I’ve used Underdog and Sleeper—two of my highest-rated DFS sites—for a while now and thought an article comparing the two would be helpful for people trying to decide which to use.
Underdog and Sleeper both run draft-based games and Pick’em contests, but they’re not quite the same. They each offer distinct advantages, which is why I’m actively using both.
Underdog beats Sleeper with a wider range of sports, greater availability, and a more user-friendly interface.
Sleeper tops Underdog with a wider array of banking options, a more feature-rich platform, and a more consistent flow of ongoing promotions.
Both DFS platforms offer a comparable selection of contests. They’re also pretty much on par with each other when it comes to payouts. You can join Underdog with promo code ODDS100 here or Sleeper with promo code ODDS100 here.
Overall, Underdog and Sleeper are pretty evenly matched, so I recommend signing up for both. This way, you can snag the Play $5, Get $100 in Bonus Entries + Gimme Pick at Underdog and 100% deposit match up to $100 + $20 no deposit bonus at Sleeper.
Underdog vs. Sleeper Overview
Underdog is known for its Best Ball contests, a unique spin on traditional fantasy where you draft a team and then let it auto-manage throughout the season. They also feature Pick’em games and a variety of daily and weekly draft contests.
Sleeper focuses on traditional fantasy leagues, spanning a range of major sports leagues and League of Legends esports. Alongside these, they host bracket tournaments and their version of Pick’em games, which they call Picks.
Underdog offers fixed payouts for its Pick’em games, while Sleeper's payouts change based on which player you choose. Plus, they each have different game formats within draft-based contests.
Odds Assist Rating | 4.8 | 4.8 |
Payouts | Varies depending on the market (maxes out at 100x) | |
Welcome bonus | 100% Deposit Match Bonus up to $100 + $20 Free | Play $5, Get $100 in Bonus Entries + Gimme Pick |
Promo code | ODDS100 | ODDS100 |
State availability | 29 states + DC (paid contests); 50 states (free-to-play) | 41 |
Sports covered | 5+ markets | 9+ markets |
Contests | Pick’em, DFS, season-long fantasy contests | Pick’em, Best Ball, daily and weekly fantasy contests |
Minimum deposit | $10 | $10 |
Mobile app | iOS & Android | iOS & Android |
Customer Support | Live chat, email | Live chat, email |
Underdog vs. Sleeper State Availability – Winner: Underdog
Underdog has a broader presence in the U.S. than Sleeper, being available in 41 states compared to Sleeper's 29. Additionally, it's important to note that both Sleeper’s and Underdog’s Pick’em games aren't available in all of these states.
While Underdog wins out when it comes to the number of states that paid contests are available in, Sleeper wins when it comes to free-to-play games. Sleeper's popular free games (like season-long fantasy), are eligible in all states.
You can learn more in our Underdog States Guide and our Sleeper States Guide to see which games are available in which states.
Underdog vs. Sleeper Sign-Up Bonus – Winner: Underdog
When you register at Underdog, there's a strong welcome offer on the table: play a $5 lineup, and you'll get $100 in bonus entries plus a Gimme Pick—a special projection with a significantly adjusted stat for one athlete.
Sleeper’s sign-up offer is a bit different. Deposit $10 or more, and they’ll match it 100%, up to $100 in bonus funds. New users at Sleeper also receive a $20 no deposit bonus after registering.
You can join Underdog with promo code ODDS100 here or Sleeper with promo code ODDS100 here.
Both apps have pretty easy-going bonus rules, so it's relatively easy to convert your promo money into real cash you can take out or use for further play.
- The wagering requirement for both bonuses is just 1x. This means you have to enter the bonus entries in contests at least once before you can withdraw any winnings.
- You need to deposit a minimum of $10 on both Underdog and Sleeper to unlock the bonus.
- You can spread out the bonus money across various entries as you like. There's no need to spend it all in one go or in specific installments.
- Time to play bonus entries. Sleeper gives you 60 days to use your bonus funds, while Underdog gives you 14 days to use your bonus entries.
While Sleeper’s welcome bonus offers solid value for the money, we have to hand it to Underdog. Sleeper’s offer looks bigger on paper, but it requires a larger deposit to max out, while Underdog gives you the full bonus value with just a $5 lineup and also provides a Gimme Pick.
