The Best Fantasy Sports Apps in 2024

Fantasy sports take |A| the impulse to armchair-manage |B| your favorite team and |C| turn it into a |D| dare: You think youre |E| such a tactical genius? |F| Okay, then draft the |G| players, choose who plays |H| each week, and see |J| how you do. Do |K| you have a better |L| game plan than Andy |M| Reid? Is your baseball |O| IQ on a par |P| with Joe Maddons? Or, |Q| at the very least, |R| do you have a |S| better sense of sports |U| than your friends?

After |V| 15 hours of research |Y| and two seasons worth |Z| of testing (the 2023 |A| MLB and NFL seasons, |B| to be precise)—in which |C| we tried six different |D| platforms with a panel |E| of 11 sports fans |F| of various experience levels—weve |G| found ESPN Fantasy Games |H| to be the best |J| entry point for most |K| people.

But most fantasy-sports |L| platforms work just fine, |M| with little to differentiate |O| them. So if you |P| and your leaguemates already |Q| love the service youre |R| using, theres nothing game-changing |S| enough to justify the |U| work it takes to |V| switch.

The ESPN |Y| Fantasy Games platform has |Z| an easy-to-understand interface and |A| a robust slate of |B| analysis and data thats |C| both well organized and |D| clearly delivered. It quickly |E| surfaces relevant information, including |F| injury notifications, playing time, |G| and projected performance. And |H| it allows for a |J| broad amount of league |K| customization, so youll likely |L| be able to set |M| up the rules of |O| your league exactly as |P| you want.

Its also |Q| the longest-running online fantasy-sports |R| platform (though, as a |S| hobby, fantasy-sports leagues have |U| existed in analog form |V| since the 1960s), and |Y| its by far the |Z| most widely used. So |A| chances are good that |B| you or your friends |C| who want to start |D| a league have either |E| played in an ESPN |F| league before or know |G| someone who has.

This |H| familiarity is likely to |J| outweigh any of the |K| user-interface or feature differences |L| other sites may offer, |M| and the giant user |O| base means its easy |P| enough to get matched |Q| up with a new |R| league if you dont |S| have a big enough |U| group of friends.

|V| dir="ltr">Why you should trust |Y| me

As a band |Z| nerd and robotics kid |A| in high school, sports |B| have always been more |C| fantasy than reality for |D| me. I joined my |E| first fantasy football league |F| around 2010 (via Yahoo!) |G| and have been playing |H| off-and-on ever since. Ive |J| also been writing for |K| Wirecutter for six years, |L| and I have tested |M| everything from toilet brushes |O| to podcast apps. But |P| I have been reporting |Q| on and testing games |R| and hobby gear for |S| the past two years.

|U| dir="ltr">To supplement my experience, |V| I also spoke with |Y| Nando Di Fino, managing |Z| editor for fantasy and |A| sports betting at The |B| Athletic, and Paul Charchian, |C| former president of the |D| Fantasy Sports & Gaming |E| Association (FSGA) and owner |F| of Guillotine Leagues. (Guillotine |G| is another modified-format fantasy |H| platform that we didnt |J| consider for this guide |K| due to its unique |L| structure.)

Who this is |M| for

Fantasy sports started |O| with obsessive sports fans |P| scraping together whatever information |Q| they could find in |R| local newspaper sports pages |S| and then mailing (or |U| faxing) one another to |V| adjudicate scores and trades. |Y| Now, thanks to the |Z| internet, this is a |A| multi-billion-dollar industry, and millions |B| of people across the |C| globe play fantasy sports. |D| And its reach has |E| grown to include all |F| sorts of sports, from |G| football to F1 to |H| esports.

The platforms that |J| facilitate these games are |K| much more user-friendly than |L| the pen-and-paper systems of |M| the 1990s. And since |O| the information that powers |P| them is seamlessly integrated |Q| into their interfaces, even |R| people who dont follow |S| a given sport can |U| play the fantasy version, |V| provided they have a |Y| basic understanding of statistics.

|Z| dir="ltr">But the reason fantasy-sports |A| platforms have stuck around |B| is that they provide |C| people an opportunity to |D| socialize and have fun |E| with friends, regardless of |F| distance or time. These |G| platforms have become gathering |H| spaces that bind friend |J| groups for years (and |K| sometimes decades), even after |L| theyve lost touch in |M| the real world.

