As an avid fantasy football player, finding the app that looks the best and provides the most information in a timely manner can be so important in your experience. Have an app that doesn’t end great notifications and you end up starting a player on Injured Reserve? We’ve all been there. Don’t have that mistake happen again. Here are the five best free fantasy football apps as we inch closer to football season.
League sizes ranging from 4 teams to 20 teamsAbility to watch ESPN and ESPN+ within the appAdjustable trade availability for players
ESPN is named the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” and their fantasy football app is the leader in the fantasy football realm if you ask me. Their sleek and colorful interface makes the app easy to navigate and the best platform to beat your friends on. With easy access to ESPN news and updates, you will be able to stay informed on all things NFL. Notifications on the app include: injury updates, score updates, and whether a player on your bench is projected to outscore one of your starters. These notifications can be game-changing if a busy week puts you away from your phone on Sundays. By the fourth week in the 2021 NFL season, ESPN had 10 million fantasy football players spending over 1.8 billion minutes total on the app. As fantasy sports continue to grow in popularity, I wouldn’t be shocked if ESPN saw even more players this year Pros
App is easy to navigateAccess to an abundance of ESPN articlesProjections based off IBM Watson technology
Cons
Not the best platform for long-time fantasy playersNot a lot of customization options
Can have up to 16 teams in one leagueNews straight from the NFLAbility to stream local and primetime games live in the app
We all love having news straight from the source and that’s what the NFL Fantasy app provides. Since it is the official app of the NFL, users will get the most up-to-date player statistics, injury reports, and news circling around the league. But, while the news is fantastic, the analysis provided in preparation is behind many of its competitors. The interface and overall layout of the app have changed drastically over the years, arguably the third best interface behind Yahoo and ESPN. The app uses a unique font and a bright color scheme to create a more “fun” atmosphere. Pros
Great amount of stats and timely newsPreset a lineup with the Optimize Lineup button
Cons
Can only use for fantasy footballProjection statistics are lacking
Can have up to 16-teams in a leaguePrize leagues available Personalized news post about the fantasy league
Much like the NFL Fantasy app, the Yahoo Fantasy Football app has come a long way. I just started using this app last year, and I use most of the information I obtain in this app on my other leagues. While it isn’t incredibly flashy, the interface is easy to navigate and the access to information is easier than any other app. Although the news doesn’t match the news that ESPN offers defense rankings, which are color-coded based on where they rank in the league, to let users know if that player is the best one to use each week. Additionally, on your page with your players, it makes it incredibly easy to swap players out at any time they are not in play. The Yahoo app is making incredible strides and now I, and many others I know, agree that this platform is a serious contender for the best fantasy football app. Pros
Easy to navigate the appCustomized weekly recaps of your teamAbility to see how you did in past seasons through your account in the app
Cons
Bad chat system within the appPPR, the most-popular scoring system, is not their default scoring system
League sizes can range from 4-32 teamsDynasty, auction, or re-draft leagues availableCustomized scoring options
Imagine Discord or Slack, but with fantasy football involved in it – welcome to Sleeper. With this app, you can connect with your friends, make bragging rights even more important, and stay up-to-date with news around not only football, but basketball, esports, and more. I used this app for a draft last year and it was amazing what you can do on this platform. We couldn’t find a time that worked for everyone for a draft so we did a draft with no time-limit and imported the rosters into the ESPN app where we ran our league. While the draft took much longer than it needed to, the Sleeper app saved our league. The very vibrant, modern looking interface makes it a perfect app for younger generations or leagues that want to change it up a little bit. With over 3 million active users and a top-50 retention rate ranking in the app-store, Sleeper is capable of being the top fantasy app here soon. Pros
No adsSense of community with advanced chat optionsIncredible app design
Cons
Have to pay for customization optionsFrequent glitches
League size ranges from 4-24 teams137 scoring systems to choose fromAbility to hold multi-team trades up to three years in advance
Dynasty leagues aren’t incredibly popular, but definitely worth the time if you are a devoted fantasy football player. In fact, I’m preparing to do my first dynasty league this year using Flea Flicker. In terms of typical fantasy football apps, I wouldn’t throw this in the top five, but in terms of dynasty leagues, this is the one that stood out the most to me. The company that grew in popularity in the early 2000s is still running today and the customization options through your league are incredible. With over 137 scoring systems to use in the app, there is a type of league for everyone - even the picky players. Pros
Easily import your leagues from major fantasy platformsShort off-seasonCustomization is incredible
Cons
Interface is incredibly datedHave to pay for fantasy projections
Deciding on which app to run your league from is tough, but consider this table before you make your decision. ESPN’s Fantasy app is the clear choice for the No. 1 spot because of its popularity, simplistic design, and punctual news from around the NFL. In terms of the other four included in this list, it all comes down to preference. Many of my friends love the Yahoo app for its simple design, but also love the NFL app because of the news that you get. Granted, you can always have both if you want to run the league on Yahoo, but stay updated with the NFL app. For the last two, I haven’t heard of them until the last year. Sleeper’s ability to have three types of leagues with lots of customization options makes it a very intriguing platform for new players. As for Flea Flicker, it is not very popular, but has a good reputation among the users of the app. But, I would only use it for their dynasty leagues. CBS and Rotowire are great choices for those who want to try something new. But, trying to convince 8-10 people to make the switch too can be tough no matter which app you decide to use.
