NBA Fantasy Dunkest Cup: How It Works

The Dunkest Cup is doubling up: in the 2026/27 season, there will be two separate H2H competitions. Here’s everything you need to know about qualification, schedule and prizes.

The Dunkest NBA Fantasy season is changing when it comes to head-to-head competitions as well. This year, there won’t be just one Dunkest Cup, but two separate Cups played at different stages of the season, with fewer teams involved and an even more exclusive format.

The structure remains familiar: a Group Stage followed by the Knockout Stage. The main changes are the number of teams that qualify and the schedule of each competition.

What Is the Dunkest Cup?

The Dunkest Cup is the H2H (head-to-head) competition of Dunkest NBA Fantasy, running alongside the Overall Ranking and putting fantasy managers directly against each other.

On every Matchday, the score earned by your Dunkest team becomes your score in the head-to-head matchup against another fantasy manager: whoever scores more points wins the matchup.

For the 2026/27 season, the competition doubles: two Dunkest Cups instead of one, played at different points of the season and featuring a different number of qualified teams.

How the Two Dunkest Cups Work

The two competitions take place at different stages of the season, and qualification depends on your team’s position in the Overall Ranking.

Dunkest Cup 1 will feature the top 16,000 teams and will begin on Matchday 5. The Group Stage will run through Matchday 18, before the competition moves into the Knockout Stage from Matchday 20 to Matchday 31.

Dunkest Cup 2 will take place during the second half of the season and will be even more exclusive, with only 4,000 teams qualifying. The Group Stage will run from Matchday 34 to Matchday 47, while the Knockout Stage will begin on Matchday 49 and finish on Matchday 58.

Qualification for both Dunkest Cups is determined by each team’s position in the Overall Ranking at the end of the Matchday immediately before the competition begins.

The Group Stage

Once you’ve qualified for the Dunkest Cup, teams are placed into their respective groups and compete using the classic H2H (head-to-head) format.

On each Matchday, your Dunkest score determines the result of the matchup: the fantasy manager who scores more points gets the win.

Group standings are determined by each team’s win-loss record (W-L). If two or more teams have the same record, the total points scored during the Dunkest Cup are used as the tiebreaker.

The Knockout Stage

Once the Group Stage is over, it’s time for the Knockout Stage. From this point on, there is no room for mistakes: every Matchday is a head-to-head matchup, and only the fantasy manager with the higher score advances to the next round.

Matchups are determined round by round, with the competition continuing all the way to the Final, where the winner of each Dunkest Cup will be crowned.

If a head-to-head matchup ends in a tie, the team ranked higher in the Overall Ranking advances. If the teams are still tied, the registration date is used as the final tiebreaker.

Dunkest Cup 1 Prizes

The prize pool will also be split between the two competitions.

The Dunkest Cup 1 winner will receive a €750 Amazon Gift Card, while the runner-up will take home a €250 Amazon Gift Card.

Dunkest Cup 2 Prizes

In the second Cup of the season, the winner will receive a €500 Amazon Gift Card, while the runner-up will win a €200 Amazon Gift Card.

Two Cups, two chances to make it all the way to the Final and, most importantly, two different opportunities during the Dunkest NBA Fantasy season to compete against the best fantasy managers.

Another reason to fight until the very end and try to carve your name into the history of this brand-new competition!