Yahoo DFS Review

Yahoo is a name that you don’t hear as much in 2022, but did you know that they have a robust daily fantasy sports community? Believe it or not, Yahoo is one of the pioneers of fantasy sports, having offered season-long contests since the 1990s. Although not as big as names like FanDuel and Draftkings, DFS players still enjoy coming to Yahoo for their unique contests and pricing system. The remainder of this Yahoo DFS review will provide you with everything you need to know about this fantasy powerhouse. 

Overview

Yahoo is starting to make a major resurgence in the DFS world. Despite football and basketball being the two most popular sports, Yahoo offers fantasy contests for soccer, hockey, golf, and baseball too. What’s more interesting about their contests is the fact that Yahoo has some of the lowest management fees in the industry. A management fee can also be looked at as “rake” or the amount of money being charged to set-up and run a contest. Essentially, this means that more prize money is available because Yahoo is setting aside less revenue for themselves. 

In addition to the contests being more user-friendly from a money making perspective, you might find that the contests are also less competitive. Most professional DFS players have made themselves at home on Draftkings or Fanduel, which leaves Yahoo a little less saturated with the big ballers. Now this is not to say that you’ll instantly take down a GPP on Yahoo, but it’s certainly easier to do so if you make it your primary platform.

The last thing to touch on is their unique scoring system. Unlike other platforms that give a salary cap in the thousands, Yahoo stays true to their unique $200 limit. Knowing this, the overall approach to contests is different from that on Draftkings or Fanduel. It helps to compare player salaries across major platforms to determine where there might be some value. 

Scoring

The salary cap on Yahoo might throw you off a bit, but luckily the scoring rules are about the same as other industry leaders. You can find a full rundown of the scoring on their website, but the general rules are as follows: 

NFL:

  • 0.04 points per passing yard
  • 4 points for passing touchdowns
  • -1 point for an interception
  • 0.1 points for rushing yards
  • 6 points for rushing touchdowns
  • 0.5 points for receptions
  • 0.1 points for receiving yards
  • 6 points for all special teams touchdowns
  • -2 points for lost fumbles
  • 2 points for two point conversions

The main thing to note here is that Yahoo does 1/2 point per reception for NFL DFS. They are similar to Fanduel in this sense, and different from Draftkings that offers a full point for each reception. 

NBA:

  • 1 point for each point scored
  • 1.2 points for each rebound
  • 1.5 points for each assist
  • 3 points for each steal
  • 3 points for each block
  • -1 points for each turnover

Once again, if you’re familiar with Fanduel, you probably notice some similarities here. NBA scoring on Yahoo is literally the exact same as Fanduel, with the only difference being the salary cap and player pricing. 

Golf:

While it may not be as popular as fantasy football or basketball, fantasy golf is a thrill. If you haven’t tried it yet, I suggest doing so, and luckily Yahoo offers contests for all major events. The scoring breakdown is as follows: 

  • 5 points for a hole-in-one (ace) 
  • 9 points for an eagle
  • 15 points for a double eagle
  • 3.5 points for each birdie
  • 0.5 points for each par
  • -1.3 points for each bogey
  • 5 points for a bogey-free round
  • 3 points for a 3-birdie streak
  • 5 points for a 4-birdie streak
  • 10 points for a 5-birdie streak
  • 18 points for a 6-birdie streak
  • 25 points for a 1st place finish
  • 12 points for a 2nd place finish
  • 10 points for a 3rd place finish
  • 8 points for a top 10 finish 
  • 3 points for a top 20 finish
  • -5 points for a double bogey or worse

As you can tell, there are a lot more factors at play when it comes to fantasy golf. The scoring rules make for an exciting few days every time you decide to enter a contest. 

Pros and Cons

If you’re still debating whether or not to play DFS on Yahoo, it certainly helps to consider the pros and cons of the platform. Keep in mind that some of these points may be seen as beneficial or negative depending on the type of player you are. 

Pros:

  • Due to a smaller user base, the competition is not as strong on Yahoo as it is on Draftkings or Fanduel. For example, you probably won’t be going up against as many people who are max-entering contests or using lineup optimizers. 

 

  • The pricing system on Yahoo can give you an edge. Oftentimes you will find that some players are given the minimum salary when they should be a lot more expensive. You should take advantage of this if you want to give yourself the best chance of winning. 

 

  • Yahoo has some of the lowest management fees in the industry. You might hear this be referred to as “rake”. Nonetheless, this implies that Yahoo is profiting less to allow more users a chance at winning. 

 

  • GPPs on Yahoo generally have fewer overall entrants because the user base is not as big as other platforms. 

Cons: 

  • Player salary can also be seen as a con because it’s vastly different from the more familiar Fanduel and Draftkings. It might take some time to get familiar with making lineups on Yahoo. 

 

  • Prize pools are usually smaller on Yahoo because there’s a smaller user base and therefore fewer entries to funder larger payouts. 

 

  • The mobile app is not as fine-tuned as some of the other industry leaders. This makes for a slightly more difficult user experience. 

 

  • The deposit and withdraw procedure is not as streamlined on Yahoo as it is on Fanduel or Draftkings. 

Conclusion

Most people think that Yahoo died in 2008, but the reality is they’re still a leader in daily fantasy sports. Among other features, you can take advantage of their low-rake contests that are generally less competitive. In addition to this, the different salary cap could help better your understanding of value when you’re making lineups. 

Throughout this Yahoo DFS review, I’ve provided a brief overview of the good and the bad regarding contests on the platform. Despite being overshadowed by its big brothers Fanduel and Draftkings, Yahoo is still one of those outlets that every DFS player should be a part of. Regardless of your experience level, I recommend checking out Yahoo if you have not already. 

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