Fantasy |O| sports are for everyone, |P| and these apps make |Q| it easier than ever |R| to get started.

How |S| we picked and tested

|U| dir="ltr">With the rise of |V| daily fantasy- and online-sports |Y| betting, its becoming harder |Z| to define where fantasy |A| sports end and gambling |B| begins. For the purposes |C| of this guide, we |D| have focused on traditional, |E| season-long redraft leagues.

These |F| leagues feature a draft |G| day at the beginning |H| of each season, when |J| each person forms their |K| team. Once the teams |L| are in place, you |M| compete week to week |O| to earn the highest |P| point totals, which accrue |Q| based on the performance |R| of the players you |S| choose to start. Each |U| week, lineups can change, |V| and players can be |Y| dropped, added, and traded |Z| among the teams.

A |A| number of these platforms |B| also provide support for |C| Dynasty leagues, in which |D| players keep their lineups |E| static from year to |F| year and draft only |G| from a pool of |H| rookie players each new |J| season. But we opted |K| not to include this |L| sort of play in |M| our testing. There are |O| a few newer formats, |P| including a set-it-and-forget-it style |Q| called Best Ball. We |R| didnt include this either |S| because our research indicates |U| that weekly maintenance—which encourages |V| interaction with leaguemates—is one |Y| of the most rewarding |Z| parts of the fantasy |A| experience.

To get an |B| idea of which apps |C| to test, we spent |D| 15 hours researching and |E| reading about the different |F| platforms. We also spoke |G| with Nando Di Fino, |H| managing editor for fantasy |J| and sports betting at |K| The Athletic, and Paul |L| Charchian, former president of |M| the Fantasy Sports & |O| Gaming Association (FSGA) and |P| owner of Guillotine Leagues. |Q| (Guillotine is another modified-format |R| fantasy platform that we |S| didnt consider for this |U| guide due to its |V| unique structure.)

To get |Y| an idea of which |Z| apps to test, we |A| spent 15 hours researching |B| and reading about the |C| different platforms. After our |D| research and discussions with |E| experts, we came up |F| with a list of |G| qualities and features that |H| we think constitute a |J| great fantasy-football app:

• |K| dir="ltr">Reliable push notifications: A |L| lot can change over |M| the course of a |O| season—players get injured, lineups |P| shift, and formerly uninteresting |Q| players can suddenly become |R| appealing prospects for your |S| team. Getting relevant news |U| as quickly and consistently |V| can help you make |Y| better decisions and have |Z| a more successful season. |A| Every app has news |B| feeds and will notify |C| you when conditions change, |D| and there are third-party |E| apps and news sources |F| that do this too. |G| But we compared platforms |H| to see whether any |J| were more informative than |K| others.

• A low |L| price point (usually free): |M| There are so many |O| great free apps that |P| you really dont need |Q| to spend money to |R| have an excellent fantasy-sports |S| experience (unless you want |U| specific features or are |V| picky about how your |Y| league is set up). |Z| Some of these platforms |A| offer additional analysis and |B| assistance behind subscription paywalls, |C| but these features are |D| nice-to-haves, not necessities.

• |E| dir="ltr">A polished user interface: |F| This is a largely |G| subjective aesthetic evaluation. But |H| a huge part of |J| the experience is the |K| way that these platforms |L| organize and display information, |M| since theyre all shiny |O| skins over what is |P| essentially a spreadsheet. Our |Q| testing group rated each |R| apps interface to see |S| whether any stood out |U| from the pack.

• |V| dir="ltr">A stable app: More |Y| people are playing fantasy |Z| sports every season, and |A| that means more stress |B| on the apps servers |C| each year. Inevitably, this |D| leads to hiccups. If |E| youre up next in |F| a draft, the last |G| thing you want is |H| to be kicked out |J| of the room or |K| not be able to |L| submit your pick due |M| to bandwidth issues.

