How I Use Automation to Track NQ Futures Reversal Levels

Mr Dj Harrison — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 03:12:45 +0000

Most futures traders are not short on opinions. They are short on a repeatable process.

That is the problem I have been working on with PlayMaker: turning my futures trading workflow into something more structured, trackable, and easier to review.

This is not about replacing trade judgment. It is about organizing the data around a setup so a trader can slow down, check risk, and avoid chasing candles.

The problem

When trading Nasdaq futures, price can move fast. A level may look clean, then price may run through it, retrace, or react before the trader has time to think through the setup.

The questions I want answered before a limit order are simple:

Is this level near an area where price could realistically react?
Is the setup aligned with higher-timeframe context?
Is there enough confluence to justify the risk?
Can the trade be managed with a light stop, usually around 7-15 points?
If there are multiple nearby levels, should risk be split instead of stacked too heavily at one price?

What PlayMaker is designed to help with

PlayMaker is built around futures market workflow, especially NQ futures setups. It helps track automatic signal results, manual setup grading, journal stats, and order-card style levels.

The goal is not to tell somebody to blindly take every trade. The goal is to show where price could likely react for a high-of-day or low-of-day opportunity, then help the trader review the setup before execution.

A good setup still needs risk management. I like keeping risk light with 7-15 point stops when possible and reviewing whether price is respecting the level, rejecting, wicking, or showing signs that the idea is wrong.

Why automation helps

Manual notes are useful, but they are easy to lose or forget. Automation makes it easier to:

keep setup cards organized
track wins, losses, and break-even results
review daily and weekly points
compare manual trade ideas against automatic signal results
avoid emotional decisions when price is moving fast

The biggest value is consistency. If the same kind of trade is logged the same way every time, the journal becomes useful instead of just being a list of random notes.

What I am tracking

Some of the main things I care about are:

entry level
direction
max move
drawdown
result
notes
whether a setup was verified
how the trade behaved after entry

Over time, this helps answer better questions. Not just “did this trade win?” but “did this type of level usually give enough reaction to justify the stop?”

Final thought

For me, trading tools should make the process cleaner. They should help a trader review risk, wait for stronger levels, and learn from the data after the trade is over.

That is what I am building with PlayMaker.

You can check it out here: https://futuresplaymaker.com

daytrading #futures #nasdaq #automation

How I Review NQ Futures Setups Before Taking a Trade

Mr Dj Harrison — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 21:47:24 +0000

When I review NQ futures, I do not want to chase every candle that moves fast. I want a cleaner process that helps me slow down, check the level, and decide whether the setup is worth the risk.

That is why I built PlayMaker.

PlayMaker is designed around a simple trading workflow: review where price could likely react, compare the confluence around that area, and plan the entry before taking action.

What I look for before a setup

A strong setup is not just one signal by itself. I want to know if price is near an area that matters and whether the trade idea lines up with the bigger picture.

Some of the things I review include:

High-of-day and low-of-day reaction areas
Limit entry placement
Confluence around the level
Whether the setup is long or short
How close the level is to current price action
Risk planning with 7-15 point stop losses

The goal is not to predict every move. The goal is to create a cleaner review process before entering a trade.

Why the setup card matters

The setup card helps organize the trade idea in one place. Instead of trying to remember every detail, I can review the direction, level, notes, and risk plan before deciding what to do.

That helps me avoid random entries and focus more on whether the trade has enough reason behind it.

Keeping risk lighter

For the way I trade, I like planning around smaller stop areas when possible. A 7-15 point stop can help keep the idea cleaner, especially when the entry is based around a specific reaction area.

If the trade needs too much room, that usually tells me to slow down and review the setup again.

Learn more

You can check out PlayMaker here:

https://www.futuresplaymaker.com/

PlayMaker is built for traders who want a cleaner way to review NQ futures setups, high-of-day and low-of-day opportunities, confluence, limit entries, and risk before taking action.

DEV Community: Mr Dj Harrison