Perfect Lineups
See the highest-scoring lineup that was mathematically possible in past contests, and what the winning lineup actually looked like.
After a slate locks, there is exactly one perfect lineup: the roster that scored the most points possible under the salary cap. Seeking Optimal reconstructs it for real DraftKings contests and puts it side by side with the lineup that actually took the contest down.
The gap between those two lineups is the most useful number in daily fantasy. It tells you how much of a slate was genuinely solvable, how far off perfect a winning score really is, and which players were doing the heavy lifting. Winning a large-field tournament almost never requires the perfect lineup, and seeing how far short the winner fell is what recalibrates your expectations.
Study perfect lineups across MLB, NFL, PGA, NASCAR, and more. Look at how often chalk actually belonged in the optimal build, where leverage plays paid off, and what roster structures kept showing up at the top.
What you can study
Perfect vs. winning
Compare the mathematically optimal lineup against the lineup that actually won, player by player, with the overlap highlighted.
Ownership context
See how owned each player in the perfect lineup was, so you can tell the difference between chalk that earned its ownership and real leverage.
Points per $1K
Salary-adjusted scoring for every player, surfacing the value plays that made the optimal build fit under the cap.
Trends over time
Roll up the last 30 contests for a sport to see recurring roster structures instead of drawing conclusions from a single slate.
Browse by venue
Filter to a specific track, course, or tournament to study how a venue historically plays before you build for it.
Perfect Lineups FAQ
What is a perfect lineup?
The highest-scoring valid lineup that could have been built for a contest, found after scores are final. It respects the same salary cap and roster rules everyone played under, so it is a real lineup that someone could have entered.
How is it different from the winning lineup?
The winning lineup is what actually finished first. The perfect lineup is the theoretical maximum. Winners are usually well short of perfect, and seeing that gap is the point.
Which sports are covered?
Perfect lineups are reconstructed for the DraftKings contests we track across MLB, NFL, PGA, NASCAR, and additional sports as their slates run.
Does this include Showdown contests?
Yes. Single-game Showdown contests are reconstructed with the Captain slot's 1.5x salary and scoring applied, so the perfect lineup reflects the real rules of that contest.