Underdog Fantasy

Underdog Fantasy Review & Bonus

Welcome Bonus

EDITOR'S OPINION

If you need an alternative to salary cap DFS platforms and the sharks that often play them, Underdog Fantasy offers a different, enjoyable opportunity to play fantasy point prediction games. One of the industry's most aesthetically pleasing and easy-to-use platforms — on both web and mobile — Underdog gives users a new way to play Daily Fantasy Sports while leveling the playing field.

ByAnthony Cervino

Sep 17, 2024

Overview of Underdog Fantasy

Pros
  • Best Ball

  • Pick’em Style Contest

  • Fast and Slow Drafts

  • Easy-to-Navigate Interface

Cons
  • Limited Banking Options

  • Pick’em (Prop) Contests Not Available in All States

  • Limited Customer Service Options

  • No Rewards & Limited Promotions

  • Welcome Bonus
    9/10
  • Mobile Experience
    10/10
  • Payment Options
    7/10
  • Support
    7/10
  • Overall
    8/10

Underdog Fantasy QUICK FACTS

  • Established:

    2020

  • Services:

    Daily Fantasy Sports

  • Available In:

    All states except CT, DE, HI, IA, ID, LA, MT, NV, & WA. Also available in Canada.

  • Payment Methods:

    PayPal, Credit Card, Electronic Check

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Underdog Fantasy Hands-on Review

Underdog Fantasy was founded in 2020 in Brooklyn, New York by Jeremy Levine, Brandon Stakenborg, and Trevor John. The service has a slew of notable investors, including Mark Cuban, Future, Adam Schefter, Kevin Durant, and many more.

While Underdog Fantasy is still fairly new and growing — the platform is only entering its second NFL season in 2021 — its popularity is rapidly growing. Still, despite this notoriety, the overall player pool is smaller than that of DraftKings and FanDuel. However, this makes it easier to cash.

Underdog Fantasy is fully operational in 41 states, so most of the United States can use the platform. Plus, with the fact that it differs from your cookie-cutter DFS sites, Underdog’s path to success is wide open.

In comparison to other DFS platforms which are normally salary cap-based, Underdog relies on Daily Snake Draft Battle Royales, Best Ball, and Pick’em contests. They make it easy for the beginner to win while leveling the overall playing field.

What Is Underdog Fantasy?

Underdog Fantasy is a new way to play Daily Fantasy Sports with a focus on Best Ball and Best Ball tournaments. While most DFS platforms are sally cap-centric, Underdog Fantasy is primarily Snake Draft-based.

Due to their success with NFL games, Underdog expanded their contests to more major sports leagues in the United States, including MLB, NBA, NHL, college football, and golf, while also expanding to events like top boxing matches.

While Best Ball is Underdog’s bread and butter, the platform also features daily snake draft contests that range from $3 to 100. Contest sizes are small, ranging from 3-12 people to fill a game. These are called Battle Royale contests.

In addition to those features, Underdog Fantasy also has large, GPP-based tournaments with lucrative prize pools at stake in all sports.

Underdog also features a Pick’em (Props) style contest that is focused on statistical categories. Most Pick’em contests have a handicap, similar to a point spread for H2H, player versus player matchups. Though home PvP matchups are also straight up.

How Does Underdog Fantasy Work?

Underdog Fantasy has three different contests. I will explain how they work in this section of the review.

Best Ball

Best Ball drafts are “set it and forget it." You will draft your team against other fantasy managers. Once the draft is completed, your roster management is over. There are no waivers, trades, or setting a lineup. The results are based on how you initially drafted. Drafts can be either fast drafts or slow drafts (8-hour clock). If you are in a slow draft, the 8-hour clock will shrink the closer you get to the season to ensure the draft is completed for Week 1.

Each week, your optimal lineup is set by player performance and total points scored. For example, if you drafted three quarterbacks, the highest-scoring signal-caller will be inserted into your starting lineup. The same goes for every other position.

Once your optimal lineup is set, your points will be tallied for that week and placed into your overall score. Each week, your overall score will be compiled. At the end of the year, the total points scored will determine the winner of the league. The highest-scoring fantasy managers will be awarded their winnings at the end of each season.

Daily Snake Drafts

There are Daily Snake Drafts for each sport. For the NFL, you are more or less looking at weekly snakes. These are also Best Ball-like drafts, only instead of a contest going the entire season, a contest expires at the end of a given slate of games.

These Daily-type contests will range from 3-12 fantasy managers with entry fees ranging from $3 to 100. You must roster players from two different teams as part of the Two-Team Rule at Underdog.

