Fantasy football is no longer just a casual pastime. It is becoming a real-world experiment in how people adopt and trust artificial intelligence. A new survey from Qlik shows that more than two-thirds of U.S. fantasy football fans already use AI to make decisions for their teams, and nearly a third would hand over complete control. Among 35 to 44-year-olds, that number rises to almost half.
I absolutely love fantasy football. But I cannot imagine letting AI run my team. I understand wanting to gain an advantage, but part of the excitement is proving you personally know the sport. If a computer is making every decision, winning would feel empty.
Surprisingly, cheating is not what concerns most fans. In fact, only 13 percent think using AI is dishonest. Instead, 44 percent worry it will create too much parity and remove skill advantages. This is similar to the workplace, where simply having AI is not enough. The real advantage comes from feeding it quality data and making smarter, faster decisions than your competitors.
The survey also found that 52 percent of fans admit to managing their teams during work hours, while 42 percent say they are more comfortable using AI at work than in their fantasy leagues. When fans do use AI, it is mostly for practical and repeatable tasks such as weekly start or sit decisions, draft picks, prep work, and trade evaluations. Only 9 percent use it for creative elements such as trash talk or naming their teams.
Generational differences are clear. Younger and mid-career players are more open to letting AI take control, while older fans are far more cautious. Just 12 percent of those aged 55 and older would allow AI to run their teams.
“Fantasy football may be a game, but it is also a low-risk, high-interest environment where people reveal how they will engage with AI in more serious contexts,” said Mike Capone, CEO of Qlik.
Capone adds, “When you see people trusting AI with their lineups, worrying about parity over cheating, and using it for the same kinds of repeatable decisions that drive value in business, you understand how closely the lessons carry over to the workplace. In both arenas, the winners aren’t defined by access to AI, but by the ability to feed it the right data, interpret the insights, and act faster and smarter than the competition.”
To build on this trend, Qlik has launched an interactive fantasy analytics tool that lets players customize projections, analyze draft positions, and review strength of schedule.
