Power Rankings —

1. Diablos: The defending champs still haven’t taken a user loss in this league, running through the first half of the season to very little drama. Will still face at least two NFC superpowers in the playoffs, but the question isn’t will he repeat, it’s will he lose at all?
2. Cowboys: The highly rated underachievers came into the season locked in after an international incident involving coach took much of the focus off of last season after a fast start. If TD can finish dominating a loaded NFC East (8–0), he should be a worthy contender for the conference crown.
3. Steelers: A usual suspect at the top of the conference, Jason and the Steelers look for an unusually early division clinch this season as the rival Bengals have taken many steps back. A return to the SB looks to be in order, can Jason take the next step and win it?
4. Oilers: This offensive juggernaut is racking up yards and wins, behind a rookie MVP candidate running back. With not much in-division resistance, these Oilers seem to be labbing for playoff domination.
5. 49ers: The biggest surprise of the season, Colquitt and the young Niners are primed for their first playoff berth in recent memory. A tougher 2nd half schedule looms, so a wild Wild card finish will likely be in order.
6. Eagles: Another perennial powerhouse, Bridges and his stud WRs exercised some demons vs their nemesis Falcons and are above the hated Packers in the standings again, yet still find themselves 3 games back and in the wild card. Easily the most dangerous projected wild card team in the league.
7. Jets: With the yearly injury to Joe Mixon out of the way early, Gang Green heads straight into the meat of their schedule still vying for divisional position. A resounding sweep of the Dolphins shows they mean business, but an iffy track record vs mobile QBs likely means that this defense is not who they think they are.
8. Falcons: An extremely talented team that is 0–3 so far vs the conferencee elite, we aren’t sure exactly how good this team can be. Until they beat someone noteworthy, who cares?
9. Dolphins: This team has developed into a defensive beast, while still featuring the AFC’s premier WR group. With only losses to the Jets and Steelers in the last 18 games, this squad has proven that they can beat anyone.
10. Packers: ARod is back and so are the Pack! An early hole leaves this team 4 games out of first place in the conference, but the goal for this group is simply winning the division and getting into the dance. No one wants to see the playmakers on either side of the ball in Green.
11. Thunderbirds: After a rough start filled with close losses and bad injuries, the recently un-retired 3x SB champ is back in the thick of the AFC race. A split vs the Steelers keeps the division title in reach and a win over the Black Knights may end up as the most important win of the season.
12. Black Knights: Slick has predictably and quickly turned this team around and despite 3 losses, a sweep of the Jets puts the Knights in prime position to steal the division via tiebreaker. Beware this squad if they make the playoffs, players may literally transform via XP between week 17 and WC weekend.

The 3 and Out Madden Franchise League makes another miraculous recovery and returns for a record (?) 6th season! Donte took ownership of the Diablos and quickly ran through the NFC for a 15–1 record with 0 zero user losses + a convincing Super Bowl victory over Jason and the Steelers to finish the 2021 campaign. After a year filled with top teams feasting on sim wins, the 2022 season kicks off with a full league and several dormant franchises being taken over by proven winners that’ll surely lead to an even more competitive 17 weeks. League energy is at an all-time high with Madden creating numerous storyline matchups in week 1, so we will find out quickly who will be contending for 3&0 SBVI.

2022 Season Preview:

AFC East —

Jets — The defending division champs look to repeat after getting a bit older on both sides of the ball, but a tough division awaits. Can this new-look offense, now led by former SB MVP Jimmy Garoppolo, bounce back from a tough divisional playoff loss to the rival Dolphins and provide the support needed for a championship level defense that the Jets have?

Black Knights — New owner Chef Slick looks to turn the stockpile of picks left to him into a championship contender. With super-fast Willie Beamen at the helm and a lightning quick defense, London looks to earn its first playoff berth. A playoff game over the pond? Only New Yorkers are betting against it.

Dolphins — The AFC runner-up Dolphins come into the 2022 with a high powered offense and stout back 7 on defense, but with a glaring hole in the DL with Suh long gone. Can this team contend for a division title and make another playoff run or will they be drafting a QB in the first round for the 3rd time in 4 years?

Pats — An owner change after 3 straight Super Bowl titles has sent this franchise reeling, but now they’ve drafted another Brady to right the ship. The team looks to be going away from former MVP Derrick Henry, which spells trouble.

