In the daily fantasy and pick'em space, several apps have been created recently to compete for their place in the growing sector. Underdog Fantasy is among the latest and greatest to carve their lane, and by many accounts, they've succeeded in doing so.
We have used the Underdog app for years and are big fans. Underdog has been our top-rated DFS app for the past 3 NFL seasons. In this review, we will share our thoughts on the experience and identify the best (and worst) features new players can expect to find in the app.
Final Verdict:
Underdog does a lot of things well, but the variety of games offered really steals the show. They are the only DFS app that offers daily and weekly snake drafts, and also offer one of the best Pick'em products in the industry.
Limited access to DFS and/or Pick'em contests by state.
If Paypal isn’t your preferred withdrawal method, the process can take longer.
Company Overview
Underdog is regarded as the fastest-growing paid fantasy app ever, and, according to press releases from their funding rounds, the team has an illustrious list of investors. This includes Mark Cuban, Kevin Durant’s fund Thirty Five Ventures, BlackRock, and numerous professional athletes and musicians.
Underdog launched in 2020 as the latest DFS product from Jeremy Levine, who had previously created the popular DFS app DRAFT. In 2021, they announced a Series A funding round and a $3.5M best ball tournament for the NFL season and have continued to hoover up market share since.
In July 2022, Underdog announced another $35M funding round, at a $485M valuation, that noted their intent to “build innovative licensed sports betting products, hire over one hundred new employees, and continue to lead the industry in daily fantasy innovation.” From our experience, it seems to have paid off.
User Experience in the App
5 out of 55
The Underdog app is sleek, easy to navigate, and provides a host of fantasy contest options to choose from depending on the user's preference.
Players can jump right into a live draft for a daily contest, choose from best ball options that attach more longevity (and reward potential) to their drafted lineups, switch over to the player prop section, called Pick 'em, and check out the latest news being produced by Underdog's content team.
Regardless of what type of contest you choose, the app's user interface makes it easy to build your entry. You can also check past entries and track live entries as the games play out.
Our team has used the Underdog app daily for the past 3 years and has yet to experience a performance-related issue.
Underdog Contest Options
5 out of 55
The Daily Fantasy offerings are front and center upon opening the Underdog app. Users are dropped into the lobby, where all options for upcoming draft opportunities are segmented by sport.
This variety includes popular daily contests, the standard for companies in the space, week-long scoring called Battle Royale, full-season best ball leagues, specialty contests for playoffs, and limited field editions like head-to-head, 3-person, 4-person, and 6-person snake drafts.
Underdog Snake Drafts and Best Ball
The snake draft function is smooth, allows for easy queueing and selecting, and offers insights into a player's recent or past performance for a small research sample. The screen display divides your one or multiple DFS lineups into sections that make it easy to follow which contests are actively drafting, yet to start, live in progress, or the results are ready.
For both DFS and Best Ball contests, Underdog handles a few essential things for users that make the experience more enjoyable. If a player is ruled out of their game before the start, Underdog states that they'll backfill the open roster spot on your team from the remaining undrafted players whose games have also yet to begin. While injuries and late scratches are not ideal, this feature could, at worst, dampen the blow to a user's lineup.
The other nice feature native to Best Ball and applied to Battle Royale leagues is that setting lineups isn't an issue. The format is designed to automatically assign the highest-scoring player at each position to the starting lineup for that period, removing the dreaded bench-scoring-palooza that drives other season-long fantasy players crazy.
Underdog Pick' Em Contests
The player pick'em section is split into two halves. The first displays individual selections by player across a full complement of sports and leagues, called Higher/Lower, and head-to-head wagering options in the Rivals section.
Underdog's pick'em contests is essentially a parlay builder. Users must select at least two picks to submit their play, and the parlay odds are preset depending on the number of selections. These scale from 3x payouts for two-player tickets up to 20x for five.
For those who'd like less all-in risk when submitting a wager, Underdog offers an Insured option for bet slips with three to five players included. Placing an Insured pick comes with lower earnings potential but offers a payout if all but one selection among the group ends up cashing.
For example, if a user builds a prop slip with the maximum allowed five players, they can choose to place the parlay or select the Insured option. In the parlay scenario, all five picks need to win, and the bettor takes home a 20x payout if so. In the Insured scenario, the user gets a 10x payout if every pick hits but can also receive a 2.5x payout if four of the five picks come home. This is akin to the Flex option PrizePicks offers in their prop engine.
These pick'em slips can include multiple sports and offer the chance to track them live for most options, which is a nice visual to provide context when watching the games and using the app as a second screen.
