How to Use Vegas Odds for Fantasy Football

With the popularity and the legalization of sports betting increasing year after year, the amount of information also increases.

When it comes to fantasy football, many people forget to use odds and lines as part of their research. Think about it: How often have you seen games land on the exact spread or total? Or how many times have you bet player props and it lands within one point or one yard from the closing number? It’s because sportsbooks must be highly accurate or they are out of business. So why not use those lines and odds as part of your fantasy football decisions?

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How to Use Vegas Odds for Fantasy Football

Below, we will walk you through a few ways to use a sportsbook’s odds and lines to help you make smarter fantasy football decisions.

Game Spread

The most common way to bet on an NFL game is on the spread. But when it comes to fantasy football, using the spread may not impact our decisions; rather, it will help give an idea of what game script may look like.

Let’s use the Eagles-Cowboys game as an example. Right now, the Eagles are big favorites against rival Dallas, as most sportsbooks have this line as a 7-point spread. So it’s evident that Jalen Hurts and the Eagles should have the upper hand in this matchup.

If that game script proves to be true, and with a higher total set at 47.5 (more on totals later), both offenses should benefit and see a lot of fantasy points scored.

Reading into this game script, you’d think the Eagles should be able to lead the majority of the game, putting up points early and often, then control the time of possession in the second half by running the ball with Saquon Barkley.

On the flip side, assuming the Cowboys are playing from behind most of the game, this will provide more passing opportunities for the offense, benefiting guys like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens as they can accumulate more fantasy points later in the game or in garbage time.

Game Totals

Game totals and team totals are another valuable piece of information, as they show the expected points to be scored in a given game. The higher the game total, the more points are expected to be scored, meaning higher fantasy scores.

Again, using the Eagles-Cowboys Week 1 Matchup as an example, the total is set at 47.5 for their divisional showdown.

A total set at 47.5 is nothing eye-popping, but it is on the high side and one of the higher totals of Week 1.

With that said, we know how great both offenses can be, especially with Dak Prescott healthy, but the defenses of both teams serve up a few question marks.

The Eagles’ offense should be able to do anything they want offensively, especially now that Micah Parsons is no longer in Dallas, which will benefit all fantasy owners who have Barkley, Hurts, A.J. Brown and/or DeVonta Smith

Dallas, on the other side, has a healthy Prescott, Lamb and traded for Pickens.

Dallas will have to play some good ball to keep up with this high-flying Eagles offense, again benefiting the Cowboys’ playmakers.

Props

Other Vegas odds you can look at are player props lines, especially when deciding between to players to start.

Say you are one of the lucky ones to have plenty of depth on your fantasy football team and “struggle” to figure out which receiver or running back to start.

Game totals and team totals should help, but looking at a player’s yardage prop line should help you understand how things may go in that specific game or with that individual.

Let’s say you have to make a decision to start either A.J. Brown or Drake London.

At first sight, they both have excellent matchups against weaker defenses (Brown vs. Dallas) and (London vs. Tampa Bay), and both have high game totals (47.5 and 46.5).

Despite Brown benefiting from the game total and team total, London’s props are set higher, meaning he is expected to have a better overall game.

With this information, the lean would be to start London over Brown. Remember, this is not to be used as the end-all-be-all but as another resource to help you make your lineup decisions.

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