--- title: "NFL Lineup Optimizer Guide - Lineup Drafter" description: "Step-by-step guide to building optimized NFL DFS lineups. Fill QB, RB, WR, TE, FLEX, and DST under the salary cap using FPPG and value score, then bulk-export to DraftKings." canonical_url: "https://lineupdrafter.com/nfl-lineup-optimizer" meta: "og:description": "Step-by-step guide to building optimized NFL DFS lineups. Fill QB, RB, WR, TE, FLEX, and DST under the salary cap using FPPG and value score, then bulk-export to DraftKings." "og:image": "https://lineupdrafter.com/img/og-card.png" "og:image:alt": "Lineup Drafter — a free DFS lineup optimizer" "og:image:height": "630" "og:image:width": "1200" "og:title": "NFL Lineup Optimizer Guide - Lineup Drafter" --- > Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://lineupdrafter.com/llms.txt) # NFL Lineup Optimizer ## A step-by-step guide to building optimized DFS football lineups --- ### Step 1 - Understand the Stats The lineup builder pulls player prices and fantasy scoring directly from DraftKings: | Stat | Description | | --- | --- | | **FPPG** | Fantasy points per game, straight from DraftKings | | **VAL** | Value score — fantasy points per $1K of salary, to find underpriced players | | **OPRK** | Opponent rank — how the defense this player faces ranks against his position. A high number means a weak defense, so green is a favorable matchup and red is a tough one. | Sort the player table by any stat (or by price) to surface the best plays at each position. Sorting by OPRK puts the softest matchups first. FPPG and value score are the two stats you can optimize whole lineups by. OPRK is there to read and sort on. Ranking lineups by total opponent rank would pick rosters on matchup alone, ignoring both salary and production. ### Step 2 - Configure Settings Open the settings panel to configure: - Lineup Limit (0-150) - Salary Threshold (decrease to see more lineup combinations) ### Step 3 - Select Players Every DraftKings Classic NFL lineup needs 9 players: a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, a tight end, a FLEX, and a team defense, all under the $50K salary cap. FLEX takes any running back, receiver, or tight end, so those players are eligible for two slots and the builder automatically tries them at each one. Quarterback and defense are the exceptions: nothing else can cover them, so a lineup is impossible until you have picked at least one of each. A full Sunday slate lists several hundred rosterable players. The player list hides the ones ruled out or on injured reserve by default. Use the filter button beside the position chips to show everyone. Questionable and doubtful players stay visible, as do rookies who have no fantasy average yet, since all of them can still suit up. ### Step 4 - Mind the Salary Cap Nine roster spots out of $50,000 leaves about $5,500 per player, which is less room than it sounds like. Pick nine expensive players and there may be no legal lineup at all. The builder will tell you exactly how far over the cap your cheapest valid roster lands. The fix is to pair your top plays with cheaper ones. Sort by value score to find the players producing the most points per dollar, and add a few at each position so the builder has room to work. ### Step 5 - Confirm Exposure Use the visualize view to confirm exposure to each player. Spread exposure evenly to limit risk, or concentrate on your top picks for a higher-ceiling strategy. ### Step 6 - Export Lineups .csv File Click the export button and download your lineups as a .csv file ready to be [imported to DraftKings](https://lineupdrafter.com/draftkings-lineup-upload) . Good luck and we hope you enjoy using Lineup Drafter! [Back to Contests](https://lineupdrafter.com/) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@id":"https://lineupdrafter.com/#website","@type":"WebSite","description":"Free DFS lineup optimizer. Generate optimized lineups with advanced stats and export straight to DraftKings. 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