AI assistant setup

Use GridIron Data NFL fantasy data in Claude Code (MCP setup)

Quick answer: Run claude mcp add --transport http --scope user gridiron-data https://api.gridirondata.com/mcp, then type /mcp inside Claude Code, pick gridiron-data and authenticate in the browser with your GridIron Data account. Prefer an API key? Add --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY" to the command and skip the browser. Then ask for NFL projections, stats, news or prop probabilities, or have Claude Code write code against the data.

Written by , founder of 45Squared, which builds and runs GridIron Data ยท Published

Server URL
https://api.gridirondata.com/mcp
Transport
http (Streamable HTTP)
Sign-in
OAuth or API key header
Time
About 1 minute

What do I need first?

  • Claude Code installed and signed in.
  • A GridIron Data account for OAuth sign-in, or your API key from the dashboard. No account? Sign up free (no credit card).

How do I add GridIron Data to Claude Code?

  1. Add the server. In a terminal, run the command below. --scope user makes it available in every project; leave it out to add it to the current project only (local, the default), or use --scope project to share it through the project's .mcp.json. 
    claude mcp add --transport http --scope user gridiron-data https://api.gridirondata.com/mcp
  2. Authenticate. Start Claude Code, type /mcp, select gridiron-data and choose to authenticate. A browser opens on a GridIron Data page: sign in and click Allow.
  3. Check it. claude mcp list shows gridiron-data; /mcp inside Claude Code shows its tools.

Can I use my API key instead of a browser sign-in?

Yes. Pass it as a header when you add the server (your key is on your dashboard). This is handy on a remote machine without a browser:

claude mcp add --transport http --scope user gridiron-data https://api.gridirondata.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY"

To share the server with a team in a project's .mcp.json without committing a key, use an environment variable; Claude Code expands it:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gridiron-data": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.gridirondata.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${GRIDIRON_API_KEY}" }
    }
  }
}

What does it look like?

One command adds GridIron Data to Claude Code, then two questions answered from live data (1:14, with captions). Also on YouTube.

What can I ask Claude Code?

Ask in your own words; the assistant picks the tool. A few that work well:

  • "What are the top 10 RB projections for this week in half-PPR?"
  • "Any injury news on Christian McCaffrey, Puka Nacua and Brock Bowers?" (Basic)
  • "Pull my roster's projections and snap share and write a start/sit table to lineup.md." (Basic)
  • "Write a Python script that calls the GridIron Data API for this week's TE projections, using the same fields the MCP tool returned."
  • "What's the probability Drake Maye goes over 245.5 passing yards this week?" (Pro)

A free GridIron Data account answers player lookups and this week's projections. Stats, snap share, news, matchups, rest-of-season projections, the schedule and other weeks need Basic ($5/month or $45/year). Prop probabilities, defense vs position, betting lines, the injury-changes feed, depth charts and inactives need Pro ($29/month or $249/year), the betting plan. A question outside your plan comes back with the plan it needs, and the assistant tells you. See plans. Prop probabilities are a model estimate, not betting advice.

Player names, positions and ids are matched case-insensitively. Scoring is PPR unless you ask for half-PPR or standard. All 21 tools are listed on the AI assistant setup hub.

Troubleshooting

  • "Needs authentication" in /mcp. Select gridiron-data in /mcp and authenticate. Use Clear authentication there to sign out.
  • "unauthorized" with an API key. The key is missing or wrong. Check it on your dashboard (regenerating a key retires the old one), then remove and re-add the server.
  • Remove or re-add. claude mcp remove gridiron-data, then run the add command again.
  • Sign-in page says the link expired. The sign-in has 15 minutes. Start the connection again from your assistant.
  • Asked to sign in again. You regenerated your API key, your plan ended, or the connection went unused for 30 days. Reconnect and sign in.
  • "Not available on this account's current plan". That question needs Basic or Pro. The reply names the plan; see plans.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add a fantasy football MCP server to Claude Code?

Run claude mcp add --transport http --scope user gridiron-data https://api.gridirondata.com/mcp, then authenticate from /mcp inside Claude Code. GridIron Data's hosted server gives Claude Code NFL projections, stats, snap share, news, injuries and player-prop probabilities.

Do I need to install anything besides Claude Code?

No. The server is hosted. A local stdio version exists too (a single Python file run with uv), for machines that can't reach a remote server.

OAuth or API key: which should I use?

OAuth if you have a browser: nothing secret ends up in your config. The API key header suits remote machines and CI; keep the key in an environment variable rather than a committed file.

Is it free?

A free GridIron Data account answers player lookups and this week's projections. Stats, snaps, news and other weeks need Basic ($5/month or $45/year); prop probabilities, defense vs position and betting lines need Pro ($29/month or $249/year).

Can Claude Code build an app with the data?

Yes. It can query the MCP tools to see real responses and then write code against the REST API at https://api.gridirondata.com/api/v1 with your x-api-key, using the OpenAPI spec at https://www.gridirondata.com/openapi.json.

Using a different assistant?

Every assistant connects to the same server, https://api.gridirondata.com/mcp. The AI assistant setup hub compares them.