Underdog Fantasy also features single-game rosters. With single-game rosters, the Superflex rule comes into play. Contrary to other Underdog NFL contests, there is no quarterback roster spot. Instead, there is a Superflex spot. You can elect to use, or not use a quarterback here to create roster variance.

Pick’em

Pick’em contests are like head-to-head player prop games. There are two different types of Pick’em contests at Underdog — Over/ Under and Rivals.

Over/Under

  • For example, Aaron Rodgers Over/Under 1.5 touchdowns.
  • You will pick Over or Under.
  • You can pick up to 5 totals
  • The more you get right, the higher you can win in a multiplier fashion.

Rivals

  • Rivals contests are similar to the Over/Unders — only with Rivals, it is player vs player.
  • For example, will Aaron Rodgers throw for more yards than Tom Brady?
  • You can also find a handicap with some of these. Handicaps are like point spreads.
  • Who will throw for more touchdowns? Aaron Rodgers (+.5) or Tom Brady?
  • You can pick up to 5.
  • The more you get right, the higher you can win in a multiplier fashion.

Underdog Fantasy Signup Bonus

Underdog Fantasy has an excellent welcome offer in the form of a first-deposit bonus. Use promo code GAMEDAY to get this offer. Read about it below along with any other bonus promotions Underdog is currently offering.

Underdog Fantasy No-Deposit Bonus

Underdog Fantasy does not currently offer a no-deposit bonus.

Underdog Fantasy Deposit Bonus

Underdog Fantasy has a welcome offer for new users. Now, when you sign up with the code GAMEDAY, you’ll get a 50% cash bonus of up to $250. However, do note that you must play through these funds once before they can be withdrawn.

Underdog Fantasy Second-Chance Bet

Underdog Fantasy does not currently offer a second-chance bet.

Underdog Fantasy Promotions

Outside of the welcome bonus, Underdog Fantasy does not have regular promotions like you will see at other DFS sites, sportsbooks, and online casinos. However, if you’re keen enough, you could monitor Underdog’s social media accounts for updates.

Once in a while, Underdog will have a promotion running that they will announce on Twitter and Facebook. These are few and far between, however.

  • Refer-a-Friend
    • If a user refers a friend to Underdog Fantasy, both players will receive $10 in their account so long as the first user’s name is entered upon signing up.
  • Multiplier Boost
    • In Pick’em/Rivals contests, any Pick’em multiplier winnings over the standard multiplier will be awarded as bonus cash.
    • For example, if you are offered an 8x return as a multiplier for getting three picks right, you will get a 2x return in bonus cash, as the standard return is 6x. The standard 6x return will be awarded in regular funds that can be immediately withdrawn.

My Underdog App Experience

Underdog Fantasy’s mobile app is sensational. To download it, visit your app store — Apple or Android — and type “Underdog Fantasy” in the search bar. From there, tap the “Download” button and away we go.

Once the Underdog app is downloaded, it will prompt you to sign up or sign in. Once you are in, you can begin to navigate, which is as easy as it gets. You’ll also notice that the color scheme and layout are aesthetically pleasing.

On the home screen, you have everything that you need. Something different Underdog features is player rankings. At the top left, you will see a button that looks like a list of three lines. If you click on that, it will take you to rankings for each sport.

At the top right, you will find your account balance. If you click on that account balance button, it will direct you to the deposit screen.

The next menu line is where you can navigate from the lobby to enter contests, your active contests, and your completed contests. Directly below that menu line, you will see another menu where you can go from the home screen to individual sport lobbies to enter drafts.

On the actual home page, you will find a large space along with a scrolling menu for Underdog’s “Featured” contests. This space is usually saved for Underdog’s large, GPP-like tournaments. They need to fill, which is why Underdog promotes them more than others.

For the rest of the home screen, you will find the daily contests broken down by sport. Lastly, at the very bottom, you will find your final menu. From left to right, these are buttons are as followed:

  • Drafts: See what drafts are active and enter contests
  • Pick’em: Access the Rivals/Pick’em contests
  • Live: Track your teams and contests as they play out
  • Results: Find out if you’ve won and how much you’ve won
  • Account: Access your account info, banking, and customer support

Underdog Fantasy’s app is fast, sleek, and easy to use. There also isn’t any clutter or advertisements at all. Despite being new to the industry compared to its counterparts, Underdog’s mobile app is the best on the market.

Is Underdog Fantasy Legit?