AFC North —

Steelers — Jason looks to bring the defending AFC champions back to Bowl after the major letdown in the big game a season ago. Despite having the division’s strongest team, reclaiming the AFC North crown may not be as easy as you may think.

Thunderbirds — How do you bounce back from a 1–15 season? You pull up the Brinks trunk to a retired 3x SB champion and hope he can turn the franchise around. USC QB King T’Challa looks to lead the Thunderbirds to the playoffs with a nice roster mixed with high draft picks and old leaders.

Bengals — The reigning division champs are coming off an ugly wild card loss and went through a major youth movement on both sides of the ball, tired of the injury woes that plagued former players. With a 1st place schedule, can these Bengals win the 11 games necessary to make the playoffs?

Ravens — By signing Russell Wilson and outbiding the Thunderbirds and Jets for Sammy Watkins, Q and the Ravens have made it clear that they are going all in for the 2022 season. Will these additions be enough?

AFC South —

Oilers — After a disappointing end to a 13–3 season, Trap and the Oilers only have one goal: a SB berth. Cooks and OBJ lead an explosive offense, but their defense may be even more scary. With the AFC’s highest roster rating, the defending AFC South champions take aim at a first place schedule with points and revenge on the brain.

Armadillos — Chef left the Texans name and JJ Watt behind in Houston and has set up shop in Austin with a host of fast playmakers on defense and an O still lead by Watson and Nuk. Can they sneak into the playoffs?

Jaguars — One of the more curious owners in the leagues, Ozzie can win on command and then lose to anyone. The Jaguars are loaded with talent, but also have key holes. The playoffs don’t seem likely, but this team (and former MVP Yannick Ngakoue) have surprised us before.

Colts— Indy has yet another owner, but also boast a team loaded with talent. After signing numerous veterans in the offseason, the Colts look to make some noise in their first full season in the league.

AFC West —

Bulldogs — Defending AFC West champion Snappa returns with a similar looking squad, now led by the 4th pick in the draft, QB Eric Crouch. Will they build on their surprising 11–5 season or allow the league’s most unpredictable division to hang close?

Broncos — After years of floundering, Will and the Broncos look to finally take aim at the AFC West crown. Their outstanding FA haul included CBs Butler and Rhodes, as well as star WR AJ Green to join a Todd Gurley-led roster. Can Cameron Kennedy get the job done?

Chargers — It’s a transitional period in Los Angeles, as the Chargers are a team mixed with young talent and old has-beens. After a rough end to last season, will the Chargers regain the division title behind their Pac-12 offensive backfield of Balogh and McCaffery?

Chiefs — After years of winning double digits games only to lose in the playoffs, Kansas City tanked the past season in an effort to find a new owner and make a run at the conference title. A secondary led by Peters and Joseph headline this roster, but will the glaring holes this team has bury Dev and the Arrowhead faithful?

NFC East —

Cowboys — After a midseason vacation cost this team a playoff berth by only a game last season, owner TD returns with a newfound commitment to bringing a SB back to Dallas. The Cowboys didn’t make much offseason noise and didn’t have to. This team is balanced, loaded, and ready for a real run.

Eagles — After yet another gut-wrenching loss to the Packers in the playoffs and an offseason filled with name changes and finger pointing, Nap and the Eagles take aim at the NFC crown yet again. Despite winning 14 games a season ago, this team knows exactly who they must beat to reach their goals. The only problem: The NFC East is stronger than ever.

Giants — Big Blue is loaded again after dominating the offseason, but the road back to the playoffs is as murky as ever. If Davis Webb can navigate this division, every team in the NFC must take notice. The biggest question will be if they can make it out.

Redskins — Another franchise that simply cannot keep an owner, Daniel Snyder has given the reins to FeliF3l to reverse the fortunes of the franchise. While the offense needs work, this defense could wreak havoc in the NFC East and conference as a whole

NFC North —

Packers — After back to back SB trips and 1 ring, Rob and the Packers fell short last season, losing in the NFC Championship game. Despite loading up in free agency last offseason, the Packers return as strong as ever to reclaim the conference. The odds-on favorite will be challenged within the division more than in years past, but a playoff run seems to be in order.

