Hot Route

Guide

Set up Hot Route, manage your weekly lineup, and prepare for a draft.

Start here

  1. Create an account or log in.
  2. Open Leagues and choose ESPN or Sleeper.
  3. For ESPN, use ESPN Quick Sync. For Sleeper, enter your username to import every current league or enter one league ID.
  4. Check Lineup, Matchup, and Waivers for the active league.

Hot Route saves imported leagues to your account. Use the league menu in the top bar to switch leagues. Click Refresh rosters when you want a new host snapshot.

Connect a private ESPN league

ESPN does not provide third-party OAuth. ESPN Connect guides the import on ESPN without asking for your ESPN password.

  1. Open chrome://extensions and enable Developer mode.
  2. Download ESPN Connect and unzip it.
  3. Click Load unpacked and select the folder containing manifest.json.
  4. Open ESPN Fantasy Football and sign in.
  5. Click the Hot Route extension, then click Sync with Hot Route.
  6. Choose the teams you want on Hot Route and import them.
  7. Log in when ESPN asks, select the leagues in the Hot Route panel, and click Import selected leagues.
  8. Hot Route returns to the Leagues page and finishes the import.
  9. If you use an Incognito window, open the extension details in chrome://extensions and enable Allow in Incognito.

The extension sends the ESPN session directly to Hot Route after you select leagues. Hot Route validates access and encrypts the session in the account database.

Manage more than one league

  • Click Import another league to add another ESPN or Sleeper league.
  • Click Switch, or use the top-bar league menu, to change the active league.
  • Click Remove to delete a league from Hot Route. This does not change the host league.

Lineup, Matchup, Trades, Waivers, Standings, Activity, Rules, and Desk use the active league.

Set and push your lineup

  1. Open Lineup.
  2. Use Start and Bench to test changes locally.
  3. Review empty slots or players who do not fit a host slot.
  4. Click Push to ESPN or Push to Sleeper to update the host.

ESPN uses the connected session. Sleeper requires your GraphQL authorization token from sleeper.com DevTools. The host rejects moves after a player locks at kickoff.

Get a free Odds API key

The Odds API supplies sportsbook player props. Its Starter plan currently includes 500 free credits per month.

  1. Open The Odds API and select Get API Key.
  2. Choose the free Starter plan and complete the signup.
  3. Copy the API key from the email The Odds API sends you. Check your spam folder if it does not arrive.
  4. Log in to Hot Route and open Data Sources.
  5. Paste the key into Odds API key and select Save key. You should see Saved to your account.
  6. Select your fantasy team on Leagues. Return to Data Sources to check coverage and use the betting-line refresh button when available.

Credits pay for markets and games, not individual players. Check the remaining balance in Data Sources. Provider plans can change; confirm the free allowance on the signup page.

Get a free Groq API key

Groq powers AI Desk explanations. Its free plan has usage limits that vary by model.

  1. Open Groq Console and create an account or sign in.
  2. Open API Keys, then select Create API Key.
  3. Name the key Hot Route, create it, and copy the key.
  4. In Hot Route, open AI Desk and paste it into Your personal AI key (Groq).
  5. Select Save to account. You should see Saved. Ask a question about your imported league to try it.

If you reach a free-plan limit, wait before trying again. See Groq rate limits for current allowances and the official setup guide. AI Desk uses your imported snapshot and can make mistakes.

Manage saved keys

Hot Route encrypts both keys in your account and makes them available on your signed-in devices. Saved values are never displayed again. Replace or remove your Odds API key in Data Sources and your Groq key in AI Desk.

Refresh weekly books

With a saved Odds API key and your fantasy team selected, Hot Route checks for missing roster and opponent props while the app is open during the Thursday 6:00 AM ET through Monday window. Coverage includes nine markets per game, including touchdown scorer odds. Previously requested markets are reused for the NFL week.

Open Data Sources to see coverage, saved lines, and remaining credits. Use Update roster prop coverage to add missing markets to an existing weekly snapshot. Weekly host projections remain when lines are unavailable. TD odds can make a bounded adjustment to the research projection. Drafts and mocks use season-long projections.

Prepare for a draft

  1. From Leagues, click Use these rules in the draft room to copy the league size, roster, and scoring.
  2. Open Draft and start a mock or connect a live draft.
  3. Choose a source chip to sort the board by Sleeper, ESPN, CBS, FFC, or FantasyPros data.
  4. Click a player name for recent seasons, weekly fantasy points, and news.

Live ESPN and Sleeper drafts follow the host. Hot Route does not rewind host picks. Open Data Sources to check how many rows each source returned.

Troubleshoot an old league snapshot

If Standings, Activity, Rules, or lineup slots are missing, open Leagues and click Re-import. This replaces the saved snapshot with current host data.