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Yahoo fantasy sports enjoy tremendous notoriety regarding its season-long fantasy leagues.
In 2015, Yahoo attempted to leverage its enormous resources, reputation, and loyal user base to launch a Daily Fantasy platform, referred to as Yahoo Daily Fantasy.
At present, their DFS endeavor does not replicate the stratospheric levels of engagement attributed to their season-long competitions. Nonetheless, you must believe that eventually, they will figure things out, as they are traveling in the right direction.
Wondering if Yahoo Daily Fantasy is the right DFS site for you? This Yahoo Daily Fantasy review takes an in-depth look into the website and discusses its strengths, weaknesses, and what you need to think about before investing your hard-earned money.
An Overview of Yahoo Daily Fantasy
Key specifications:
- Price plan: Entry fees range from $0 to $1,050.
- Sports Available: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA, and EPL.
- Payment Methods: PayPal.
- Year Launched: 2015.
- Illegal States: Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, and Washington.
PROS
CONS
Things to Consider Before Playing DFS
Provided DFS is legal in your jurisdiction, and you meet the participation requirements, you can play DFS on Yahoo Daily Fantasy, or any site of your choosing.
The question that then necessitates a response is, should you play?
I would recommend DFS over season-long fantasy leagues any day of the week and twice on Sundays. The benefits are incalculable: the ability to draft a new team and compete every single day, the opportunity to win large sums of money every day, and avoidance of the daily grind of managing your year-long fantasy team.
Once you realize that DFS is for you, you must determine the site on which to play. You can consider myriad factors; however, some are more important than others.
Does the site provide contests for the sport desired? Yahoo Daily Fantasy provides contests in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA, and the EPL.
Are the entry fees within your budget? Yahoo Daily Fantasy offers every contest variety imaginable. The entry fees for their contests range from $0 (freerolls) to over $1,000 and every amount in-between.
Lastly, are you able to satisfy their deposit options? Yahoo Daily Fantasy is somewhat of an anomaly in that all deposits and withdrawals must go through PayPal. If you do not possess a PayPal account or have no desire to acquire one, then Yahoo Daily Fantasy is not for you.
Who can play at Yahoo Daily Fantasy?
To be eligible to enter any paid Contest, you must meet all of the following conditions:
- You are at least 18 years of age (19 if located in AL or NE, or 21 if located in MA).
- You are a resident of the District of Columbia, the United States, or Canada.
- You are not a resident of Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, Washington, or Quebec, Canada.
- You are physically located in a region that meets the three conditions mentioned above at the time of entry into a Contest.[1]
Features and Benefits of Yahoo Daily Fantasy
#1 Signing Up
Signing up for Yahoo Daily Fantasy is a breeze. When you’re ready to get serious, go to Daily Fantasy and register.[2]
- Sign in to your Yahoo account or sign up for a new one.
- Visit Yahoo Daily Fantasy.
- Link a PayPal account to play for money (US and CA).
#2 Entry Fee
Entry fees range from $0 (freerolls) to $10,500.
#3 Payouts
Upon completion of contests, Yahoo attempts to settle the distribution of financial winnings as quickly as possible. Still, this process may take longer, depending on when the final box score is received.
Once a contest has settled, payments will be made to prize winners (subject to verification) shortly after, typically by the next day.
Once your winnings are credited to your account, you may withdraw those winnings only through the PayPal account that you provided during the sign-up process.
Winnings are available to withdraw a few hours after a contest ends. Withdrawals are deposited directly into your linked PayPal account and are typically available within two business days.[3]
If you have a PayPal account or are willing to establish one, deposits and withdrawals proceed as seamless transactions.
#4 Sports Coverage
You can enter contests across six sports: NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, EPL, and PGA.
#5 Contests
In the lobby, you will find the listings for innumerable different contests. However, you can expeditiously locate competitions of interest using one or all of the available filters: entry fee (blue square), contest type (black oval), sport (red oval), and slate (green arrow).
Once you have filtered the contests as desired, you can identify the specific characteristics of your competition (red box).
In the picture above, I am looking for NBA contests available for the two slates offered on July 30 and July 31.
Kudos to the designers of this simple yet effective method to locate desired contests with great rapidity and ease.
Contest Types
There are four main contest types that you will encounter in the Yahoo Daily Fantasy lobby (black oval):
1. Guaranteed to Run: Guaranteed contests distribute their full prize pools, whether the matches fill or do not fill. All competitions not included in this category are not guaranteed to run, and will only do so if there are enough users to fill the contests. A contest that is not guaranteed to run and does not fill up with the preset number of entries will not occur, and your entry fees will be refunded.