Armed |O| with our research, we |P| found six apps for |Q| our first round of |R| testing:

• CBS Sports |S| Fantasy

• ESPN Fantasy |U| Games

• Yahoo Fantasy

• |V| dir="ltr">

  NFL Fantasy

• |Y| dir="ltr">Sleeper

• Fleaflicker

To |Z| get some sense of |A| how each platform worked, |B| I spun up fantasy |C| baseball and football leagues |D| on all of the |E| platforms. And I tested |F| them myself, to become |G| familiar with the tools |H| and feel of each |J| app. Then we set |K| up an 11-person testing |L| panel and assigned each |M| person to at least |O| two platforms (though many |P| joined more). We went |Q| through live drafts for |R| each platform and played |S| through the full NFL |U| season, to get more |V| real-world experience. Over the |Y| course of the season, |Z| I checked in with |A| our test panel—in between |B| the game-related smack talk—to |C| gauge their opinions and |D| reactions to each platforms |E| aesthetics, ease-of-use, notification relevance, |F| and more.

Our pick: |G| ESPN Fantasy Games

Whether |H| youre a fantasy veteran |J| or youre gearing up |K| for your rookie season, |L| ESPN Fantasy Games is |M| the service we recommend. |O| Its a robust, full-featured |P| fantasy-sports platform with an |Q| easy-to-use interface and plenty |R| of customization options.

Its |S| the most widely used |U| platform, by far. According |V| to a poll commissioned |Y| by the FSGA and |Z| released in June 2023, |A| 43% of fantasy-sports players |B| regularly use ESPN Fantasy |C| Games; thats 13% more |D| than for Yahoo Fantasy, |E| the next-closest service in |F| the poll.

Normally, popularity |G| isnt a huge factor |H| in Wirecutter pick-making. But |J| fantasy sports are inherently |K| social, and its much |L| easier to convince friends |M| to commit to a |O| months-long season if they |P| have at least some |Q| familiarity with what youre |R| using. ESPN has the |S| best chance of providing |U| that familiarity.

Its easy |V| to see why its |Y| so popular, too. ESPN |Z| Fantasys readily accessible analysis, |A| information, and advice make |B| it a great platform |C| to start with. And |D| because it has a |E| huge user base, you |F| likely already know someone |G| who plays it and |H| can use their knowledge |J| to help you get |K| started. Youre also more |L| likely to find helpful |M| information or external tools |O| from current users online.

|P| dir="ltr">And this is not |Q| a platform youll grow |R| out of—it has the |S| tools to keep you |U| and your leaguemates satisfied |V| for years, as you |Y| develop your team-management skills.

|Z| dir="ltr">It delivers quick, relevant |A| notifications. During our testing |B| n, this platform delivered |C| notifications that were both |D| quick to cross my |E| transom and relevant to |F| the team and league. |G| It also delivered general |H| MLB and NFL news |J| on par with league |K| specific news sources.

The |L| user interface is good-looking |M| and functional. ESPN Fantasys |O| app and web interface |P| put vital information at |Q| your fingertips, and they |R| do so in style. |S| In addition to raw |U| numbers, you get a |V| mix of player photos |Y| and graphics, which help |Z| round out the experience.

|A| dir="ltr">It makes advanced predictions |B| free for everyone. This |C| is one of the |D| few free programs we |E| tested that doesnt hide |F| more-advanced predictions behind a |G| paywall. Testers said these |H| predictions generally helped them |J| feel informed when building |K| their lineups, even if |L| they didnt follow the |M| sport particularly closely. Extra |O| expert analysis is also |P| available behind an ESPN+ |Q| paywall.

Flaws but not |R| dealbreakers

• This is |S| a free platform, so |U| there are ads throughout |V| the experience, both in |Y| the ESPN mobile and |Z| desktop apps. But theyre |A| no more intrusive than |B| most media website ads. |C| And almost none of |D| the ads are gambling-related, |E| which is a welcome |F| difference from those on |G| many other, newer apps |H| we tried (though well |J| see how long that |K| lasts).

Other good fantasy |L| sports apps

If you |M| want a platform that |O| feels fresher, with a |P| more modern user interface, |Q| and you dont mind |R| gambling options: Sleeper might |S| be ideal for you. |U| It currently offers season-long |V| leagues for football and |Y| basketball, but not for |Z| baseball. Of the services |A| we tested, it feels |B| the most like a |C| modern mobile app (the |D| desktop browser implementation looks |E| good too). And it |F| has one of the |G| draft-day interfaces our testing |H| panel liked best, finding |J| it colorful and active.

|K| dir="ltr">It also has a |L| customizable in-app news feed, |M| which we found useful. |O| Also, the chat feed |P| feels more like a |Q| modern group chat than |R| the other platforms built-in |S| social features.

