How NFL Fantasy Football Could Step Up Their ASO Game

September 5th, 2025

by David Quinn

VP of Strategy & Partnerships at Gummicube, Inc.

When it comes to fantasy sports, few apps have the brand power and visibility that NFL Fantasy Football does. Backed by the National Football League itself, this app has the advantage of name recognition and a built-in audience of millions. Even with this advantage, App Store Optimization (ASO) remains critical. Users searching for fantasy football tools often explore multiple listings before deciding which app to download. For NFL Fantasy Football to maintain its competitive advantage, its app metadata, creatives, and keyword research strategies need to be carefully evaluated and regularly refined.

In this week’s App Store Spotlight, we will examine NFL Fantasy Football’s app store listing, breaking down its title, subtitle, screenshots, and app store video. Then we will compare its approach to one of its competitors, Yahoo Fantasy Football, to highlight what works well and what could be improved.

APP TITLE AND SUBTITLE EVALUATION

The NFL Fantasy Football app’s current title is simple and authoritative. The NFL brand name carries weight, and the words Fantasy Football clearly establish what the app is about. For a well-known brand, this makes sense. People are already searching specifically for “NFL Fantasy," and the title ensures that the app has a chance at surfacing for those searches.

The subtitle currently reads: “Official NFL Fantasy App”. While it is clear and to the point, it does not take advantage of the seasonal search trends. Fantasy Football apps can benefit from implementing terms like “draft,” “live scoring,” or “player stats.” Incorporating terms like “NFL Draft” in their title or subtitle would not only align with current user search behavior during the draft season, but could also expand the app’s organic visibility for high-volume keywords.

By updating the subtitle to something like “draft & play with NFL fantasy” (29/30 characters), the app could capture both branded and seasonal traffic without sacrificing clarity of app functionality.

APP STORE PREVIEW VIDEO REVIEW

One area where NFL Fantasy Football excels is its use of an App Store Preview video. Video creatives are powerful tools in ASO because they provide a dynamic and immersive preview of the app’s value.

NFL Fantasy Football’s video highlights core features like:

Checking scores
Setting lineups in one tap
Streaming live games
Watching player stories

This mix of feature demonstrations paired with real gameplay flow makes the video engaging, efficient, and persuasive. It not only informs potential users but also reassures them that the app can deliver a polished, professional experience.

The app could improve by refreshing its video creative seasonally. For example, it could lead with “Draft your fantasy team easily” during the preseason and shift to “dominate your matchups” once the season starts. This could help the video feel more timely and potentially increase conversion rates.

NFL FANTASY FOOTBALL APP SCREENSHOT STRATEGY

NFL Fantasy Football currently uses even screenshots, all in a consistent design. The background features the app’s signature blue, paired with an iPhone mockup and white text across the top of each frame. The messaging is clear and functional, but the overall design feels repetitive and dull.

While consistency is important, ASO best practices suggest that app screenshots should not only inform, but also inspire users to keep swiping through your screenshots. Right now, NFL Fantasy Football’s app screenshots risk blending together, which can cause users to lose interest after viewing the first couple of screenshots.

What could improve:

Mobile app A/B testing screenshot order: Testing different arrangements of screenshot orders and highlighting the most compelling features first, leading to more opportunities to increase app conversions.
Dynamic design elements: Incorporating zoomed-in iPhone mockups that span across multiple frames could create a better sense of flow.
Real-life imagery: Adding photos of players, in-game highlights, or fans engaging with the app could create a stronger emotional resonance.
Alternating color styles: Introducing a secondary brand color or design variety could prevent creative fatigue.

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS: YAHOO FANTASY FOOTBALL, SPORTS

Let’s take a look at one of NFL Fantasy Football’s competitors, Yahoo Fantasy Football, Sports. Competitor analysis is a great way for developers to see what strategies other apps in similar categories are implementing, and could inspire their next optimization.

App Title And Subtitle

Yahoo’s title, “Yahoo Fantasy Football, Sports,” strikes a balance between branded identity and keyword targeting. Their subtitle, “Play and Win, Draft Now!”, demonstrates a sharper seasonal focus. By including “draft”, Yahoo appeals to users searching for draft-related tools, making it more relevant during peak draft season.

Yahoo Fantasy Football, Sports iOS Screenshots

Yahoo’s Creative Approach

Yahoo does not use an App Store video, but its screenshots are far more engaging than NFL Fantasy Football’s. Although they only utilize five screenshots, every frame is carefully designed to maximize impact.

Screenshots 1-3: Bold alternating yellow and purple backgrounds, oversized black text, and overlapping iPhone mockups create visual momentum. Users are encouraged to swipe through because each screenshot builds on the previous one.
Screenshot 2: This image features the text “Draft. Compete. Dominate” with a football player outline in the background, adding energy and personality.
Screenshot 3: Uses the phrase “Play Your Play” and keeps the design bold but simpler to balance the intensity of the first two frames.
Screenshots 4-5: Continue the alternating design scheme with phrases like “Trusted by Millions” and “Are You Ready?” These maintain engagement while signaling credibility.

Yahoo leverages artistry, bold typography, and clever design to grab attention, even with fewer screenshots. Their approach begs the question, “Does quality and creativity outweigh quantity?”

WHAT NFL FANTASY FOOTBALL CAN LEARN

From this comparison, several opportunities emerge for NFL Fantasy Football:

Metadata Enhancement: To align with user search intent, add seasonal terms like “draft” to the title or subtitle.
Creative Revamp: Introduce more dynamic screenshots with varied backgrounds, player imagery, and creative flows across frames.
Seasonal Refresh: Update both screenshots and video messaging to align with the current stage of the fantasy football season.
Design Innovation: Experiment and A/B test alternating colors, bolder typography, and visual artistry.

NFL Fantasy Football already benefits from brand power, but improving its creative strategy could push it from being a default choice to a “must-have” app in the fantasy sports category.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The NFL Fantasy Football app has a strong foundation: recognizable branding, a polished preview video, and functional messaging. However, its metadata and creatives do notably capitalize on seasonal search trends or screenshot design best practices. Yahoo Fantasy Football shows how bold design choices and strategic keyword usage can significantly improve how engaging a creative set feels.

For NFL Fantasy Football, the path forward lies in evolving its listing to match user behavior and creative expectations. By incorporating its competitor insights and keyword research strategies, the app could strengthen its App Store presence during critical fantasy football seasons.

LET’S CHAT!

ASO requires regular attention and updates. From ongoing A/B testing to design revamps and keyword updates, apps can use these elements to create opportunities to take their performance from “doing well” to “exceeding expectations”. Gummicubes ASO services can guide you through each step of ASO and create a tailored approach for your app specifically. Are you ready to elevate your app listing? Reach out today, and let’s talk about how ASO can work for you.