Bankroll math
Four calculators that tell you what a contest costs before it starts. Use the numbers on your own contest page.
Know the sum before you enter.
Rake
What the operator keeps
Break-even
The win rate that gets your money back
For a 50/50 style contest, where a win pays one flat prize.
Season cost
What a season of entries costs in fees
Use the rake you worked out above. The 10 here is an example, not any operator's number.
Downswing simulator
A simple model, not a prediction
Runs a simple 50/50-style model 2,000 times in your browser, with a fixed seed, so the same numbers always give the same answer. Every entry wins one flat payout at the win rate you type. Real contests are messier, and this is not a prediction. A higher win rate is a guess about yourself. Two columns, because it matters how your entries move: one lineup in five 50/50s wins or loses five times over, and separate lineups spread the risk. Your real swings sit somewhere between them.
How to use these
FanDuel's terms say it announces each contest's entry fees and prizes in advance on the contest page. Add the number of entries and you have all you need. We publish no rake figures for any operator. We found none published by an operator, and the numbers quoted around the web conflict. Work out your own contest below.
The example numbers in the boxes are made up. A $10 entry paying $18 means you need 10 / 18 = 55.6% to break even. Win 55% of those and you still lose money.
Common bankroll advice says to put a small share in play per slate, and less in tournaments than in cash. That is convention. We found no data behind any particular percentage, so we won't give you one. The downswing simulator shows what your own numbers can do instead.
If you need a win to fix something, stop. Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET. It's free and confidential. More help is on our Responsible Play page.
Facts checked Nov 5, 2026.