ESPN Pros and Cons
ESPN: Pros and Cons
We all play fantasy football for different reasons. Maybe it’s because you're trying to fit in with the cool people, or simply because you have a competitive nature. Maybe you have a gambling problem and can’t get enough of DFS. (If this is you call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 800-522-4700) If you’re anything like me, you enjoy the camaraderie, regardless if you’re playing with old friends or meeting new ones. Whatever the reason, we’re all here to do what former NFL head coach Herm Edwards said best “You play to win the game!”
Now that you’ve committed to jumping down the bottomless rabbit hole that is Fantasy Football, you need to start preparing for the season. The first thing you’ll need to decide is which platform you want your league to be in, and there are no shortage of options for you to decide from. With so many platforms out there where do you start? Let’s take a dive into all of the major platforms on the fantasy football scene. Today we’re going to talk with the most popular fantasy football app of them all, ESPN.
Breakdown:
ESPN is the industry leader in sports, and is no different when it comes to fantasy. It is the platform for beginners, and remains an easy platform to love even as a seasoned vet. While ESPN offers a robust package of various fantasy games, we’re going to stick to what we do best, football.
Pros:
ESPN takes the cake when you're talking about simplicity and user functionality. Hands down, this platform runs smoother than all others. It is a breeze to navigate even if you’re playing fantasy football for the first time ever. ESPN offers both auction and snake drafts and is the perfect app to cut your fantasy teeth on. The projections are one of the most referenced in the fantasy community, and they’ve integrated ground breaking technology that continues to keep them in contention with the best platforms out there. Last year ESPN brought us IBM Watson to show statistical likelihood of each individual player's boom or bust probability. Tools like these used to only be used by the pros, but ESPN has made them accessible to everyone.
ESPN alerts keeps you ahead of the game with all the breaking news, injury reports, and player analysis from across the league. Guys like Matthew Berry, Field Yates, and Tristan Cockroft are just a few of their writing team that absolutely crushes their weekly content and ranking sections. The trading system is smooth and easy to understand, and it is a great way for beginning commissioners to start to walk through league settings. Gamecast allows you to follow every game almost in live time so regardless of where you are you can keep tabs on your fantasy team. The ESPN Mock lobby is far and away the best mock draft app out there and will allow you to practice picking your team before it counts. ESPN also boasts one of the smoothest running and efficient fantasy apps out there. ESPN has the name recognition, but they let their app do the talking.
Cons:
ESPN lacks advanced features and scoring settings. If you’re looking for a dynasty league ESPN pales in comparison to several other platforms. Unfortunately, their app and website are both pretty rigid when it comes to special formatted leagues as well, so if you’re looking to draft a vampire draft or do a devy league, It’s also the most widely available platform out there so everybody is probably reading the same article or watching the same video as you are to get an edge. You aren’t able to seperate rookie and veteran drafts and cannot execute draft day trades. Again, not so important for the rookies, but a small irritation for the veterans.
ESPN public leagues are also a pretty big minus for me. While they allow anyone, anywhere to get in a league, the majority of these leagues are barren before the first quarter of the season is complete. If you’re going the ESPN route make sure you bring a group of friends with you.
Bottom Line:
ESPN is the G.O.A.T. of simplicity. I highly recommend it for first time players, and anyone wanting to not get overly complicated with their league settings. There are few greater rushes than firing up the ESPN app for the first time of the season and hearing the Bum-Bum-Bum-Bum as you get ready to nail your first draft. ESPN will always be my first love, and will always have a place in my fantasy league rotations.