Fantasy Sports Betting Sites in Australia

Fantasy sports exploded a few years ago. As of recently, Australian punters can enjoy a few DFS sites. Since this is still a new way of sports betting, we’ll explain how it works in great detail.

If you are already familiar with fantasy sports betting, take a look at our list of top DFS sites for Aussie punters. We will also talk more about fantasy sports strategies and how to pick the right DFS contests.

Fantasy Sports Australia – Top Websites!

Aussies love their sports, so daily fantasy leagues have quickly become very popular down under. There are a decent amount of choices when it comes to Fantasy Sports sites in Australia. Our experts have completed their research and below are our top-rated fantasy sports sites in Australia.

DraftStarts Is the Best Choice!

DratStarts is in our opinion the best DFS site in Australia. They have everything a local punter could wish for. From AFL, NRL and cricket to NBA and NFL, Draftstars covers all popular sports. On top of that, they even have fantasy horse racing, which is something you can’t find anywhere else.

Buy-ins start from as little as $2, so every bettor will find a contest that suits their pocket. If you’re just looking around, there are even free fantasy leagues. All of this is available on both desktop and mobile, in case you like to play on the go. To learn more about Australia’s best DFS site, check out our in-depth evaluation of Draftstars.

• All Aussie sports available
• Fantasy horse racing – Unique feature
• iOS and Android native apps
• Massive prize pools

Visit Draftstars

How To Start With Fantasy Sports Betting?

The basic principle is very simple. You pick a fantasy sports contest and draft your team from the pull of real players while trying to stay within a salary cap. When the league starts, you’ll be earning points based on the results your players make in real games. So if the player on the court scores a point or makes a save, you get fantasy points. At the end of the competition, players with the most points will win prizes.

Different operators offer many different game types, but this is how they all work on a basic level. You’ll find a quick guide below that can be of use when starting with any of the DFS operators in Australia. For more info about how to play with a specific site, take a look at some of our reviews.

Fantasy Game Types

Fantasy operators usually offer several game types. Each one of them has exclusive tournaments, but there are a few common content types that are available everywhere. They are all very straightforward, which makes them perfect for beginners.

• Fixed Prize Contest – There is a fixed price for a contest that doesn’t change based on the number of participants. Multiple players will receive a piece of the prize depending on their score.
• 50/50 Contests – Players that finish in the upper half of the scoreboard will get their stakes doubled.
• Head-to-Head – You play against a single opponent. The one who has drafted the better scoring team wins.
• Custom Contests – Fantasy operators usually allow you to make a custom league and invite your friends to join. Here you make all the rules!

Fantasy Sports Strategy

Regardless if you’re a new or seasoned fantasy sports player, theses expert tips will help you improve your game. We focused on the general advice, meaning that you can apply these strategies on any sport or contest type. If you’re just starting with DFS, note that following the expert guidelines is by far the easiest way to learn the art of drafting the winning fantasy lineup.

• Don’t overspend on star players – In simple words, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If the star player underperforms, you’ll almost certainly lose. That’s why it’s important to diversify your lineup.
• You shouldn’t chase players – If a player is currently hot and everyone is drafting it, it doesn’t automatically mean you should do the same. Firstly you don’t want a player everybody has. Plus the great result may be only due to a favourable matchup or something like that.
• Be aware of injuries – This is something most of the people forgets about. Double-check if the player is injured or benched before drafting because the lineups will be locked once the contests start.

What Sports Can I Bet On?

If you sign up with one of the above mentioned Australian Fantasy Sports sites, you can try a few games for free before spending any money. This is the best way to learn about the different aspects of daily fantasy sports and leagues.

The most popular sports among Australian fantasy fans are AFL, NRL, EPL and NBA, however NFL fantasy still gathers the most players worldwide. All of the punters’ favourite UFC clashes are covered, as well as golf, hockey and many others. DraftKings is the best for US sports. But when it comes to Australian leagues, Draftstars is unmatched. Plus they cover the full range of foreign sports as well.

We have put two of Australia’s most popular DFS sites side by side, so you can see which one of them is offering what.

Draftstars vs Draftkings

Sport
NRL
AFL
Cricket
Horse Racing
EPL
A-League
Golf
NFL
NHL
MLB
NBA
MMA
eSports
CFL

We’ll go through some of the most popular sports in more detail down below. To learn more about how the scoring works for each of the sports, take a look at some of our reviews. We list full scoring details for each of the fantasy operators.

Fantasy AFL

If you are a fan of Aussie Rules you can get involved with AFL Fantasy Leagues. Note that both DraftKings and Draftstars are offering this league, meaning that you’ll have more than enough DFS contests to choose from.

In AFL Fantasy Football points are scored by players for certain actions they perform in a match. For example, scoring a goal (6 pts) or a behind (1 pts) usually earns points, while tackling (4 pts) and kicking passes (3 pts) are other ways your players can score points. So, what should you look for when picking out your AFL fantasy team?

Research is vital, and you should always look out for players in top form. Some players and teams traditionally do well against certain opponents. This is why you should always look back at recent meetings between teams and the head to head stats.

