DraftKings – a major force for daily fantasy sports (DFS) – is currently making waves throughout the industry. With the purchase of other major players DraftStreet in July of 2014, and StarStreet in August of 2014, DraftKing is now enjoying an even stronger grip on the market place - no doubt setting itself up for massive growth which could very well make it the principal gathering place for enthusiastic fantasy sports players.
An injection of $41 million from investors, which includes new player on the field The Raine Group, plus previously existing concerns Redpoint Ventures, Cambridge based Atlas Venture, and GGV Capital, DraftKings is in a solid position to carve out a place for itself as the largest fantasy sports franchise in the world.
From its humble beginnings in 2012 the fantasy sports franchise has managed to attract capital to the value of $75 million dollars – creating one of the most well-funded fantasy sports operations ever. A small office in New York City backed up by head office in the Financial District of Boston DraftKings is in an ideal position for players from all over the world to converge and enjoy their fix of daily fantasy sports. Let’s examine in detail exactly what is making DraftKings the shining light of the current crop of fantasy sports platforms.
Support
The backbone of any successful online operation is its customer support. An in depth FAQ solves the vast majority of problems for DraftKings’ customers straight out of the gate but there is also email support 7 days of the week for any other issues that may crop up. Staff are friendly, helpful, and really know their stuff.
Website Interface
A confusing interface does not a happy customer make. Fortunately, the website interface at DraftKings is clean and intuitive, making it easy for customers to view upcoming games. Drop down menus provide plenty of filter options to make it a snap for players to find exactly what they are looking for without any fuss. See for yourself with the following screenshot:
Once you have found your league of choice team selection is also a breeze with DraftKings interface creating a relatively simple and straightforward experience.
Even after you have finished selecting your team you can still review and make changes by going back with the My Lineups link and tweaking to your heart’s content. It’s also possible to enter the one team into multiple contests – all from the one convenient location.
DraftKings have really nailed the interface to make it as easy to use and follow as possible. However, it always pays to check the scoring for each league before you enter them so you can fine tune your selections to match.
Deposit Options
DraftKings make it easy to fund your account and make withdrawals with a wide variety of options for player’s convenience. PayPal is present, and is perhaps the most straightforward out of all the options. Those without a PayPal account are catered for with options to fund or withdraw via Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover Card.
If you’ve ever been subjected to the confusing financials section of other sportsbooks accounts then you will definitely find the interface at DraftKings a refreshing change.
Bonuses and Promotions
Players always appreciate being able to stretch their entertainment dollar further and DraftKings steps up to the plate in this regard as well. They are currently running a promotion which offers a matching bonus of 100% up to $600 on the first deposit. If you sign up through this link you will ensure that you trigger this bonus once your registration is complete.
Once you log into your account you will see your bonus in a ‘pending bonus’ account. This is incrementally released as you participate in Daily Fantasy Contests on the site. Each time you earn 100 Frequent Player Points you will receive $1 of your bonus. Frequent Player Points are paid out at a rate of about 4 for every $1 played in contest entries.
As a major player in the Daily Fantasy Sites online DraftKings members also get the opportunity to grab some major cash in the fantasy sports championships which are run each year. You could have a chance at the $200,000 pot as part of the Daily Fantasy Hockey Championship. There’s even a chance to win a trip to Vegas to participate in person!
There’s even more cash up for grabs in the NBA and MLB Championships which have prize pools totaling $2,000,000 each. Large as those prizes are they are not the biggest, as the NFL championship has an even bigger pot.
Average Spend Per Position
Fantasy Leagues Offered
Big prizes are available with DraftKings guaranteed tournaments, head to head matches where you can take down your rivals, and 50/50 leagues which give you the option of doubling up if you manage to finish in the top half. Smaller leagues also offer up plenty of worthwhile prizes for the top finishers.
There are plenty of fantasy sporting options at DraftKings with players able to participate in NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, PGA, MMA, College Basketball, College Football, and EPL & Champions League Soccer. If you’re into MMA, PGA, or soccer leagues then DraftKings is the place to be as FanDuel, DraftKings main rival, does not offer up those more unique styles of play.
With the salary cap system used on all of DraftKings’ contests it’s a snap to transfer teams between contests and make necessary adjustments to any number of them in a single night.
As the main competitor for FanDuel DraftKings is a worthy contender for any fantasy sports enthusiast with plenty of variety on offer, big prizes up for grabs, and a nice bonus for first time customers.
|