Higher-salary options.
See what extra salary buys in projected points and upside.
How It Works overviewGet comfortable with
NFL tool guide · about 4 minutes
Get comfortable with
Core Plays.
Find starting points across positions and salary ranges. Compare the cards, check the context, and save the players you want to research.
01
Getting started
Match the board to your slate.
Open the NFL Study Hub, choose DK or FD and your Classic slate, then select Core Plays. Use ALL for the full board or a position button for a closer look.
Find Core Plays inside the Study Hub
Start with one position. The QB, RB, WR, TE, and DEF buttons make it easier to compare salary groups without reading the whole board at once.
02
Understand the layout
Three salary groups, different ways to build.
The groups are based on eligible salaries at each position on this slate. Their ranges change when the slate or site changes.
Middle-salary options.
Compare players who leave room for other lineup priorities.
Lower-salary options.
Explore salary relief, then check the points and role you give up.
Compare the QB salary groups
From the captured slate
Jared Goff is in Spend Up at $6,600 with 22.89 projected points. Jacoby Brissett is in Midrange at $5,500 with 20.76. Tyson Bagent is in Value at $4,700 with 17.49.
Brissett saves $1,100 compared with Goff, while Bagent saves $1,900. Compare the points you give up with what those savings improve elsewhere in your roster.
Value group and Value grade mean different things.
Value group means lower salary. Pts / $1K and the Value grade describe projected salary efficiency. A player can have a strong Value grade while sitting in Spend Up or Midrange.
These groups are not separate cash and tournament lists. Your contest, stack, and remaining salary determine which options fit.
03
Read a player card
Start with the three main numbers.
Projection, Pts / $1K, and Own% answer different questions. Read them together before choosing a player.
Expected fantasy points.
Compare the scoring expectation with other players at the same position.
Projected salary efficiency.
A higher number means more projected points per $1,000, not necessarily more total points.
Expected popularity.
Add ownership to your tournament decision, alongside upside and roster fit.
What do the labels mean?
Proj / Value grades: A–E comparisons with the leaders at the player’s position. Projection and efficiency are graded separately.
Projection anchor: The leading matchup-adjusted projection in that salary group.
Ceiling efficiency: A second option selected for estimated upside per dollar among the remaining players. Defenses use Salary efficiency instead.
These labels explain why a player appears. They do not mean you should lock him into every lineup. Ownership is shown for context and does not decide which players make the board.
Read the card and its matchup details
Open Matchup & opportunity when you want more context.
The details show available ceiling, opponent DVP, and role information. Lower DVP ranks mean the opponent allows more fantasy points to that position; #1 allows the most.
The matchup adjustment helps rank Core Plays. It does not change the projection displayed on the card. Historical shares and red-zone figures describe recorded opportunity, not this week’s projected workload.
Missing information stays neutral. Use the player’s name to open his game log and review recent results.
The best value is not always the best play. Saving salary helps when it improves the rest of your lineup. Sometimes paying more for extra points or upside fits your contest better.
04
Put it to work
Save options, then build your own roster.
Use + Pool on a card to save a player for this slate. Add QB, RB, WR, TE, or DEF to My Pool saves the displayed options at that position. Add all to My Pool saves the board’s options across positions.
Start with individual players.
Save the options that fit your plan. You can remove them later in My Pool.
Keep the lineup connected.
For quarterbacks, review receivers and bring-backs in Stacks. Compare the full combination and its salary.
A saved player is an option.
Adding to My Pool does not automatically build a lineup or lock a player into one.
Use Core Plays to start your research. Build the final lineup around your contest, salary, and the way your players fit together.