XFL Fantasy Football
By Kurt Boyer
Updated: May 24, 2023
Top XFL Fantasy Performers at Each Position in 2023
QB - A.J. McCarron, St. Louis Battlehawks
A.J. McCarron's popular St. Louis Battlehawks did not reach the XFL postseason in 2023. Nor were the team's talented pass-rushers given a chance to compete in the 2020 playoffs after COVID-19 forced the new league to pause operations, and eventually change ownership hands from wrestling promoter to one of said promoter's superstars. But the curious playoff rules of the XFL not only allowed McCarron to set records in Week 10, it gave the QB's Fantasy GMs an overwhelming season-ending points victory. St. Louis took a sizable early lead on the last-place Orlando Guardians at America's Center, a scenario in which any football team would probably pare down and nurse its edge with a 7-3 record promising a trip to the playoffs. Yet circumstances made a low-scoring win pointless for St. Louis, thanks to the XFL's playoff rules that include points for/against as a tiebreaker.
McCarron was up to the challenge, even if the STL defense wasn't. The QB went ballistic with 28 completions on 35 attempts, passing for 420 yards and an XFL-record 6 TD passes in the Battlehawks' eventual 53-28 win. STL's defense gave up too many points to Orlando's spoiling offense to come close to the margin needed to surpass Seattle and earn a playoff berth. But the aerial display gave McCarron a surprise Fantasy points title over Seattle's gunslinger Ben DiNucci, and over 220 total Daily Fantasy points scored for the year.
Honorable Mention: Ben DiNucci, Seattle Sea Dragons
RB - Abram Smith, DC Defenders
The D.C. Defenders earned a 9-1 regular-season record and advanced all the way to the 2023 XFL Championship, and the play of RB Abram Smith was a big reason why. Smith was a force to be reckoned with throughout the season, racking up 788 rushing yards, over 300 more than any other RB. The 2nd-year pro averaged just over 5 yards per carry and rushed for 7 scores in 10 regular-season contests.
The Defenders lost to the Arlington Renegades in the XFL Championship Game, but Smith put up 118 all-purpose yards and 2 TDs in a valiant effort. No other rusher came close to matching the Baylor product’s regular-season total of over 120 Fantasy points.
Honorable Mention: De’Veon Smith, Arlington Renegades
WR - Hakeem Butler, St. Louis Battlehawks
The St. Louis Battlehawks fell short of the XFL postseason this year, but it wasn’t because of a lack of effort from receiver Hakeem Butler. The former Philadelphia Eagle scorched opposing defenses all year long, accumulating 51 receptions for 599 yards and 8 scores, which translated to over 100 Fantasy points. His red-zone dominance and nearly 12 yards-per-catch production helped lead the Battlehawks to a 7-3 record.
Butler had his best performance of the season in Week 10. St. Louis trounced Orlando by 25 points, and the veteran receiver totaled 9 receptions for 164 yards and 2 TDs. It was the 2nd game of the season in which he posted over 100 receiving yards and the 1st in which he scored twice. In May, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Butler to a 1-year contract.
Honorable Mention: Darius Shepherd, St. Louis Battlehawks
TE - Cody Latimer, Orlando Guardians
No other TE came close to keeping up with Cody Latimer’s XFL Fantasy production this season. In fact, few WRs did either. Despite missing a game, the former Denver Broncos player amassed 593 receiving yards and 4 TDs, good enough for almost 100 Fantasy points. Unfortunately, though Latimer totaled the 3rd-most receiving yards in the newly branded spring league, Orlando finished the year 1-9 and fell well short of the playoffs.
Latimer posted his best outing of the season in a narrow Week 5 loss to Las Vegas. Despite the defeat, the veteran went off for 124 rec-yards and a score on just 8 receptions. Across 9 starts, he recorded at least 50 receiving yards 7 times. His stellar production could very well attract some interest from NFL front offices this summer.
