SportsGeek can keep trying to play the ‘nerd’ card, but the truth is they are one of the coolest and most unique weekly fantasy sites on the market. Don’t let the name throw you off, SportsGeek is doing things no other daily fantasy site is doing right now, and that could mean more money for you. With a few minor tweaks, we believe SportsGeek could take the daily fantasy industry by force.
Game Offerings
SportsGeek’s Game Offerings are on the up and up. The innovators of the Large-Filed Contest (GPP), Sports Geek has been around and offering NFL contest with thousands in guaranteed cash since 2009. In addition to offering the largest fields and guaranteed prize pools, SportsGeek now offers your traditional salary cap games as well for the four major sports. If you are looking for large fields with large payouts SportsGeek is your site. Each week, the ‘Geek’ offers a Challenge spanning six different buy-in levels ranging from free up to $55. SportsGeek puts a Guarantee on each prize pool of each cash Challenge leading to huge fields and big prizes. Here is a picture of their Guaranteed Prize Pools from the 2010 NFL Season:
NFL GPPs 2010
| Buy-In | Guaranteed Prize Pool | Places Paid | Max Entrants |
|---|---|---|---|
| $11 Challenge | $5,000 | 60 Places | 500 Entrants |
| $55 Challenge | $7,500 | 25 Places | 150 Entrants |
| Free | 1038 Geek Points | 21 Places | Unlimited (Avg. around 500) |
| Code Entry | $500 | 3 Places | Unlimited w/ Code (Avg. around 150) |
These large field sizes and prize pools provide you a great opportunity to turn a small investment into a big prize; SportsGeek’s ‘Geek of the Week’ often takes home over $3,000 and more in winnings. If you are only looking for large-field weekly games, you’re good to go at the Geek. SportsGeek offers weekly Football, Basketball, Baseball and Poker, and has Golf in the works. In this SportsGeek Review, I have to give them bonus points for the time being for being the innovator of Large-Field GPPs in the industry. While they may not offer all of the game offerings at their site just yet, they are still increasing the overall game offerings available to daily fantasy players since no other site is doing what Sports Geek is doing.
Roster, Rules and Scoring
To diversify lineups within such large field sizes, SportsGeek utilizes larger roster sizes than standard fantasy sites and sometimes incorporates unique positions (such as an Independent Defensive Player in the NFL). The larger roster sizes are also a benefit for skilled players as they make for a more accurate test of skill and knowledge.
The Geek also uses a $1,000 Salary cap for rosters, utilizing very effective player salary rankings. The combination of the large roster and moderately-strict Salary cap makes for very few to zero duplicate entries in the large fields. You are allowed unlimited entries for each league which is a nice option to reduce the variance. However, it would be nice to see some fixed-entry contests in the future as well.
Software and Interface
SportsGeek has created of a very clean, crisp site that is easy to navigate and runs smoothly. You can easily navigate the site, and your cashier information is readily viewable. Registering a team and selecting your roster is simple, and other sites should take note. One of the better features in SportsGeek’s leagues is the ability to quickly view the payouts and standings within the same league home page. In addition to Live Scoring for your team, you can also scroll through the huge fields and get Live Scoring for your competitors’ entries as well. This makes for a more professional, complete and interactive experience than you will find on most sites.
Customer Service
While SportsGeek now provides excellent customer service. There is an easily accessible contact form and email address, visible on all pages. Another contact option is SportsGeek’s 1-800 toll-free support number. This option is convenient, and they actually do answer it from 8 AM to 8 PM EST! SportsGeek is very friendly and courteous throughout their Customer Service processes. After leaving a message on the Geek’s voicemail I usually received a call back the next day. The only feature that might be missing is Live Chat.
Rake
SportsGeek’s rake ranges from 9-10% based on buy-ins, but often you will find that decreased (and potentially even find yourself with an overlay), if not enough people register for a Large-Field contest to meet the guarantee. This is better than the competition and very fair as long as their Guaranteed Prize Pools remain a risk for them to attain. The rake scales down to 9% at the $109 level. There is no RakeBack program, but they do have Geek Points and a Geek Store which most of the competition does not offer.
Bonuses and Promotions
In addition to our special SportsGeek Promo Code offered, SportsGeek allows users to earn Geek Points which can be exchanged for tangible items in their ‘Geek Store’ as well as buying into certain freeroll leagues. While the Gift store provides all of the expected goodies, it has some decent variety and offers value that many daily fantasy sites do not. More important than the Geek Store, is what our Promo Code gives you! You’ll receive a $50 Bonus (accrual method) and a $11 Free instantaneously!
SportsGeek Bonuses and Promo Codes include:
Registration Process
Steps To Register: Sign up through through the any of the SportsGeek links on this page. Make sure our name appears in the Promo Field
- Enter Promo Code: ROTOGRINDERS
Cashier
SportsGeek offers one of the more secure Cashiers, and they now offer the full benefit of PayPal deposits. They offer the option for depositing via eCheck. This method is simple enough. You enter your checking info, create a PIN, and electronically sign the check. However, it is limiting any deposits over $50 are not processed until the eCheck clears. Withdrawals are limited but effective. The only option to withdrawal is via Cashier’s Check by mail. You may Withdrawal once per week, and your withdrawal amount has no restrictions. Finally, SportsGeek allows you to transfer money between users on the site. This is a great feature, and is a rare and useful feature to daily fantasy sports.