How Underdog Works: Game Types, Rules & Payouts

You can check out this page to compare Underdog’s payouts against other DFS platforms.

Underdog’s Pick’em games offer fixed payouts, meaning the payout doesn’t change whether you pick higher or lower on a player’s stat projection. This differs from sportsbooks, where odds shift based on how people bet.

There are exceptions, though. Some picks are tagged with multipliers that change your payout, depending on how tough the projection is. Even with that, the standard payout table is still the best “rule of thumb” for what most entries will pay.

Because the payouts mainly don’t change, you can look for value by comparing Underdog’s lines to sportsbooks' odds. 

For example, if sportsbooks favor Steph Curry to go over 27.5 points with the Over heavily juiced, that might be a sign to back the Higher option in your Underdog entry. 

Or even better, sportsbooks may have shifted Curry's line to something like 30.5, giving you even more value on Underdog's projection of 27.5.

The consistent payout means you get the same return, even if one side is more likely to hit.

Underdog's Pick’em Game Variations

Aside from the classic Pick’em format, Underdog offers some spin-offs that add a competitive twist.

Pick’em Champions

In Pick’em Champions, you battle with other users for a share of the Champions Prize rather than playing against the house.

You’ll create an entry with 2 to 8 picks, choosing higher or lower on player stats. Your score depends on Champions Points, which are calculated based on your entry fee, the difficulty of your picks, and how many you get right. The more challenging the pick and the better your accuracy, the more points you’ll earn.

Your finishing position depends on how many Champions Points you earn, with the prize pool split proportionally.

For instance, a $3 entry with a 9x multiplier would earn 27 Champions Points. If the total winning pool has 54,000 points, each point would be worth $0.50, giving your entry a $13.50 payout.

Streaks

Streaks is a Pick’em twist focusing on building a winning streak. The idea is to string together a streak of correct picks, with big rewards if you keep the run alive. Nail 11 picks in a row, and you’re looking at up to 1,000 times your entry size.

The best part is that your streak doesn’t have to come from one entry. You might start with a Pick 3, then stack 8 more correct picks across different entries to keep the streak rolling.

Ladders 

Underdog recently rolled out a new game type called Ladders. You pick 3 to 5 players you think will go off that night, and your payout rises based on how far each one climbs. Every player has a set of performance-based “rungs”—like points, rebounds, or yards—and the more rungs they hit, the higher their payout multiplier gets.

Your final payout is based on the lowest shared rung hit by all your picks. So if each player clears the third rung, that’s a 3x payout. If they all crush it and reach the top rung, you’re looking at a 100x return.

The better your roster performs, the bigger the multiplier.

Pick'em Promos and Boosters 

Underdog Predict (Prediction Markets)

Underdog’s DFS payouts are fixed, but Underdog Predict works in a totally different way. Instead of building a DFS entry, you’re trading $0-to-$1 contracts tied to sports outcomes, with pricing driven by live market activity.

Think of the contract price like a quick snapshot of probability. If a “Yes” outcome is trading at $0.62, the market is basically saying that result is about a 62% shot. If you buy in at $0.62 and the price climbs to $0.80 after news or game momentum shifts, you can sell early to lock in value, or hold through settlement.

If your outcome hits, the contract settles at $1. If it misses, it settles at $0. Your max loss is whatever you paid to enter, and the exchange fee is baked into the price you see upfront.

The key point is this: Pick’em is fixed payout against a projection, while Predict is a market with moving prices where you can enter and exit based on how you think the game is trending.

Underdog Pick’em Important Rules

Before jumping into a contest, it’s smart to check the rules. They lay out how entries are scored and explain what happens in specific cases, like postponed games or voided picks. Here are some highlights:

• Projection updates: Projections can change, but your pick locks in at the number when you submit it. For instance, if you take Jalen Hurts to throw for over 240.5 yards, and his projection moves to 255.5, your pick will still be graded on 240.5.
• Team and player requirements: Your entry needs to include picks from at least two different teams, and you can’t use the same player more than once in a single entry. You’ll need at least two valid picks for your entry to count.
• Limits: There are caps on how much you can play on a single player’s projections, how much you can play on one entry, and how many open entries you can have simultaneously.
• Inactive players: Picks are voided if a player doesn’t meet the activity requirements. For example, a player must take at least one snap in football. In basketball, a player has to log minutes.
• Postponed games: If a game isn’t completed by 4:59 AM ET the next day, picks for that game are voided. Suspended games might still count if the outcome can be determined before suspension.
• Ties and voided picks: If a pick is void or tied, the payout adjusts based on the remaining active picks. For example, a 5-pick Flex Entry with one voided pick becomes a 4-pick Flex Entry.
• Modified picks: Adding modified picks can increase your max payout, but the boost only applies if the pick is correct. If it voids or ties, the boost is off the table.
• Pick’em rescue: If a player leaves the game early (due to injury or another issue), your entry might be refunded, and you could get a special credit in your account.

Does Underdog Count Overtime? 

Yes, Underdog does count overtime in most full-game projections. If your pick is tied to a full game stat line, anything that happens in overtime is included in grading.

The exception is partial-game projections (like 1Q, 1H, 3Q, or specific periods). For those, only stats from that exact segment count. Overtime stats are excluded from partial-game picks, and in sports like NHL and soccer, overtime is never included in partial-game projections.

