Baseball is one of America’s favorite pastimes, so it’s no wonder why daily fantasy on the sport is so popular in the USA. In this guide to the best fantasy baseball sites, we’ve highlighted several top operators that provide a number of exciting competitions.
You’ll find DFS fantasy baseball tournaments with low buy-ins and a number of options that have unique rules and features. By reading this guide, you’ll learn about each site’s offers and will be able to get started with ease.
| DraftKings | Deposit bonus up to $500 | Visit Site | Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Help is available for problem gambling. Call (888) 789-7777 or visit ccpg.org(CT). 18+ in most eligible states, but age varies by jurisdiction. Eligibility restrictions apply. | |
| OwnersBox | Up to $500 First Deposit Match | Visit Site | T&Cs apply. 18+. New players only. | |
| ParlayPlay | Up to $100 Deposit Match | Visit Site | T&Cs apply. 18+. New players only. | |
| Jock MKT | Up to $250 Deposit Match | Visit Site | T&Cs apply. 18+. New players only. |
Just a quick heads up: we at FantasyFest provide advice that’s completely independent and unbiased. Sometimes, we feature affiliate links on our pages, these may generate income for us at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
How to Play Fantasy Baseball
Daily fantasy baseball follows standard fantasy competition rules, in that you must create teams of life baseball players from one league. You will score points based on the real-life performances of your chosen players. At the end of the tournament, the best-scoring players will win a portion of the total prize pool.
Essentially, you’ll be competing against a group of other participants or “managers” to draft your teams of up to 23 players. In DFS, the competitions will only last for one day or one week, so you’ll need to regularly buy in and draft new teams. How each site or competition counts scores and facilitates drafts can vary from game to game.
The most popular daily fantasy baseball league is Major League Baseball, but you’ll also be able to find competitions for international leagues and the American and National Leagues.
Overview of Fantasy Baseball with DraftKings
DraftKings is one of the most popular fantasy baseball sites in the world for good reason. The site is not only responsive and high-quality, but it provides a diverse experience with the ability to choose the ideal competition for your needs. The DraftKings fantasy product is excellent for both newcomers and seasoned managers.
As a new user, you’ll be able to claim a welcome bonus, and there are regular competition promotions available to keep things dynamic. You can play fantasy baseball with a group of your friends or total strangers, and customize your tournament to cater to different budgets and tastes.
Types of DraftKings Fantasy Baseball DFS Contests
Before you join a tournament at DraftKings, it’s helpful to understand the difference between its many contest options. These can provide different drafting or scoring features, may differ in duration, and can have boosted payout options. The following are the most popular DraftKings fantasy baseball contests.
DraftKings “MLB Classic”
The MLB Classic contest uses the standard salary cap requirement of $50,000. Each participant must build a lineup of 10 players from the Major League that are scheduled to play in at least two different MLB games. There is a limit of 5 hitters per team. The winners will be decided based on who scores the most points.
Scoring
| Hitters | Pitchers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | +3 Pts | Inning Pitched | +2.25 Pts (+0.75 Pts/Out) |
| Double | +5 Pts | Strikeout | +2 Pts |
| Triple | +8 Pts | Win | +4 Pts |
| Home Run | +10 Pts | Earned Run Allowed | -2 Pts |
| Run Batted In | +2 Pts | Hit Against | -0.6 Pts |
| Run | +2 Pts | Base on Balls Against | -0.6 Pts |
| Base on Balls | +2 Pts | Hit Batsman | -0.6 Pts |
| Hit by Pitch | +2 Pts | Complete Game | +2.5 Pts |
| Stolen Base | +5 Pts | Complete Game Shutout | +2.5 Pts |
| No Hitter | +5 Pts | ||
DraftKings “MLB Tiers”
Rather than build your team within a salary, participants must pick their lineup according to player tiers. Each baseball player will be assigned a tier, with participants required to include a player from each tier. This adds another level of fairness to competitions. Teams must include players competing in at least two games.
DraftKings “MLB Showdown”
The MLB Showdown is a salary cap contest that requires players only draft six-player teams. Another major difference is that one of the players must be assigned as the captain, while the other six are defined as utility players. Your captain will score 1.5X the standard fantasy point values but will cost more.
