Garbage Time Fantasy - The Ultimate Fantasy Football Companion
“Fortune favors the prepared mind.” – Louis Pasteur
Garbage Time Fantasy is a passion project that I have been developing over the past seven years, undergoing numerous iterations and improvements. It combines two distinct applications—a league management platform and a draft tracker—into a unified solution for my fantasy football league.
This app serves as the go-to resource for our league, offering real-time data insights, auction draft assistance, and a comprehensive league management hub. It has evolved into a robust platform that centralizes all league-related information and enhances the draft experience for all participants.
Core Features
League Management
The league management module helps to maintain all crucial data and interactions within the league, ensuring that no information is lost over time. Key functionalities include:
Create Bet Option - A screenshot of the betting feature
- Member Profiles:
View bio, contact details, and historical rosters. - League Constitution & Rules:
A centralized location for league policies and operational guidelines. - Message Board:
Provides a place for discussions and debates. - Bets Tracking:
Members can place and track bets related to league events. - Achievements Section:
Showcasing milestones like “Most Waiver Acquisitions” or “Highest Weekly Score.”
Screenshot of the UX wireframe for the bets page
Draft Day Assistance
The draft tracker module provides tools to help make smarter draft decisions, with features such as:
- Real-time Draft Recommendations:
Provides actionable insights on who to draft based on current team needs and available budget. - Pre-Draft Planning:
Allows users to research and set player targets before the draft. - Budget Scenarios:
Simulate various draft scenarios to understand financial impact of drafting a player. - Advanced Analytics:
Deep statistical insights that go beyond basic stats of any given source (ESPN, Yahoo Sports, Sleeper, etc). - Enhanced Predictions:
Incorporating factors like historical data on player health, team dynamic, and more.
My initial layout for how I would like the user profile to look
Technologies Used
- React: The frontend is built with React for dynamic and efficient UI rendering.
- Context API: For seamless state management across the app.
- Firebase/Firestore: Provides authentication, real-time data updates, and cloud storage.
- Material-UI: A polished UI built using the Material-UI component library.
- SweetAlert2: Adding engaging pop-ups for various interactions.
Personal Reflections on Development
Building this app has been an ongoing journey, allowing me to experiment with different technologies and frameworks over the years. Each iteration has taught me new skills, from improving state management with React Context API to integrating Firebase services for authentication and data storage.
One of the most rewarding aspects has been tailoring the app to fit the exact needs of my fantasy league, ensuring that it not only serves as a data repository but also enhances the overall experience of playing fantasy football.
The project also introduced me to deeper concepts of predictive analytics, and I am excited to explore machine learning opportunities in the future to further enhance its capabilities.
Challenges and Future Goals
- Merging Two Applications:
Combining the league management and draft tracker systems into a seamless user experience. - Advanced Data Insights:
Implementing machine learning models to analyze trends and suggest draft strategies. - UX Improvements:
Refining the user interface to enhance accessibility and ease of use across all devices.
Garbage Time Fantasy is an ever-evolving project that combines my love for fantasy football with my passion for software development. I’m excited to see how it continues to grow and improve over time.