How It Works
The Optimizer Tool itself is very simple to use on its own. Simply click the “Load Optimal Lineup” button and POOF, the lineup shows up and it's time to start making money. Please read about the features the tool provides and some tips and tricks to getting the lineup YOU want while making said lineup optimal for winning.
Tips and Tricks
- Stacks, specifically QB/WR, are a great way to get the most out of your lineup considering a Quarterback typically needs one (or more) of his receivers to have a big day in order to have a big score each week. So stacking (pairing) Romo and Dez on the right Sunday can net you some easy cash. RB/Defense stacks can work well too, because a RB is usually feed the rock more when a team is leading therefore benefiting the defense and vise-versa.
- Stud running backs versus weak opponents are highly recommended, lock in at least one in.
- The optimizer won't let you lock in more than one player for a given position. If you want 2 specific running backs you'll need to remove all other running backs expect the ones you want. This will force both of them into our lineup.
- If you're not locking in a top 3 TE then lock in a low price option.
- Kicker production is pretty darn random, go with the cheap guys.
- Sometimes it pays to get a decent defense.
- For DraftKings, it is common practice to use a 4th wide receiver in the flex slot because of the full point-per-reception format. Pick a receiver you like and lock them into the flex spot to guarantee a lineup with four wideouts instead of three running backs or two tight ends.
- There are thousands of lineup possibilities that you might like more than the first option you are given. Don’t just pick the first lineup the computer churns out. Click "next optimal" and play with it a little. Play at least two or three lineups.
- Play around with Locking and Excluding players. There are so many combinations that can be made and if you like specific players or dislike others, the computer will still be able to come up with a lineup you can feel comfortable playing on a weekly basis. This is also easier for testing out different lineups centered around specific stacks (Example: lock in Rodgers and Nelson and see who else fits into your lineup).
- Most of your games need to be double-ups with 20 to 50 people. I've had great luck here. Let's say Im playing $100 this week. I'll play $70 worth of double-ups and $30 worth of triple-ups - OR - $70 worth of double-ups and $30 worth of quintuple-ups - BASICALLY, play 70 percent of your money into double-ups to ensure you have a solid chance to at least break even if you lose in the higher risk games. Play at least two or three lineups and play a lot of games. 70x $1 leagues and 30x $1 triple-ups is very profitable and allows you to diversify your lineups and spreads out your risk.
Load Optimal Lineup Button
This button is pretty self-explanatory. Click the button and the computer loads the optimal lineup with or without you locking or excluding players. If you click it without any tinkering, the lineup will be the computer’s top choice for the week.
Next Optimal Lineup Button
This one is self-explanatory as well. If you don’t like the first option the computer gives you or you just want to see different combinations without making any changes (or more changes if you have already), the computer will give you the next best option based on projected points. Some lineups will still have the same amount of projected points and should be viewed more as alternative lineups rather than downgraded ones.
Recalculate with Locked and Removed Button
Click this button once you have a lineup loaded and you have done further tinkering to the Locked and Excluded Players. This will give you potential lineups more to your personal preference.
Player Pool
The Player Pool is where all the players available to be used in the optimizer are listed. These players, picked by our staff, either have a great matchup or are considered safe enough to warrant a 50/50 play. The players chosen for the pool typically have a very high floor or are a tremendous value for that week. We also include some punt plays that can be used to construct a lineup more favorable to tournaments but can also be used as extreme values for 50/50 lineups. You can also look at players by each position instead of going up and down the entire Player Pool. Also for DraftKings, the Flex option (F tab) includes all of our RB and WR picks since they can all be used in the flex. These players will not be used twice by the computer so you can safely lock a player into the flex and not have them show up again at their specific position.
Locking Players
You can lock players into your lineup using the green lock button on the left of each player’s name. The lock button will become highlighted and appear this way in both the Player Pool and the Lineup Tool. This will tell the computer that in any lineup it creates, this player will be included at that specific position in all of them. For instance, if the computer is not high on a player and you think they present great value and warrant a spot in your lineup (Example: Jerick McKinnon in Week 8) you can lock that player in and see what types of lineups you can make with the player you may like more than the computer. You can only lock one player at each position, but if you like two running backs or two wide receivers, you can lock one in at their specific position and the other at the Flex spot.
Excluding Players
You can only "lock" one player per-position. But if you want two specific RB's you can remove/exclude all but the two RB's you like, effectively ensuring they are locked. You can exclude certain players from your lineup if you don’t like their projections, feel there is added risk in their matchup, or simply don’t like the player because of your fan allegiances (Example: Jets fans probably won’t have Tom Brady in their lineups and will want to exclude him). All you need to do is click the red “Don’t” button and they will be taken out of the Player Pool (or the Lineup Tool if you are excluding a specific player from the computer generated lineup) and they will appear in the “Removed Players List” to the right of the Player Pool. You can exclude as many players as you want up until the minimum amount of players required to fill each position.
Points
The points column is the projected point output for each player based on the average projections from multiple expert projections using the scoring of the specific site (projected points will vary from FanDuel to DraftKings because of different scoring formats). These projections are heavily weighted into the computer’s decision to make an Optimal Lineup. We average the projections from bloombergsports, numberfire and profootballfocus to come up with our baseline. From there we make adjustments based on average points based on points per touch to further reduce risk.
DRank and DefPPG
- Drank = defense rank - 32 means they give up the most points at said position and 1 means they are really good and give up the least amount of points to said position.
- DefPPG = the average amount of points they give up to said position per game.
PPH
PPH stands for Projected Points per $1000 spent. This can help you make more informed decisions regarding who you Lock or Exclude to make the most out of your limited budget. The higher the number, the more points you can expect a player to put up based on their price. This will also allow you to make better value decisions and help you fit certain higher priced players into your lineup.
