How to Play Daily Fantasy College Basketball
Before you can play CBB DFS, you must create an account. Once you've verified it, you usually start with a beginner status and can access the various contests. As mentioned earlier, sites will have different contest types, including head-to-head and tournaments. You can also form private leagues with friends.
Those who have played fantasy basketball will be familiar with how to compete. The teams available for contests depend on the real games, so you should always browse the available players carefully. While some contests end in a day, others last for the entire season. Usually, you won't be able to change your lineup during the cbb daily fantasy event, so you should always be prepared.
The Draft
In our opinion, the college basketball DFS sites provide great guides, but you should still be familiar with how to form teams. After entering a contest, you will be given a set salary to draft players. Elite players have better stats but cost more, so you must consider your choices carefully.
You have until the game starts to edit your fantasy NCAA basketball team, but some contests allow you to make late changes. Regarding positions, five players will play, while three remain on the bench, so it's recommended to have three guards, three forwards, and two flex players. You should also consider specific positions, as the point guard will need high dribbling and passing stats:
- 1 point guard
- 1 shooting guard
- 1 small forward
- 1 power forward
- 1 center
- 3 reserves
In our experience, checking the scoring format of your preferred contest is also important. Some formats limit the amount of players in your lineup, while others will award extra points to specific players. For example, a player designated as the Dark Horse or the Captain will earn 1.5x the points of a regular one but will also cost more.
If a player cannot compete, they will usually be removed from the pool at the start. That is why you should study all the available teams and their players, preparing backups if one of them is absent. To help illustrate how the scoring formats work, we will use the classic fantasy college basketball system, which is the most common across sites:
- Points - +1 pt.
- Scored 3pt shot - +0.5 pt.
- Rebound - +1.25 pt.
- Assist - +1.5 pt.
- Steal - +2 pt.
- Block - +2 pt.
- Turnover - -0.5 pt.
- Double-Double - +1.5 pt.
- Double-Triple - +3 pt.
Alternate scoring formats typically only add multipliers, but you should check them carefully. Scoring points is reliable, but possession and rebounds are more important overall. Stealing and blocking both give you 2 points, so players with good defense stats are valuable. Assists are also crucial, while turnovers reduce your points by 0.5
Most NCAA basketball DFS sites also award points if your player gets a double-double or a double-triple. That means a player has scored double digits in two or three of their stats, which will net you 1.5 points or 3 points, respectively. As can be seen, a player's overall performance is important, not just how many shots they've scored. We recommend focusing on defense as it gives more points.
Before Gameday
When you're ready to enter a contest, you should always know its start time. Most contests will begin whenever a real game does, so checking the college basketball schedule is a good idea. You should also ensure you don't exceed your budget by checking the costs of your players. All legitimate sites provide accurate data from reputable sources[3], so you should examine it carefully.
It's also important to read the rules of each contest type, as that can affect the salary and draft method. For example, some contests may have a snake draft instead of a salary draft. You and other managers take turns picking players, with the order being reversed each round. Some of the best fantasy college basketball sites also let you make late drafts, so you can join at any time.
When looking for the best fantasy basketball site, you should also see if they provide news and statistics. Some platforms even feature special programs to form better strategies and keep track of your favorite players and teams. In our opinion, if you're a newcomer, you should try the beginner and free-to-play contests or chat with others to get tips.
The Waiver Wire
For some CBB DFS contests, you can change your lineup every week, and that is when the waiver wire becomes important. Players who aren't on a team will become free agents and can be picked through this process. Each team gets a waiver priority rank, with the last team to join typically getting top priority to ensure fairness.
After submitting a claim, the team with the highest priority gets that player, and their priority drops to last place. Alternatively, some cbb fantasy sites will have an auction system instead. You can place blind bids for a free agent, and if yours is the highest, you can claim them. Regardless, once the waivers are over, you can draft any remaining free agents as usual.
Player Trades
As a season progresses and you get a better idea of how your team is performing, you might want to swap or trade players. That is why, when looking for the best app for fantasy college basketball, you should look for contests with late swap options. Late swap allows you to change players until their games start, so you can adjust your lineup anytime.
Some sites will also allow you to trade with other managers. Trading is most effective when both managers can benefit and improve their teams. We recommend using trades to improve any weaknesses or get suitable substitutes for your starting lineup. You can also trade multiple players, so you should plan carefully when communicating with other college basketball DFS managers.