight – Best for ease of use – Sign Up Here
4. PrizePicks – Best for mobile players – Sign Up Here 

Best Daily Fantasy Betting Sites Reviewed

One of the things that we pride ourselves on at Basketball Insiders is our reviews. We’ve been able to create a team that can push these DFS sites to the limit. Then, we report our findings back to you, our readers.

The list of daily fantasy sports sites below is in an order that we feel is correct in terms of how well they perform overall. However, this is not a one-size-fits-all process and instead, we’ve created each review to highlight everything that they’re good at and also what they’re not so good at.

No DFS site is perfect, and we wouldn’t expect them to be.

With each site below we’ve included what are the best daily fantasy betting sites on the market right now. You can use our rankings as gospel if you like or take the time to read a little more to see which is best suited for you.

1)   DraftKings – Best Overall

DraftKings is the best daily fantasy betting site. They may be the biggest name in the industry, but that’s for a reason. They just seem to be a little more polished and a lot bigger than some of their main competitors.

What we like about DraftKings is the range of contests that are on offer. They cover tons of sports and of course, if you’re looking for DFS NBA, then they are tough to beat here as well.

The scale of the site is phenomenal. They have contests that include over 60,000 entrants and with it have prize pools that hit hundreds of thousands of dollars regularly. Payouts, if you’re lucky enough to win, can be life-changing.

However, the size of the site can be negative as well. Whilst it brings in huge sums of money, pitting your wits against 60,000 might be a little overwhelming.

But, to counter that, they do have smaller contests that you can enter, some with as low as 20 people, which is much more manageable for most DFS players.

READ: Draftkings Promo Code

What DraftKings do better than anyone keeps things feeling fresh. As one contest closes, ten more open. They cover a huge range of sports and eSports as well. ESports coverage is one of the reasons why we’ve ranked them as number one because they just blow the competition out of the water.

To top all of this off, you get a great range of promotions, a decent welcome offer, loads of rewards for consistent players, a crazy number of sports to choose from, bonuses, jackpots, the ability to create your contest for you and your friends, leagues, great socials, and a great customer service team.

Can you tell that we’re impressed?

If you want to create a new account with DraftKings then you can use our DraftKings promo code “SAFEBETTING” to get a $100 bonus and a $5 no deposit bonus. You can read more about how these offers work by checking out a DraftKings promo code article.

2)   FanDuel – Best for NBA Contests

FanDuel pushes DraftKings a very close second. In fact, as we’ve reviewed the two sites independently and then compare them for these mini-reviews, it’s a close call between the two of them.

They do everything that you would ever need for a DFS site and more. For us, their basketball coverage is second to none and we recognize that most of you will be looking to utilize this spore more than any.

The coverage of their contests is really good. But what’s most impressive about the basketball section is that they aren’t just focused on the NBA. They cover a lot of women’s basketball and leagues from around the world (especially Europe). We happen to be conducting this review as the Olympics is just about to start, and coverage for these games is impressive, to say the least.

FanDuel has the best-looking platform for DFS as well. Its white and blue corporate colours make it look clean and modern. You can use several menus that scatter throughout the site and they also highlight progress on bonuses or rewards that you’ve currently got linked to your account.

READ: FanDuel Promo Code

It’s not perfect though and one of the reasons why they were pipped by DraftKings is that they weren’t able to compete in terms of the sheer volume of contests that were running. You could argue quality over quantity here, and you’d be more than validated to do so, but the fact is that they just aren’t as big.

They also can’t compete when it comes to the range of promotions on offer. Their $50 welcome bonus is a little small and the range of existing player promos becomes tired, quickly.

However, if you were to land on FanDuel and never know about DraftKings, then you’re going to love the site. It has it all, from huge jackpots to great design. They lack that sheen finish, but they’re still a diamond in our eyes.

3)   Monkey Knife Fight – Best for Ease of Use

Monkey Knife Fight is newer than the two previously mentioned DFS sites and they bring to the party a bit more of a condensed feel. We’re not sure that saying MKF is a “stripped back” DFS site is fair, but they certainly make things easier to work through and navigate.

However, don’t think that they’ve just been lazy and not made as many contests because they can’t be bothered. Their whole mantra is about making DFS betting a lot easier and having less choice, but more enjoyable.

Let’s face it, when you land on either DraftKings or FanDuel, a lot is going on. If you’re new to DFS then this can be overwhelming. MKF has got rid of all the clutter, condensed the contests that they run created a simple site that is easy to use for all players.