Honorable Mention: Alizé Mack, San Antonio Brahmas
PK - John Parker Romo, San Antonio Brahmas
The San Antonio Brahmas won just 3 games and missed the playoffs, but kicker John Parker Romo put forth a remarkable Daily Fantasy campaign. Romo, who was acquired by the New Orleans Saints in 2022, had the best season of any XFL kicker in 2023 by converting 17 of his 19 field goal attempts. The XFL rookie made 9 of his 10 tries from at least 40 yards, including a 57-yarder. The high point of Romo’s top-flight season came in a Week 6 victory over eventual XFL champion Arlington. In the 6-point win, the kicker scored 9 of San Antonio’s 15 points by knocking through all 3 of his field goal attempts, including a 56-yarder. The Detroit Lions recognized Romo’s potential and signed him in May, giving him another shot to cement his status as an NFL-caliber placekicking boot.
Honorable Mention: Taylor Russolino, Arlington Renegades
DST - Houston Roughnecks
The Houston Roughnecks failed to reach the 2023 XFL Championship, but the team’s defense put forth stellar Daily Fantasy numbers all season long. The Roughnecks allowed a league-best 271 yards per contest, resulting in a 7-3 record and a berth in the South Division Championship, where they fell to the Arlington Renegades.
DB Ajene Harris locked down opposing receivers throughout the season and finished with a team-high 5 interceptions. Up front, LB Trent Harris put up 9.5 QB sacks, also a team-best mark. And LB Tavante Beckett showed impressive versatility by totaling 34 solo tackles, 2 picks, and even a touchdown scored. Linemen Jack Heflin and Corey Brewer have signed contracts with the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers respectively.
Honorable Mention: Arlington Renegades
XFL Fantasy Football: Tips on Picking the Best Saturday and Sunday DFS Rosters
You might be afraid to say to a friend that you play XFL Fantasy football. Fantasy and DFS players already get grief for spending a lot of time on their hobby in the fall and winter. Now, after 5-plus months of college and professional pigskin, there’s a new league attracting Fantasy competitors in spring. But there are advantages to competing in XFL fantasy games when compared to the National Football League.
For a start, there are fewer athletes to worry about handicapping. The XFL's grand total of 8 team rosters is easier to get a handle on than the NFL's 32 franchise rosters.
Quarterbacks aren’t “institutions” in the XFL, either. If you’ve drafted a backup QB, chances are he’ll take over the reins if he deserves to. There are no celebrity QBs whose benching could cause controversy or coaching upheaval.
XFL clubs are usually free to play their own styles of pigskin, a refreshing aspect of America's new pair of spring football leagues. The Houston Roughnecks of 2020 played a “Run & Shoot” offense steered by head coach June Jones, who ran the same playbook at the University of Hawaii. With all due respect to John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens, most NFL owners would have a fit if their coaches utilized “college” systems while trying to win a championship. It makes the XFL more fun that the X's and O's are freestyle.
Gamers must deal with unique challenges when competing in XFL Fantasy football. Detailed box scores for a new league are hard to come by. Honest scouting is rare. You can visit Google and get quick info about soccer in Denmark or ice hockey in Switzerland, but for the XFL, it’s often the league’s own website or bust. Even if a guy is playing lousy on the gridiron, don’t expect the XFL to criticize him on its homepage. It’s just not good PR.
It's FanDuel to the rescue, as usual! Scroll down for a primer on our spring Fantasy games, and some notes on how to adjust your Daily Fantasy draft strategy to the XFL.
XFL Fantasy Football: Drafting a Team … and Adjusting to New Rules
Fantasy XFL drafts at FanDuel begin by granting each new player a $100 budget (not real money, of course, or you’d run out of it quickly) with which to select a roster. Customers are asked to fill in a roster form which includes slots for a QB, a running back, and 2 receivers (WRs or tight ends are eligible).
FanDuel customers may also choose a pair of “flex” or variable roster spots to fill with eligible skill players. That’s especially important in the XFL, as many of the best athletes are fulfilling more than 1 role for their franchise.
Basic DFS draft strategies apply. For instance, it makes sense to pick a quarterback and a wide receiver from the same team, so as to increase your point-totals when your picks connect on a TD pass. It’s also smart to focus a solid chunk of your $100 budget on the QB. The quarterback handles the ball on every play and is likely to rack up the biggest stat total of anyone on an XFL squad.
