DFS fantasy managers know that fantasy football draft strategy is the key to victory in that type of fantasy football scoring format. Winging it is a bad idea in any type of fantasy league, but DFS leagues require you to have a strong strategy and, more importantly, that you use every method possible to gain an edge over your opponents.
This means that DFS fantasy managers must adjust every NFL optimizer setting correctly when putting together their squads. We will walk you through the settings that DFS players often forget to adjust. This includes configuring player exposure limits per contest type, fine tuning stacking and correlation rules, updating ownership and leverage settings, modifying projection sources and confirming contest rules, salary cap and roster construction settings.
We'll also explain how the multiple tools in the RotoWire fantasy football draft kit can help assure you that you have the correct optimizer settings in place.
Adjust Player Exposure Limits for Contest Type
The starting point for the best DFS optimizer settings is users customizing minimum and maximum exposure settings. These settings will be different depending on if you are playing a cash game, single-entry GPP or large-field tournament. That may mean altering your fantasy football rankings, but you can do that with the help of multiple tools available to you once you subscribe to RotoWire.
The idea for this type of optimization is to manage risk by avoiding overexposure to volatile players in DFS build. You want every upside possible, but at the same time need to avoid the floors that can destroy an otherwise successful DFS roster. RotoWire's fantasy football projections can help give you overexposure protection.
Fine-Tune Stacking and Correlation Rules
DFS fantasy managers must display master stacking settings, QB/WR game stacks, bring-backs and secondary correlations. These should all be adjusted depending on slate size and contest structure. The secondary correlations (or high-upside stacking combinations) are critical for maximizing upside in DFS tournaments. These are designed to find very high scoring ceilings on NFL depth charts by reviewing areas such as game script that other more direct approaches (such as QB/WR) may miss.
"When playing in GPPs, you'll want to use our stacks customization in order to build lineups that are more optimized for ceiling outcomes rather than floor," RotoWire DFS expert Ryan Pohle said. "The most common stack is to use a QB with two pass catchers from the same team and an opposing WR/TE from the same game. You can also select to exclude specific teams or games."
The NFL injury report is a primary reason for excluding specific teams or games from your stacks.
Update Ownership and Leverage Settings
Just as you don't want to use outdated fantasy football ADP information in season-long fantasy football, you should also be mindful of refreshing projected ownership percentages and adjusting leverage preferences when putting together your DFS lineups. This is doubly true as the lineup lock time closes in. If you fail to update ownership assumptions in time, it can greatly reduce your edge in large-field GPPs.
"When it comes to playing large tournaments, one thing to keep in mind is that you don't want to be too chalky," Pohle said. "You can set a maximum total rostership percentage in order to help get some leverage players in your lineup. Or if you want to use your own ownership projections, you have the option to download our template and upload yours."
Modify Projection Sources and Ceiling vs. Median Preferences
DFS optimizers often default to median projections. This is understandable given the usual advantage of playing the percentages, but when you are playing in a DFS tournament, you may benefit from prioritizing ceiling outcomes. It's akin to playing for upside when using a fantasy football cheat sheet in season-long fantasy leagues. RotoWire has many ways that you can adjust your projection blends. Doing this can help you limit lineup volatility and get the best upside options onto your DFS squad.
"In addition to the RotoWire Projections, we also have projections from The Fantasy Footballers, Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions that are available as an add-on," Pohle said. "And with our new ceiling and floor projections, you'll be able to select your preference depending on what type of DFS contest you're playing in."
Confirm Contest Rules, Salary Cap and Roster Construction
There is nothing more frustrating than putting in the work to make a strong DFS roster and then finding out that you weren't building the right type of squad for that league's rules. That's why it is beyond important to double-check site-specific settings such as salary cap, roster requirements, late-swap rules and scoring format.
The DFS world is so hyper-competitive that even a small configuration error in any of these areas can produce lineups that don't match the DFS contest you are playing in. You can easily double-check these settings via the RotoWire DFS optimizer. It's akin to using the RotoWire fantasy football mock draft in season-long leagues to make sure that you are approaching your fantasy draft in the most comprehensive manner possible.