DraftKings “MLB Short Slate”
The MLB Short Slate competition is the same as the Classic competition, though participants will only draft teams of seven players instead of 10. The same $50,000 salary cap applies. You must have no more than four hitters drafted to your team. It’s worth noting that hitting statistics will not count for Pitchers, and pitching statistics will not count for Hitters.
DraftKings “MLB Arcade”
In MLB Arcade, participants must draft teams of six players scheduled to play in at least two different games. Lineups must consist of five hitters and one pitcher, with no position for hitters required. The primary advantage of this contest is that it is faster-paced and will focus on smaller selections of games rather than the entire slate.
DraftKings “MLB Lowball”
The Lowball contest uses the same drafting system as MLB Tiers, in that teams must include a player from each tier. Unlike regular contests, the aim of Lowball is to score as few points as possible. This can be extremely enjoyable and humorous, as you’ll be rooting for your selections to play poorly.
DraftKings “MLB Noisemaker Series”
The Noisemaker Series is similar to the MLB Showdown contest, in that you’ll be choosing a highlighted player that can earn boosted points. Participants choose one Noisemaker and five utility players to round out their teams. There is a $50,000 salary cap on selections, with Noisemakers costing more than utility players.
DraftKings “MLB Series”
The MLB Series contest utilizes a more traditional fantasy sport structure in that points are accumulated from performances of games in a series, such as an entire playoff series. Participants draft teams of six players, with one player highlighted as the captain. You won’t be able to edit your draft after the first game.
DraftKings “MLB Snake”
In MLB Snake, participants draft their selections using a live snake system. This is different to tiered and salary cap drafting, in that participants take turns drafting players one-by-one in a way that creates greater equity. You’ll need to draft teams of seven players, including two in-fielders, two out-fielders, two utility players, and one bench.
DraftKings “MLB Snake Showdown”
Similar to MLB Snake, this Showdown contest utilizes the snake draft system. Your highest scoring players will make up your starting lineup. The biggest difference is that your team will only feature four selections, including three utility players and one bench. This is a much more challenging contest.
DraftKings “MLB Dark Horse Value Pick”
This contest is similar to the the Noisemaker Series in that you will need to highlight one player that will earn a 1.5X multiplier on their points. The biggest difference is that they will need to have a UTIL salary of $7,500 or less. This must take into account the higher cost of their Captain-like status.
Features of the DraftKings Baseball Fantasy Mobile App
The DraftKings mobile app is among the best fantasy baseball apps due to its versatility and beautiful platform design. You’ll be able to draft your teams, make transactions, adjust your account settings, and check your scores through this app. It can be downloaded on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.
DraftKings Fantasy Baseball Summary
The DraftKings fantasy platform is one of the most trusted names in daily fantasy sports contests. Its huge user base ensures that you’ll always be able to find games for each contest type. The buy-ins are reasonably priced and competitions are well-matched to ensure fair competitions.
The website itself relies on a powerful platform that is guaranteed to be stable and reliable. The most popular baseball fantasy league is Major League Baseball. As a user of the DFS platform, you’ll also be able to enjoy the site’s sports betting platform.
Overview of Fantasy Baseball with ParlayPlay
ParlayPlay provides users with a unique way to enjoy daily fantasy sports that differs from other major competitors such as DraftKings. This makes the site standout from the competition, in that you won’t be able to find the same experience anywhere else. The primary feature of the ParlayPlay mobile site is its two unique contest types, which we’ll explain shortly.
ParlayPlay is also based on player props, which make the contests closer aligned with sports betting. You will be asked to make predictions on specific player’s performances as opposed to your entire team’s performances. Another benefit is that there are free to play contests which are similar to regular DFS tournaments.
Scoring
| Hitters | Pitchers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 3 Pts | Inning Pitched | 3 Pts |
| Double | 6 Pts | Strikeout | 3 Pts |
| Triples | 9 Pts Pts | Win | 6 Pts |
| Home Run | 12 Pts | Earned Run Allowed | -3 Pts |
| Runs Batted In (RBIs) | 3 Pts | ||
| Run | 3 Pts | ||
| Walk or BB (Base on Balls) | 3 Pts | ||
| Hit by Pitch (HBP) | 3 Pts | ||
| Stolen Base (SB) | 6 Pts | + | |
Types of ParlayPlay Fantasy Baseball Contests
You can play enjoy one of two contest types at ParlayPlay: More/Less or Hit It. Both utilize the same point system above, but are much different in terms of the drafting process. Both are great for baseball fans, though the only league supported is Major League Baseball.