Although its |U| free to play, Sleeper |V| heavily advertises its own |Y| pay-to-play daily fantasy games. |Z| For instance, an ad |A| for its “Picks” gambling |B| option was sent to |C| the chat feed immediately |D| after our season wrapped |E| up. That feels more |F| like something youd find |G| at DraftKings, so that |H| may be off-putting for |J| some.

The competition

CBS |K| Sports Fantasy has two |L| tiers: a free level, |M| with no customization options |O| (youre stuck with a |P| 12-team league and bog-standard |Q| scoring rules), or a |R| $150 paid tier, which |S| gives you the customization |U| options found in platforms |V| like Yahoo or our |Y| pick. Considering how many |Z| services offer these options |A| for free, we cant |B| recommend spending that kind |C| of money.

Fleaflicker is |D| a basic, football-only program, |E| but it provides most |F| of the same functions |G| you get from our |H| pick. The platform is |J| perfectly functional (albeit in |K| an Excel-spreadsheet kind of |L| way), with a bare-bones |M| interface that might be |O| intimidating for some players. |P| One of our testers |Q| described it as “The |R| Drudge Report of fantasy |S| apps (minus the sirens |U| and screaming headlines).” In |V| addition, a ton of |Y| analysis is hidden behind |Z| a $25 paywall, which |A| could limit its beginner-friendliness |B| even further.

NFL Fantasy |C| seems like it should |D| have a leg up |E| on the competition simply |F| because its owned by |G| the real-life league, but |H| it doesnt quite match |J| up to our pick. |K| On the plus side, |L| it offers a feature-rich |M| platform with ample customization, |O| and it provides up-to-date |P| information. It also has |Q| some (paywalled) automation features |R| that allow players to |S| auto-set lineups and optimize |U| based on projected scores, |V| but these features arent |Y| necessary for most commissioners |Z| or players. It was |A| also the only platform |B| in our testing that |C| had technical issues on |D| draft day, locking out |E| two teams that (thankfully) |F| had already set up |G| their auto-draft. In the |H| end we simply liked |J| ESPNs interface more because |K| it seemed fresher and |L| more informational.

Yahoo Fantasy |M| is the second-most-popular fantasy-sports |O| platform, according to data |P| from the FSGA, and |Q| it provides a robust, |R| customizable platform much like |S| ESPNs. It presents useful |U| information in an extremely |V| well-organized and easy-to-navigate interface. |Y| And it has paywalled |Z| automation features and projections, |A| including draft tools that |B| supposedly highlight players who |C| are uniquely positioned to |D| fill holes in your |E| lineup. It also had |F| AI-generated draft report cards, |G| which our testers found |H| to be equal parts |J| charming and weird. We |K| didnt think these features |L| were significantly more useful |M| than the free projection |O| tools it provided, and |P| we found ESPNs interface |Q| slightly more engaging. But |R| otherwise this is a |S| great option.

Fantasy |U| sports take the impulse |V| to armchair-manage your favorite |Y| team and turn it |Z| into a dare: You |A| think youre such a |B| tactical genius? Okay, then |C| draft the players, choose |D| who plays each week, |E| and see how you |F| do. Do you have |G| a better game plan |H| than Andy Reid? Is |J| your baseball IQ on |K| a par with Joe |L| Maddons? Or, at the |M| very least, do you |O| have a better sense |P| of sports than your |Q| friends?

After 15 hours |R| of research and two |S| seasons worth of testing |U| (the 2023 MLB and |V| NFL seasons, to be |Y| precise)—in which we tried |Z| six different platforms with |A| a panel of 11 |B| sports fans of various |C| experience levels—weve found ESPN |D| Fantasy Games to be |E| the best entry point |F| for most people.

