DraftKings vs PrizePicks

DraftKings' daily fantasy contests and PrizePicks both pay out on real player stats, but you play them differently. On DraftKings you draft a full lineup under a $50,000 salary cap and score fantasy points against a contest field; on PrizePicks you call More or Less on 2 to 6 stat projections. DraftKings' own More/Less game is a separate product, Pick6.

By the DFS Directory team. Checked Nov 2, 2026.

Which one fits you

DraftKings

Pick DraftKings if you enjoy building full lineups and want contests that can pay even when you don't finish first.
Pick DraftKings if you're in Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania or Louisiana outside select parishes, where it runs paid contests and PrizePicks has no Player Picks.
Pick DraftKings if you're in Canada outside Ontario and Alberta, or want stakes below $1.

PrizePicks

Pick PrizePicks if you'd rather make 2 to 6 quick More/Less calls than set a full roster.
Pick PrizePicks if you're in Oregon, where DraftKings says paid contests aren't available and PrizePicks offers Player Picks.
Pick PrizePicks if you want team picks (winners, spreads and totals) in the same lineup as player picks, where Team Picks are offered.

The format

DraftKings gives you a fictional $50,000 to spend on real players, each with a salary, and your lineup scores points from their real stats. PrizePicks shows a stat projection for each player, and you pick More or Less on 2 to 6 of them, mixing sports if you like. DraftKings' own pick'em is Pick6, and its event-contract app is DraftKings Predictions; both are separate products with their own terms.

How you get paid

DraftKings pays by where you finish, under each contest's prize structure, and its football page notes you can win cash without coming in first. DraftKings says it has no stake in the outcome of any fantasy contest. PrizePicks groups your lineup with up to 940 others with the same pick count and pays a Minimum Guarantee for a winning lineup or a Max Payout for topping the group; its standard Power Play rates run from 3x for 2 picks to 37.5x for 6.

Stakes

DraftKings' terms set the minimum paid entry at $0.01 with no maximum entry fee. PrizePicks' minimum entry is $1, its maximum varies by player, sport and stat type, and you can submit one lineup per contest.

Where you can play

As of October 2026, DraftKings lists paid fantasy in 44 states and in 8 Canadian provinces and 3 territories. It excludes Hawaii, Idaho, select Louisiana parishes, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Ontario and Alberta. PrizePicks offers Player Picks in 36 states plus DC, to US residents only.

Age

DraftKings requires 19 in Alabama and Nebraska and 21 in Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts and Virginia. PrizePicks requires 19 in Alabama and Colorado and 21 in Arizona, Illinois, Massachusetts and Virginia.

Side by side

DraftKings and PrizePicks compared
	DraftKings	PrizePicks
Contest types	Salary cap, Best ball	Peer-to-peer pick'em, Prediction market
States	44	37
Sports	NFL, CFB, NBA, CBB, MLB, NHL, Golf, NASCAR, F1, MMA, Soccer, Tennis, Esports	NFL, CFB, NBA, CBB, WNBA, MLB, NHL, Tennis, MMA
Minimum age	18+	18+
Min deposit	$5	$10
Payouts	ACH / online banking, PayPal, Venmo, Debit card, Apple Pay, Cash App Pay, Check, Bank wire	ACH / bank transfer, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Debit card
New-user offer	New customers get 2 tickets to play free in NFL and NBA contests with a first deposit of $5 or more	New users who play a first $5 lineup get $150 in bonus lineups if it wins, plus $25 in bonus packs after buying a first $5 pack
Canada	Yes	No
Founded	2012	2017
Owner	DraftKings Inc. (NASDAQ: DKNG)	Allwyn International AG (62.3% majority stake, closed Jan 16, 2026)
	Visit DraftKings(opens in a new tab)	Visit PrizePicks(opens in a new tab)

The table is built from each listing's published details. See the DraftKings and PrizePicks profiles for their sources and check dates.

Sources and corrections

Last checked Nov 2, 2026. We wrote this page from the sources below, and each listing links its own. If something about DraftKings or PrizePicks has changed, let us know.