Vikings — Another franchise that cannot keep an consistent owner, the Vikings have enlisted perennial Super Bowl contender Bosse to bring the Purple People Eaters their first SB title. Armed with nearly $100 million in cap, he immediately acquired game-changers JJ Watt and Tyrann Mathieu to overhaul the defense and give this squad a legit shot at the division and conference.

Lions — The free-spending Lions just barely missed the playoffs and were rewarded with a tougher division and an iffy draft. Ronald Campbell may turn out to be the answer to the North’s dominant WR in the long run, but can the Lions surprise many and sneak into the playoffs in a stout NFC?

Bears — Its hard to pass in the Windy City, but it hasn't been so hard to win there. Raiyel Ridgeway is certainly better than anyone in this draft, so the past season wasn’t a total loss, but the Bears have loaded up on defense and will look to win more games in 2022.

NFC South

Falcons — After coming up short vs the eventual champions in a record breaking season, BH and the Dirty Birds bring back the same 12–4 team looking to win the NFC South going away again. Since the division apparently isn’t ever a concern, can this team actually beat the Diablos or Packers in a big game?

Bulls — After a period of operating without an owner, the Bulls have turned to SBII participant Lemar to return the team to the playoffs. After some weird FA RB signings and practically giving David Johnson away as a result, the roster still seems balanced enough to compete in the division. Falcons vs Bulls will be must see TV.

Blues — After a curious move to the Windy City, the former Saints come to town with an aging roster and a closing window. Despite making the playoffs last season in a loaded conference, not many give this team a chance to repeat the feat. Can they sneak into the dance?

Panthers — After losing Cam, Luke, and their owner in a 24 hour period, the reeling Panthers reached out to a new leader to bring the team into their new era. Kyran heads a talented, but flawed Panthers roster that will be relying on a rookie QB in a tough conference. A sneaky spoiler team that will get better as the season progresses.

NFC West

Diablos — Donte completed an extremely impressive turnaround season for the Diablos, winning the Super Bowl without losing to any user, and looks to continue his run despite losing Watkins. There’s a handful of talented teams on the heels of the champs, but until dethroned, the class of the league is clear.

Cardinals — In just one offseason, the Cardinals look to have an team ready to compete in a conference with the league’s best offenses and a new owner willing to make the moves needed. The defense has pieces, but this offense could be special. If this team can compete with the defending champs, look out.

Seahawks — If the 12th man can help this team win some home games, you never know what kind of noise the Seahawks can make. Led by an owner willing to make sudden changes, we’ll see if the Seahawks can build on a better-than-awful season a year ago.

49ers — The Niners are led by a stud QB who doesn’t have the luxury of a workhorse back to take the pressure off in a tough conference. We know the owner will compete in every game, but can this team play spoiler while building around the Chosen One?

Awards:

AFC —

OPOY: Marcus Mariota, Oilers

DPOY: Jalen Ramsey, Jets

OROY: Marshall Hadley, Bengals

DROY: George Lewis, Black Knights

NFC:

OPOY: Arron Rodriquez, Packers

DPOY: Harmon Christian, Vikings

OROY: Pierce Carlson, Vikings

DROY: Devin Suttle, 49ers

Playoff Predictions:

AFC —

Wildcard: Black Knights at Bulldogs + Thunderbirds at Jets

Divisional: Jets at Steelers + Black Knights at Oilers

Conference Championship: Steelers at Oilers

NFC —

Wildcard: Vikings at Falcons + Eagles at Cowboys

Divisional: Vikings at Diablos + Cowboys at Packers

Conference Championship: Packers at Diablos

Super Bowl: Oilers vs Packers

SBVI Champion: Packers

Let me give a quick introduction to myself, the DFS player. I am what you would consider a profitable low stakes NFL and NBA only player who plays primarily on FanDuel and DraftKings. I tend to favor GPPs (Guaranteed Prize Pool) type contests over cash games, which are multipliers (H2H, 50/50, Double Up) with a much higher win rate. As a result, my win rate is around 24%. I very rarely enter contests that cost over $25 per entry without a ticket, and I’ve never taken the opportunity to seriously mass enter any contest, not even the $1 ones. I don’t use any fancy algorithms or player projection models to select my players (in NFL), nor do I pay a monthly subscription for a site to do the player research for me. In one word, my play style is casual. Based on these facts, if you had read any of the NYT’s articles relating to DFS experiences, you might assume that I am a losing player who is constantly feasted upon by the sharks and pros of the industry. As much as I’d like to say the reason that this isn’t true is because I’m so naturally knowledgeable about my two favorite sports, a big reason why is because of the games that I choose to play on a regular basis. Finding games with increased odds of cashing or that have a level entry playing field are key to enjoying this industry as a low stakes player.

