DFS Salary Allocator

Plan your DFS roster construction by allocating salary across positions. See remaining cap, star vs punt analysis, and points-per-dollar targets for DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo.

$50K
Remaining: $50.0K
QB
RB
RB
WR
WR
WR
TE
FLEX
DST
$0.0K used0%

How to Think About Salary Allocation

Roster construction starts with deciding how many "stars" and "punts" you want. A stars-and-scrubs build concentrates salary in 2-3 spots and punts the rest. A balanced build spreads salary evenly. The right approach depends on contest type: GPPs reward differentiation while cash games reward consistency.

Reading the Allocation Analysis

The allocator highlights star slots (above-average salary) in green and punt slots (below-average) in amber. The points-per-dollar target tells you how efficiently your roster needs to score to hit your target. Watch the remaining cap counter as you adjust — going over cap is the most common roster building mistake.

Platform-Specific Salary Considerations

DraftKings and FanDuel have different salary caps and roster structures. DraftKings uses a FLEX spot (any RB/WR/TE), while FanDuel has dedicated position slots. This affects which positions you can punt and where you should allocate premium salary. Always set the correct platform before planning your build.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DraftKings salary cap?
DraftKings uses a $50,000 salary cap for NFL, NBA, and most sports. Players must build a full roster within this cap. The average salary per slot is approximately $5,500-5,600 for a 9-player NFL roster, but optimal builds often feature 2-3 premium players and 2-3 value plays.
What is the FanDuel salary cap?
FanDuel uses a $60,000 salary cap for NFL and a $60,000 cap for NBA. The higher cap gives more flexibility in roster construction compared to DraftKings. Yahoo uses a $200 cap with a different salary scale entirely.
What is a punt play in DFS?
A punt play is a low-salary player used to free up cap space for premium players elsewhere. Punt plays typically cost 10-20% below the average per-slot salary. The risk is that punt plays have lower floors, so they need to hit their ceiling for the strategy to work.
How should I allocate salary in GPPs vs cash games?
Cash games favor balanced builds with high-floor players at each position. GPPs reward more extreme allocations: pay up for 2-3 ceiling plays and punt 2-3 spots to differentiate from the field. The allocator helps visualize both strategies.
What is points per dollar in DFS?
Points per dollar (pts/$1K) measures a player's scoring efficiency relative to salary. Calculate it by dividing projected points by salary in thousands. A player projected for 20 points at $8,000 produces 2.5 pts/$1K. Higher values indicate better value.
How many star players should I roster?
Most winning GPP lineups feature 2-3 premium-priced players who hit their ceiling. Cash game lineups typically use 1-2 studs with the rest allocated to mid-range and value plays. The optimal number depends on the salary distribution of the slate.
Does the allocator work for showdown slates?
Showdown and single-game slates use different roster structures and salary caps. This allocator is designed for classic full-roster DFS on DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo. Showdown strategy requires different allocation logic.
What target score should I set?
For NFL DraftKings, cash game targets are typically 130-150 points and GPP winning scores are 180-220+. NBA targets are higher: 280-300 for cash and 330+ for GPPs. Use contest history on your platform to calibrate realistic target scores for each sport.

Related Tools

Fantasy Scoring Calculator DFS Contest EV Calculator DFS Correlation Tool