Underdog vs. Sleeper Incentives for Returning Players – Winner: Sleeper
Sleeper wins the battle for player incentives. They offer a more varied range of ongoing promos, rotating through 5+ different deals. Here are some that I’ve noticed they run quite consistently:
- Protected pick: this promo offers a no-loss guarantee. If you enter a contest and don't win, your entry fee gets refunded.
- Airdrops: occasionally, Sleeper surprises players with random ‘drops.' These are little prizes awarded unexpectedly to a few lucky users.
- Payout boosts: This promotion gives your winnings an extra kick. If your entry hits the mark, you get a bigger payout than usual.
- If/then: With this promo, you complete a set task and earn a small reward. For instance, you might play two $20+ entries and nab a small bonus.
- Referral bonus: With Sleeper's Give/Get program, you get a little something every time you refer a friend to the site.
- Shop: you can purchase fun virtual items like avatars and mascots using Cookies, their special tokens. You can get these by referring others to the site or simply buying them directly.
Underdog's promo lineup is more modest compared to Sleeper, it’s far from bare-bones. They offer payout boosts too, where you could see your profit on a 5/5 hit in Pick’em games skyrocket from 20x to 60x.
Plus, they have their own referral program, rewarding you with $10 for each friend you bring to the platform.
Underdog vs. Sleeper Pick’em Payouts – Winner: Tie
Underdog and Sleeper each use their own unique payout mechanisms for Pick’em games, so I've ranked them evenly in this aspect.
You'll find that sometimes Underdog has the better payouts, while at other times, Sleeper could have the upper hand for the same set of athletes. This variability is another good reason to sign up with both and pick the most advantageous option based on the situation.
At Underdog, the payouts for Pick’em contests are always fixed and predetermined, regardless of the sport or athlete. For example, hit a 2/2 in any Pick’em game, you'll bag a 3x payout of your entry fee. Score a 4 out of 4, and that's a 10x profit.
Plus, they have an insurance option—it reduces your maximum payout, but you'll still get something back if one of your picks doesn't come through.
At Sleeper, the payouts vary based on the athletes you choose. You could see a 2x payout for picking two players in a contest or see a 5x payout for different players.
The max number of picks per entry is different between the platforms: 5 at Underdog and 8 at Sleeper. That’s why there’s a big divergence in max payout between the two sites. At Underdog, the highest payout is 20x your entry for a perfect 5 out of 5. At Sleeper, you can go up to a 100x payout.
Compared to the wider market, Underdog's payouts are quite competitive, often better than many other DFS sites. Sleeper’s payouts are more hit or miss; they can be above average at times and below par at others.
On the whole, if you're focusing just on payouts for Pick’em games, keeping both Underdog and Sleeper in your toolkit is a smart move.
Underdog vs. Sleeper User Interface – Winner: Underdog (Slightly)
When it comes to comparing UX among DFS sites, it's really about personal ‘feel' as there aren't concrete benchmarks. Personally, I find Underdog's design and layout a bit more appealing than Sleeper's.
Underdog features a dark-yellow theme, a color combo I enjoy, so there might be a bit of bias there. Their graphics are super clear, and the layout is easy to get the hang of, with just four main submenus. You can quickly jump from pre-game to live, check out results, pick your contest type, choose a sport, and then select your athletes. The whole site is pretty snappy and easy to move around in, probably because it's not weighed down with too many extras.
Sleeper goes for a different vibe with a dark blue color scheme and a sidebar for navigation. You can access all the features from the main menu, but it might take some time to get used to the layout as the pages are pretty packed with content. It might not be the first choice I'd suggest to a beginner due to its busier layout.
Here are some screenshots of the Underdog app (click to expand):
And here are some screenshots of the Sleeper app (click to expand):
Underdog vs. Sleeper Contest Variety – Winner: Tie
It's like a teeter-totter with contest variety, as both Underdog and Sleeper offer a pretty similar spread of games.
Underdog has really carved out a niche with their Best Ball contests. While they didn't invent the format, they've definitely played a huge role in skyrocketing its popularity.
Like fantasy contests, Best Ball games run all year, but are easier to manage. You won't deal with in-season adjustments like setting lineups or trading players. Instead, the top performers in each position slot are automatically chosen for you each week, hence the name.