Fantasy kickers are taking a back seat (or no seat) in XFL competition. Fans have noticed that kickers do not score quite as many points in the XFL on average due to the league’s refreshing points-after-TD rules. When an XFL club scores a touchdown, the team is awarded 6 points as tradition dictates. That’s where the ordinary rules end. No extra-point kicking is allowed after a TD. XFL teams must choose to go for a 1-point conversion from the 2-yard line, a 2-point conversion from the 5-yard line, or a 3-point conversion from the 10. It gives QBs, RBs, and WRs another chance to cross the goal line and add Fantasy points for the DFS general managers who have drafted them. But PKs are left out. When a typical college or pro team scores 5 touchdowns and puts 35+ points on the scoreboard, the PK has at least converted 5 XPs to add to his total. In the XFL, a club might score 40+ points without the kicker ever getting on the board at all.
Remember that the NFL is an extremely entrenched league with a media that doesn't like competing brands, similar to how PGA Tour players are covered with a reverence not granted to those going in new directions. Reading the sports news or looking at social media might give you the impression that no quarterbacks from America's minor leagues have put up any solid numbers at all, and that they're a dime-a-dozen. That’s not the case. A glance at Houston’s box scores from the 2020 XFL reboot shows that not every XFL team has struggled to create explosive plays through the air.
Football is always relative, and so are QB performances. Don’t get discouraged by what you hear – check out the XFL’s passing games for yourself. There are more quality passers in the XFL than haters are willing to admit.
Keeping Score in XFL Fantasy Match-Ups
FanDuel’s XFL Fantasy roster rules are easy to memorize, but it might be a good idea to commit the DFS scoring table to memory as well. Scoring rules are not something you want to constantly double-check while making time-sensitive picks prior to an XFL weekend. There are many Daily Fantasy Sports tips available on the internet, but advice is only worth heeding if it corresponds to the rules of the Fantasy games you’re competing in.
Here’s a rundown of XFL Fantasy scoring at FanDuel. Take note of the simpler rules and deviations from what you’re used to with the National Football League.
Rushing yards made = 0.1pts
Rushing touchdowns = 6pts
Passing yards = 0.04pts
Passing touchdowns = 4pts
Interceptions = -1pt
Receiving yards = 0.1pts
Receiving touchdowns = 6pts
Receptions = 0.5pts
Kickoff return touchdowns = 6pts
Punt return touchdowns = 6pts
Fumbles lost = -2pts
Own fumbles recovered touchdowns = 6pts
One-point conversions scored = 1pt
Two-point conversions scored = 2pts
Three-point conversions scored = 3pts
One-point conversion passes = 1pt
Two-point conversion passes = 2pts
Three-point conversion passes = 3pts
Overtime conversions scored = 2pts
Overtime conversion passes = 2pts
Conversions after touchdowns are also a huge part of XFL Fantasy scoring. Notice that a 3-point conversion through the air is worth about as much as a TD pass on a typical scrimmage play.
Special teams can’t be overlooked. Kick returners are not only safer thanks to the XFL’s kickoff rules that do not allow tacklers a running start, they’re granted the opportunity to handle more kicks due to the XFL’s touchback rule threatening to move the ball out near midfield when a PK booms it too far.
Note also that a lost fumble is twice the penalty of an interception. Make sure your drafted running backs can hold onto the ball!
XFL Fantasy Football Tips and Mistakes to Avoid
Many of the tips that work for NFL Fantasy football competitors in other leagues also work for the XFL. Here are just a few strategy points that are easy for beginners to overlook.
Handicap how the game is most likely to play out. Newbies know to scout the defense that their Fantasy draft choices will play against, but the likely outcome of a contest is just as important to think about. For instance, if your QB is playing against a strong defense, where is the “D” likely to focus its efforts? Maybe the defense is a quality unit overall but prefers to stop the run first and foremost, trusting that too many pass attempts will eventually lead to problems for an opponent. That can be very true. At the same time, though, if your QB’s offense can’t run, he’ll have to pass a lot. Since there is no penalty for incompletions in XFL fantasy scoring, it’s usually good news when your passer tries 50 attempts, even if he doesn’t complete 60% of them. 50% completions on 50 passes often adds up to a lot more yards and passing TDs than 60% completions on only 30 pass attempts.