Fantasy NRL

NRL is the premier rugby league competition not only in Australia but probably in the Southern Hemisphere. It is a big-hitting and exciting sport, so it is no wonder that Aussies love NRL fantasy leagues. Again, Draftstars is the only site to have it on offer.

They even offer increased prize funds for the biggest NRL matches. Players can score fantasy NRL points in a huge number of ways. The maximum number of points are awarded to try scorers (8 pts). Line Breaks earn 4 points, while players are penalised 2 points if they miss a tackle.

Again, if you want to increase your chances of picking a winning NRL fantasy team, studying past results and performances is vital. Look for players who are currently on song and check head to head records for players with previous good records against certain teams. Finally, always check the weather and the pitch, since some players are especially good in certain conditions.

Fantasy Cricket

Cricket is another popular sport among Aussie punters. Draftsarts is at the moment the only operator to have cricket on board. But they do offer everything you can wish for! From BBL to IPL and Ashes, you can enjoy fantasy contests on any major cricket event.

In fantasy cricket, players earn points for hitting runs, sixes and you can get a bonus if a batsman reaches 50 or 100. Bowlers pick up points for taking a wicket and get bonuses for taking 3 or 5 wickets. Fielders can also earn points by making catches or running out a batsman. Batsmen are penalised for ducks, while bowlers lose points for bowling wides/no balls. Note that scoring rules can differ depending on the contest.

When you are selecting a team, you should always check out the pitch type and condition. Certain bowlers and batsmen are best on different pitch types. For example, spin bowlers like dry, bobbly pitches that enable them to get action on the ball. Other pitch types are better for batsmen, so do your research to give yourself the best chance of winning at any cricket fantasy contest.

NBA Fantasy

The NBA is the world’s premier basketball league and Aussies love it. You can play daily fantasy NBA leagues with all of the fantasy sports websites we mentioned earlier.

In NBA Fantasy players can earn points in various ways. You can earn points for players in offence and defence. With Draftstars, points are awarded to players for points scored, assists and rebounds. Turnovers and missed shots are penalised. Defensive players can earn points for steals and blocks.

Before you pick your team check out all the relevant stats for recent form. It usually pays to pick players that are in a rich vein of form. Also, head to head statistics is always worth a look. Some players might come to life vs certain franchises, so look out for players who have historically performed well against their next opponents.

Fantasy Premier League

The English Premier League (EPL) is regarded in many quarters as the best soccer league in the world. You can partake in daily fantasy Premier League competitions with all top Aussie fantasy sports sites. With Draftstars you need to pick a team of 9 players, GK x1, Def x 3 and Mid/Fwd x 5. Check each individual site for details as team selection rules may vary.

Goalkeepers score points for making saves, keeping clean sheets and get extra points for saving a penalty. Points are deducted for goals conceded. Outfield players can earn points for scoring goals, assists, shots on target, accurate crosses, tackles won and fouls drawn. Points are deducted for a number of reasons too, including yellow and red cards, own goals and penalties conceded.

If you are thinking of getting involved in Fantasy Premier League daily events you should always ensure you do lots of research. Look for players that have been in good recent form or that have previously played well against their upcoming opponents. If you follow these tips, you should be winning at Fantasy EPL in no time!

How Much Does It Cost to Play Daily Fantasy Sports?

Although some of the fantasy sports sites do allow you to enter a certain amount of tournaments for free, there is usually a fee to enter daily fantasy leagues. With Draftstars, for example, you can enter tournaments for as little as $2 while the maximum buy-in is $15.

Remember though, the smaller the buy-in, the smaller the prize fund will usually be. If you want to win big, you will need to spend more and we will compare the prize money available from different fantasy sports websites later on.

Fantasy Sports History and Facts

First fantasy played in: 1950s in Oakland Number of players 60+ million Australian players 1.65 million	Best operator Draftstars Market value $4 billion Popular DFS sports NFL, baseball, NBA

Fantasy Sports Apps

If you are one of those punters who like to play on the go, don’t worry, it’s possible to get involved in fantasy sports competitions even from a smartphone or tablet. All the listed fantasy sports sites have mobile apps available. Many of them have also released native mobile apps. To download the dedicated application for iOS, just visit the App Store. If you are an Android user, you can take it directly from the betting site.

Note that Draftkings still don’t have native apps available. So if you want to play on mobile, Draftstars is by far the best choice. They have both iOS and Android native apps that offer all the same features as the desktop site. That’s just one of the reasons why we pick them as our top fantasy operator in Australia.

Draftstars vs Draftkings Mobile

App
Native iOS App
Native Android App
Web App

How Much Can I Win Playing Fantasy Sports?

Just like with entry fees, prizes vary in size between each fantasy sports site. The size of the prizes usually reflects the size of the entry fee. The cheapest leagues to enter have the lowest prize funds more often than not. If you want to win big, you usually have to spend more money on entry fees. If you’re searching for the biggest prizes, look for the special events. There you’ll find some stunning rewards!

Fantasy Sports in Australia FAQs