Daily fantasy sports content site RotoGrinders has rolled out a new tool that gives players the ability to enter lineups in bulk at DraftKings, taking advantage of the site’s terms of service change that allows some types of automation and scripts.
The backstory: Scripting allowed?
DraftKings made a change to its ToS in July that was not taken very well by the DFS community, adding this passage:
“In certain circumstances, the Company may permit the limited use of scripts on the Website. Please contact [email protected] for further details.”
Scripting, if you are not familiar with the term, is the use of an automated process to handle something, cutting down on time-consuming tasks. The biggest advantage of a script, for DFS purposes, would come when trying to enter a variety of lineups in contests where users can create more than one entry. DraftKings has multi-entry contests where players can enter up to 500 times.
Why was this not a popular move? Some believed that DraftKings was making the ToS change to cover players who were already using scripts, although there is no hard evidence that that was the case.
DraftKings users were also concerned that the new rule would create an uneven playing field, as players with the ability to create or obtain scripts would have an advantage in being able to quickly and easily set hundreds of lineups.
The Rotogrinders tool appears to start to create a more level playing field in terms of scripting.
What RotoGrinders came up with
A post from RotoGrinders co-founder Riley Bryant introduced the new automation tool in a thread on Friday:
In the interest of allowing all players to make use of the new rules regarding “script” automation, we’ve got our first-draft, automation tool ready to be demo’ed by anyone interested in bulk entering lineups on DraftKings. This first iteration tool supports importing a CSV into the DraftKings “My Lineups” page. We have plans to allow the entering of lineups directly into contests and plans to allow the editing of a set of lineups you have already entered.
For now, the tool must be used with Google Chrome, with Firefox functionality planned. The tool is also only available for DraftKings, but Bryant said in a video accompanying the thread that FanDuel automation would be added down the road. Also in the works is the ability to make changes to lineups that have already been entered.
RotoGrinders had hinted that it had been working on a scripting tool, back when the controversy began in July. Bryant talked about RotoGrinders’ decision to offer the automation tool in the video:
“Just let me say that I know this is a very hot button topic, and it’s an idea very much still in its infancy, so I wanted to explain what we’re thinking with this product. Our main goal based on the rules that the sites are now allowing, is to give every player and equal opportunity to operate within those rules. So this product hopefully helps those of you who otherwise couldn’t bulk enter lineups.”
The takeaways
The big issue with scripting was less to do with the fact that sites would allow it, and more to do with its unavailability to the average DFS player. With RotoGrinders providing the tool to everyone, that seems to quash any controversy, for now. The fact that multi-entry contests exist — creating the need for automation tools — is the bigger issue in the daily fantasy sports world, as some players are discouraged by potentially going up against hundreds of lineups set by DFS pros.
RotoGrinders also continues to be on the forefront of content and tools in the DFS industry, reacting quickly to an issue affecting regular players.
