Looking for a fantasy football app alternative?
Short answer: if you like your league but not your app, moving the league to a different app may be all you need. If the season-long format is the problem, a new app won't fix it. Try a one-week duel instead. Draft Duel is free: you draft nine starters against one opponent in 5 minutes, and that week's real games decide it.
Beat your rivals. Every week. In 5 minutes.
How Draft Duel compares
| Draft Duel | ESPN | Sleeper | Yahoo | CBS Sports | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free Standard leagues | Free | Free public leagues | Free leagues |
| How long a team lasts | One NFL week | A season | A season | A season (default playoffs in Weeks 16 and 17) | A season (14-week regular season, then playoffs) |
| Teams | 2 | 10 in a free Standard league | Even numbers only | 10 by default, 4 to 20 managers | 12 |
| Roster | 9 starters, no bench | 9 starters, 7 bench | Set by the league | 9 starters, 6 bench, 2 IR | Up to 9 starters, 14 players |
| Draft | Random NFL team each round, 90 seconds a pick | Scheduled automatically in Standard leagues | Snake, linear, 3RR or auction | — | Scheduled draft room (90 seconds a pick, snake) or automated |
| Waivers and trades | None | Set by the League Manager in custom leagues | Rolling, reverse or FAAB waivers, plus trades | 2-day waivers, no trade limit | Waivers, plus trades with a league vote |
| Reception scoring | PPR | PPR, half-PPR or no-PPR | Set by the league | Half point per catch | — |
Checked using each provider's own help, rules and product pages. Features and settings change, so check their sites for the latest.
When switching apps is enough
If your group still shows up every week and you just want better chat, settings or a cleaner draft room, moving the league can solve it. Sleeper, for example, says leagues can switch to it at any point in the season.
When the format is the problem
If the issue is the commitment itself, every app above runs a league that lasts a season. That means a big draft (CBS's rules suggest blocking two to four hours for its scheduled draft), weeks of waiver claims and trades, and a team that can be out of contention by midseason. Draft Duel takes a different approach:
- One week per team. Nothing carries over.
- One opponent. A friend, a stranger, or pass-and-play on one phone.
- A 5-minute draft from a random NFL team each round.
- Scores refresh about every 2 minutes during that week's games.
Keep your league, add a duel
You don't have to quit. Plenty of fans keep a season-long league with friends and add a weekly duel on the side.
Draft. Duel. Done.
Your lineup
9 starters, no bench. FLEX takes any RB, WR or TE.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a fantasy football app without a season-long league?
Yes. In Draft Duel every team lasts one NFL week. You draft against one opponent, that week's games decide it, and next week starts fresh.
Is Draft Duel a replacement for ESPN, Sleeper, Yahoo or CBS fantasy?
It doesn't have to be. Draft Duel is a separate weekly game, so you can keep your season-long league and still play a duel each week.
Do I need to download an app to play Draft Duel?
No. Draft Duel runs in your web browser on desktop and mobile. You can add it to your phone's home screen, with no app store download.
Does Draft Duel have real-time scoring?
Close to it. Scores refresh about every 2 minutes during that week's games. The higher PPR total at the end of the week wins.
Where do the comparison facts on this page come from?
Each provider's own help, rules and product pages, checked on the date shown under the table. Settings change, so check each site for the latest.
Is Draft Duel affiliated with the NFL or the apps on this page?
No. Draft Duel is made by Draft Duel LLC and isn't affiliated with the NFL, ESPN, Sleeper, Yahoo or CBS Sports. Names are used descriptively.