Best Daily Fantasy Sites To Use in 2025 - Reviews & Offers in Maryland!
Our Complete Guide to DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports)
Best DFS Sites in Maryland
Our Top Rated DFS Site
Free Pick + First Time Deposit Bonus Up to $1000!
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What are Daily Fantasy Sports Sites?
Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) let you compete in fantasy contests that are settled in just a day or week, no season-long commitment required. Instead of managing a team over several months, DFS gives you the chance to draft a fresh lineup for each contest and win real cash based on how your picks perform in live games.
Whether it’s football on Sunday, basketball on a packed NBA slate, or even niche sports like golf or MMA, DFS gives fans a way to turn sports knowledge into potential prizes. The most popular DFS platforms operate legally in many U.S. states and are a fun, fast-paced alternative to traditional sports betting.
What are the best dfs sites to try?
Pros
- Rewarding deposit match welcome bonus
- Unique contest offerings
- Legal in most of the United States
Cons
- Limited payment methods
Underdog Fantasy, one of the most popular DFS platforms in North America, offers new players a generous 50% deposit match up to $1000 and just 1x rollover requirements.
The platform features unique contest formats including Best Ball drafts, Pick'em games with up to 20x payouts, and Battle Royale tournaments with prize pools up to $300,000. With sports ranging from NFL and NBA to chess and NASCAR, plus daily promotions and a user-friendly mobile app, Underdog Fantasy delivers an innovative daily fantasy experience backed by excellent customer service and fast payouts.
Free Pick + First Time Deposit Bonus Up to $1000!
T&Cs apply, 18+
Daily Fantasy Sports vs. Traditional Sports Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) and traditional sports betting both let you win real money by making smart picks, but the way you play - and get paid - is a bit different.
In DFS, you're often making multiple picks at once, usually selecting a group of players you think will perform well. The more correct picks you combine, the higher your potential payout, similar to a parlay in sports betting. Some platforms offer “pick’em” style games, where you choose whether a player will go over or under a stat line (like 20.5 points or 1.5 touchdowns). Nail enough picks, and your payout multiplies.
You can also enter DFS contests, where you build a full fantasy lineup and compete against other players for a share of a prize pool. Instead of betting against the house, you're trying to outscore the competition.
In sports betting, you're usually wagering on the outcome of a game, player props, or totals. Your payout is based on odds set by the sportsbook, and you're betting directly against the house. You can make single bets or combine multiple into parlays but one wrong pick means the whole bet loses.
Key differences:
- DFS rewards accuracy across multiple player picks or lineups.
- Sports betting focuses on game outcomes or stat props with fixed odds.
- DFS payouts can be based on contest rankings or multiplier formats.
- Both let you combine picks — but DFS often gives more flexibility in how you play.
- DFS Sites are much more widely available across the United States including in states where traditional online sports betting is not legal.
If you enjoy analyzing player stats and building winning combinations, DFS offers a more hands-on and strategic alternative to traditional betting.