Fantasy sports has become one of the biggest industries in the country. The NFL dominates the fantasy sports landscape, while fantasy basketball and baseball also draw plenty of interest.
Season-long fantasy sports will always be popular. It is fun to draft your own team and manage it throughout a full season. Keeper and dynasty leagues add a whole different dynamic to that process.
However, in recent years daily fantasy sports have increased in popularity. You don't need to have the same amount of patience while playing DFS and can receive your reward for winning much faster.
Again, daily fantasy football, basketball and baseball tend to draw the most attention. College football and basketball are also quite popular. There are other sports worth taking a look at, however. Here are five lesser-known daily fantasy sports worth checking out.
Note: Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. It's another daily fantasy sport worth taking a look at as well, but it is not included in this list.
5. Tennis
Tennis offers a unique way to play fantasy sports. Even if you're not a tennis fan, if you're craving a new DFS opportunity, tennis may be the way to go.
Typically, you will draft a team of a certain number of players for a tournament/match while staying under a salary cap. The salary cap is implemented to avoid everyone selecting the same superstars.
It causes participants to utilize different strategies. Sometimes, DFS players will draft two or three superstars and use the rest of their picks on lesser-known tennis players with potential to break out.
Other times, DFS players will implement a balanced lineup. Either way, everyone who participates can formulate their own strategy. And if you don't know much about tennis, there are plenty of experts who offer advice everyday, as well as a lineup optimizer here at RotoWire.
Keep in mind that tennis tournaments can last a few days, so you may not receive immediate winnings depending on which contest you enter.
4. Hockey
Hockey is growing in the daily fantasy sports world, though it's included here as it still trails the NFL, NBA and MLB.
Those who have played DFS in football, basketball or baseball will find daily fantasy hockey quite familiar. DFS players will draft a team of skaters and a goalie and receive points from how their selections perform. Goals, assists and other statistics will ultimately determine how your team fares.
Hockey schedules are similar to the NBA. They both play 82 games in their seasons. Certain nights can feature a number of different games, while some nights may have just a game or two. DFS contests will be impacted by how many teams play in any given slate. Either way, DFS contests for the NHL are typically only one day long. Check out our NHL lineup optimizer if you need help getting started.
3. Auto Racing
NASCAR and Formula 1 are different sports, but both are racing, so we lumped them together at No. 3 on our list. They are both set up in similar fashion from a DFS standpoint, and can give even non-fans a reason to watch a race.
DFS managers simply need to sign up for a contest, draft their drivers, and earn points based on their driver's performance. There are different things to consider before entering a DFS NASCAR or F1 contest. Although they may look similar, all tracks are different. Additionally, even the top drivers can be impacted by car trouble.
As a result, utilizing multiple lineups is one alternative for DFS NASCAR and F1 players. This will give you multiple chances to find success if a star driver you draft in one lineup does indeed have some form of car trouble. RotoWire's NASCAR and Formula 1 lineup optimizers can help you come up with options.
2. MMA
MMA also provides a way for users to draft a lineup of the biggest stars while receiving a quick reward if your lineup wins. Again, there is a salary cap implemented and DFS players will need to stay under the maximum amount.
Of course, there is risk when it comes to DFS MMA. There is always the chance of an early KO, which can give huge scores and completely change the dynamic of a daily fantasy contest.
In similar fashion to NASCAR/F1, some DFS players opt to use multiple different lineups just in case one of their fighters does have an early exit. RotoWire's MMA lineup optimizer can help with the brainstorming process.
Another thing to remember is just because a fighter fails to win their bout doesn't mean they won't have a good performance in daily fantasy. As long as they make the fight last and record points throughout the rounds, you still may be in luck, in contrast to how you might be feeling if you placed a bet on a fighter who suffered a hard-fought loss.
1. Golf
You may be asking why golf is ranked No. 1 on our list. Not only is golf a growing sport with improving interest all over the world, it makes for some extremely exciting daily fantasy contests as well.
After drafting your lineup while staying under a salary cap, you will get to watch your golfers battle it out over the course of four days in a tournament.
Of course, not every golfer moves on after the second day, providing a lot of risk. Fortunately, there are plenty of golf DFS experts willing to provide the best advice, as well as our RotoWire lineup optimizer.
In the end, however, even the best players in the sport can have lackluster tournaments. The unpredictability of DFS golf is what makes it exciting, although it can be frustrating as well.
The key in DFS golf is to find sleepers who can help your team earn the victory. Everyone is going to rely on the stars, but finding a lesser-known player who ends up competing throughout the tournament, even if they don't win, is the key to earning DFS golf victories.
There are various different DFS sports worth trying out. But if you want a break from the big three sports, I would recommend taking a chance on one of these aforementioned options. Each provides a unique way to play DFS and makes watching games more exciting.
And who knows, perhaps you will end up becoming a true fan of one of these sports after participating in a few DFS contests.