Pick a QB and a top WR from the same team. This is a basic “look both ways before crossing the street” strategy for XFL fantasy competitors. If your QB and highest-rated WR picks play for the same offense, you can score healthy amounts of points if and when the pair hook up for multiple TD passes. The only time the strategy doesn’t work is if a WR corps gets shut down all together. Even then, you’d rather have a QB-WR combination in a low-scoring game since even 1 scoring play in the 4th quarter can help put your Fantasy point total over the top and conquer an opponent.
Dive deep to get accurate injury reports. The Shield compels its teams to release complete, accurate injury info in the week prior to any game, though certain clubs, such as the New England Patriots, are known to be as tricky as possible when filling out the injury report. Given the lack of media attention on XFL teams, and the league’s still-developing rules for head coaches, XFL Fantasy competitors can be left without a lot of accurate injury information even as it’s time to make roster picks.
Be an XFL fantasy detective. Scope out beat reports from hometown XFL blogs and newspapers. The greater public may not care if a backup TE from the St. Louis Battlehawks is dealing with a knee injury. But in St. Louis, where the ‘Hawks are a sensation following the Gateway City’s loss of not 1, but 2 National Football League franchises over the past few decades, someone will care enough to cover it.
Pick the right level of opponent. FanDuel does not simply match DFS opponents at random. If you sign up to FanDuel as a beginner, you will be paired against other beginners in Daily Fantasy games. Experts are matched against other experts. All skill levels are represented, and all customers are given a fighting chance. Be honest about your Fantasy competition experience, and let FanDuel provide an opponent you’ll be able to beat on a good day.
Rating the Best XFL Fantasy Performers of the 2020 Season
Reports of the XFL’s quarterback woes were highly exaggerated in 2020. In fact, it was only COVID-19 that held the league's QBs back from blossoming. P.J. Walker of the Houston Roughnecks had a terrific season over 5 weeks, passing for 15 touchdowns and nearly 1400 yards with just 4 interceptions. Jordan Ta’amu of St. Louis has passed for 1050 yards and is also a constant threat to gallop for 1st downs and cross the pylons with his feet.
If you like to avoid interception penalties while racking-up lots of TD throws, you can do a lot worse than QB Josh Johnson. Johnson passed for 11 scores while throwing just 2 picks in the XFL's reboot and went on to take snaps for the San Francisco 49ers by early 2023. Johnson is sure to get primo contract offers to play in the XFL or USFL very soon.
None of the XFL's running backs stood out as next-level prospects in Vince McMahon's final go-around as league boss. DeVeon Smith led the XFL with only 365 yards from scrimmage in 2020 and was an unpopular Fantasy pick thanks to an ugly 0 TDs-scored mark. But the Michigan product also averaged 4.1 YPC for Tampa Bay.
James Butler of Houston played as a fullback in the Run & Shoot playbook, spending most of his time blocking and catching than receiving hand-offs, but the short, stocky rusher has scored 4 times and averaged nearly 5 yards-per-carry for the powerful Roughnecks.
XFL receivers found pay-dirt more often than RBs. Unsurprisingly, a Houston Roughneck led the league in receiving yards and touchdowns—Virginia Tech product Cam Phillips with 9 scores on the year. Tre McBride of the L.A. Wildcats is another dangerous WR who’s been compiling a highlight reel of explosive plays. Navy product Keenan Reynolds also shined.
Betting on the XFL at FanDuel Sportsbook
Tired of Daily Fantasy football after half a year of drafting and point-counting? Sign up at FanDuel Sportsbook and wager on the outcomes of XFL betting markets instead.
FanDuel’s bookmakers offer XFL moneylines, spreads, totals, prop bets, and futures odds on the league’s race to a championship. Get in on the action every spring at FanDuel!