A recent survey commissioned by Qlik, a leader in data integration and artificial intelligence, reveals that artificial intelligence (AI) has become deeply embedded in the fantasy football community. Among 1,000 U.S. fantasy football players polled in August 2025, 72% said they trust AI to help guide their fantasy football decisions, and 31% would be willing to hand over full control of their teams to AI, with the willingness highest (45%) among those aged 35 to 44.
This growing embrace of AI in fantasy football mirrors broader trends of AI adoption in the workplace, where people seek to balance trust in AI with the need for oversight and competitive advantage. As Mike Capone, Qlik’s CEO, notes, fantasy football serves as a “low-risk, high-interest environment” that reveals how individuals might engage with AI in more serious decision contexts.
Key Insights from the Survey
- High Trust in AI Decision-Making: Beyond casual use, a substantial share of fantasy players are comfortable allowing AI to manage major aspects of team management, including draft prep, weekly start/sit decisions, and trade evaluations.
- Concerns More About Parity Than Cheating: Only 13% of respondents consider AI usage in fantasy football to be cheating, but 44% worry that AI might level the playing field, erasing competitive edges. This reflects real-world concerns in business where having the best data and usage skills matter more than mere access to AI tools.
- Fantasy Football at Work: Over half (52%) of respondents admitted to managing their fantasy teams often or always during work hours. Interestingly, 42% feel more comfortable using AI at work than in their fantasy football leagues, challenging the notion that technology adoption begins in personal life before professional settings.
- Preference for Pragmatic AI Applications: Participants primarily use AI for repeatable tasks such as weekly start/sit decisions (20%), draft moves (19%), draft preparation (18%), and trade evaluations (16%). Only 9% use AI for creative tasks like generating team names or engaging in trash talk, underscoring the practical utility of AI.
- Generational Differences: Younger and mid-career players show higher trust in and willingness to cede control to AI, while older players remain cautious — only 12% of those 55 and older would let AI manage their teams entirely compared to nearly half of those aged 35 to 44.
For enthusiasts seeking a strategic edge, Qlik has developed interactive fantasy analytics tools that enable customization of player projections, analysis of draft positions, and strength of schedule reviews—helping players leverage data-driven insights to outperform rivals.
