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FanDuel advice: Don’t forget the 50/50 games
We all like the chance at big bucks, and the tournaments are fun, but playing a 50/50 is a slightly easier path to some prize money.
Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
As I mentioned Thursday, I'm on a bit of a FanDuel losing streak. I entered four rosters in contests last week and lost them all, after losing three the week before. This happens, and it's less fun than some of the other ways the game can go (you know, when you win money), but it's more-or-less unavoidable.
You know how teams in rough stretches might look ahead for a game against Jacksonville (or Tampa Bay or ... look, just someone from Florida, okay?) as a get-right game? Sometimes, even if it isn’t as “earned” as a win against New England, a win is a win is a win. Call it a get-right game.
Well, this week, I’m going to enter my normal tournaments. Take some chances, pick some wild cards, try to win my bajillionty-seven dollars. It’s all part of the equation. But I’m taking special care this week to get into a couple of 50/50s (games where half of all entrants win money, and there’s no difference between the No. 1 finisher and the guy who finished worst among the winners).
In truth, I’m lax on my 50/50 gameplay. It’s easy to get blinded by the chances at being one of those guys in the commercials and shoot for big money every week, when it’s far easier to make money in the 50/50 and multiplies games. (Less money, but as I’ve mentioned, making money is making money is making money.)
As such, most of my advice here has fallen into the camp of advice for tournaments. Shoot for the sky, try to take down a big prize. But just like there’s no real get-rich-quick schemes in life, you aren’t likely to make huge money in FanDuel by buying into a few tournaments, taking down one big payday and calling it quits. No, in general, any path to daily fantasy “riches” lies in incremental gains. It’s like roulette: It’s fun to put all your money on 00, but bet on red and you’ll win more often, even if you win less.
That in mind, let’s look at a couple notions for playing 50/50 games that are different from tournaments. (I’m going to assume a hundred-player game, just because it’s easier to say “fiftieth” than “guy who does the worst among those who finish in the money” or whatever. Feel free to adjust “fiftieth” to the halfway point of whatever game you play.)
- Because there is literally no difference in prize for the first-place finisher and the fiftieth, you don't need to swing for the fences quite as much. Some guaranteed production ought to be enough. Guys like Scott Chandler, who I will occasionally advocate in tournaments as "well, if he gets any points, he'll get a lot of points" don't make as much sense here.
- It took 140.54 points to win one of my tournaments last week. Before that, 149.62. More or less, 150 is the threshold for at least minimal glory in tournaments. Meanwhile, the 50/50s tend to have the line around 110. Spread that out evenly, and you can win money in 50/50s with about three fewer points out of each roster spot. At quarterback, that's the difference between Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning, or between Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins (I'm using standard scoring, because it's easier for research, but the numbers basically hold true for FanDuel scoring). At running back, that's Matt Forte to David Johnson. Obviously you can't just settle for three points lower everywhere, but the point is that your realistic player pool is much larger in a 50/50.
Here’s my Week 6 50/50 lineup:
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