After a slate finishes, DFS Hero saves the final leaderboards of the slate's contests: nearly every FanDuel contest, nearly every DraftKings contest with 1,000 or more entries, nearly every contest in an entries file a user uploaded, and some of the smaller ones. The Contest Analyzer opens that leaderboard inside the workspace, one contest at a time. It shows every entrant, every lineup, the field's real ownership, the stacks that won, and how each username did. Use it the morning after a slate to learn what the field did, and to feed Replay with a real contest to score against.
Before you start
- Open a finished slate. The workspace opens any past date through the date picker. See Day View.
- Know where the Contests panel lives. See Find contests.
- Upload your entries file, or set your DraftKings and FanDuel usernames in your profile. DFS Hero tracks every entry you upload, and the entries under your username in contests that start after you save it. The analyzer's Vs. Field tab compares your tracked entries with the field. It also finds your username in a contest that started before the save, and marks it Before tracking started. Not in Film Room. See Upload your entries and Profile and appearance.
How results arrive
- A slate locks and its games finish. Every player gets final points.
- The site settles each contest. DraftKings results usually arrive within minutes after settlement. FanDuel results arrive on an hourly cycle.
- The Day View marks the slate. A past slate shows a tag with a purple dot, such as 3 contest results, beside its name: the count of its contests that have final results. On a slate where DFS Hero tracked your entries, the tag shows your own net and best finish instead. The date picker marks days that carry results, up to 92 days back.
- In the workspace, contests with a stored leaderboard show a bar-chart button in the Contests panel, and a line above the list counts them.
DraftKings and FanDuel results carry every lineup, so every tab appears. Older FanDuel contests carry standings without lineups. A newer FanDuel contest whose lineup file DFS Hero could not read also carries standings only. A contest with standings only shows Overview and Leaderboard, plus Vs. Field when you played it.
DFS Hero tracks your own entries in each contest's final standings: the entries you uploaded, by their entry ids, and the entries under your saved username, in the contests that start after the save. After the slate, the Entries view shows each entry's place and payout, and Film Room adds your results across slates. See View your entries and Film Room. To study the field around your entries, open the analyzer's Vs. Field tab, filter the analyzer by your username, or run Replay with the My entries subject. See Replay.
Open a contest's results
- On the Day View, click Change date in the top bar and pick a past day.
- Click Open on the slate.
- Click the Contests rail on the left.
- Click Data to keep only contests with a stored leaderboard.
- Click a contest row, or its bar-chart button. The Contest Analyzer opens as a sheet with a Replay button and an Open on DraftKings or Open on FanDuel link in its header.
- Move between Vs. Field, Overview, Ownership, Insights, and Leaderboard. On a contest you played, the analyzer opens on Vs. Field.
- Press Escape or click outside the sheet to close it. Click another contest row to switch contests. The tabs and filters reset on every switch.
On a phone, open the build strip menu, choose Contests under Tools, and tap a row in the sheet.
The Contests panel
| Control | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Search contests | Filters rows by name or type. | Empty |
| All types | Keeps one contest type: GPP, Cash, H2H, Single Entry, or Satellite. | All types |
| Sort select | Field size, Entry fee, Prize pool, plus 1st place, Rake %, and Overlay $ when the slate has that data. | Field size |
| Data | Keeps only contests with a stored leaderboard. | Off |
| Value | The rake percent, or the overlay on a guaranteed contest whose pool paid more than the entries collected. Overlay shows after settlement, or in the final 15 minutes before lock when the contest is likely to stay short of its prize pool by at least $250 and the entries get back at least 10% more than their fees on average. | |
| Analyzer button (bar-chart icon) | Opens the Contest Analyzer. Shown on every contest with final scores. A click on the row does the same. | |
| Replay button (rewind icon) | Scores the lineups in Entries Preview against this contest. Shown once the slate has a finished build and final scores. | |
| Site link (arrow icon) | Opens the contest on DraftKings or FanDuel in a new tab. Shown on every row. |
A contest name in the accent color holds your entries. Before lock the list splits into Entered, the contests of your entries file, and All contests. After lock the first group reads Played: the contests of your entries file and the contests DFS Hero tracked by your saved username, which covers the contests that started after you saved the name. A contest you played that the slate's list lacks gets a row there too. Each contest in the group shows N entered or N played. Point at N played to see where DFS Hero found the entries: From your entries file, Found by your username, or both.
