NFL DFS for Beginners: Your First Lineup

By the Runtiva team · Last updated October 2, 2026

Daily fantasy football is season-long fantasy compressed into one week: draft a fresh team under a salary cap, score from that week's games, and start over next week. No draft night, no waiver wire, no being stuck with a bad team in October. Here is everything you need for your first lineup.

How the salary cap works

On Runtiva you fill nine roster spots with $50,000 of salary. Every player has a price: an elite quarterback costs several times what a backup-turned-starter does. You can't afford every star, so the game is deciding where to spend and where to save.

The one idea that matters most: you're not looking for the best players, you're looking for the most points per dollar. A cheap player who scores 15 can be worth more to your lineup than an expensive one who scores 25, because of who that leftover money buys.

The positions, including the DST

• Quarterback — the most consistent scorers. Passing touchdowns are worth 4, with a 3-point bonus at 300 yards.
• Running backs, wide receivers, tight ends — rushing and receiving touchdowns are worth 6, and every catch adds 0.5 (half-PPR). Volume wins: target players who get the ball a lot.
• DST — one whole team's defense and special teams. Sacks, interceptions, fumble recoveries and defensive or return touchdowns score, and holding the opponent to few points earns a bonus. The cheapest way to find points is often a good defense facing a struggling offense.

The app shows the exact slots before you enter, and the full scoring table is in the contest rules.

Building your first lineup in five steps

1. Pick the main slate. The Sunday afternoon games give you the biggest player pool and the most contests.
2. Start at quarterback. Choose one in a game expected to be high-scoring.
3. Stack a receiver with your quarterback. When your quarterback throws a touchdown to that receiver, you score twice. That pairing is called a stack, and it is the simplest edge in DFS.
4. Find one or two values. A cheap player stepping in for an injured starter frees up money for your stars.
5. Check the news before lock. The lineup locks when the first game starts. A player ruled out after you build scores zero.

Step-by-step screens are in how to play.

Which contests to start with

• Free contests — learn the scoring with nothing at stake.
• Head-to-heads and 50/50s — beat one opponent, or finish in the top half. A solid lineup is enough, and these carry Runtiva's lowest fees.
• Private contests — play people you know in your own group, where nobody is a professional.
• Tournaments — big prizes for a small share of the field. Fun, but save them for when you know the game.

Short on time on Sunday? Runtiva also runs second-half and fourth-quarter slates, where only stats from that part of the game count.

Five mistakes that cost beginners

• Spending the whole cap on stars and filling the rest with players who barely play.
• Starting tournaments before you have played a few 50/50s.
• Ignoring the injury report on Sunday morning.
• Picking a defense that faces an elite offense because it's cheap.
• Entering more than you planned to win back a bad week.

Set a budget before the season starts and use the deposit limits and cool-downs in the app if you want a hard stop. More on the format in fantasy football on Runtiva, and Saturdays in college football DFS.

Frequently asked questions