Cash games reward safety and consistency, while tournaments reward ceiling and uniqueness. Picking lineups well starts with knowing which game you are playing, because the same roster can be a great cash play and a poor tournament one.
Playing cash
In cash games, roughly the top half of the field gets paid the same amount. Finishing first pays no better than sneaking into the last cash spot. That changes everything: you want a high floor, dependable players, and lineups that rarely fall apart. Consistency beats upside here.
In DFS Hero, build toward this by favoring lineups with strong Cash percentage and a high floor, and by leaning on geomean, which rewards steady scoring over boom-or-bust swings.
Playing tournaments
GPPs are top-heavy: a small fraction of the field wins, and the prizes climb steeply toward first. To win real money you have to beat almost everyone, so a safe lineup that ties thousands of others is not enough. You want ceiling, leverage against the field, and low duplication.
In DFS Hero, tilt toward GPP Score, ceiling, and leverage, and use the Low Dupes and uniqueness options to keep your entries distinct.
The takeaway
Decide the contest first, then let the metrics for that contest guide your selection. The simulator already scores your lineups against each contest's real payouts, so half the work is choosing which numbers to trust.
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