2. 50/50: In 50/50 contests, the top half of the contest entries win virtually twice the entry fees.
3. Head to Head: In Head to Head contests, you compete against a single opponent, with the winner taking all prize monies.
4. Leagues: In Leagues, users create new entries every day or week and compete against all other entrants for a large end-of-contest prize, and smaller daily and weekly bonuses. Such competitions involve one entry per person, multiple contests, and cumulative scoring.
Contest Specifications
All of the aforementioned contest variations may possess additional specifications, indicated by the above symbols next to the contest name: guaranteed or not guaranteed, and single entry or multi-entry.
Furthermore, some contests that you will find in the lobby are intended only for certain groups of participants: veterans, players that are not veterans, and players that are rookies.
1. Guaranteed to Run: See the above definition.
2. Multi-entry or single-entry: Some contests found in the main lobby allow you to submit only one entry, while other matches will enable you to submit up to 150 entries, and any quantity in between.
3. Veteran or No Veterans: In their pursuit of fair play, Yahoo restricts participation in some of their contests. Particular contests may only permit the entry of seasoned veterans, while others forbid veterans from entering such competitions.
Players are deemed to be Veterans if they meet any of the following criteria:
- More than 1,000 paid contest entries.
- Won a single prize of $1,000 or higher 3 times.
- Won a total of $2,500 or more and have payouts from more than five entries.
4. Rookie Only: Rookie Only contests are intended only for players that have partaken in less than 51 competitions.
Non-veterans are not rookies, as they have exceeded participation in 50 DFS contests. However, they are also not veterans, as they fail to meet the criteria stated above for veteran status.
Initially, I found such classifications somewhat confusing and unnecessary. However, the color-coded circular indicators allow for the rapid identification of preferred contests.
#6 Yahoo Sports Rewards Points
Yahoo Sports Rewards Points are a form of currency that players earn by engaging in any of three behaviors: entering a paid contest, using a one-time promo code, or referring a friend who signs up and deposits money at the site.
Once you have accumulated enough Rewards Points, you may enter contests with said points, free of charge.
If you don’t earn or redeem any YSRP for two years, your points will expire with no possible means to retrieve them.
Currently, new users can receive 1,000 Yahoo Sports Rewards Points with their first deposit.[4]
While it is difficult to complain upon receiving free points, or anything free for that matter, this bonus provided to new users is somewhat insulting. Once you realize that 1,000 points is the equivalent of $5, you will likely be disappointed as well.
#7 Free Research Tools
Inside the lobby (red oval) there is a “Research” button that you can click on that will take you to a broad research area complete with free articles and advice to assist your attainment of success in DFS.[5]
Some of the valuable options provided in the research section include:
- Odds for all contests in which you will be competing.
- Live scoring allows you to follow your contests in real-time.
- Weather forecasts allow you to adjust your thinking for outdoor sports.
The free research tools are relatively useful. However, always be mindful that the advice disseminated in the research section, while free, will be read by most other players. Therefore, if you follow the advice verbatim in the construction of your lineups, you can expect a heavily duplicated entry.
#8 Yahoo Daily Fantasy Mobile App
Yahoo designed a very functional, highly-lauded mobile app for both iOS or Android. [6]
If you don’t feel like waiting all season to win, you don’t have to! Daily Fantasy contests are shorter contests that let you flaunt your sports knowledge and earn money at the same time. Set your winning lineup, track your progress, and manage your funds on the go.
- Voted the Best Fantasy Sports Mobile App by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association 5 years in a row.
- Easily switch between games and focus on what matters: drafting your team, setting your lineup, and winning!
Favorite features:
- Instant updates – be at the top of your game with instant scoring updates and breaking player news.
- Expert Analysis – edge out the competition with Yahoo Fantasy and Rotoworld experts, now accessible in the app.
- Daily Fantasy Sports – draft a new roster every day for a chance to win money. Enter free contests or put cash on the line.
- Easily switch between managing your season-long and daily teams.
- Elevate your trash talk with GIFs and more.
I downloaded the mobile app, and it is a thoughtfully designed program.
#9 Late Swap
Late Swap is a fantastic feature that will only add to your DFS enjoyment.
- Following the lead set by Yahoo season-long and DraftKings, you can edit your lineups right until that specific players’ game starts, which adds a layer of flexibility and strategy when constructing your rosters.
- Late Swap is my favorite feature on Yahoo Daily Fantasy. Except for DraftKings, other sites lock their rosters when the first game of the slate starts; however, Late Swap allows you to change the players in your lineup until each player begins their game.