ParlayPlay “More/Less”
In the More/Less competition, players select between two and four athletes that are competing in major league baseball event. You then predict whether an athlete will score more or less than their projected stats. At the end of the event, you will win a payout based on the number of athletes and your correct picks.
ParlayPlay “Hit It”
Hit It sees players slect two athletes that will compete in a sporting event. For each athlete, you must predict a projected point range. If you predict the main value ranges correctly for both of your picks, you’ll win 6X the entry fee. If you predict only one, your payout will be 2X the entry fee.
ParlayPlay Fantasy Baseball Summary
ParlayPlay is one of the best sites for fantasy baseball due to its unconventional contests. It will particularly suit those who are familiar with sports betting props. Another great feature is that there are free-to-play games, so you’ll get to practice your DFS betting without risking any of your cash.
Overview of Fantasy Baseball with OwnersBox
The OwnersBox DFS provides an innovative daily fantasy sports betting option that utilizes two distinct contest modes. Contestants will be able to participate in weekly drafts, with games lasting between two and four weeks. The site is legal in most US states and is verified to be fair, safe, and secure.
Currently, the only league that is available for baseball DFS at OwnersBox is Major League Baseball. Below you’ll find the scoresheet for both types of fantasy baseball contests.
Scoring
| Hitters | Pitchers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 3 Pts | Outs | 1 |
| Walks | 2 Pts | Strikeout | 3 Pts |
| Hit by Pitch | 2 Pts Pts | Win | 6 |
| Doubles | 6 Pts | Shutout | 3 Pts |
| Triples | 9 Pts | Save | 6 Pts |
| Home Runs | 12 Pts | Hit Allowed | -0.5 Pts |
| RBIs | 3 Pts | Walk Allowed | -0.5 Pts |
| Run Score | 2 Pts | Hit Batter | -0.5 Pts |
| Stolen Bases | 4 Pts | Earned Run | -3 Pts |
| Strikeouts | -0.5 Pts | ||
| Caught Stealing | -1 Pts | ||
| Picked Off | -1 Pts | ||
Types of OwnersBox Fantasy Baseball Contests
OwnersBox provides two different daily fantasy sports options for all of its sports. These include the Super Flex and Lightning Lineups options. While the scoring system is the same for both, they differ in the ways that you build lineups. This allows you to either rely on your own knowledge or help from the site’s intelligent automatic picking system.
OwnersBox “Super Flex”
The Super Flex system requires you to build your own nine-player lineups by clicking on a vacant baseball player slot, pressing the plus button, then choosing from the available players. You’ll be able to find extensive data about each player in their player cards. Once these slots have been filled, the Flex slot will be utilized.
This allows you to choose an additional player to fill your lineup. This can be an infielder, outfielder, or pitcher. The benefit of this is that these players can be great point-scorers, which should theoretically boost your final score. The Super Flex slot will then automatically be filled with another position.
OwnersBox “Lightning Lineups”
In Lightning Lineups, you will be able to choose between a number of pre-assigned lineups. To get started, click the Spin button to reveal the available three-player lineups. Then, select the lineup you believe will score the most points before the countdown bar reaches the halfway point.
If you choose none, another spin will occur at the end of the timer. If you select multiple lineups, the payout multiplier will increase. You have unlimited respins, so it’s worth being patient until you are comfortable with the options.
OwnersBox Fantasy Baseball Summary
The best thing about the OwnersBox baseball daily fantasy betting site is that it is unique from all other options. This makes it a great option for players looking for something that is new and unconventional. The site allows for easy and informed lineup building and the payouts can be very generous.
Baseball DFS Tips & Strategy
There are several tried and tested strategies for fantasy baseball that you can follow to increase your performance. The most fundamental strategy is to commit to plenty of research. You’ll want to have a thorough understanding of player statistics and their upcoming opponents to draft from the ideal events. Reviewing sportsbook odds for player props can be help to highlight favorable options.
