How to Make the Most of $100 on DraftKings Reignmakers This Week

With Week 6 just hours away, our focus shifts to the most anticipated DraftKings Reignmakers slate of the year: the Sunday Classic slate. This slate boasts two contests, each awarding $100,000 to the first-place finisher. Combined, these contests will distribute more than $425,000 in prizes.

This piece will highlight the best values for the CORE contest that offers $100,000 for the top spot. Additionally, we'll provide insights into the most effective strategies for investing $100 in lineups this week.

Contest Specific Rules & General Strategies 

First, let's discuss some contest specifics. While aiming for first place is always the goal, it's good to know that the contest is paying out a total of $250,000 for the slate. So, even if you don't secure first place, there's still a chance to earn some yield on your lineup. 

Here are some other important rules to keep in mind:

• You can enter up to 150 lineups.
• Only the Rush Set cards are available for use in this contest.
• You are allowed only 1 SuperStar per lineup.
• Any rarity tier cards can be used.
• In the event that users have the same lineup, the tie-breaker used is the total serial number of the lineup.

Let's explore some strategies to maximize your returns. Much like traditional Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS), the ability to make late swaps and optimize lineups is vital. Reignmakers, however, takes this a step further. Unlike traditional DFS where there are lineup salary constraints, Reignmakers only has the SuperStar limitation.

The flexibility in Reignmakers lets participants adjust their lineups based on early game results. They can then make changes for the afternoon games, subbing in the day's highest projected SuperStar players without any lineup constraints. This not only benefits participants but also fosters a vibrant secondary market for these players.

Take Week 4 as an example. In the $100,000 first-place CORE contest, Keenan Allen's cards were in high demand leading up to the 4:00 games. His CORE cards soared to prices of $60 per edition, while the rarer versions fetched over $100. This showcases the importance of strategic portfolio planning. If your lineups don't do well in the 1:00 p.m. games, holding key players from the 4:00 p.m. games in your portfolio can be a boon.

For those participating in the contest, it's essential to know you can sell cards that are part of your active lineup. But here's a critical caveat: if you sell a card that's in your lineup, you won't get points for it if it remains in your lineup post-sale. To put it simply, if you sell a player's card before their game starts and they remain in your lineup, you'll miss out on those points. If you sell after the game has begun, the points they've earned stay with you.

Player Value Focus:

Best CORE Values: 1:00 p.m. start time

Metric Used: Projected Points Per Dollar (minimum 15 projected points), floor price provided in parentheses. 

QBs

1. Deshuan Watson Q* ($4.50)
2. Derek Carr ($5.00)
3. Sam Howell ($5.89)
4. Geno Smith Q* ($6.99)

Flex

5. Joe Mixon ($7.75)
6. Kenneth Walker III ($9.70)
7. Tyreek Hill ($14.49)
8. Ja’Marr Chase ($14.45)
9. Bijan Robinson ($15.00)

Best Core Values: 4:00 p.m. start time

Metric Used: Projected Points Per Dollar (minimum 12  projected points)

QBs

1. Joshua Dobbs ($8.74)
2. Matthew Stafford (10.50)
3. Jalen Hurts ($14.49)
4. Jimmy Garoppolo ($5.80)
5. Zach Wilson ($5.48)
6. Mac Jones ($4.25)

Flex

1. Rhamondre Stevenson ($3.57)
2. Marquise Brown ($3.50)
3. Jakobi Meyers ($5.00)
4. Garrett Wilson ($4.50)
5. Breece Hall ($8.00)
6. D’Andre Swift ($9.00)
7. Davante Adams ($8.99)
8. Josh Jacobs ($10.47)
9. Cooper Kupp ($13.99)
10. A.J. Brown ($13.99)

Investing Strategies: Different Ways to Invest $100 This Week

Now that we've tackled player considerations and contest details, let's delve into how best to invest $100 with the potential to claim the $100,000 prize this week. We'll walk through different strategies and illustrate them with sample lineups, each reflecting a specific approach. This will offer you a clearer picture of how to smartly allocate your $100.

