DrafKings is introducing single game contests for the first time during this month’s NFL Playoffs.
DraftKings is pushing the envelop of daily fantasy sports this week with the introduction of single game contests throughout the 2018 NFL playoff season.
The DraftKings is offering a Wild Card Round contest for the last game on Sunday (Carolina vs New Orleans) but also has division rounds and conference championship games planned. No official word on the Super Bowl at this time, but that seems to be a natural fit given the popularity of the game.
Everything you love about fantasy ? packed into 1️⃣ game.
Introducing the NFL Single-Game Showdown – Now including defensive players.
Draft now: https://t.co/Jdr8jY2M3h pic.twitter.com/tM0yGSYmS2
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) January 4, 2018
How to Play DraftKings Single Game Contests
Given the smaller pool of players in a Single Game contests, the roster sizes for DraftKings Single Game Contests will be smaller, but also include defensive players.
DrafKings users will need to select a lineup of six players and stay under a $50,000 salary cap. Rosters will consist of four offensive players and two defensive players. Unlike most forms of DFS, you will be able to select players from any positions (in theory, you could have four quarterbacks on your team).
Single game contest scoring
Scoring for DraftKings Single Game Showdown contests use traditional scoring for offensive players but also a group of categories for defensive players as well, according to the chart below.
| WSOP 2018 Main Event Final Table | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Country | Chip Count | Lifetime Live Tournament Cashes (Hendon Mob) | WSOP Cashes (WSOP.com) | Career WSOP Winnings | Prize |
| 1 | Michael Dyer | United States | 156,500,000 | $95,020 | 3 | $79,969 | |
| 2 | Nicolas Manion | United States | 72,250,000 | $16,739 | 1 | $5,769 | |
| 3 | John Cynn | United States | 61,550,000 | $944,786 | 16 | $739,416 | |
| 4 | Tony Miles | United States | 57,500,000 | $54,333 | 5 | $17,539 | |
| 5 | Joe Cada | United States | 29,275,000 | $10,779,041 | 33 | $10,340,058 | |
| 6 | Aram Zobian | United States | 16,700,000 | $110,444 | 10 | $22,191 | |
| 7 | Alex Lynskey | Australia | Busted | $1,769,667 | 14 | $556,389 | $1,500,000 |
| 8 | Artem Metalidi | Ukraine | Busted | $2,131,434 | 25 | $728,254 | $1,250,000 |
| 9 | Antoine Labat | France | Busted | $194,789 | 2 | $6,857 | $1,000,000 |
What Make These Contests Unique?
Fantasy sports have historically not been associated with a single game contest. Throughout much of its history, season-long fantasy sports was the rule, until the 2006 UIGEA law came along and redefined what fantasy sports could be.
Daily fantasy sports were born, but since launching the games, operators have rarely offered single game contests due to logistics and interpretations of federal laws which mention that fantasy sports be consist of “multiple” events.
The language in the 2006 law was an attempt to differentiate popular fantasy leagues from sports betting and it did not necessarily intend for DFS.
But as DFS has become popular and states regulate the games, single game contests appear to be more palatable to operators, especially as states expressly allow single game contests, including New York where DraftKings is based.
Single event contests in non-team sports have been offered for a few years now (NASCAR, golf) and the debate seems to be quieting whether these contests ever violate any law.
The Supreme Court is also considering a possible reversal on a federal sports betting ban that has essentially limited sports betting in the United States to just Nevada.
Between additional states regulating and allowing single game DFS, single event sports and a potential paradigm shift with sports betting in general, DraftKings apparently feels the time is right to offer these contests.
Joining DraftKings Single Game Contests
DraftKings users can find DraftKings Single Game Contests by going to DraftKings lobby and selecting “Showdown” contests from the “Game Style” filter.
At present time, single game contests are only offered for the last game of a slate. In weekends where there are more than one game, traditional contests will be offered as well.
DraftKings shares three main pieces of advice for these games:
- Think about the flow of the game
- Don’t consider team defense
- Focus on tackles and interceptions.
