NFL is the biggest DFS sport and the one DFS Hero has the most tools for. Slates run on Sunday with Thursday, Monday, and full-week variants. DFS Hero supports NFL on DraftKings and FanDuel in classic and single-game formats, with StackIQ, Game Sim, Late Swap, and Hero Chat pivots all switched on.
Sites and formats
| Site | Format | Roster | Salary cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | Classic | QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, DST (9 players) | $50,000 |
| DraftKings | Showdown | CPT, FLEX, FLEX, FLEX, FLEX, FLEX (6 players) | $50,000 |
| FanDuel | Classic | QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, DEF (9 players) | $60,000 |
| FanDuel | Single-game | MVP, UTIL, UTIL, UTIL, UTIL, UTIL (6 players) | $60,000 |
Slot rules that matter:
- FLEX takes an RB, a WR, or a TE on both sites.
- The Showdown and Single-game pools add kickers. DraftKings holds QB, RB, WR, TE, K, and DST. FanDuel holds QB, RB, WR, TE, K, and D.
- The CPT and MVP slots score 1.5 times the player's points and cost 1.5 times the salary.
Team and game limits:
- DraftKings classic needs players from at least 2 games.
- FanDuel classic allows at most 4 players from one team and needs at least 3 teams.
- Showdown and Single-game allow at most 5 players from one team.
The Player Pool
NFL adds one column, Vegas, with the game's betting line and total. Use it as one input when you compare player ceilings; a low total usually means less upside in that game. On a Showdown or Single-game slate each player appears twice: one base row and one CPT or MVP row at 1.5 times the salary and projection.
Build Settings
Sport Rules
Open Build, then expand SPORT RULES on the Basic tab.
| Control | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Skill Rule (1 RB/WR/TE per team unless with QB) | Allows only one skill player from a team unless that team's QB is in the lineup. | Off |
| 1 RB Per Team | Allows only one running back from a team in a lineup. | Off |
| FLEX Position | Limits the FLEX slot to the positions you pick: RB, WR, TE on both sites. | Off |
| Offense vs Defense | Limits how many offensive players a lineup can roster against its own DST. Auto, the default, allows 2 on slates of 4 games or fewer and none on bigger slates. Manual sets your own Allow number, 0 to 5; it starts at 0, which allows none. | Auto |
On a Showdown or Single-game slate the block holds only 1 RB Per Team. Min Unique Players goes up to 8 on both sites.
Stacks
Use a Position Stack rule to pair a QB with at least 1 WR or TE from the same team and a bring-back from the opponent, and a Team Stack rule for a fixed count from one team. Showdown and Single-game slates use the Showdown Distribution table instead. No stack is on by default. StackIQ can arm the first two rules from its team table.
Min/Max
On classic slates, MAX PLAYERS PER TEAM and GENERAL PER TEAM default to a maximum of 8 on DraftKings, the most the site allows, because a lineup needs players from at least 2 games. FanDuel classic caps at 4 per team. On both sites the setting can only go lower.
Features that apply
| Feature | NFL support |
|---|---|
| Late Swap | Classic slates on both sites. Turn on Maintain stacks to keep a QB stack together. |
| StackIQ | Classic slates on both sites. Open it first to see which stacks the field will crowd. |
| Game Sim | Classic and single-game slates on both sites. Use it to find the games with the highest totals. |
| Hero Chat pivots | Yes, on the Power plan. |
The Game Sim outlook covers NFL slates up to 10 days ahead. On a Showdown slate the Sim tab offers a Base and a Captain 1.5x view of each player's outlook.
Stack shapes
The standard NFL GPP lineup is a QB with 1 or 2 of his pass catchers plus a bring-back from the opponent, in the game with the highest total. A second mini-stack of 2 players from another game adds a path in large fields. Cash lineups skip the bring-back and take the best volume per dollar, often with a QB and one WR.
Tips
- Open StackIQ first. Its TeamPts, Own%, and Lev% columns show which stacks the field will crowd and which ones carry leverage.
- In a large GPP, use a Position Stack rule of QB with at least 1 WR or TE and an Opponent rule for the bring-back. Set Moderate or Aggressive Smart Randomness.
- In cash contests, keep Smart Randomness at Minimum, turn on 1 RB Per Team, and take the RBs with the most projected touches.
- For cash play, set Offense vs Defense to Manual and leave Allow at 0. A DST that gives up points to your own receiver cancels itself out.
- On a Sunday Main slate, plan for the late games. Late Swap with Re-optimize after the early lock can replace an inactive player or pivot off a bad start.
Related
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