On one hand, my conservative approach to DFS comes from the fear of losing. I hate to lose at anything, but DFS has a cruel way of eating away at your money and inflated ego. Wise words on the matter came from @TheEndIsNir, a hilarious DFS personality/contributor on Twitter, who once told me that grinding out games with small money is an endless battle, but to play what you can afford to lose. When you play like this, losing isn’t jeopardizing your well-being, so I took it to heart. During the NFL season, I have played about an average of $150 a week. Where I seek my advantage is in the game selection every night/week.

With the NFL season looming and the Week 1 contests on both major DFS sites being posted, I’m going to highlight a few of my favorite contests, both cash games and GPPs, for the casual player heading into the 2016 season.

Cash Games (H2H, 50/50s, Double Ups):

Let me start off by saying that while there is a great argument for why cash games are great to play, I have historically shied away from them for the most part and entirely in NFL. Cash games are generally used for a disciplined grind that I don’t really enjoy, especially the H2H option. However, I have become more open to Double Ups, granted that they are Single Entry contests. I prefer the SE/568 entry contests to increase odds of cashing and to stay out of the BIG double up contests that have 40k+ entries with 150 multi-entry limits per user because you tend to see tons of duplicated lineups/lineup trains in these types of contests. Again, plenty would argue that any cash game is worth entering, I personally don’t value the return enough to play the big contests. DraftKings also runs single entry double ups as well, generally at the $1 and $3 entry points, which may be even more enticing on a budget.

GPP contests (Guaranteed Prize Pool)

With the return of the NFL season comes HUGE GPP tournaments being offered by both of the major DFS sites. Some (see: strict cash game truthers) see entries into these contests as lottery tickets due to the amount of entries available, but the seemingly unreachable cash prize is what we play for right? So while I have my favorite GPP contests to enter on each site, slightly higher stakes contests such as the $25 entry NFL Sunday Million on FD or $20 entry Sunday Special on DK should certainly be considered if you have the means to enter. Hindsight is 20/20, but even sharper when you think about potential lost winnings after a great night.

Top 5 low stakes GPP contests on DraftKings:

• $5 Nickel 3 entry max — One of my favorite contests. Period. Not only are the odds of cashing (+$3) fairly high for a GPP (nearly 27% of entries cash), you are reasonably able to max multi enter this contest for $15 due to the entry restriction. With a $10K top prize in a contest with reasonably equal odds for every player, this is one of the best NFL contests offered.
• $3 Pylon Single Entry — Single Entry, less than 40K entries + reasonably good odds (20%) of cashing (2x entry) with a top prize of $10K. Example of why many push the Single Entry Movement.
• $3 Triple Option 3 entry max — Very similar to the Nickel, another must enter but top prize ($3k) is far less compared to the previous two contests.
• $1 Daily Dollar Single Entry — The ultimate budget contest, can turn $1 into $2k at the same odds as everyone else.
• $3 Millionaire Maker — Biggest contest of the day, can enter for $3 and win $1 million. In an industry where anything can happen, you’d be remiss to not enter. Also known as a skilled lottery ticket.

Top low stakes GPP contests on FanDuel:

• The Single Entry contests that FanDuel runs during the NFL season have always been very good, but Week 1 they seem to be a bit less enticing than normal. I’m hoping that these contests were created before the NY DFS bill was signed and that they’ll improve a bit, but as is, they are all still worth entering. One note: it’s interesting that the $2 Safety has the same first prize as it previously did with nearly 20k less entries, so I’m optimistic that the payout structure will improve as the season progresses.
• $25 Sunday Million is fairly self-explanatory ($200K to 1st), but I do also like the $5 Sunday Rush. 231K total entries + max entries: 150, but with a reasonable price point and cash rate (20%), the $100K first prize is well worth the risk.
• Week 1 has FanDuel running 2 different $2 entry NFL Snap contests with different payout structures. IMHO, there’s no question which structure makes more sense but don’t take my word for it. Check the cash rates and top prize and make the wise choice