The Vs. Field tab
Vs. Field compares your own entries in the contest with the whole field and with the lineups that finished in the top 1%. Your entries are the ones DFS Hero tracked for you there: from your entries file, or found by your username. The tab shows when the contest holds your entries, and the analyzer then opens on it. In a contest that started before you saved your username, the tab finds your entries by the name and marks them Before tracking started. Not in Film Room. Film Room does not count them. With no entries in the contest and no username saved for the site, the tab asks you to save your username or upload your entries file. See Profile and appearance.
You can also open a contest on this tab from two other places. In Film Room, click the chart button next to a contest in Biggest Wins or Takedown Metrics. In the Entries view, pick one contest and click Vs. Field. See Film Room and View your entries.
The first open of an older contest can take a few minutes while DFS Hero prepares the comparison.
The top of the tab shows the username your entries play under, what you won, your profit, your best finish, and Vs field: your average lineup score minus the field's. Point at the info icon beside the username to see where DFS Hero found your entries. Not in Film Room yet. there means DFS Hero has not read those entries on the final standings yet. Click See your entries to open the Leaderboard tab with Mine on: each of your entries with its rank, score, and payout. Under it, a table holds three rows: You, Field, and Top 1%.
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Entries | The entries in each group. An entry left empty counts too, as an entry that scored nothing and paid nothing. It counts in the cash rate, the top-1% rate, and the ROI, and in no lineup column. |
| Avg Score | The group's average lineup score. |
| Cash | The share of lineups that won more than the entry fee. |
| Top 1% | The share of lineups that finished in the top 1%. A tie counts at its average place. |
| ROI | Winnings minus entry fees, over entry fees. |
| Salary, Own, Unique, Proj | Per lineup: the average salary, the total field ownership, the share of lineups no other entry played, and the total Hero projection. |
The Scores chart shows the field's lineups by score above the line and yours below it. The green bars are scores that cashed. A solid line marks the cash line, and a dashed line marks where the top 1% starts. Each half scales to its own tallest bar, so the chart compares where the scores fall, not how many lineups each side has. Point at a bar to see its score range and counts.
Three views under the chart compare the groups. Export CSV exports the view you see.
- Players: each player's share of your lineups, of the field's, and of the top 1%'s, and vs Field, your share minus the field's. Pts +/- is the points per lineup the player gained or cost you against the field. It compares his points with the field's average in his slot group. Slots that hold the same players in the contest, such as RB, WR, TE, and FLEX in most NFL contests, form one group. A player you played less than the field counts too: you gain when he scored below that average. The column nearly adds up to Vs field. An empty lineup slot or a player with no points on the board leaves a small rest. A captain contest shows no Pts +/-, because the captain seat scores 1.5x.
- Stack Shapes: each stack shape's share in each group, and your own lineups, cashes, top-1% finishes, and best rank with it.
- Teams: the share of lineups in each group that stack a team with two or more of its players.
A contest with standings only shows the top of the tab and the chart.
The Overview tab
One row per username, plus a pinned FIELD AVERAGE row at the top. Rows sort by best finish. Click a column header to sort. The magnifying glass in the Username header opens a search that matches part of a username.
