For us data fanatics, fantasy football is more than just a game.
Forbes recently reported that there are 33 million people playing fantasy football today, generating tons of facts, figures and statistics, demonstrating that the world of fantasy sports is truly a rich data hub.
As the San Francisco Chronicle proclaimed at the start of this year’s season, “‘Big Data’ feeds the needs of fantasy football fans,” with some 20,000 data points captured per game, which are in turn leveraged by users to inform key game-time decisions. The report came on the heels of Inside the Huddle: How Big Data Is Unlocking Fantasy Football Insights, an Intel-sponsored panel discussion held this past August. There, the conversation extended far beyond the gridiron to the exciting ways real-time data collection and analysis support crucial decision-making processes across a range of industries, from retail to health care.
The insights derived by fantasy football data are in many ways analogous to conclusions drawn from data in the business world. Data Informed reports that the Chief Marketing Officer of MapR Technologies applauds fantasy football because it reinforces benefits of gathering and organizing data. “I think taking an analytic, data-driven approach to things like fantasy football gives an additional reinforcement about the benefits of using data in business-related activities,” he states.
If you play fantasy football, then you know that the data for players is presented to you in a clear, easily digestible way. Player performance results populate almost immediately after NFL games, and it’s this real-time, efficient presentation of data that allows fantasy football fans to make educated decisions about line-ups and more. In this way, the world of data in fantasy football mimics what a robust and intelligent mobile data collection tool should do for a business.
Interestingly, many data points are derived from far beyond the field itself. The Competitive Edge digital platform, for example, turns to behavioral psychology to generate intelligence on players’ mental states. It also gathers atmospheric data to weigh environmental factors, such as weather, and estimate how they may impact a football player’s performance. Here at GoSpotCheck, we couldn’t agree more with the principles behind Competitive Edge. Streamlined and real-time data collection has a truly transformative power to beat out the competition for everyone from fantasy football fans to the retail industry leaders of today.