Aggressive Strategy: Optimal lineup + 1 low projected lineup

Example Lineups, all prices at CORE tier. 

• QB:  Tua Tagovailoa ($15.29)
• RB: Bijan Robinson ($11.00)
• WR: Tyreek Hill ($16.90)
• WR/T:  A.J. Brown ($13.50)
• Flex: DJ Moore ($16.99)

Total Cost: $73.68

Lineup: (Highest Projected for $25 budget with a SuperStar )

• QB: Sam Howell ($5.89)
• RB: Rachaard White ($3.50)
• WR: Terry McLaurin ($2.30)
• WR/T: Tyler Lockett ($3.00)
• Flex DeVante Adams ($8.69)

Total Cost: $23.69

Notes:

The "all-in" strategy is notably aggressive, putting the entire $100 into play for immediate, one-week returns rather than spreading bets across the season. Several factors fuel this tactic:

1. The cards in this contest are forecasted to see a steep decline in value, with prices expected to plunge by at least 50% post this week.
2. After this week, there aren’t any extra contests for these cards outside the regular weekly CORE contests, which typically offer a first-place prize of $3,000.
3. Beginning in Week 7, the prize money for the CORE tier shrinks for the rest of the season, with attention pivoting to the upper four tiers.

While this approach offers two shots at the $100K prize this week, there's a crucial caveat: to merely break even on the week's investment, the average lineup would have to rank within the top 300. This estimate factors in an anticipated return of around $30 after fees from card sales.

Long-Term Strategy

Long-Term Strategy: 1 Higher Projected RARE Tier Lineup + 1 Low Projected Mixed Lineup

Higher Projected Lineup:

• (Rare) QB: Matthew Stafford ($16.50)
• (Core) RB: Joe Mixon ($7.79)
• (Rare) WR: Cooper Kupp ($29.00)
• (Rare) WR/T: Deebo Samuel ($17.00)
• (Rare) Flex: DeVonta Smith ($24.00)

Total Cost: $84.50

Lower Projected Lineup:

All cards at the CORE Tier

• QB: Sam Howell ($5.89)
• RB: Rachaard White ($3.50)
• WR: Terry McLaurin ($2.30)
• WR/T: Tyler Lockett ($3.00)
• WR/T Jahan Dotson ($.60)

Total Cost: $15.29

Notes: 

This strategy takes a more extended view on your investment. The primary lineup is tailored to qualify for the weekly RARE Tier contests. It's worth noting that due to elements like bye weeks and specific slate configurations, it might not always be feasible to enter the exact same lineup in the rare tier every week. Nonetheless, this gives you a steady foundation to work from. The RARE tier typically boasts a first-place prize of $10,000, offering a consistent opportunity for returns.

Also, three of the five players in this lineup are set to play in the 4:00 pm slot. Say Deebo Samuel and Joe Mixon don't perform up to par in their 1:00 p.m. matches; the remaining three cards could be leveraged as sellable assets in the marketplace. This tactic may allow you to recoup part or all of your initial outlay. Further, these cards are anticipated to retain their market value longer than the CORE cards from the more aggressive strategy, mainly because of their relevance in higher tiers.

A standout feature of this approach is that it gives you a correlated secondary lineup, which is less likely to be commonly used or duplicated. This auxiliary lineup can serve you throughout the season in the CORE tier, where the top prizes generally sit at $3,000 weekly. Coupled with the FREE starter pack lineup provided, it's very likely you'll be in a position to field at least one lineup in the CORE contest every week for the rest of the season, ensuring regular engagement.

As showcased, there's a multitude of ways to craft lineups tailored to different starting points. For those aiming to effortlessly produce multiple lineup variations, the Lucky Trader Lineup Optimizer is an invaluable tool, with packages starting at a mere $5.99 per week. These lineups are bespoke, matched to your portfolio, and fully compliant with contest regulations.

That's all for now, and best of luck to everyone in Week 6!