Knockout Leagues Coming to ESPN Fantasy Football for 2026 Season

A new fantasy league format is on its way to ESPN Fantasy Football this season.

What's Happening:

• ESPN Fantasy Football continues to bring new features and offerings following the refreshed look and feel of the ESPN Fantasy App last year. 
• ESPN's is the official season-long fantasy football game of the NFL, and the industry’s No. 1 fantasy football game, and with it comes more ways to play ESPN Fantasy Football than ever before.
• New this year to ESPN Fantasy Football is the ‘Knockout’ league format. Knockout is ESPN Fantasy Football’s take on the increasingly-popular elimination-style format that challenges managers to survive each week of the season.
• In Knockout leagues, the lowest-scoring team each week is eliminated, with that team’s entire roster released to waivers for all remaining managers to acquire by placing bids. The process repeats until only one manager remains, creating a season-long battle for survival and a unique fantasy football experience. Specific to ESPN Knockout, an eliminated manager is given the opportunity for “last words,” sharing a final parting farewell to all remaining league members.

• For the best Knockout league experience, it is recommended to have 12+ league members, allowing more eliminations throughout the season. However, smaller league sizes are still available.
• Those interested can head over to the official site to play ESPN Fantasy Football Knockout. Like all ESPN Fantasy games, ESPN Fantasy Football Knockout leagues are free to enter and play.

They're A Knockout:

• ESPN Fantasy Knockout Leagues are ESPN's official version of the popular fantasy football format.
• Instead of playing a full season where every team survives until the playoffs, one team is eliminated each week until only one manager remains.
• While this marks the first season for the format, prior to this many ESPN users who wanted a guillotine league had to manage eliminations and roster drops manually. ESPN's new Knockout League option automates the process, making it much easier to run this style of league.
• This new is expected to be embraced by the fantasy football community, particularly by commissioners who had been handling these leagues by hand.