Technology is playing a bigger and bigger role in football organizations to gain an advantage over the competition. Data and statistics are key tools for teams to becoming more efficient and winning on the field. In parallel, the growth of fantasy football and it's needs to consume that similar data provide an opportunity for "Big Data" in fantasy football. A recent panel in San Francisco discussed the impact of "Big Data" and its effect on Fantasy Football. The panel comprised of:
- Josh Zerkle, Moderator from the Bleacher Report
- Boyd Davis, Intel VP and GM of Datacenter Software Division
- John Pollard, STATS GM of Sports Solutions Group
- Kevin Meers, Harvard Sports Analysis Collective, Co-President
- Jerry Rice, NFL Hall of Famer Wide Receiver
The Modern World of Fantasy Football
In today's world of fantasy football successful owners are more dependent on the data and stats that is required to draft and manage players and rosters. The Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) estimates that almost 75% of owners will view 4-6 websites to get information on their players. There has been a voracious demand of data from owners in today's world and that has been reflected in the supply of numerous fantasy sites from the top overall sports websites such as ESPN, Yahoo, and SB Nation to specialized fantasy sites like the Footballguys.com and RotoWorld.com.Not only do owners expect deep data but they also expect real-time data. Long gone are the days of using pencil, paper, and calculator to tally the results. I remember when I started playing fantasy football that I would crack open Windows application Notepad and tally the NFL live scores from ESPN or Yahoo. Back then they didn't have real time scoring in fantasy football, but at least they had real time statistics. In today's world, real time scoring is expected. Although some sites still charge a fee for real-time scoring, because of the competition the majority of fantasy sites today have provided this feature at no-cost.
Democratization of the Data
One the concepts covered in the panel was the "democratization of the data" which means the data is now available to everyone. Boyd Davis from Intel made the point that once everyone has access to the data then that evens the playing field for owners as no one owner will have an edge because of the data. It is then up to the owners to use their own human judgement and ingenuity to decide what to do next. Jerry Rice then made an very good point and asked does that mean there is now data overload because of all the information that is now available.
It today's game you get instant information on players and their injury status. You get real time feedback on game performances and trends. During the draft, you get guidance on average drafting position and average auction prices for which players are going for. The fantasy football world has done a great job of being able to present the complicated data in a simple form. That is one of the reasons why fantasy football has also grown in the recent years as the user experience is not a hurdle to the fantasy game. Thus games are easy to play. Waiver wires are simple to understand on how to add or drop players. Draft tools and concepts like sit-or-play lists are also common items in fantasy football.
The fantasy football world has done a great job of simplifying and already democratizing some of the data. When you add the trending, analytics, and predictions that Big Data can provide then are we headed to a world of fantasy football that is fully automated?
The Cost of Winning
An interesting exchange in the panel was the discussion on why fantasy football was so much more popular than fantasy baseball. Recent stats from FSTA states that players prefer football over baseball 77% to 33%. One of the reason why could be the nature of the cadence and competition aspect of fantasy football. Fantasy football has head to head competition that is the staple of each week. You feel more involved each and every week and your success is mirrored in the cadence of the football week. Baseball's schedule is more chaotic and requires more diligence to play.
However, another reason why fantasy football has taken off is not just because of the enjoyment factor of the game but also because of the money factor of fantasy football. There is money to be made in prize fees and challenge games. Daily fantasy games have increased in popularity because of its ability to reward owners with instant payouts and prizes. The evidence of this can be seen in the increasing popularity of sites such as FanDuel.com that promotes daily games and prizes.
When owners motivation lies in getting paid rather than just winning the game, the need for "Big Data" gets even more lucrative.
MY TAKE: I've enjoyed the additional technology of fantasy football in the form of mock draft tools, real-time scoring, and up to the minute player news information. As long as this requires human interaction and the social aspect of fantasy football is not degraded then technology and fantasy football seem like a perfect match. It is no secret that there is money to be made in fantasy football. However, at this point I don't believe those opportunities have diminished the spirit and enjoyment of fantasy football.
