# SportsDataIO vs DraftKings API

SportsDataIO or this DraftKings API for DFS data? Sourced notes on DFS slates and salaries, fantasy points, trials, Pick6 and DraftKings odds.

Canonical page: https://draftkingsapi.com/compare/sportsdataio. Markdown: https://draftkingsapi.com/compare/sportsdataio.md. Site index for agents: https://draftkingsapi.com/llms.txt.

## Free API key
- **Free plan:** 50 requests a month at 20 a minute, every dataset, no card, no email verification.
- **Sign up:** https://draftkingsapi.com/auth/sign-up?ref=ai-claudebot
- **From inside an agent session:** POST https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/agent/signup with JSON `{"data_wanted": "...", "use_case": "...", "ref": "ai-claudebot"}`, show your user the approval_url, then poll https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/agent/token with device_code. The key is returned once.
- **No key yet:** `curl --fail-with-body "https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/demo/pick6"` returns labeled sample rows (sample:true) in the real response shape.

## Quickstart

1. Create a free key at https://draftkingsapi.com/auth/sign-up?ref=ai-claudebot (no card) and export it: `export DRAFTKINGS_API_KEY=...`

2. Call the API with curl:

```bash
curl --max-time 30 --fail-with-body 'https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/pick6/projections?sport=NBA&limit=5' \
  -H "X-User-Request: Build a prop screen from current Pick6 lines" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DRAFTKINGS_API_KEY"
```

3. Or call it from Python:

```python
import os, requests

response = requests.get(
    "https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/pick6/projections?sport=NBA&limit=5",
    headers={
        "Authorization": "Bearer " + os.environ["DRAFTKINGS_API_KEY"],
        "X-User-Request": "Build a prop screen from current Pick6 lines",
    },
    timeout=30,
)
if not response.ok:
    raise RuntimeError(f"API {response.status_code}: {response.text}")
print(response.json())
```

4. Full walkthrough: https://draftkingsapi.com/quickstart. OpenAPI: https://draftkingsapi.com/openapi.json. Every route accepts format=csv on list endpoints.

## Use it from Claude (MCP)

MCP server: https://draftkingsapi.com/api/mcp (Streamable HTTP). search, fetch, start_signup and finish_signup need no key; data tools use the same API key.