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Entries, Cashed, Staked, Profit, ROI | The user's volume and result in this contest. |
| BestPlace and BestScore | The user's best finish and highest lineup score. |
| Finish% | Average percentile finish. 90% means the user typically finishes in the top 10%. |
| Top 1% | The share of the user's lineups that finished in the top 1% of the field. |
| Unique and Unique% | Lineups nobody else in the contest duplicated. |
| Under5 and Under5% | Lineups that appear fewer than 5 times in the whole contest. |
| Diversity | Average number of distinct players per lineup across the user's set. |
| PlayersUsed | How many different players the user rostered across all lineups. |
Two lineups count as duplicates when they hold the same players, in any order. Position and captain slot do not matter on this tab. Sort by Under5% to find the users with the most rare lineups; they are the ones to add to a saved group.
The Ownership tab
Three sub-tabs: Player Ownership, Team Stacks, and Stack Types. Filter users on the right adds columns for the usernames you pick.
Player Ownership
One row per player, sorted by field usage. In a showdown contest a player appears once per slot. The magnifying glass in the Player Name header opens a player search.
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| FieldOwn | Actual ownership: the share of all contest lineups with this player. |
| HeroOwn | The ownership DFS Hero projected before lock. |
| Own +/- | How far actual ownership landed from Hero Own, as a percent of the projection. +50% means the field used the player half again as often as projected. |
| ActualPts and HeroProj. | The points the player scored against the pre-lock projection. |
| Pts +/- | Actual points against the projection, as a percent. |
| ActualVal | Actual points per $1,000 of salary. |
| {user} Own% and {user} +/- | With selected usernames: that user's ownership of the player and the difference from the field. |
Compare HeroOwn with FieldOwn. A player the field over-owned by 50% or more was a leverage spot in that contest.
Team Stacks
One row per team and stack size, such as "SEA 4-Man". In classic contests, pitchers in MLB and DST in football do not count toward a stack. In showdown, every player counts for his team, the DST and the pitcher included. A stack needs at least 2 players and must appear in 2 or more lineups. Each row shows field ownership, average score, average profit, ROI, top 1% rate, cash rate, and best place, plus your selected users' ownership. Cash Rate on this table counts lineups with a positive profit.
Stack Types
One row per stack shape, sorted by count. Classic football shapes read "QB + 3 | 1": a QB with three teammates and one opposing player. Other sports and every showdown contest read "4 | 2": a four-player team stack with a two-player team stack. A showdown lineup with five players from one team reads "5". Golf, MMA, NASCAR, tennis, and F1 read "No Stack". The columns match Team Stacks. Use this table before you set stacks for the next slate. The shape with the best ROI in a large field is a good starting rule. See Stacks tab.
The Insights tab
Two sub-tabs: Pro Tendencies and Duplicate Lineups.
Pro Tendencies
The magnifying glass in the Player header opens a player search.
Analyze: picks the group to compare with the full field: the entries that finished in the Top 1%, Top 5%, Top 10%, or Top 20%. A tie counts at its average place, as on the Vs. Field tab. A small field can have no finish in the group you picked. A top 1% finish needs a field of at least 100 entries. The tab then asks you to pick a larger group.
The table lists every player the field used, highest Difference first.
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Pts | The fantasy points the player scored. |
| FieldOwn | The player's ownership across the whole field. |
| Top 5% Own | The player's ownership inside the group. The header follows the group you picked. |
| Difference | Group ownership minus field ownership. Positive means the top finishers played the player more than the field. Negative means they faded him. |
| Affinity | High above +5, Medium above +2, Avoid below -5, otherwise Neutral. |
| Selected Own | With usernames picked in Filter users: the player's ownership in those users' lineups. The group stays the one you picked. |
Start here with Top 1%. The top of the table shows the players the winners had and the field did not. Click the Difference header twice to sort from low to high and see the players the winners faded. To compare your own picks with the winners, pick your username in Filter users.
Duplicate Lineups
One row per exact lineup that 2 or more different users entered, sorted by Unique Users. Here the signature includes the position, so a different captain makes a different row. Each row shows the lineup, salary, average score, average profit, ROI, and best place.
