Getty The XFL will start on Saturday, February 8.
Given it is the first year of the XFL’s relaunch, there are limited fantasy football options to play. As of now, AltFantasySports.com is the main option for season-long XFL fantasy football leagues. Fans also have the option of playing daily fantasy games on either FanDuel or DraftKings.
If you are looking to join an XFL fantasy league, the XFL Reddit page consistently has new postings with openings. The league also launched its Play XFL fantasy app where fans can make predictions for each week’s games and the top scorers win money. The app is free to download for both iPhone and Android users. During the playoffs, fans that pick the exact score of the semifinals and championship matchups will split a $1,000,000 prize, per XFL News Hub.
While playing fantasy adds an element of intrigue to the XFL, it is quite challenging to prepare for a fantasy draft or select a DFS team. The reason is there are a limited number of games that have been played and position battles are still ongoing. If the AAF is any indication, often the more recognizable names from the NFL are not the most valuable fantasy players. You can expect a number of XFL players to emerge as top fantasy options that are not household names.
Some fans may recognize the Alt Fantasy Sports site as one of the few places that offered AAF leagues. The site takes a minimalist approach, but I can attest from the AAF days that they are very responsive if you encounter any sort of problems. If the XFL looks to have staying power, we can expect major sites like ESPN, Yahoo and CBS to offer fantasy leagues for the second season.
XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck Promised a “Fantasy Component” to the League
With about a month to go before the season started, XFL commissioner Oliver Luck promised a “fantasy component” to the XFL. There are DFS options but the league has yet to announce a traditional partnership for season-long fantasy.
“We are in discussions with a number of potential fantasy providers,” Luck said, per UPI.com. “I can’t give a timeline. Obviously, we start the season in 30 days. We need to get it announced and done by then, but there will be a fantasy component to our league.”
Gambling is expected to be an important component to the new league. The point spreads for each game are likely to be discussed in the broadcast, and Luck emphasized the league has no qualms with gambling talk.
“We are encouraging people to gamble on our games, of course using legal platforms,” Luck noted, per XFL News Hub.
The XFL Announced a Partnership With FanDuel
Fans can play DFS fantasy games on DraftKings, but the XFL announced an official partnership with FanDuel. The press release noted that FanDuel will have “access to official XFL data.” FanDuel has launched several contests with sizable prize pools for the league’s first four games.
“The XFL is an intriguing opportunity; no one knows for sure what the future holds, but they had a learning experience the first go-round,” FanDuel CMO Mike Raffensperger told Front Office Sports. “A lot of what they put together is an intriguing product, and football in America is the 800-pound gorilla of the market.”