Consider a full season’s worth of statistics rather than recent games. When you build your teams, start by choosing your primary stack before moving to your secondary players. The weather place a factor in a squad’s success. The weather in baseball is incredibly important, so check the forecasts of all events that you’ll be drafting players from as this will be a strong indicator of how they usually perform.
Guide to Baseball DFS Roster Construction
When drafting your teams, you will need to be aware of each site’s limitations and allowances. A common drafting strategy is to stack your hitters, which means to draft hitters from the same team. The benefit of this is that if a batter hits and runs, his teammates will also usually score.
You’ll then want to research which team is playing against an opponent that it is likely to win against and score runs from. Players can also check the hitters’ historical performances against the opposing pitchers’ handedness to gauge whether they are likely to run. Also check whether its likely that your picks will be batting in the first place.
For pitchers, there are some helpful metrics to look at that can indicate their potential performance. These include their strikeout percentages and the performances of their upcoming hitters when it comes to batting against players with similar handedness. Stacking pitchers is not as advantageous as stacking hitters, so review players in multiple events.
Helpful Baseball DFS Resources
Are you looking for more tips and insights into daily fantasy baseball? There are several helpful resources that you can use to help with your weekly picks or to find discussions about great deals and offers. We recommend you check out DFS podcasts for weekly roundups on expert picks and predictions.
There are also several YouTube channels that discuss daily fantasy sports, as well as community forums on sites such as Reddit that discuss relevant topics. Of course, the Major League Baseball website provides a wealth of accurate, up-to-date data that can be reviewed before you make any selections.
Much like one can find playing fantasy basketball, there are certain websites offering paid subscriptions for lineup optimizers. Doing extensive research and checking out forums such as Reddit can be used to find out which would be the most suitable for your needs.
Our Pick of the Top Daily Fantasy Baseball Mobile App
If you’re looking for a daily fantasy betting app that has the most options, we suggest you sign up with DraftKings. This site has the largest user base of daily fantasy sports for good reason, and there are over 10 different contest variations to choose from. It’s mobile app has also been well-designed to allow for easy drafting and account navigation.
| DraftKings | Deposit bonus up to $500 | Claim Bonus | Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Help is available for problem gambling. Call (888) 789-7777 or visit ccpg.org(CT). 18+ in most eligible states, but age varies by jurisdiction. Eligibility restrictions apply. |
Final Thoughts on Choosing a Baseball Fantasy Site
Baseball daily fantasy sports betting is an extremely exciting activity, and we’ve provided three top sites that offer a unique drafting experience. With low buy-ins available, we suggest that you try each option to see which suits your individual preferences. These are varied in terms of the payouts and drafting structure but have small learning curves for new players.
With newcomer DFS products disrupting the industry by offering new and improved daily fantasy baseball contests, established operators such as PrizePicks and FanDuel DFS have been losing their market share. This is all positive news for fantasy fans as the options to play become more extensive and exciting.
FAQ
What is the best fantasy baseball site for US players?
The best fantasy baseball site can come down to taste. For casual and experienced players searching for a unique DFS experience, it's hard to look past what is on offer at DraftKings. Their competition formats and game modes are incredibly diverse and innovative, while offering a different experience compared to the usual DFS providers.
When does daily fantasy baseball start?
Fantasy baseball coincides with the 2023 Major League Baseball season which is scheduled to start on 30th March 2023. If you're looking for a new DFS service this season, take a look at which DFS site we recommend.
Where is it legal to play baseball DFS in the United States?
Daily fantasy sports is currently legal in 46 states, though not even the best DFS providers are registered to operate in every state. DraftKings has the best coverage and is present in almost every legal state.
How do you pick the best fantasy baseball team?
Picking the optimal DFS baseball team is all about research. It's worth considering targeting games with high over/under totals and choosing players from those teams. At the end of the day, you should look for players with the most upside, or points potential versus their salary. This strategy can be applied to all of the best DFS operators in the US.
What are the best fantasy baseball podcasts?
For anything fantasy baseball (and daily fantasy sports in general), it's hard to look past what the team behind Awesemo produce. Their regular podcasts give DFS fans all the info they need to build a winning strategy no matter which game type.
What is the best fantasy baseball app?
OwnersBox has not only brought a unique DFS experience to players, but they've also been pioneers in regards of inventing new types of contests. They easily have the best fantasy baseball app on the market.