Introducing FanDuel Bet Protect
If you’ve been around long enough betting NFL player props, you’ve probably felt the sting of losing your money the moment a player you bet on leaves a match early due to a pulled hamstring on the opening drive.
Most books don’t care. As long as your player logged a snap, they’ll grade it as a loss and move on.
If you're betting on FanDuel Sportsbook however, you no longer have to worry about this scenario thanks to Bet Protect - a built-in policy that gives you a safety net when an early injury sinks the bet.
What is FanDuel Bet Protect?
FanDuel Bet Protect is an automatic house rule for pre-game NFL player props that covers you when a player is injured in the 1st quarter and does not return.
If that injury would have made your prop a loser, FanDuel credits your stake back as a Bonus Bet on straight wagers.
If the leg sits inside a parlay or Same Game Parlay, that leg is voided and the ticket is re-priced & paid out in bonus bets if it wins.
If your prop already hit before the injury - for example, the player cleared his receiving line - FanDuel settles it as a normal winner.
Unlike Fanatics Fair Play which covers multiple sports, Bet Protect currently applies to NFL only. It is not limited to straight props, but also applies to props used in parlays, SGP, and SGP+.
This article breaks down how Bet Protect works and why its a great perk for FanDuel bettors. We’ll cover which bets qualify, what the NFL injury rules look like in practice, when bonus bets land, and more.
Is FanDuel Bet Protect really that big a gamechanger?
In one word: Yes.
Before they rolled out this initiative, FanDuel Sportsbook simply graded injury-affected props as losses if the player was active at all.
With Bet Protect, FanDuel finally acknowledges that early injuries shouldn’t be the way you lose an NFL prop. If you look at the scenarios Bet Protect covers, you’ll see how often a first-quarter exit flips a “bad beat” into a fair outcome for the bettor.
Of course, we would have loved to see them return the money as a cash credit, like Fanatics or DraftKings Early Exit programs do, but this is still a big win over how it used to be.
Bonus:
Bet $5, Get $300 in Bonus Bets If Your Bet Wins
Turnover: 1x bonus amount Cashout: $5 Lowest odds: None Bonus code: No promo code
What types of bets qualify for FanDuel Bet Protect?
FanDuel Bet Protect will refund or re-price NFL Match Player Props selections placed in:
Straight wagers
Parlays
Same Game Parlays (SGPs)
For straight wagers, you’ll see the bet graded as a loss at settlement. However, within 24 hours, FanDuel will credit a Bonus Bet equal to your stake if Bet Protect applies.
For parlays or SGPs, only the affected player-prop leg is voided (or marked as Bet Protect), the ticket is re-priced, and if the remaining legs win you’re paid out accordingly in Bonus Bets.
What sports is FanDuel Bet Protect available on?
As of now, FanDuel Sportsbook has only enabled Bet Protect for NFL.
That means if you’re playing player props on football and your guy gets hurt in the first quarter and never comes back, you're in luck.
If you’re betting NBA assists, MLB strikeouts, or NHL shots on goal, and the same thing happens...you’re on your own. An early injury there still burns your ticket like it always has. If you want similar protection outside of football, you’ll have to shop around with books like Fanatics or DraftKings.
How does FanDuel Bet Protect work?
In the section below, we’ll walk you through FanDuel’s Bet Protect rules step by step so you’ll know precisely what happens to your bet if an injury knocks your player out early.
Create an account with FanDuel Sportsbook and fund it using any of the standard deposit methods.
You’re set to go once your balance is available and you’re geolocated in a legal betting state.
Go to the NFL section, pick a matchup, and open the props. Choose the market you like - rushing yards, receptions, or a touchdown scorer - and place your bet.
Eligible bets include straights, parlays, SGPs, and SGPx.
Live bets don’t count, so make sure you place your bets pre-game
- If your player is injured in the 1st quarter and never returns, FanDuel will issue a Bonus Bet refund equal to your stake within ~24 hours of settlement.
If your prop had already cashed before the injury (e.g., an Over cleared or an Under locked in), it still pays as a normal win.
For parlays/SGPs, the affected leg is voided and the ticket is re-priced - if your other legs hit, you still get paid out at the adjusted odds, with winnings delivered as Bonus Bets.
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In the spirit of fair play, Fanatics Sportsbook will pay out/refund your wager if a player you bet on gets injured early on in the game!
Sick of losing your player prop bets due to early game injuries? DraftKings Early Exit has your back, refunding eligible bets when injuries cut your pick’s game short.
A real game-changer, the bet365 Early Payout promotion ensures you'll never be on the wrong end of a comeback.
FanDuel Sportsbook Injury Rules
At MyBettingSites, we’re always looking for edges, and that means understanding exactly how every sportsbook handles its betting promos and policies.
FanDuel’s Bet Protect isn’t your typical bonus - it’s a built-in safeguard designed specifically for NFL player props. If you’re putting money down on rushing yards, receptions, or touchdowns, you’ll want to know how FanDuel treats bets when injuries strike.