Yes, Underdog Fantasy is legal. As long as you’re playing within the limits of a state in which Underdog Fantasy and DFS are legalized, you can participate in their contests and win real money.

Underdog Fantasy is licensed and regulated by each individual state in which the platform is legal.

Should You Play at Underdog Fantasy?

If you haven’t tried Underdog Fantasy, I suggest you do so. Not only should you take advantage of their new user sign-up bonus — $10 of free money with a 1x playthrough requirement — but you will also find that it is a terrific platform for the beginner DFS player.

Although most DFS platforms are salary cap-based, Underdog’s bread and butter is the snake draft. Every fantasy player is familiar with a snake draft from their pieces in redraft leagues. Underdog made a name for itself with Best Ball, however.

If you are like me, I use mock drafts all year round in preparation for my redraft leagues and dynasty start-ups. However, mock drafts are free. Most live players in mocks tend to quit and go on autopilot a few rounds in with nothing at stake.

However, if you choose to do Best Ball fantasy drafts in place of regular free mock drafts, even the cheapest Best Ball draft will keep all competitors interested. There are Best Ball drafts as low as $3. Imagine the concept of mock drafting with stakes at the end. This is how I view Best Ball. It is a new way to mock, and Underdog understands this.

I am also a big tournament guy, and fortunately, Underdog Fantasy has that too. Underdog Fantasy’s Best Ball Mania II tournament has a $3.5 million prize pool with $1 million to the winner. These are $25 to join.

They also have cheaper tournaments available, like Puppy, if you don’t want to spend $25. Puppy drafts are $5 and still have a lucrative prize pool, totaling $1 million with $100K to first.

While Underdog Fantasy could expand its customer service and banking options, it isn’t as bad as it seems. Underdog’s customer service team is fast to reply, and they are based around PayPal, which most of us use anyway.

I am all-in on Underdog Fantasy. I have done my fair share of reviews for sportsbooks and DFS platforms at The Game Day, and this is no fluff. Underdog Fantasy is the top Daily Fantasy Sports platform on the market.

How To Join Underdog Fantasy

All you have to do is click the “Get Bonus” button to activate your deposit bonus and get redirected to Underdog Fantasy to begin the sign-up process.

If you want to use the mobile app, you must visit the app store that corresponds with your chosen device. Then, you will search for “Underdog Fantasy” and hit the download button.

  • Whether you sign up with the website or the app, you must use a promo code to activate the welcome offer.
  • On the first page of the sign-up screen, you will be asked for a username, email, password, DOB, and promo code.
  • Once you complete that sign-up form and agree to the terms of service, you’re in.
  • Next, you must deposit at least $10 to activate your $10 new-user sign-up bonus.

Payment Methods Available

Deposits

  • PayPal
  • Credit Card through Paypal (guest account)

*$10 minimum

Withdrawals

  • PayPal
  • Electronic Check

*Withdrawals are free

Rewards System

Currently, Underdog does not offer a VIP or Rewards program.

Leagues You Can Bet On

  • NFL
  • MLB
  • NBA
  • NHL
  • Golf
  • College football
  • MMA/UFC
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
  • Boxing
  • eSports
  • Formula 1
  • Nascar

Bets/Games You Can Make/Play

  • Best Ball Drafts
  • Daily Snake Drafts
  • Pick’em (Props)

Customer Service

  • Email: Support@UnderdogFantasy.com
  • Social Media: DM on X/Twitter (@UnderdogFantasy), DM on Facebook (@UnderdogFantasy)

Underdog Fantasy Legal States

As of August 2023, Underdog Fantasy is legal in all states except for Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Nevada, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, and Washington. It is also legal in Canada.

Author

Anthony Cervino

Anthony Cervino is an NFL Writer and Betting Analyst for The Game Day. He is also a lifelong NFL savant and self-proclaimed league historian. In the industry, Anthony has excelled in both the fantasy football and sports betting space with fantasy his proverbial bread and butter. Anthony has made appearances on SiriusXM, amongst other publications. He is also the co-creator of the FF Faceoff (Faceoff Sports Network) and the FF Faceoff Mental Health Podathon partnered with the Hayden Hurst Foundation. Industry Clout: 15th most accurate ranker in the FantasyPros ECR for both draft and in-season accuracy (2019) | 8th most accurate ranker in the FantasyPros ECR for sleepers (2020) | 13th most accurate ranker in the FantasyPros ECR for in-season accuracy, including 2nd at quarterback and 3rd at tight end (2021).

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