Read: Monkey Knife Fight Promo Code

The site excels when it comes to promotions. They have a huge number that you can access as an existing player, along with a competitive $100 bonus for new players. It’s one of those sites that just keeps throwing promotions at you and this is why we rate them as one of the best daily fantasy betting sites on the market right now.

Even though the ease of use is as good as it gets, you can’t help but feel the site is a little limited if you’re someone looking for a diverse range of contests. They also don’t have adjoining sportsbooks or casinos, which does limit the package on offers somewhat.

Where is DFS Legal?

DFS is one of the most accessible forms of online gaming in the US. There are just 7 states that specifically ban daily fantasy sports, which are:

• Washington
• Idaho
• Montana
• Nevada
• Arizona
• Louisiana
• Hawaii

The other 43 states have either officially legalized DFS betting or they have stated, either way, meaning that players within the state are daily fantasy sports legally allowed to sign up and play DFS sites.

One of the main reasons why DFS is so accessible is because it is not seen as gambling, as such. It’s a bit of a complicated one, to be honest, but the gist is that DFS is not seen as luck, such as a casino. You need to skill to be able to pick your players and then win your contest.

The reason why it differentiates itself from sports betting is that you’re placing a bet at odds set by a bookmaker, which is in turn a gamble as to whether the bet will win. With DFS you’re betting into a pool with other players on an even playing field. To win you need skill to make the best picks for that contest.

It’s quite ironic to see that Nevada is one of the states that ban DFS given that they are widely regarded as the gambling capital of the world or at least, Las Vegas in Nevada is. Whether these states change any time soon remains to be seen, but regardless of if they do, the sector is in a really strong spot in terms of accessibility.

Where Can You Play the Top DFS Sites?

When we talk about the top DFS sites we are looking at DraftKings and FanDuel. Monkey Knife Fight and PrizePicks are big, but they’re not up to these sorts of standards just yet.

One of the areas that separate the group and cement our statement is the range of states that currently accept players to each site. Both DraftKings and FanDuel have been able to set up shop in all 43 states that are currently daily fantasy sports legal. MKF and PrizePicks are in around 25 each.

It’s worth noting at this point that accessibility for DFS and sports betting are two separate entities altogether. For sites like DraftKings that run both, just because you can access one, does not mean you can access the other.

For example, they work within 43 states when it comes to DFS, but for sports betting, you can only access them in 12 states. The rules and regulations between DFs and sports betting are two very different platforms and should not be confused with each other.

Let’s look at each daily fantasy sports site and where they are currently accessible.

DraftKings

As mentioned, DraftKings can be played in all 43 states that are legally accepting players for DFS right now. Here are the 7 states that DraftKings daily fantasy sports is not legal right now:

• Washington
• Idaho
• Montana
• Nevada
• Arizona
• Louisiana
• Hawaii

FanDuel

FanDuel is identical to DraftKings in that they are working within 43 states of the United States. Here are the 7 states that FanDuel does not operate in:

• Washington
• Idaho
• Montana
• Nevada
• Arizona
• Louisiana
• Hawaii

Monkey Knife Fight

Monkey Knife Fight is a little less accessible than the two previous, but they are still accessible within 30 states in the US. Those states are:

• Alaska
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Texas
• Utah
• Washington, DC
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

PrizePicks

PrizePicks, like Monkey Knife Fight, is again a little lower still in terms of legal states. These states include:

• Alaska
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Texas
• Utah
• Washington, DC
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Who Can Play DFS in America?

One of the many reasons why DFS is popular is that it’s incredibly accessible across the US. The two big brands in DraftKings and Fanduel are only omitted in 7 of the 50 states.

Below we’ve included a guide of who can play DFS in America:

Best DFS Sites in America – Comparison

To find the best in the business we spent a lot of time comparing different aspects of each site and then seeing which worked best within each sector. Below we’ve included a table of our findings, but before we jump into that, we wanted to talk you through the process of what we think makes up the best daily fantasy sports betting site.

The first place we started was with the range of sports offered. We looked at how many sports there were and what sort of niches they entertained with each sport.

For example, all sites are going to offer NBA games as part of their contests, but who is going to include basketball from Europe or women’s basketball?

We next wanted to touch on contests that are outside of sports. This is predominantly made up of eSports and online gaming, but again, there are some curveballs in here with TV shows and even awards ceremony’s that you can run contests for.

The number of contests on offer was the next step and this was just a case of how many contests were running. We looked at the numbers to see the depth and we also considered if sites were running any duplicate contests for a lower buy-in, which is a great addition.

Contest depth was next on the list and this was all about the number of contests within a certain category. A great sport for us to test this was golf, as we could target a single PGA Tour event and then see how many contests were set up around that single event.

