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Lineup Lock

What Is Lineup Lock in DFS?

Last updated October 4, 2026 by Ship It Nation

Lineup lock is the deadline after which you cannot change your selected players. Without late swap, your entire lineup locks together; with late swap, which allows edits after the contest begins, players lock at their games' listed deadlines.

Why It Matters

Lock determines which injury updates, starting lineups and weather reports you can still act on. Submit a valid lineup early, then update it as news arrives rather than risking an empty entry at the deadline. Even with late swap, your replacement must be unlocked and fit the remaining salary and roster requirements.

Example

Say your NBA contest allows late swap and begins at 7 p.m. ET, but your questionable forward's game locks at 10 p.m. At 9:30, he is ruled out. You can replace him with an unlocked player from the same contest who fits his roster slot and your remaining salary, but you cannot remove an early-game player to free up money.

Pro tip

After saving an edit, reopen your entered lineups and confirm the change reached every intended entry. Check the site's displayed lock times and time zone instead of relying on the television schedule.

Hear Us Break It Down

Hand-picked moments from our free live streams where our hosts break down this term.

Why a delayed game can leave you choosing without lineups You may have to choose hitters before the batting order is available when the first game of a doubleheader runs late. The key uncertainty is whether the DFS lock time changes, not simply whether first pitch moves back. “If they don't change the lock time, we probably won't have lineups before this game is supposedly set to lock on DK because of the two-hour delay in the first game.” MLB · Friday, Sep 4 8:45 ▶ What missing the lineup deadline can cost you You see the consequence of not getting a lineup submitted before lock: the show points to entries sitting on zero. The discussion raises possible customer relief, but gives you no confirmed refund or resolution. NFL · Sunday, Sep 13 18:16 ▶
More mentions 10
SUN 10/4 · NFL “Not really. I mean, obviously a lot of guys are in play when we talk about game stacks and stuff, but as like one-off pieces, I think we're good. And the biggest news is Ladd...” 44:36 ▶ FRI 9/25 · CFB “We have a weather report every Saturday morning and weather talk right up until lock.” 33:25 ▶ SUN 9/20 · NFL “That will be posted out in the Discord at lock when I wish everybody good luck for the slate, but that lineup will be posted out and they'll have a chance to share up to a hundred thousand dollars split three ways.” 4:55 ▶ SUN 9/13 · NFL “And then, obviously, we'll go into Sunday Night Football breakdown leading up to inactives, too, and get out of here about an hour and ten, hour and fifteen minutes or so before lock so you guys can build your teams.” 1:08:47 ▶ FRI 9/11 · CFB “Unless you're a membership at nation and then get up and be at the stage an hour before lock, then you can go back to bed until then you can go back to bed until the afternoon games.” 1:18:51 ▶ WED 9/9 · NFL “We now include DFS Mastermind for free with the starter and annual, but you can actually get the starter annual until lock on Sunday for ninety nine dollars a month.” 1:18:28 ▶ FRI 9/4 · MLB “If they don't change the lock time, we probably won't have lineups before this game is supposedly set to lock on DK because of the two-hour delay in the first game.” 9:13 ▶ FRI 9/4 · CFB “The lock time for that game, same time as kickoff for the Stanford game, both teams on the West Coast at It does give, like having three other teams instead of just one other team that's an underdog to have that flexibility is clutch.” 48:48 ▶ WED 9/2 · NFL “Let's say, I don't know, this is probably a terrible example, but Ja'Marr Chase gets ruled out right before lock, and then Yossi Vash is gonna be a guy you wanna go to, but you're gonna have $6,000 left salary on those teams that you swap.” 43:29 ▶ MON 8/24 · MLB “Again, six forty central time is the lock time.” 50:11 ▶

Common Questions

Does my whole DFS lineup lock when the first game starts?

Only if the contest does not offer late swap. In a late-swap contest, each game's listed deadline locks its players while later-game players remain editable. Check the specific contest rules because availability depends on the sport and format, not simply whether you use DraftKings or FanDuel.

What happens if my player is ruled out after lineup lock?

An inactive player who never participates generally scores zero, and you cannot manually replace him once his roster spot is locked. A later-game player may still be editable in a late-swap contest. Canceled or postponed events can have separate scoring, swap or refund rules.

Does a delayed game give me more time to edit my lineup?

Not automatically. A delayed start does not guarantee that the site's listed lock time changes. Check the contest's displayed status and applicable rules before waiting for news. Some postponement rules permit additional swaps, but those exceptions differ by site and contest.

Every term we use on the shows, explained Written for the sport you play, with the moments where we use them.
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