• Note: Leagues on FD have been changed for Week 1 (250 player leagues aren’t offered Week 1), however they are still single entry contests. These are worth joining as competing with 99 other players for a set prize makes sense if you realize your best lineup probably isn’t in the top 5% of the entire country. On the other hand, if your lineup is in the top 5% of a big contest (250K entries), you’ll very likely beat out any collection of 100 entries. The $1, $2 and $5 single entry leagues are my favorites for a couple of reasons. Every time I’ve had a contending lineup in a major tourney, I’ve swept every 100-man league I entered, not to mention the times that a lineup barely cashing in a major tourney could do better in a smaller format. These leagues are a great way to make the most of a great lineup that you didn’t play in any high stakes games. This example from December 2015 may illustrate my point a bit better — note that this was prior to FanDuel changing these to 100 man leagues for Week 1 of the 2016 season.

• Single Entry multipliers are always worth a look, but the 558 entry quintuple ups are the best ones offered. Not only can you play as little as $2 in these for a great return, your odds are the same as your opponents.
• FanDuel has 3 entry contests similar to DraftKings such as the $3 Hail Mary, but in trying to duplicate this excellent idea, they capped the potential of these contests. These are still worth entering, but aren’t as enticing as the regular single entry tourneys offered.

#DontBeASucker Contest of Week 1

I beg you not to enter this contest, even if it's just $1. With very little upside, this is a prime example of the sites taking advantage of the inexperienced player.

I’ve found that having a contest entry game plan has allowed me to organize my entries and compete with the very best in the industry, but on my own level. Sticking to this game plan has allowed me to make the most out of a limited budget, while capitalizing on my very best lineups. Again, none of this is mind-blowing information, but I do think it’s important to continue fighting the narrative that the average skilled player can’t find DFS glory. Good luck to all playing this 2016 season; you can follow me via Twitter tilting my own picks at @LBoogieonSports.

UPDATE (11/2): NFL Midseason + NBA

Since I put together this short article on NFL DFS game selection, the landscape of the industry has changed quite a bit. Mainly, a merger between the two major powers seems to be inevitable and the contests offered have been severely depressed since the massive overlay in week 1 of the season. All of the contests mentioned prior still exist, but the payout structures are mostly different, so its critical to continue to educate yourself on each contest before entering. For example, the great 3 entry max $5 NFL Nickel still runs weekly on DraftKings, but its 10x smaller (4,705 entries/20k total prizes compared to 47,058/200k total prizes in week 1). I think its important that these changes are highlighted, although I certainly wouldn’t let it discourage you from continuing to enter these contests if you’ve gotten into a weekly routine. The idea that single entry + three entry max tourneys are the way to go for the low stakes player hasn’t changed, but the maximum payouts have. Contests on FanDuel have also gotten a bit smaller, but not as drastically as on DraftKings. With that said, the $1 3 entry max Singleback is one weekly GPP on DK that wasn’t previously mentioned, but is a weekly must enter for myself.

With the first week of the NBA season quickly passing by, it seems that we have a good idea of the daily NBA DFS games being offered by FanDuel and Draftkings. Similar to NFL, there are giant GPP contests with huge first place prizes, but the key is finding edge in contest selection. After one week, the guaranteed prize pools for these contests has fluctuated based on the day of the week/number of games being played on the main slate, but there are a few contests on both sites that I want to highlight, as I will be entering nearly every single day. Please note that I do typically enter the $500k type GPPs on both sites, but also treat them as “skilled lottery tickets”.

Part of my reasoning behind entering FanDuel’s $1 NBA Swat every day is that all three entries can be covered for as little as $1 apiece in their 100 man leagues that I enjoy so much. In NBA, these leagues are 3 entry max, which matches up perfectly with the daily Swat. Despite the allure of the big GPP, its good to step back and put in perspective just how unlikely it may be to win these contests even with a superb lineup. Below is an early season example of how a lineup of mine in the top 1% of the night returned less value in the big (low cost) GPP of the day than it did in 100 player leagues. Potenitally the same $4 used to enter the large GPP contest of the day could’ve returned 5x more cash. Its obviously not a guarantee to win every single 100 player league with a top lineup like this, but in my experience, it generally works out that way. Just another reason why the 3 entry Swat + 3 entry 100 man leagues are my go-to low stakes contests for this NBA DFS season.