FanDuel Strategy with the "Drop a Score" Format
While DraftKings brought back late swap for the 2018-2019 season, FanDuel attempted a different type of change in the hopes of appealing to both the hardcore and casual player. NBA is the only major sport where FanDuel has not offered late swap in the past – again, a topic which has opinions that are all over the map that we don’t need to re-hash again. In any case, in a surprising announcement, FanDuel implemented a “drop your lowest score” feature for the 2018-2019 year.
As I have already alluded to, it’s obvious that no solution is going to appease the masses on this topic. Because of that, this was a damned if you do, damned if you don’t spot for FanDuel. Personally, I like having options to choose from, so I’m happy that FanDuel did not opt for the full late swap strategy like DraftKings did. I also have to give them some credit for trying something different. While their current solution may not be perfect, it also adds a layer of strategy to the game that many DFS players may not realize. There will also be inefficiencies in the early weeks as people try to get used to what the optimal strategy will be.
At first glance, the optimal nightly strategy will simply be to completely punt one roster spot. This leads to the main argument against this new format change. If everyone is completely punting one spot, then a late scratch still becomes a late scratch. You aren’t getting many points from your total punt, and then you are still stuck with a low score when you have a late scratch. I do agree that this will generally be the route most people take.
However, this change also opens up tons of angles to play the strategy game, especially in tournament formats. As I have discussed in prior lessons, the balanced lineup approach already checks in as a contrarian build most nights, especially on nights where there is a clear-cut punt play. That’s going to become even more of the case on FanDuel now, so give more credence to balanced builds in GPPs. In addition, I actually think you might be able to take the strategy of building lineups the same way you always have — making that “drop lowest score” truly what it is intended to be, and that is a buffer against a late scratch and/or complete dud. I am of the opinion that there is a lot more strategy to this than the masses are implying.
There isn’t as much strategy to this as there is to the DraftKings format, but don’t let it lull you to sleep. The approach that I am taking right now is to see what the masses are going to do, and look to leverage that if I feel many people are using a sub-optimal strategy. You can combine this information with the information from the other lessons, too, as leaving salary on the table is also viable in this format.
All these strategies for utilizing your salary cap should help you as you go about building your NBA rosters this year. I hope you found this course useful, and good luck moving forward!