Does Underdog Have Early Cash Out? 

Yes. Underdog has an early cash-out option on select entries, letting you settle before everything finishes. You’ll find it in the Track tab, where eligible slips show a Cash Out button.

This shows up most often on Streaks and some Pick’em entries. On Streaks, it’s basically a “take the money now” option, so you can cash out early instead of riding all the way to 11 picks.

Just know the cash-out value moves around. It’s based on the live value of your entry at that moment, so it can land above or below your original amount, and once you cash out, it’s final. Also, it won’t always be available on every entry.

How Underdog Best Ball Drafts Work

Best Ball is Underdog’s signature tournament format. Their biggest event is the Best Ball Mania Tournament. These are Underdog's largest best ball contests, drawing hundreds of thousands of entries each year and offers massive prize pools.

You start with a snake draft, where the pick order flips each round—so if you go first in Round 1, you’ll pick last in Round 2. Once the draft wraps, your roster is locked in for the season: no waivers, trades, or substitutions. 

That makes it a perfect format if you want to draft once and ride it out through the entire NFL season without managing lineups every week.

Your team scores points based on players’ weekly performances. Underdog automatically starts your top-performing players each week at each position, so you don’t need to manage your roster manually. This makes Best Ball a hands-off format. You only need to draft smart and let the points roll in.

Best Ball Variations

Best Ball tournaments feature multiple formats with distinct rules and payout structures.

Weekly Winners

Your drafted team competes across the season in this format, but prizes are awarded each week. Prizes reset each week, so even if your team struggles one week, you can still bounce back and win the next.

Unlike traditional Best Ball, you’re not just competing within your draft group. Weekly Winners pits you against all entries in the contest.

Playoff Weekly Winners

Playoff Weekly Winners brings the same concept to postseason play. Draft your team before the playoffs start, and each week’s top scorers take home the prizes. There’s no advancing or eliminations—your score for each week is what counts.

As with other Best Ball formats, rosters are locked after the draft, and the same lineup competes throughout the playoffs.

Underdog Best Ball Important Rules

Here are some key rules to keep in mind before joining a Best Ball contest:

• Slow drafts: Time limits for slow drafts tighten as the season approaches. For instance, two weeks before kickoff, the amount of time per pick drops to four hours, then to one hour per pick a week before kickoff, 10 minutes per pick the night before the season starts, and down to 60 seconds per pick within two hours of the season starting.
• Missed picks: If you miss two picks in a row during a slow draft, you’ll be placed on autopilot. You can turn it off, but if you miss another pick, autopilot kicks back in. Worth noting, drafts move much faster closer to the season, so missing picks becomes more likely if you’re not paying attention.
• Prize allocation: The pot is split evenly if teams tie for a weekly or final prize. For example, if three teams tie for first place in a week with a $60 prize, each team takes home $20.
• Tiebreakers: If there’s a tie in an Advancement Round, the team with the highest-scoring player in that round moves on. If it’s still tied, it goes to the second-highest scorer, then the third, and so on. If all else fails, the entry submitted first gets the nod.
• Trades and retirements: If a player on your roster gets traded or retires, their points still count as long as they’re active and playing. But swapping players isn’t allowed, even if someone on your roster stops scoring.
• Multiple entries: If you enter with more than one lineup, your entries will start in separate groups for Round 1. As you advance, they’ll only end up in the same group if you have more entries left than there are groups to place them in.

How Underdog Battle Royale Works

Battle Royale is a quick-hitting, week-long fantasy contest where you draft players in a snake draft and stack your team against others. Unlike a traditional draft where you only compete within your group, your score is compared to every team entered into the contest.

You can draft for an entire slate of games—like a full NFL week—or focus on a single matchup, like Monday Night Football. Draft groups range from 2 to 6 participants, and you can even invite friends for private drafts. At the end of the week, top teams across all groups split the prize pool.

Underdog Battle Royale Important Rules

Here are some important rules you should know before entering Battle Royal contests:

• Drafting: Players are picked in a snake draft, but your competition isn’t limited to just your group. Your score goes head-to-head with every other entry in the contest, so overlapping rosters are possible.
• Scoring and payouts: Your team scores for the week, and payouts are based on the leaderboard. If teams tie, the prize is split evenly among them.
• Player swaps: If a player you draft is ruled out before their game kicks off, they’ll be replaced by an undrafted player—assuming there are still games left in the slate and your roster stays valid.

Getting Started With Underdog

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to start playing on Underdog:

1. Sign up: Use our link to visit Underdog and register using the code ODDS100 to unlock the signup offer.
2. Deposit funds: Deposit $10+ and submit a $5+ lineup to get $75 in Bonus Entries.
3. Choose your game: Head to the lobby and select your game type:

• • Drafts for Best Ball and Battle Royale
  • The Pick’em lobby for Pick’em games.

4. Enter a contest: Submit the number of entries you want to play for tournaments. For Pick’em, make your selections and set the entry size.
5. Watch the action: Let the games play out and track your picks or team performance.
6. Claim your winnings: If you win a prize in a tournament or hit your Pick’em entry, you can keep playing or cash out your winnings via PayPal or Interchecks, with a $10 minimum withdrawal. You can learn more about Underdog deposits and withdrawals here.

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