The Draftkings NFL Contest Formats are:
- Classic – Draft 9 players under a salary cap
- NFL Showdown – Choose players from one game only – including individual defensive players
- Showdown “Captain” Mode – Choose a ‘Captain’ and earn 1.5x points for him – Also can pick a kicker, one game only
- NFL TIERS – Choose players from a tier (no salary cap)
Football Scoring Chart for DK’s NFL Formats
| Draftkings NFL Formats | Classic | Showdown | Captain | Tiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draftkings NFL Formats | Classic | Showdown | Captain | Tiers |
| Roster Rules | 9 players from at least 2 NFL games. QB(1) RB(2) WR(3) TE(1) FLEX(1) DST(1) | 8 players total. 6 players mixed from one games offenses and 2 defensive players | 6 total players with a mix from a games offenses. One of the six is captain (worth 1.5x) | One player from each tier with players from 2 different NFL games. Total roster size varies per contest. |
| Passing TD | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Passing | .04 pts/yard (25 yards = 1pt) | .04 pts/yard (25 yards = 1pt) | .04 pts/yard (25 yards = 1pt) | .04 pts/yard (25 yards = 1pt) |
| 300+ Yard Passing game | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Rushing | 0.1 pts / yard (10 yards = 1pt) | 0.1 pts / yard (10 yards = 1pt) | 0.1 pts / yard (10 yards = 1pt) | 0.1 pts / yard (10 yards = 1pt) |
| Rushing TD | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Receiving | 0.1 pts / yard | 0.1 pts / yard | 0.1 pts / yard | 0.1 pts / yard |
| Reception | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Punt/Kickoff/ FG Return for TD | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Fumble Lost | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 |
| 2 PT Conversion (Pass, Run or Catch) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Offensive Fumble Recovery TD | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 2 Pt Conversion (Pass, Run, Catch) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Offensive Fumble Recovery TD | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| TEAM DEFENSE BELOW | ||||
| Sack | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Interception | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Fumble Recovery | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| TD for: Punt/Kickoff/FG Return, Interception / Fumble Return , Blocked Punt / FG return | 6 | 6 | 6 | |
| Safety | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Blocked Kick | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2 Pt Conversion/Extra Point Return | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 0 Pts Allowed | 10 | 10 | 10 | |
| 1-6 Pts Allowed | 7 | 7 | 7 | |
| 7-13 Pts Allowed | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
| 14-20 Pts Allowed | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 21-27 Pts Allowed | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 28-34 Pts Allowed | -1 | -1 | -1 | |
| 35+ Points Allowed | -4 | -4 | -4 | |
| INDIVIDUAL DEFENSE PLAYER | Showdown Mode | |||
| Solo Tackle | 1 | |||
| Assisted Tackle | 0.5 | |||
| 8+ Tackle Bonus (assists = 1/2 tackle) | 3 | |||
| Interception | 6 | |||
| Forced Fumble | 3 | |||
| Fumble Recovery (from opponent) | 3 | |||
| Sack | 5 | |||
| Pass Defensed | 1.5 | |||
| Safety | 10 | |||
| Return TD from Interception, Fumble, Punt/Kickoff, FG return, Blocked Kick return | 6 | |||
| Blocked Kick | 10 | |||
| 2 PT Conversion | 2 | |||
| KICKER | Captain Mode | |||
| Extra Point | 1 | |||
| 0-39 Yard FG | 3 | |||
| 40-49 Yard FG | 4 | |||
| 50+ Yard FG | 5 |
I strive to keep this chart up to date but always check official rules directly at Draftkings.com as scoring can and will change. I do not guarantee the accuracy of this chart so always double check!.
These contest formats all use very similar scoring models on the offensive side of the ball.
They have some differences when it comes to defensive scoring and kickers.
The main differences come from the eligible player pool and how you build your roster.
I won’t go over the Draftkings Classic fantasy football games on this post but you can learn about them here and compare DK vs Fanduel football scoring for classic modes.
Draftkings “Showdown” NFL Contest Type
Showdown contests are for one game and one game only. Draft your team from players from both offenses and one defense and get to it.
Rosters Consist Of
- Four (4) Offensive Players
- Two (2) Defensive Players
Showdown Scoring
The scoring for offense is the same as the other contest types. Here is specific scoring for individual defensive players.
“Showdown” Contests Have Defensive Player Selection and Scoring
“Captain” Showdown Games
The Captain style of contest is where one of your players is worth 1.5x as many points whenever they score. They also cost more to draft on your team.
Rosters
- One ‘Captain’
- 5 Flex positions (including possible kicker, which is normally not on DK’s lineups)
Here’s what your draft will look like.
Derek Carr is my “Captain” – I earn 1.5x points for him in this format.
In this type of showdown contest you get to only choose offensive players but you can choose a kicker if you want.
Kicker Scoring – Captain Format Only
This format is one game and done.
Tiers – Select Any Player From Each Tier To Build Your Lineup
Draftkings sorts players into different tiers. You select at least one player from each tier and you must choose players from at least two different NFL games.
The roster size and number of tiers may vary based on the game set used to build the player pool.
The scoring for tiers is the same as classic style scoring. If you hate trying to stay under a salary cap and would prefer to try a ‘pick players from a pool’ style game to build your roster then this should be right up your alley.
I have not yet been able to play this format but once I do I’ll give a recap and show some examples of what it looks like.
DK’s NFL Contest Recap
-
- Classic Mode – the ‘old fashioned’ DFS style where you draft a team from all eligible players, usually from Sunday-Monday. You have a 50k salary cap and have to fill out your team of specific positional players (QB, RB, WR, TE and DEF).
- NFL Showdown Model – the main difference here is that you get to pick specific defensive players instead of defensive teams and the player pool is from one game only. For defensive fans this style looks pretty fun. You can rack up some defensive points if a player goes off an interception it’s as strong as a rushing TD, worth 6 points. The scoring is the same on the offensive side of the ball. They do not utilize a kicker position.
- Showdown Captain Model – not sure why they didn’t call this the ‘King’ instead of the ‘Captain’ but this style of game lets you select one player to earn 1.5x the fantasy points they would normally. They also cost more to draft. This lets you put more of your eggs into this guys basket for the game and if he go’s off you are going to rack up the points. It also adds in a kicker slot but not an individual defensive player.
- Tiers – “A” rated players go in the top tier, “B” in the next, “C” in the next etc. You have to build a roster with at least 1 from each tier. This is like some of the smaller DFS sites used to differentiate themselves by offering games where you pick a player from a tier.
The biggest confusion I have is the “Showdown Captain” vs. “Showdown”. These two similar sounding contest types have more differences than just one having a captain. They both last only one game or one game set but ‘Captain’ utilizes a potential kicker. Showdown non-captain version utilizes individual defensive players.
Showdown you pick defensive players instead of team defense.
Showdown Captain you pick a kicker, a team defense and a team ‘captain’.
These new models seem to offer newer players a better chance to try different game types.
It’s enticing me to make my next deposit and try some these new modes out. I think I will this year. What about you?
Good luck out there, and I hope to see you on the leaderboards!
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