Choose an event
Select an upcoming slate and create the private pool before the event starts.
FAMILIAR SALARY-CAP FORMAT
Create a private FanDuel-style contest for your group
Want the salary-cap lineup strategy your group knows from daily fantasy, but in a private commissioner-run pool? Pool Duel gives your crew its own event contest, private pre-lock lineups, live fantasy points, and a shared leaderboard.
Free to create Private lineups Commissioner controlled
PRIVATE PICK 5LINEUPS OPEN
SALARY-CAP CONTESTFriday Night Crew
1Commissioner$54,800
2Entry twoHidden
3Entry threeHidden
Rosters reveal when the event starts
THE SHORT ANSWER
What is fanduel-style private contest?
Pool Duel lets a commissioner create an independent, private contest inspired by the familiar DFS salary-cap format. Participants draft five competitors under a fixed budget and score points from the real event. Pool Duel is not FanDuel and does not use a FanDuel account, wallet, salaries, or contest lobby.
ONE EVENT. ONE PRIVATE FIELD.
A familiar DFS contest, run by your commissioner
This format fits groups that care more about competing with people they know than entering a public field. It is especially useful when the commissioner wants to organize the rules and prize separately instead of having a platform handle the money.
Share one link
Invite your group directly. Joining the pool opens the lineup builder for that event.
Draft under the cap
Each entrant chooses five competitors while staying inside the shared salary budget.
Follow it live
Lineups reveal at lock, then points, ownership, and standings update on the live board.
LINEUP FORMAT
FanDuel-style strategy without the public lobby
Pool Duel generates its own event salaries and uses a focused five-pick roster. Entrants can combine favorites and lower-priced values as long as the lineup stays under the Pool Duel salary cap.
LIVE CONTEST
A private live board built for your crew
Once the event locks, every lineup and ownership percentage is visible. Live points and standings give the group one clean place to follow the contest together.
BUILT FOR PRIVATE GROUPS
The contest software does the work, not the money
Pool Duel handles the competition layer. Your commissioner remains in charge of the group and any prize arrangement.
Commissioner controlled
Create the pool, share one link, remove accidental entries, and keep your group's prize arrangements outside the software.
Private before lock
Each entrant can edit their own lineup until lock. Nobody else can inspect it early, including the commissioner.
Built for one event
Run a contest around a tournament, race, match, or single game instead of committing everyone to a full season.
Free pool software
Pool Duel does not charge a pool creation fee and does not require payment processing to run the competition.
Pool Duel is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by FanDuel.
SPORT-SPECIFIC GUIDES
Build the right private contest for the event
Explore salary-cap pool formats for the sports and single-event slates currently supported by Pool Duel.
QUICK ANSWERS
FanDuel-Style Private Contest FAQ
Can I make a private FanDuel contest on Pool Duel?
You can make an independent FanDuel-style salary-cap contest on Pool Duel. It is a Pool Duel contest and is not connected to FanDuel accounts, contests, pricing, or payments.
Does everyone draft from the same salary list?
Yes. Every entrant sees the same Pool Duel player pool and event salaries and must fit five selections under the same cap.
Can people pick the same player?
Yes. Salary Draft lineups are independent, so competitors can be shared across entries. Ownership percentages appear after lock.
Can this be a private prize contest?
The commissioner can organize a private prize outside Pool Duel, subject to local rules. Pool Duel never collects, stores, transfers, or pays the money.
Does Pool Duel collect entry fees or pay the prize?
No. Pool Duel provides contest setup, lineup entry, live scoring, ownership, and standings. The commissioner handles any entry fees or prizes separately and is responsible for following the rules that apply where the group lives.
FREE PRIVATE POOL
Create free pool Give your group its own salary-cap contest
Create the event pool, share the link, and let Pool Duel handle lineups and live standings.