The points are awarded based on individual player performances, which vary by sport. The draft follows a snake format, and only the points from your top five players contribute to your total each round. There's no need to assemble a roster for every game; it's auto-created. Just draft your team and let the season play out.
Best Ball contests have been hot lately, mainly because of the huge payouts. For instance, the Best Ball Mania IV in 2023 had a massive $15 million prize pool.
Underdog also runs Weekly Winners and Battle Royals contests, which are a mix of their best ball contests and traditional DFS games. These play out over a week and, like best ball, don’t require any in-week management of rosters.
Finally, Underdog has two types of Pick’em formats: Higher/Lower and Rivals.
In Higher/Lower, you predict if an athlete will go over or under a specific stat line. There's also an insurance feature here, lowering the max payout but allowing for a payout even if not all your picks hit. Rivals is a head-to-head contest where you choose between two athletes Underdog has matched up, predicting which one will outperform the other based on a certain stat.
Another Pick'em option now live at Underdog is Ladders, where the payout multiplier scales with how many stat milestones your picks hit, and you can win up to 100x if they all go off.
Sleeper is centered around traditional season-long leagues against other players. You can get in on the action for the NFL, NBA, and even the League of Legends Championship Series They offer different game modes, including Redraft, Keeper, and Dynasty, with options for Snake, Linear, or Auction drafts.
Sleeper also hosts NCAA Bracket Mania events. In these, you predict which teams will advance through the playoffs. The more correct guesses you make, the more points you rack up. These contests can handle up to 10,000 users, and players can buy multiple entries.
Lastly, Sleeper also offers Pick’em games, but their style is different from Underdog's. In Sleeper's version, payouts fluctuate based on the athletes you pick. This can lead to quite a range in potential winnings; you might see payouts from 5x to 20x for a perfect 3 out of 3. Also, Sleeper provides an insurance option called, meaning you don't have to hit every pick to win.
Sleeper recently started offering a gameplay mode for Pick'em games called PicksVS.
Here, you select 2 to 8 athletes and compete against up to 5,000 other players. You can win either by getting all your predictions right for a payout based on your VS Score, or by achieving the highest VS Score to win 100 times your entry fee.
Underdog vs. Sleeper Sports Variety – Winner: Underdog
Underdog has a broader sports coverage than Sleeper. They host contests in over 9 markets, nearly twice as many as Sleeper.
Sleeper's lineup features:
- NBA
- NFL
- MLB
- NCAAB
- League of Legends (LOL)
Underdog includes all these, plus F1, tennis, golf, and soccer.
Underdog vs. Sleeper Banking – Winner: Sleeper
Sleeper pulls ahead in the banking department as it accepts a broader range of payment methods.
Sleeper’s deposit options include:
- Bank transfer
- Credit/debit card (Visa, Discover)
- PayPal
- Apple Pay
- Venmo
Underdog’s deposit options include:
- Credit /debit card (Visa, Discover, Mastercard, Amex)
- PayPal
While Underdog accepts more card types, they don't have Sleeper's options for Apple Pay, Venmo, or bank transfers.
Both sites have a minimum deposit of $10.
Sleeper’s withdrawal methods include:
- Bank transfer
- Debit card (Visa, Discover)
- PayPal
- Apple Pay
- Venmo
Underdog’s withdrawal methods:
- PayPal
- Bank transfers
- Prepaid cards
- Physical checks
Sleeper has an extra cashout method compared to Underdog. Withdrawal times are similar for both, typically taking 1-5 days for funds to arrive.
Underdog vs. Sleeper Final Verdict – Winner: Both Platforms Are Equally Great
It might sound cliché, but choosing between Underdog and Sleeper really comes down to what matters to you in a DFS site.
If you're all about regular promotions, diverse banking options, fantasy contests, and extra features, then Sleeper's your go-to. But if you're more into a wide range of sports, a user-friendly experience, or if Underdog is available in your state and Sleeper isn't, then Underdog is the way to go.
The way I look at it, it's a smart move to get on board with both Underdog and Sleeper. There's really no downside to registering on both platforms since it's free.
By being active on each, you can compare payouts for the entries you want to make and position yourself to take advantage of their unique benefits whenever the opportunity arises.
Still not sure? Check out some of our other guides featuring Underdog and Sleeper:
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