But |G| most fantasy-sports platforms work |H| just fine, with little |J| to differentiate them. So |K| if you and your |L| leaguemates already love the |M| service youre using, theres |O| nothing game-changing enough to |P| justify the work it |Q| takes to switch.

|R| dir="ltr">The ESPN Fantasy Games |S| platform has an easy-to-understand |U| interface and a robust |V| slate of analysis and |Y| data thats both well |Z| organized and clearly delivered. |A| It quickly surfaces relevant |B| information, including injury notifications, |C| playing time, and projected |D| performance. And it allows |E| for a broad amount |F| of league customization, so |G| youll likely be able |H| to set up the |J| rules of your league |K| exactly as you want.

|L| dir="ltr">Its also the longest-running |M| online fantasy-sports platform (though, |O| as a hobby, fantasy-sports |P| leagues have existed in |Q| analog form since the |R| 1960s), and its by |S| far the most widely |U| used. So chances are |V| good that you or |Y| your friends who want |Z| to start a league |A| have either played in |B| an ESPN league before |C| or know someone who |D| has.

This familiarity is |E| likely to outweigh any |F| of the user-interface or |G| feature differences other sites |H| may offer, and the |J| giant user base means |K| its easy enough to |L| get matched up with |M| a new league if |O| you dont have a |P| big enough group of |Q| friends.

Why you |R| should trust me

As |S| a band nerd and |U| robotics kid in high |V| school, sports have always |Y| been more fantasy than |Z| reality for me. I || joined my first fantasy || football league around 2010 || (via Yahoo!) and have || been playing off-and-on ever || since. Ive also been || writing for Wirecutter for || six years, and I || have tested everything from || toilet brushes to podcast || apps. But I have || been reporting on and || testing games and hobby || gear for the past || two years.

To supplement || my experience, I also || spoke with Nando Di || Fino, managing editor for || fantasy and sports betting || at The Athletic, and || Paul Charchian, former president || of the Fantasy Sports || & Gaming Association (FSGA) || and owner of Guillotine || Leagues. (Guillotine is another || modified-format fantasy platform that || we didnt consider for || this guide due to || its unique structure.)

Who || this is for

Fantasy || sports started with obsessive || sports fans scraping together || whatever information they could || find in local newspaper || sports pages and then || mailing (or faxing) one || another to adjudicate scores || and trades. Now, thanks || to the internet, this || is a multi-billion-dollar industry, || and millions of people || across the globe play || fantasy sports. And its || reach has grown to || include all sorts of || sports, from football to || F1 to esports.

The || platforms that facilitate these || games are much more || user-friendly than the pen-and-paper || systems of the 1990s. || And since the information || that powers them is || seamlessly integrated into their || interfaces, even people who || dont follow a given || sport can play the || fantasy version, provided they || have a basic understanding || of statistics.

But the || reason fantasy-sports platforms have || stuck around is that || they provide people an || opportunity to socialize and || have fun with friends, || regardless of distance or || time. These platforms have || become gathering spaces that || bind friend groups for || years (and sometimes decades), || even after theyve lost || touch in the real || world.

Fantasy sports are || for everyone, and these || apps make it easier || than ever to get || started.

How we picked || and tested

With the || rise of daily fantasy- || and online-sports betting, its || becoming harder to define || where fantasy sports end || and gambling begins. For || the purposes of this || guide, we have focused || on traditional, season-long redraft || leagues.

These leagues feature || a draft day at || the beginning of each || season, when each person || forms their team. Once || the teams are in || place, you compete week || to week to earn || the highest point totals, || which accrue based on || the performance of the || players you choose to || start. Each week, lineups || can change, and players || can be dropped, added, || and traded among the || teams.

A number of || these platforms also provide || support for Dynasty leagues, || in which players keep || their lineups static from || year to year and || draft only from a || pool of rookie players || each new season. But || we opted not to || include this sort of || play in our testing. || There are a few || newer formats, including a || set-it-and-forget-it style called Best || Ball. We didnt include || this either because our || research indicates that weekly || maintenance—which encourages interaction with || leaguemates—is one of the || most rewarding parts of || the fantasy experience.

