A lineup optimizer solves one problem: given projections and a salary cap, find the lineups with the most projected points. Every optimizer does that part well. What separates them is everything around it: the projections they ship with, how they handle correlation and ownership, and how quickly they let you build and edit many lineups.
Start with the projections
An optimizer is only as good as the numbers you feed it. Some tools include their own projections, some let you upload your own, and the best let you blend both. Check how often projections update after injury news and confirmed lineups, especially for NBA, where a late scratch changes the whole slate.
Cash games need less than you think
If you mostly play cash games, you need accurate projections, a clean single-lineup build and fast late swap. Many free or cheap optimizers handle this well. Paying for simulation and ownership tools makes less sense when you're trying to beat half the field rather than all of it.
Tournaments need more
For large-field tournaments, look for:
- Stacking and correlation rules, so you can require a quarterback with two pass catchers or a bring-back from the other team.
- Ownership projections and leverage, to avoid building the same lineup as thousands of others.
- Exposure controls across your full set of lineups.
- Randomness or simulation, so your 150 lineups aren't 150 near-copies of the top projection. Simulators go further and estimate each lineup's chance of winning against a modeled field.
Practical checks before paying
- Does it support the sites and formats you play, including showdown?
- Can you export in the site's bulk upload format and late swap from it?
- Is there a free trial, and can you cancel monthly?
- Is pricing per sport or all-access? Single-sport plans are cheaper if you only play NFL.
- Does it have an active Discord or support team during slates?
Compare them side by side
Our lineup optimizer category lists every optimizer we track with price, free trial, supported sites and sports in one table, and you can narrow it by sport, for example NFL optimizers. If you're weighing two specific tools, the comparison pages put them next to each other.