- Late Swap protects in case, for example, a player in a 10:30 pm game becomes a late scratch on a slate that starts at 7:00 pm.
What are People Saying About Yahoo Daily Fantasy?
I scoured the internet and found some reviews that seemed somewhat positive about the product.[7]
I would concur that winning cash games on Yahoo Daily Fantasy is incredibly easy, even for an intermediate player. However, most DFS players, myself included, play for the big prize pools offered on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Unfortunately, the GPPs offered by Yahoo, and their associated prize pools, are tragically minute.
The enormous fan base that participates in the season-long competitions on Yahoo has yet to embrace DFS. As such, Yahoo Daily Fantasy possesses a minimal user base rendering them incapable of approaching the prize pools offered on the two major DFS sites.
I concur with the opinions that state Yahoo is not the place to participate in massive, life-altering GPPs, as they are simply unavailable.
Alternatives to Yahoo Daily Fantasy
DraftKings and FanDuel
I have listed DraftKings and FanDuel together, as in combination as the best alternative. The two sites account for greater than 90% of the DFS market share. This duo of behemoths offer contests in far larger varieties of sports.
DraftKings and FanDuel offer enormous, massive prize pools to which Yahoo Daily Fantasy cannot hold a candle.
Both DK and FD offer a far more comprehensive selection of sports from which to choose and run multiple contests throughout the entire day. Once again, Yahoo is thoroughly outclassed in every conceivable area.
Additionally, every single feature that I mentioned in this review about Yahoo is dwarfed by superior or identical features on FD and DK: contest selection, research, rewards, mobile apps, and even the late swap function.
Yahoo is far better suited for its well-developed and established season-long fantasy programs; however, at this point, their DFS site is almost irrelevant.
If you desire to challenge the best DFS players in the world for insanely enormous payouts, I would recommend that you hop on over to DraftKings or FanDuel.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Conclusion
Participation in Daily Fantasy Sports provides an adrenaline rush that few activities can match. Every single night, there are opportunities to draft a winning lineup, challenge the field, and earn cold, hard cash.
As one who has placed first in many GPP tournaments, there is nothing comparable to creating an entry that is right there in the final minutes of the last game of the contest. If all goes well, the entry places first, and one can claim the $3,000 prize.
Unfortunately, Yahoo cannot quench that adrenaline thrill for DFS players as their DFS platform, and contest offerings are severely deficient.
The DFS contests offered on Yahoo Daily Fantasy are best suited for those who would like to hone their skills against inferior competition while winning some money along the way.
Yahoo has proven to be an elite brand for season-long fantasy competitions; however, their DFS involvement is woefully inadequate, and I was entirely unimpressed.
My overall rating for Yahoo Daily Fantasy is a 3.5/5
However, there is some good news. For beginners seeking to improve their DFS skills against inferior players, or for those who have grown accustomed to Yahoo’s season-long offerings and would like to learn DFS while participating on a familiar interface, Yahoo Daily Fantasy might just be what you desire.
For those meeting the requirements outlined in the above paragraph, including those unacquainted with DFS, Yahoo Daily Fantasy may be precisely what the doctor ordered, and I would encourage those to click the link and visit the site.
Resources:
[1] “Yahoo Sports: Paid Fantasy Terms of Service | Verizon Media ….” https://www.verizonmedia.com/policies/us/en/verizonmedia/terms/product-atos/paidfantasy/index.html. Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.
[2] “How to play Yahoo Daily Fantasy | Daily Fantasy Help – SLN26014.” https://help.yahoo.com/kb/daily-fantasy/play-started-sln26014.html. Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.
[3] “Official rules for Daily Fantasy NBA contests | Verizon Media ….” https://www.verizonmedia.com/policies/us/en/verizonmedia/terms/rules/dailyfantasybasketball/index.html. Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.
[4] “Overview of Yahoo Sports Rewards Points (YSRP) | Daily ….” https://help.yahoo.com/kb/daily-fantasy/learn-ysrp-sln27849.html. Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.
[5] “Daily Fantasy – Yahoo Sports.” https://sports.yahoo.com/dailyfantasy/research/odds. Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.
[6] “Overview of the Yahoo Fantasy app | Daily Fantasy Help ….” https://help.yahoo.com/kb/daily-fantasy/overview-yahoo-fantasy-sln22574.html. Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.
[7] “Yahoo DFS Research : dfsports – Reddit.” https://www.reddit.com/r/dfsports/comments/4lt4le/yahoo_dfs_research/. Accessed 10 Jul. 2020.