However, we’ve also considered other sports outside of golf as well, meaning that we get a better overall picture as a result.

The final two sections are prize money and prize pools. The amount of money you can win is always going to be a huge lure. Even though it’s possible to enter tournaments for hundreds of thousands of dollars, are these always the best value?

We’ve given each daily fantasy sports site a rating out of 10 for each section. These numbers can and will change as sites improve and adapt.

Payment Methods Accepted at DFS Sites

When playing on any of the larger DFS sites, you’re going to get access to a good range of payment methods. Before we dive into what you can expect, it’s worth noting that all sites differ, but you can see a detailed run down from our review page for each DFS betting site.

The two most common are going to be Visa and Mastercard transactions. Given that most of us have access to one or both cards, it makes it highly accessible. You tend to not get any fees attached from the DFS site and you’re also able to withdraw back to these payments’ methods.

Discover and American Express are two more popular cards that work with a lot of DFS sites. They are less common than Visa or Mastercard, but again, most sites will allow you to access these easily. You do need to check for fees attached with American Express as these are sometimes one of the negatives to using this payment method.

E-wallets are one of our favorite payment methods as you’re able to hook these up to your DFS account without having to use your credit or debit card. They also tend to process transactions, especially withdrawals, very quickly and we’re seeing more sites than ever use one or more of these.

Popular options include Skrill, Neteller, and PayPal. Again, it’s rare to see feed attached to any of these payment methods, but we did notice that if your account is not set up in USD then you might be faced with terrible currency conversion fees, especially with Skrill.

Bank wire is another way to move money about with DFS sites, however, most are limited only to withdrawals. If you want to deposit large sums of money then this is sometimes an option, but you’re likely going to need to work with customer support on this to see where to send it.

Withdrawals via bank wire are much more common. You can generally withdraw any amount via this process, but it can take time to hit your bank. Some sites recommend up to 28 days, which is poor in our opinion.

Finally, checks are usually accepted as a withdrawal method with a lot of sites as well. Like bank wire, they are slow to get sent out, and again, expect up to 28 days just to get the check-in your hand, let alone clear to your bank.

Best DFS Bonuses

Such is the way that the best daily fantasy betting sites are set up, DFS bonuses are key to choosing which site is best for you. You rarely get something for nothing these days, so when the chance to get a reward for games that you would already be otherwise playing, you must take it.

We will get onto the DFS welcome bonuses shortly, but we wanted to start by talking you through some of the existing player promos, as this is often where the real value is.

DFS bonuses that you can get as an existing player will range based on the site that you’ve signed up with. Ideally, you want to see some sort of reward bonus that will give you cash the more that you play. Some of these offers are called VIP or points, but all allow you to earn rewards with the more contests that you play.

The best of these offers will allow you to change these points for cash, but if that’s not an option, bonus money is a good alternative. You also want to be able to claim other prizes from these sections, which may be electronics, free bets, other bonuses, VIP rewards, tickets to major sporting events, etc.

Whilst not necessarily a DFS bonus, any site that offers guaranteed prize pools is another area that you want to target. The bigger the better here, and most of the best sites will have huge prizes, often exceeding 7 figures.

Here is a look at some of the DFS bonuses you want to be on the lookout for:

Outside of the exciting player bonuses, you want to be looking at the best DFS welcome bonuses as well. We talk extensively about these in each of our DFS promo code articles, so to find out more about individual offers, check those out.

The welcome offer is usually something that is accommodating to most players. By this, we mean that most DFS players can claim and clear at least a portion of the welcome offer.

You need to be wary about the type of offer that you can get your hands on as well. Most will include some sort of deposit match and whilst they might look the same, they can work very differently.

You must note the T’s and C’s with any bonus, but especially that of a DFS welcome bonus. Key things to note include:

• Amount of bonus on offer
• Percentage match of initial deposit
• How much do you need to wager to clear the bonus
• How long you must clear the bonus before it expires
• Which games are eligible to clear the bonus?

Below we’ve listed the four best daily fantasy betting sites along with their welcome bonus:

How to Sign Up for a DFS Site

Registering an account with a DFS site is a process that should only take a couple of minutes. It’s been designed to get you into the account as soon as possible, but you are going to need to make sure that all your info is correct.

The first thing to note is that you can sign up via the online platform or the mobile DFS site. They are both the same product, and the account works with both.

We want to stress that you need to make sure all your details are correct. At some point, you will need to verify your account as this is now a requirement for a DFS sites license. These checks are normal, and they may ask you to prove your ID or address with things like a driver’s license or even passport. If you can’t confirm this info then you risk your account being suspended or worse, closed.

