By choosing to play fantasy sports on a daily basis, you are choosing to spend time and money on what is essentially a hobby. You have to spend money to participate in a fantasy sports contest in order to earn money from them; it is considered gambling in most states. It is up to you to decide how much time you want to spend on fantasy sports.

Taking a few minutes each day may not be enough. Quickly looking across the board and simply putting together a lineup probably won’t result in consistent success. Here are some ways to improve your success playing daily fantasy baseball.

First, pick hot players for your lineup and avoid cold ones. In sports, momentum is a very real thing and players who play well tend to take advantage of every good game they have. Players who perform well in multiple games will often be on a “hot” streak, you want to target these players. If a player has scored 30 fantasy sports in his 3 of his last 5 games, there is a good chance that he will play well in the sixth. Similarly, if a player is not performing well game after game, or is “cold”, avoid using this player. In baseball, hot and cold streaks are very common. If a hitter is hitting consistently well, he is probably seeing the ball very well and catching it quickly. The opposite would be that if a player strikes out a lot or hits a lot of balls badly, he is probably not seeing the ball very well. Always try to find the hitter who agrees with your lineup.

Then always take advantage of pairings. Taking advantage of good matchups is the single most important thing you can do to consistently succeed in everyday fantasy sports. Having a “good game” means that a player is projected to have a higher chance of success against an opposing pitcher or vice versa. Your pitcher (s) will always make or break your lineup. If you lock up a jug that gets bombed, you have a very small chance of winning cash in your contests. When considering a pitcher for your lineup, always consider the showdown. Target pitchers facing a weak offensive team or a team that has struggled to hit. Even if the pitcher is one of the best pitchers in the league, avoid him if he’s up against a good hitting team. A good rule of thumb is to avoid pitchers who take on the top 5-10 offensive teams in the league. If you come across a good pitcher facing a team that is ranked 20th or worse in batting, they are usually a solid pick. Using hot players and players with good matchups will increase your chances of succeeding in daily fantasy baseball.