To || get an idea of || which apps to test, || we spent 15 hours || researching and reading about || the different platforms. We || also spoke with Nando || Di Fino, managing editor || for fantasy and sports || betting at The Athletic, || and Paul Charchian, former || president of the Fantasy || Sports & Gaming Association || (FSGA) and owner of || Guillotine Leagues. (Guillotine is || another modified-format fantasy platform || that we didnt consider || for this guide due || to its unique structure.)

|| dir="ltr">To get an idea || of which apps to || test, we spent 15 || hours researching and reading || about the different platforms. || After our research and || discussions with experts, we || came up with a || list of qualities and || features that we think || constitute a great fantasy-football || app:

• Reliable push || notifications: A lot can || change over the course || of a season—players get || injured, lineups shift, and || formerly uninteresting players can || suddenly become appealing prospects || for your team. Getting || relevant news as quickly || and consistently can help || you make better decisions || and have a more || successful season. Every app || has news feeds and || will notify you when || conditions change, and there || are third-party apps and || news sources that do || this too. But we || compared platforms to see || whether any were more || informative than others.

• || dir="ltr">A low price point || (usually free): There are || so many great free || apps that you really || dont need to spend || money to have an || excellent fantasy-sports experience (unless || you want specific features || or are picky about || how your league is || set up). Some of || these platforms offer additional || analysis and assistance behind || subscription paywalls, but these || features are nice-to-haves, not || necessities.

• A polished || user interface: This is || a largely subjective aesthetic || evaluation. But a huge || part of the experience || is the way that || these platforms organize and || display information, since theyre || all shiny skins over || what is essentially a || spreadsheet. Our testing group || rated each apps interface || to see whether any || stood out from the || pack.

• A stable || app: More people are || playing fantasy sports every || season, and that means || more stress on the || apps servers each year. || Inevitably, this leads to || hiccups. If youre up || next in a draft, || the last thing you || want is to be || kicked out of the || room or not be || able to submit your || pick due to bandwidth || issues.

Armed with our || research, we found six || apps for our first || round of testing:

• || dir="ltr">CBS Sports Fantasy

• || dir="ltr">ESPN Fantasy Games

• || dir="ltr">Yahoo Fantasy

• NFL || Fantasy

• Sleeper

• || dir="ltr">Fleaflicker

To get some || sense of how each || platform worked, I spun || up fantasy baseball and || football leagues on all || of the platforms. And || I tested them myself, || to become familiar with || the tools and feel || of each app. Then || we set up an || 11-person testing panel and || assigned each person to || at least two platforms || (though many joined more). || We went through live || drafts for each platform || and played through the || full NFL season, to || get more real-world experience. || Over the course of || the season, I checked || in with our test || panel—in between the game-related || smack talk—to gauge their || opinions and reactions to || each platforms aesthetics, ease-of-use, || notification relevance, and more.

|| dir="ltr">Our pick: ESPN Fantasy || Games

Whether youre a || fantasy veteran or youre || gearing up for your || rookie season, ESPN Fantasy || Games is the service || we recommend. Its a || robust, full-featured fantasy-sports platform || with an easy-to-use interface || and plenty of customization || options.

Its the most || widely used platform, by || far. According to a || poll commissioned by the || FSGA and released in || June 2023, 43% of || fantasy-sports players regularly use || ESPN Fantasy Games; thats || 13% more than for || Yahoo Fantasy, the next-closest || service in the poll.

|| dir="ltr">Normally, popularity isnt a || huge factor in Wirecutter || pick-making. But fantasy sports || are inherently social, and || its much easier to || convince friends to commit || to a months-long season || if they have at || least some familiarity with || what youre using. ESPN || has the best chance || of providing that familiarity.

|| dir="ltr">Its easy to see || why its so popular, || too. ESPN Fantasys readily || accessible analysis, information, and || advice make it a || great platform to start || with. And because it || has a huge user || base, you likely already || know someone who plays || it and can use || their knowledge to help || you get started. Youre || also more likely to || find helpful information or || external tools from current || users online.

And this || is not a platform || youll grow out of—it || has the tools to || keep you and your || leaguemates satisfied for years, || as you develop your || team-management skills.

It delivers || quick, relevant notifications. During || our testing n, this || platform delivered notifications that || were both quick to || cross my transom and || relevant to the team || and league. It also || delivered general MLB and || NFL news on par || with league specific news || sources.

The user interface || is good-looking and functional. || ESPN Fantasys app and || web interface put vital || information at your fingertips, || and they do so || in style. In addition ||