About Fantasy Sports Math League
Fantasy Sports Math League (FSML) is a math supplement digital game that uses fantasy sports as the real-world application of math to drive interest and skill. FSML is narrowing the math achievement gap through playful learning. With embedded assessment, differentiated learning, scaffolded feedback, and standards alignment, FSML allows teachers to easily boost their existing curriculum to increase student engagement in math.
This interactive web-based game supports math learning through playing fantasy sports in a wide range of learning environments – classrooms, distance learning, after-school programs, homeschool networks, youth organizations, and more. FSML uses real-life professional players and current game statistics for dynamic and exciting math play!
It changed the way I saw fractions at first they were a bit hard but now its easy.
- 8th Grader
It made me feel more excited about coming to class because I looked forward to doing it.
- 7th Grader
It helped me feel confident while doing math.
- 6th Grader
Built on Research and Learning Science
Developed using the latest research on game-based learning, FSML is strategically designed to empower student engagement and deepen conceptual understanding. Through personalization, competition, and collaboration, FSML allows students to see math as relevant to their lives. FSML encourages students to practice math skills within a real-world context that improves math skills, increases engagement, promotes positive peer relationships, and helps students see themselves as good at math. Students with a solid foundation and interest in math are more likely to have greater success learning advanced math and pursuing STEM careers.
Evidence Based
The Fall 2025 pilot of Fantasy Sports Math League (FSML) engaged approximately 325 middle school students across 9 classrooms in 6 states. Math skills improved significantly. After playing for 6 weeks, students answered an average of 1.4 more problems correctly — a gain of roughly one full problem out of 11. Fraction confidence was the standout outcome. Fraction confidence was the lowest-rated skill before playing FSML and showed the largest improvement Fraction anxiety also declined significantly.
Our evaluation partner, Arroyo Research Services, is currently (2026) conducting a randomized controlled trial to measure impact on students’ math knowledge, confidence and anxiety.
FSML works best for those who need it the most. Students who entered with the lowest math scores gained over 3 additional problems correct — more than tripling their baseline. Low-confidence students gained nearly a full point in confidence. Teachers were enthusiastic advocates. All our teachers want to keep using FSML! With FSML in their classroom, they see increased student engagement, increased communication between students, and increased willingness to tackle challenging math.
Flexible Lesson Design
FSML is a flexible program that can be integrated into any math curriculum. FSML includes lesson plans to guide students through practicing algebraic equations, data analysis, and communicating about math. Teachers can select from a library of extension activities to take the learning further, deepening math comprehension and expanding math relevance into other subjects including science, technology, engineering, and art.
What Makes FSML Effective?
Standards Alignment. FSML is aligned with National Counsil of Teachers of Mathematics standards. Each game-play activity supports NCTM standards. Each lesson plan explains how it connects and aligns to standards.
Virtually all of my students below grade level improved dramatically in fractions during this time. The entire classroom was highly motivated to compete, succeed, and learn.
- FSML 6th Grade Teacher
Embedded Assessment. Each time a student enters a solution to a math problem, the system provides automatic feedback indicating if the solution was correct or incorrect. Students must answer correctly to advance in the game. Tips and support are provided for students who enter incorrect responses.
I learned that even when you make a mistake, you keep trying.
- 6th Grade FSML Student
Real-World Data. FSML uses actual NFL players, stats and game data! Each week, the box score data from the games that were just played are automatically imported into the system. These data are then used by the students to calculate their fantasy team points using the FSML scoring equations.
There is real world connections to math and football.
- 6th Grade FSML Student
Math Equity
Students need a variety of opportunities and supports to thrive in the math learning environment. FSML’s fun approach to math practice actively promotes equity through game mechanics and the ability to customize features without the pressure of traditional classroom math drills or tests. We believe all students can feel valued and supported in their math learning!
1) Relatable: Using sports allows students to apply math to real-world scenarios. Because students select their favorite players, they can build a team that is representative of diverse cultures and experiences.
2) Challenging: Built in learning supports and teacher ability to change the difficulty of the math equations and graph style supports students of all levels to engage with the content and progress at a comfortable pace.
3) Feedback: Students receive immediate feedback to understand their mistakes and improve over time as they score their team each week. Teachers can see where the students have made errors or need additional target practice to understand concepts.
4) Community: The league competition and leaderboards for both math and football progress help foster collaborative learning and peer support and build an engaging dynamic in the classroom to support all learners.
5) Resources: Embedded tip sheets, guidance and videos provide extra support and encouragement to students who are struggling with concepts.
See How it Works
Quotes From the Huddle
Privacy and Data Security
We believe the privacy of all personal data is essential. FSML is designed as a secure website and DOES NOT sell personal data. The game collects only minimal personal data to enable users to create a profile and progress through the game to meet educational goals in a fun and engaging way. Students enter their name, grade, and school email address to play FSML. Parents can ask for their students’ data to be deleted at any time.
FSML DOES NOT use ads int he game and there are NO in-game purchases, or any money involved in any way.
Our full privacy policy and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Statements can be found here
FAQs
Funder
dfusion developed Fantasy Sports Math League through Phase II funding from the Department of Education IES-SBIR (RFP #91990024R0013). The R&D described here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program contract 91990024C0024 to dfusion. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.