The NFL season is now behind us, and it’s over to the XFL to provide our next dose of on-field football action. A crucial part of any football fan’s experience is fantasy. Therefore, let’s have a look at where and how you can play XFL fantasy football this spring.
Is There XFL Fantasy Football?
Yes, there are options to play fantasy football for XFL. The two sites that allow you to play XFL fantasy are AltFantasySports and News Hub Fantasy. Both provide a free experience, with AltFantasySports having a more customizable interface.
At the time of writing, none of the major fantasy sites have stated that they will be providing a fantasy experience. Given that we did not see the likes of Yahoo, ESPN, or Sleeper supporting previous spring leagues from a fantasy perspective, it does not seem likely we will see that emerge before the league begins on Feb. 18.
DraftKings has revealed their XFL DFS slates. They can currently be found under the “NFL” section of their lobby. We’ve yet to receive an indication whether FanDuel will support XFL. The belief is that they will have XFL contests this year, as they supported USFL and XFL in previous editions.
How To Play XFL Fantasy Football
The settings for News Hub Fantasy lack customization. For their platform, you sign up, join or start and league and off you go. The only customization option when joining or creating a league is whether the league is total points or head-to-head. Each league is a six-team league with seven lineup spots — QB, RB, 2 WR, TE, Flex, K — and three bench spots.
In contrast, AltFantasySports gives you a huge range of customization. When setting up a league, you can choose from the following options:
- League Type:
- Head-to-head
- Total Points
- Best Ball
- Number of Teams: 1-16
- Lineup Settings:
- Lineup spots per position
- Individual or Team QB
- Individual or Team Kicker
- Individual or Team Defense
- Number of bench spots
- Scoring Settings: Wide variety of options
There is also the intriguing option of expanding the number of roster spots on a weekly basis to allow for increased intrigue on the waiver wire.
This customization makes things fun but can also lead to a worse experience. For example, you may think an eight-team league sounds fun, but then when one team’s QB situation is a disaster, there’s nowhere left to turn, and that player can quickly lose interest.
MORE: XFL vs. NFL Salaries — Comparing How Much Players, Coaches Make
The best-case size for an XFL fantasy league is often to have four teams. That way, there should always be plenty of options on the waiver wire, so no one loses interest. The team QB, team kicker, and team defense settings also limit the impact of any mid-game changes to lineups.
Additionally, in a new league like the XFL, the ability to have a Best Ball lineup setting makes a lot of sense. Heading into the season, we have no idea of depth charts ad rotations for these teams. There is no clear coaching history to consider, and depth charts can often be less than reliable. Making your XFL fantasy league fun and reducing the “luck” element as much as possible is the way to go.