WSL Launches Official Fantasy App With 'Legs' System to Fight Player Burnout

The Women's Super League (WSL) has launched an official fantasy football app designed to solve the high attrition rates that typically plague season-long fantasy sports. Developed in partnership with SI, the platform aims to lower the barrier to entry for new fans while increasing long-term engagement.

Breaking from the traditional model, the game integrates players from 14 teams in the top-flight WSL and 12 teams from the second-division WSL2 into a single pool. To prevent the late-season drop-offs common when a single bad week ruins a campaign, the app introduces a "legs" system. This structure divides the season into six shorter competitive segments, each spanning three to six matchweeks, with its own mini-tables and prizes to encourage mid-season entry.

A Shift in Strategy

The official app replaces "Aerial Fantasy," an unofficial league that the WSL found resulted in excessive squad similarity among top-ranking players. By including the second division, the league intends to add strategic depth and prevent the "samey" compositions seen in previous iterations. The app also introduces flexible mechanics, allowing users to make substitutions in the middle of a matchweek to account for injuries or tactical errors.

To further modernize the experience, the platform features "Fantasy Stories," vertical videos utilizing a UI similar to Instagram. According to the league, these stories will eventually become dynamic, tailoring content based on the specific players in a user's team.

Why It Matters

This move represents a deliberate attempt to avoid the "clone" model of established men's fantasy leagues, such as Fantasy Premier League (FPL). Joey Davidson, the WSL’s head of digital products, noted that replicating existing models would create a ceiling for growth, stating, "And we don’t want to give ourselves a ceiling."

By prioritizing retention over a rigid season-long grind, the WSL is positioning itself to capture a broader audience during a period of significant growth for women's soccer in England. This expansion follows the momentum of the 2022 Euros victory and a general increase in visibility for the women's game.

What's Next

The league will now monitor whether the segmented "legs" system successfully maintains user numbers through the end of the season. Additionally, the rollout of dynamic, team-specific content within the "Fantasy Stories" feature will be a key indicator of how deeply the app can personalize the fan experience.