Creating your account is simple for anyone and everyone. Below we’ve included the process that you need to take with what we think is the best daily fantasy best site, DraftKings. Whilst each site has a unique process, they won’t be too far from what you see below:

Step 1: Username and Email

The first part of the process is to set up a username for your account. You may need to include letters and numbers in this, although if it’s unique then you will be good to go.

The email address is one that you need access to. You’re going to get an initial activation email from DraftKings to confirm your account, so you need to get a hold of that email before your account opens. Not all DFS sites use this process, but you will need that email address at some point for verification.

Step 2: Country and DOB

It’s now time to choose the country you reside in and the state. Most of you reading this will be from the US, but it’s worth noting that most DFS sites accept players from all over the world.

Your date of birth is the next step, and most sites will require players to be 18 or over. Some states have a higher minimum age, ranging from 19 up to 21. We’ve outlined these earlier in the article.

Step 3: Promo Code

You need to enter the DFS promo code that we’ve assigned to each site before you sign up. DraftKings asks for this within the registration process, however, some sites will ask you to include once the account has been set up and you are making your first deposit.

Step 4: Verification

At some point, you will need to verify your account. Most DFS sites allow you to verify at any point as soon as your account has been created. If you’ve not already, then you will be asked before you make your first withdrawal.

Our advice would be to verify your account as soon as possible. Once this is done, it’s then out of the way, which means you can get your money out without any delay.

Best DFS Betting Apps

The switch to mobile has been a progressive one for DFS sites and the best daily fantasy betting sites all have a dedicated mobile app that you can download. After testing them all, they’re all brilliant, to be honest, and we’ve enjoyed using mobile apps just as much as the desktop sites.

For Apple users, you can download DFS betting apps from the App Store. All you need to do is search for the app within the store and set your download away. The best iPhone DFS apps should be listed and available to download on iPhone and iPad.

Android users are going to access the best Android DFS apps via the Google Play Store. Again, the quality of the apps here is incredible and you simply need to search for the brand that you want to download.

In terms of the best DFS betting app, we would have to give this accolade to FanDuel. The app is stunning to look at and in terms of functionality, can’t be beaten. You’re able to move through sports and contests with ease, and their super-clean design makes it a joy to use.

Having said that, all the daily fantasy betting apps that we’ve tested have been good. The quality is incredibly high now and that shows just how much mobile has infiltrated this sector.

Below we’ve included a table of mobile v desktop:

Mobile – Best for	Desktop – Best for
DFS on the go	Bigger screen, more info in one place
Compact layout, with less clutter than the main site	Easier to register and verify accounts
Easier to access	No need to download another app
Usually, betting looking given they are more modern	Takes up no room on the computer in terms of data
Mobile-specific DFS promos	Can use VPN for access in restricted states

DFS Guide – How to Play Daily Fantasy Sports

One of the many reasons why DFS has been so popular is down to how easy it is to play the game. It’s so accessible and most people have played some sort of fantasy sports before DFS anyway, so the process is familiar to lots of new players.

It all starts with opening an account. You can use our recommended picks for the best daily fantasy betting sites on this page, then check out the sites with the best DFS promo codes as well.

Once your account is open, you need to pick a sport and then a contest within the sport. If you’re new, start with sports and leagues that you know. You can even choose teams that you follow as well if you want to get specific.

The next step is to draft your team. It depends on the type of contest you play, but most will want you to choose several players to create your draft. Each player in the draft then scores points based on how well they perform in the game.

At the end of the contest, the winner is the player whose team has accumulated the most points. The number of places that are paid will depend on the number of players within the contest.

Conclusion

The standard of DFS sites these days means that finding the best daily fantasy betting sites is not an easy task. There are all worthy of a mention and there’s not a lot with any of the sites that we don’t like.

Picking will come down to personal preference, but there is no doubt that both DraftKings and FanDuel rank as our best DFS betting sites. They are the biggest and they offer a range of contests and promos that no one can rival right now.

Splitting between the two is hard and to be honest, this is going to come down to personal preference. What we do know is that, whichever you chose, you won’t regret either.

What is the best fantasy betting site?

The best DFS betting site right now is that of DraftKings. They offer a guide range of contests as well as amazing promos for both new and existing players.

Where can I play daily fantasy sports?

Where can I play daily fantasy sports? There are several options, but the best in the business right now are DraftKings and FanDuel. You can use our exclusive promo code of “SAFE” to get an exclusive welcome bonus.

What is the best DFS app?

Fanduel has the best DFS betting app right now. Its design and accessibility make it stand out from the crows, as well as a $500 bonus using the promo code “SAFE”