- FanDuel Sportsbook Injury Rules NFL
General rules:
Player props are void if the player is inactive and does not participate at all.
If the player takes part in any snap and is later injured, bets generally stand and settle as per market terms (unless Bet Protect applies).
For parlays, if a leg is void due to inactivity, the parlay is recalculated with the remaining legs.
Postponements or abandonments: if the game is not completed within 48 hours, most markets are voided unless already unconditionally determined.
Football Bet Protect rules:
Refund applies if the player is injured in the 1st quarter (regular season or playoffs) and does not return.
Only pre-game NFL player props are eligible; live props, quarter/half props, futures, and round robins are excluded.
Already-settled outcomes (e.g., an Under that cashed before the injury) remain as graded.
For straight bets, refunds are issued in Bonus Bets.
For parlays/SGPs, the injured leg is voided and the ticket is re-priced; payouts are issued in Bonus Bets.
Refunds typically post within 24 hours (72 hours in Canada).
Recent examples of FanDuel Bet Protect
While FanDuel’s Bet Protect won’t turn heads the way flashy sign-up offers or boosted parlays do, it’s the kind of feature that quietly saves bettors real money - especially if you spend a lot of time in the NFL player prop markets.
FanDuel has already refunded plenty of tickets through Bet Protect, and they’re quick to spotlight when the policy kicks in.
To show why it matters, we pulled examples from recent NFL games where Bet Protect came into play. In each of those situations, bettors at most other sportsbooks would’ve been stuck with a full loss, while FanDuel players got a second chance.
NFL FanDuel Bet Protect Examples
Sept 21, 2025 - NFL Week 3
Cowboys’ star WR CeeDee Lamb went to the ground early in the first quarter vs Chicago and did not return.
Sept 12, 2025 - NFL Week 2
Jayden Reed (Green Bay WR) bettors received Early Exit credits following his injury in the 1st quarter.
Sept 5, 2025 - NFL Week 1
Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy collided with Travis Kelce early in the first quarter vs. the Chargers and was ruled out with a shoulder injury.
FanDuel Bet Protect FAQ
FanDuel Bet Protect is an automatic policy that refunds or re-prices NFL player prop bets when the player you bet on is injured in the 1st quarter and does not return.
While most other sportsbooks in the U.S. would still grade the wager as a loss if the player saw the field at all, FanDuel takes the fairer route: singles are refunded in Bonus Bets, or if it’s part of a parlay/SGP, that leg is voided and the rest of your ticket continues - paying out in bonus bets as well.
Straight bets are refunded as Bonus Bets equal to your stake. If the injured leg is part of a parlay/SGP, that leg is voided, the parlay is re-priced, and you’re paid out if the rest of the legs win - again in Bonus Bets.
No. It applies automatically on all eligible pre-game NFL player props. If your wager qualifies, you will receive your bonus bet refund within 24 hours.
No. The rule is injury in the 1st quarter with no return.
No. Bet Protect only applies to pre-game, full-game NFL player props
Yes - they do under their Bet Protect rules. If the player you backed leaves the game in the 1st quarter and doesn’t return, FanDuel refunds singles as Bonus Bets and voids the leg in parlays/SGPs, recalculating the payout as bonus bets.
If your player had already achieved the outcome you bet on before leaving (like hitting the Over on his yards), FanDuel grades it as a win
FanDuel only voids/refunds props when the player is injured in the 1st quarter and does not return. Injuries later in the game, or cases where the player comes back, don’t qualify for Bet Protect.
If the Bet Protect rules apply to your wager, you will receive a bonus bet credit to your account within 24 hours.
Once the player is confirmed to be out for the game after a 1st-quarter injury, Bet Protect applies. Straight wagers are refunded in Bonus Bets, and parlays/SGPs are re-priced.
In practice, this usually happens once the game ends, so FanDuel can be sure the player isn’t returning. Refunds show up in your account as Bonus Bets within ~24 hours of settlement (72 hours if you’re in Canada). Bonus Bets expire after 21 days.
No. It’s only available on NFL right now. If you want broader coverage across sports, you’ll want to look at Fanatics’ Fair Play or DraftKings Early Exit programs.
No. FanDuel hasn’t extended Bet Protect to NBA yet. If you want coverage on basketball props, Fanatics’ Fair Play and DraftKings Early Exit currently offer protection for NBA injuries.
Not at this time. FanDuel’s protection stops at NFL. For baseball markets, Fanatics and DraftKings are the sportsbooks offering injury-based refunds.
No. Bet Protect is limited to NFL. If you’re betting hockey player props and want injury protection, you’ll need to check out Fanatics’ Fair Play or DraftKings Early Exit programs instead.
Getting his start in the sports betting world at the ripe old age of 18, Lewis has been working in the betting industry in different capacities for almost 20 years. What started off as a job to pay for college quickly became a lifelong passion that would take Lewis to work in Costa Rica, Vegas, Malta, Sweden, and now back to the US.
While his career as a professional gambler has yet to take off, Lewis is known around the office for his deep knowledge of just about everything betting related, and has a knack for finding and exploiting the best betting promos and reward programs online.
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