Daily Fantasy can be a pretty scary place if you don’t know what you’re doing. There are a healthy amount of sharks out there who are consistently taking money from the little fish trying to swim in their waters. The important thing to note when swimming in shark infested water is to relax and stay calm.

There are quite a few players who make a living off of Daily Fantasy and it is best to stay away from going on head-to-head matches against these players. In most cases, the fantasy site will tell you how many head-to-head games they are in and how many times they have won. If you want to test your luck against these guys, you’re best off doing so in a bigger league so that you’re also playing against other individuals. Not to say that these fellas are unbeatable, but it just makes sense not to risk your money on someone who has more experience than you.

The key to winning Daily Fantasy Basketball is to research the players who are consistent, on a hot streak or may potentially have a monster game because of their situation.

First off, you should always have a few players on your team who are known to be consistent. The good thing about these websites is that it shows you the statistics and the amount of fantasy points they have gotten in their past games. They also have news to let you know their status. It is important to have a healthy dose of consistent players so that you are guaranteed a good amount of points. Some people elect to spend their money on consistent players who are mid-value that will guarantee them 25-40 points, while others spend more money on players who are consistent, but can post 40+ points for you. Depending on which strategy you use, make sure you research their recent games, history against the opponent and how well they produce in home or away games.

Secondly, look to draft players who are on a hot streak. Right now, Cousins is a perfect example of someone who is on a hot streak. The price tag to get Cousins is quite steep, but he has been getting 50-67 points in his recent games. When players are hot like this, you have a great chance of receiving a huge chunk of points from one player alone. Look for players who are currently streaking right now and it will pay off. Jeff Teague, Chris Paul, Kemba Walker and Steph Curry are all examples of players who are on fire right now so feel free to use one or more of these players. A little word of caution though, the more players you use that are hot commodities, the more less consistent players you might have to add on your team. One rule of thumb we like to use is, draft one really high priced player and add a low priced player who has potential.

Lastly, draft players who might have a monster game with their teammates sitting out. For instance, Mo Williams and Al Horford just had monster games with some of their teammates sitting out because of injuries and rest. This strategy works exceptionally well when there are missing players who play a huge role on the team. Why? Because there is a huge hole to fill so other players get the opportunity to step up and produce for their team. Always look for situations where a star player is sitting out and then draft someone who will benefit greatly from it. In most cases you will really get great value, but sometimes it doesn’t always pan out.

These are 3 ways to help give you a chance to win in Daily Fantasy so feel free to use these strategies in the lower wagers until you become more comfortable betting more. In the end, try to earn some cash while having fun.