The Leaderboard tab
The full standings, sorted by Rank. Click a row to open the full lineup with each player's salary, pre-lock ownership, and points.
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Dupes | How many other entries used this exact lineup. |
| Ownership | The sum of every player's field ownership in the lineup. Higher means a more popular build. |
| Hero Proj and Hero Own | The sums of Hero Proj and Hero Own for the lineup. |
| Stack Type and Stack 1 to Stack 3 | The stack shape and the three largest team stacks. |
The magnifying glass in the Username header opens a search that matches part of a username. When the contest holds your entries, the Mine button above the table shows only them: the entries Vs. Field counts that hold a lineup. Press it again to show every entry. In a contest that started before you saved your username, the line Before tracking started. Not in Film Room. sits beside the row count while Mine is on. A contest with standings only shows the Rank, Username, $ Won, Profit, and Score columns, and its rows do not open a lineup.
Export a tab to CSV
Click Export CSV on the right of the tab row. The file holds the tab you are on: the columns you see, in order, with the columns the username filter added, and every row in the current sort. A block at the top names the contest, the site, the sport, the date, the entry fee, the field, the tab, and the active filters. On the Leaderboard tab the file holds every entry in the contest, in the grid's sort and Username search, with one column per roster slot. The button waits while a tab is still loading.
Filter by username
Filter users on the Ownership and Insights tabs opens a popover.
- Type in Search usernames....
- Pick Max-entry users to select everyone who entered the contest's per-user maximum.
- Pick individual names.
- Click Save group to keep the set across contests. Name it in Group name and click Save group.
- Saved groups appear under User groups.
- Click Clear to reset the selection.
Selections reset every time you open a contest. To compare your own entries with the field, open the Vs. Field tab.
In a 150-max contest, filter by Max-entry users. Their Top 1% and Unique% show what full-volume play looks like in that field.
How it works
The analyzer reads one stored file per contest. That file holds every entry, its rank, its payout, and its lineup when the results carry one. DFS Hero joins the lineups with the pre-lock projections, ownership, and salaries it stored for the slate, which is where Hero Proj, Hero Own, and Salary come from. Every tab reads the same file, so the numbers agree across tabs.
The Replay button on a contest row and the Replay button in the analyzer header open the same dialog. Both score your current Entries Preview set against this contest. See Replay.
Troubleshooting
"Loading contest data..." stays on screen : DFS Hero is preparing the contest for its first open, which takes a few minutes on a large field. Keep the sheet open.
"This contest is still being prepared. Try again in a few minutes." : the preparation took longer than the sheet waits. Wait a few minutes, then click Try again.
"Failed to load contest data." : a tab could not read the contest. Click Try again. On the Leaderboard tab, close the sheet, wait a minute, and open the contest again.
"No contests for this slate." : DFS Hero holds no contest list for the slate.
"No contests match your filters." : your search, type, or Data filter hides every row. Clear the search and turn Data off.
"The contest analyzer encountered an error" : a tab crashed while drawing. Your data is safe. Click Try again.
"Updating to the latest version…" : DFS Hero shipped an update while the sheet was open. Click Reload now.
"No lineup data available" in the lineup modal : the entry has a rank but no lineup. A FanDuel entry that never set a lineup shows this.
"No entries of yours in this contest" on Vs. Field : DFS Hero found no entry of yours on the contest's final standings. When the line names your username, click Check your username and compare the spelling with the site.
"Before tracking started. Not in Film Room." : the contest started before you saved your username. The analyzer found these entries by the name, and Film Room does not count them. Import a history file that holds the contest to add it to Film Room.
"No users found." : no username matches your search. Check the spelling against the Leaderboard tab.
"Too many requests to this data route. Try again in 30s." : you opened ownership data too many times in one minute. Wait for the countdown.
Related
Was this article helpful?