Playing Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is a blast. Seriously, if you haven’t gotten into the thrill of daily fantasy, you’re missing out in a big way. There’s nothing quite like setting a new lineup every day and trying to hit the highest score possible to win some coin. Playing daily fantasy has plenty of positive qualities, but one quality that’s not always rosy is fatigue. Setting new lineups each and every day, over and over, can leave managers burnt out. In order to avoid the dreaded malaise that often accompanies fervent repetition, we’re here to offer tips and tricks. You can tackle DFS fatigue while still having a blast and (hopefully) growing your bankroll.

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Spreadsheets are Your Friend

So you want to win big in DFS — that’s a given. And unless you pick the perfect lineup your first time out, you’ll almost certainly be entering multiple lineups every time you play. Single entry games are a lot of fun, but most of the highest paying contests come in the form of multi-entry tournaments. If you’re entering a tournament that allows multiple entries, you’ll want to get in as many as you can (bankroll permitting). Entering mutliple lineups can be extremely taxing on your brain (and fingers) as you peruse the player pool looking for that perfect combination of players. Because you’re entering multiple lineups, you’ll want exposure to a wide variety of different options.

In tournaments, two good strategies to employ are the “stars and scrubs” method and the “core” method. For stars and scrubs, you’ll select two or three of the most highly priced options on the slate and pair them with low-cost options who could provide a lot of value. In this instance, you’ll want to use the same group(s) of stars in multiple entries and vary the low-cost options around them, leading to plenty of exposure. Exposure is important, because the scrub options are fliers, and not all of them will hit. In the core method, you’ll select your core of two to three players you feel are a lock for the slate and put them into a lot of lineups while changing up the rest of the roster for even more exposure.

Now that’s out of the way, and from my long-winded explanation, you can see that there is a lot of thought and plenty of effort involved in setting so many different lineups. That’s where spreadsheets come in. To avoid the heavy fatigue you might suffer from jumping into multi-entry tournaments, utilize a spreadsheet. Setting one up is a bit time-consuming at first, but once the template is in place, the daily work is streamlined. Setting lineups by hand can often feel like a chore, and it’s easy to overlook some players or overexpose yourself to others. For a great reference on setting up a DFS spreadsheet, click here or here. Setting up a spreadsheet for daily fantasy will likely be the best decision you make to help fight fatigue, and the power of the document should help you make more well-informed lineup choices. It’s a no-brainer.

New Contests, New Attitude

Single-Game
Building a full roster can be a time-consuming process. In single-game contests, you get five roster spots to create your perfect lineup, drawing players from one game only. This drastically lessens the player pool and takes far less research. If you’re getting burnt out on full-roster contests, try something different.

Double-Ups & 50/50s
Tournaments are where the big money is made, but playing in tournaments requires a certain level of calculated risk and a lot of different lineup combinations. Playing 50/50s or double-ups is a great way to build your bankroll and quit sweating tournaments. In double-ups, you win double your money if you cash, and in 50/50s,  the top half of entries get paid, so you don’t need a lot of risky plays baked into lineups in either contest. Here, you’re looking for reliable players with consistent point totals to ensure you cash. Safer plays are usually easier to identify, and setting these lineups is far less taxing than setting a tournament lineup.

Special Promotions
No matter which platform you’re using for DFS, there are typically some special promotions going on that allow you to set atypical lineups and mix things up a bit. Take advantage of these contests, and get out of the usual routine. Changing up your contests is a great way to rejuvenate when you feel the DFS fatigue creeping in.

Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems
As we’ve mentioned multiple times already, playing DFS requires a decent amount of time and effort if you’re serious about winning money. If you feel yourself getting burnt out on setting daily lineups, simply take a break. If you still want to play every day, cut down on the amount of money you’re wagering by entering fewer contests. If you don’t want to play every day, limit yourself to every other day, or take a week or two off from DFS altogether to recharge. The more money you spend, the more time and effort you’ll put into generating lineups. Less money, less problems — simple as that.

Go With Your Gut

Daily fantasy football involves a little bit of luck. Obviously, you can minimize the luck factor with research, but there are still plenty of variables out of your control when setting a DFS lineup. Often, a lineup decision can come down to a handful of options, stacks or player combinations, and this is the time to use your best instinct and judgement. Going with your gut may sound cliche, but it can absolutely help to fight DFS fatigue. Some of the most exhaustive measures in setting DFS lineups come down to choosing between similarly valued players. Instead of spending additional time combing through stats, projections and articles, rely on your gut, and spend less time crunching numbers. You’ve done the work, you’ve done the research, now go for it! There is such a thing as overthinking it, and doing so can be self-destructive and downright tiring.

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Zachary Hanshew is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Zachary, check out his archive and follow him @zakthemonster.