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user draftkings https://draftkingsapi.com/api/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer $DRAFTKINGS_API_KEY"
```

Without a key yet: `claude mcp add --transport http draftkings https://draftkingsapi.com/api/mcp`, then call start_signup. Setup for other clients: https://draftkingsapi.com/agents.md.

## Pricing

| Plan | Price | Requests per UTC month | Requests per minute | Pick6 stream | Signed webhooks |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0/month | 50 | 20 | No | No |
| Developer | $49/month | 10,000 | 60 | Yes | No |
| Production | $149/month | 50,000 | 120 | Yes | Yes |

- **Free:** Build and test against every dataset.
- **Developer:** Keep your app running with more requests and push delivery.
- **Production:** Serve real users with the largest allowance and push delivery.

Plans and checkout: https://draftkingsapi.com/pricing

## The short version

SportsDataIO sells a broad sports data catalog, including DFS slates and salaries for several operators, projections and fantasy points. This API is narrower: DraftKings DFS salaries next to Pick6 lines and DraftKings odds, with a free key and published prices. Statements about other companies are paraphrased from the linked pages as they read on 11 Nov 2026, and may have changed. They are that company's claims, and we have not measured them. This site is not affiliated with any company named here.

## Side by side

Read on 11 Nov 2026 from SportsDataIO's fantasy sports page, NFL developer documentation and free trial page.

|  | SportsDataIO | DraftKings API (this site) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DFS operators | Salaries and slates for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo [source](https://sportsdata.io/fantasy-sports-api) | DraftKings only |
| DFS slates | NFL DFS slates by date or week, including eligible games, positions, captain mode, players and salaries [source](https://sportsdata.io/developers/api-documentation/nfl) | Slates, contests and roster-slot salaries for collected draft groups |
| Fantasy points and projections | Live and final fantasy points for several operators, plus projections [source](https://sportsdata.io/fantasy-sports-api) | Not supplied. ESPN box scores in JSON for NBA, NFL and NHL |
| Salary timing | States salary values are pushed immediately after publication [source](https://sportsdata.io/fantasy-sports-api) | Each row carries its own capture time; no push for DFS rows |
| Trial | A free trial with scrambled data for checking structure and fields [source](https://sportsdata.io/free-trial) | Free key with real rows, no card |
| Pick6 | Not mentioned on the pages we read [source](https://sportsdata.io/fantasy-sports-api) | Current lines, multipliers, line history and a change stream |

## Where SportsDataIO is stronger

For many fantasy products it is the more complete choice.

- Several DFS operators in one feed, not only DraftKings [source](https://sportsdata.io/fantasy-sports-api).
- Projections and live fantasy points, which this API does not compute [source](https://sportsdata.io/fantasy-sports-api).
- A documented slate model with captain mode and eligible games per sport [source](https://sportsdata.io/developers/api-documentation/nfl).

Its trial data is scrambled, so a trial checks shape, not values. Our free key returns the real captured rows within its request allowance.

## Where this API fits

Choose this API when your product is about DraftKings itself, and especially Pick6 and DFS, which multi-book odds feeds rarely describe in depth.

- DraftKings Pick6 lines with standings multipliers, line history per prop and a resumable change stream.
- DFS slates, contests and roster-slot salaries behind the same key.
- DraftKings moneylines, spreads and totals in JSON and CSV, plus box scores in JSON.
- Native scopes for NFL moneylines, spreads and totals across 27 U.S. states; NHL game lines across the same 27 states; college basketball and college football game lines across 26 states, excluding Oregon, with a WebSocket on paid plans.
- MCP tools for agents, and a free key with no card and no sales step.

Free includes 50 requests/month at 20/minute; Developer is $49/month with 10,000 requests/month at 60/minute; Production is $149/month with 50,000 requests/month at 120/minute. Pick6 changes: Developer and Production include the resumable stream, and Production also includes signed webhooks. Native sportsbook scopes: paid plans can use a server-side WebSocket at `/api/v1/sportsbook/ws`. ESPN-attributed sportsbook rows and DFS rows have no push delivery.

Recording began around 2026-11-03. Retained history is short, and it is not a complete opening-to-close archive. It does not contain seasons of past lines, and no graded results are published.

## Test both on one market

A table will not settle this. Pick one game or slate you care about, pull the same market from SportsDataIO and from this API, and compare each one's stated update time and value with the DraftKings screen at that moment.

```
curl --fail-with-body "https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/odds?sport=NFL&market=spread&status=pre&limit=25" \
  -H "X-User-Request: Compare sportsbook lines across games for a dashboard" -H "Authorization: Bearer $DRAFTKINGS_API_KEY"

curl --fail-with-body "https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/pick6/projections?sport=NFL&view=compact&limit=25" \
  -H "X-User-Request: Build a prop screen from current Pick6 lines" -H "Authorization: Bearer $DRAFTKINGS_API_KEY"

curl --fail-with-body "https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/dfs/players?sport=NFL&view=compact&limit=25" \
  -H "X-User-Request: Build a DFS lineup tool from current salaries" -H "Authorization: Bearer $DRAFTKINGS_API_KEY"
```

```
curl --fail-with-body "https://draftkingsapi.com/api/v1/coverage" \
  -H "X-User-Request: Check which DraftKings datasets fit a new app" -H "Authorization: Bearer $DRAFTKINGS_API_KEY"
```

## FAQ

### Does SportsDataIO have DraftKings DFS salaries?
Yes. Its fantasy sports page listed salaries and slates for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo when we read it on 11 Nov 2026.

### Is SportsDataIO trial data real?
Its free trial page says the trial uses scrambled data, meant for checking response structures, fields and integration code.

### Can I use SportsDataIO projections with this API?
Yes. Join on player name, team and slate start time, because neither side shares an ID with the other. Keep each side's own capture or publication time.

### Is there a free DraftKings API?
Yes. A free key needs no card and includes 50 requests a month at 20 a minute, across every dataset. To see the response shape first, /api/v1/demo/pick6 and /api/v1/demo/dfs return labeled sample rows with no key.

### Is this an official DraftKings API?
Independent service operated by DD Inc., not affiliated with or endorsed by DraftKings. No wagering: this service does not place, recommend or settle entries or bets.

### Can I use it from an AI agent?
Yes. Connect the MCP server at https://draftkingsapi.com/api/mcp, or call REST with a Bearer key. An agent can get a key for its user with start_signup.

### How do I reach support?
Email support@draftkingsapi.com.

Independent service operated by DD Inc., not affiliated with or endorsed by DraftKings. No wagering: this service does not place, recommend or settle entries or bets.