Welcome Offers and Promotions
4.9 out of 54.9
In terms of promotion opportunities, Underdog offers a deposit match of up to $100 for first-time players. To opt in for this promotion, simply use our Underdog promo code 'EWB' during the registration process.
For those taking advantage of this welcome bonus, the main thing to know is that the total deposit amount plus the match becomes bonus funds. To be eligible for withdrawal, bonus funds must be put into play within the first 60 days following the deposit date.
The other way that Underdog offers bonus funds to users is through referrals. Existing users are eligible for $10 in bonus funds for every new user who makes a $10 deposit and enters the username of the first person as the referral code. This is also standard practice to incentivize users to leverage the power of their word-of-mouth.
Underdog App Availability
4.9 out of 54.9
One catch applies to using apps like Underdog: their availability varies by state and, for college athletics, by sport.
The rules section of the app lists the states that are ineligible for the type of action that users are looking to get down, which at least helps clear up where the restrictions lie despite the frustrations they may cause. This isn't a limitation solely owned by Underdog, as their competitors in the space face the same regulations.
For college sports, restrictions vary by state differently than with pro sports leagues, and there is also less ability to track the progress of live fantasy or prop action. Underdog notes this for the users in these instances and acknowledges that the result will only appear after the game's conclusion.
Customer Feedback
Underdog has a sterling 4.8-star rating (60,000 reviews) on the App Store and ranks in the top ten of sports apps. On Google Play, Underdog has a 4.0-star rating with over 5,000 reviews. This gives the app an aggregate rating of just under 4.7 stars.
Reviewers cited some glitches and bugs within the app that detracted from their experience and issues with withdrawals if not using PayPal. Still, the feedback has largely been positive, and Underdog is paving a productive path toward user engagement.
Underdog FAQ
Underdog has had one of the top DFS apps in the industry for quite some time. However, we know that there are new fantasy sports players entering the market each day.
Because of that, we thought that the following FAQ section would help people find the answers they need quickly. We'll keep these updated regularly for your convenience.
Is Underdog Fantasy legit?
Absolutely, Underdog is a legitimate company that's been doing business in both the US and Canada for several years. Newer players will be happy to know that both their money and their personal info will be kept safe and secure at all times.
Does Underdog have good customer service?
Yes! Underdog prides itself on giving stellar customer service to its patrons. Folks with any issues are encouraged to fill out a support ticket or give them a call at 917-267-2182. The majority of problems are resolved either the same day or the next day.
Why are Underdog's Over/Under contests so popular?
The Over/Under contests at Underdog are a huge hit with clients because of their simplicity and their huge potential payouts. Sports fans have become quite fond of player props in recent years, so it only makes sense that they'd like this type of prop-style contest.
How quickly does Underdog process withdrawal requests?
Underdog does a fabulous job of processing withdrawals in an efficient manner. The majority of cash-out requests are sent in 24 hours or less. Some can take 2-3 days depending on the payout method, but that's not the norm.
What are the highlights of the Underdog Fantasy app?
There are so many positive aspects of Underdog that it's hard to list them all. They have a lucrative bonus offer, a good-looking app that's easy to navigate, and an impressive offering of DFS contests. It's easy to see why folks are so wild about Underdog!
Review Summary
Underdog is a well-funded, well-built app that offers a welcoming environment to play a variety of fantasy formats and player props, regardless of prior experience or skill. If players are okay with the play-through requirement on their deposit match up to $100, it's worth taking advantage of.
Make sure to check whether their state limitations on either fantasy or props apply to you before depositing funds, especially when using a bonus. Otherwise, you can bet that Underdog will remain competitive in the market for years.
Must be 18+ (19+ in AL and NE, 21+ in AZ, IA, LA, and MA) and present in a state where Fantasy operates. Terms apply. Please Gamble Responsibly. Concerned with your play? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit www.ncpgambling.org; AZ: 1-800-NEXT-STEP (1-800-639-8783) or test NEXT-STEP to 53342; NY: Call the 24/7 HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY or Text HOPENY (467369), TN: Call/text TN REDLINE at 1-800-889-9789.
Leave a Review
5.0
Rated 5.0 out of 5
5.0 out of 5 stars (based on 1 review)
Excellent100%
Very good0%
Average0%
Poor0%
Terrible0%
Easily My Favorite DFS App
Rated 5.0 out of 5
April 5, 2024
I love Underdog Fantasy because their player props style DFS game makes watching the games even more exciting. It's incredible getting to have some skin in the game with my favorite players. Give these guys a shot!
Nicholas Berault is a proud Penn State alum whose past work has been featured on FantasyPros. He is an avid golfer and a collector of pin flags and sneakers. As a senior writer at EatWatchBet, Nicholas serves as an NFL, CFB, and NBA betting analyst.
