Privacy Policy
The short version: Benchwise uses your account details and your linked ESPN league only to show you fantasy projections and advice for your team. Your ESPN sign-in cookies are stored encrypted and used only to read your league. We don't sell your data, we don't show ads, and you can delete everything at any time.
Who we are
Benchwise ("we," "us") is a fantasy sports helper at benchwisefantasy.com, together with the "Benchwise: Connect ESPN" browser extension. It is operated by [YOUR NAME OR COMPANY], [CITY], Michigan, USA. Questions about this policy: [SUPPORT EMAIL].
What we collect and why
| What | Why we use it |
|---|---|
| Your email address and name (if you add one) | To sign you in, show your name in the site, and email you password reset links you ask for. |
| Your password | To sign you in. We never store your password itself, only a one-way scrambled version (a hash) that can't be turned back into the password. |
| A session cookie in your browser | To keep you signed in. It contains a random code; we store only a hash of it. |
| Your linked ESPN leagues: league ID, season, which team is yours, and the league and team names | To build your dashboard for the right team. |
| Your ESPN sign-in cookies (named espn_s2 and SWID), for private leagues | To read your league's data from ESPN the same way your browser does. They are encrypted before they're stored, used only to read league data, never shown back to you or anyone else, and deleted when you unlink the league or delete your account. |
| League data and projections we build for you (rosters, matchups, lineups) and your watchlist | To show your dashboard, lineup advice and watchlist. |
| Technical information such as your IP address, in short-lived server logs and memory | To keep the site secure, for example limiting repeated sign-in or password reset attempts. |
We do not collect payment information, your location, your contacts, or your browsing history.
The browser extension
The "Benchwise: Connect ESPN" extension has one job: linking your ESPN fantasy leagues to your Benchwise account. It only does something when you click "Connect ESPN" on benchwisefantasy.com. Then it reads your two ESPN sign-in cookies (espn_s2 and SWID) and passes them to that Benchwise page, which sends them to our server so your leagues can be linked. The extension doesn't run on other websites, doesn't read other cookies, doesn't track your browsing, and stores nothing itself.
Who we share data with
We don't sell or rent your personal information, and we don't share it with advertisers. We share data only as needed to run the service:
- ESPN: to read your league, our server sends your ESPN sign-in cookies to ESPN's fantasy service, exactly as your own browser would.
- Our hosting provider, which runs the servers and database the site lives on.
- Our email provider, which receives your email address only to deliver password reset emails you request.
- If the law requires it, for example a valid court order.
To make projections, Benchwise also reads public sports information (such as NHL schedules and stats, and public posts on Bluesky). That doesn't involve sending any of your personal information.
Cookies
Benchwise uses one cookie: the session cookie that keeps you signed in. We don't use advertising or tracking cookies, and we don't use third-party analytics.
How we protect your data
- Passwords are stored only as strong one-way hashes (Argon2).
- ESPN sign-in cookies are encrypted at rest with a key kept separate from the database.
- The site is served over encrypted connections (HTTPS), and the session cookie can't be read by page scripts.
- Sign-in and password reset attempts are rate-limited, and password reset links work once and expire after an hour.
No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information and will tell affected users if a breach puts their data at risk, as the law requires.
How long we keep data
We keep your account and linked leagues until you delete them. Unlinking a league deletes its stored ESPN cookies, its data and its watchlist right away. Deleting your account deletes your account, linked leagues, stored ESPN cookies, watchlists and sessions right away. Server logs are kept only briefly. Backups, if any, are overwritten on a regular schedule.
Your choices and rights
- See and change your name and email on your Profile page.
- Unlink a league at any time from Manage leagues, which deletes its ESPN cookies.
- Delete your account from your Profile page. This can't be undone.
- You can also sign out of ESPN or change your ESPN password, which makes any stored ESPN cookies stop working.
- For any other request about your data, email [SUPPORT EMAIL].
Children
Benchwise isn't meant for children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from them. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we'll delete it.
Not affiliated with ESPN or the NHL
Benchwise is an independent service. It isn't affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ESPN, the NHL, or any team.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we'll update the date at the top. If a change is significant, we'll let signed-in users know on the site before it takes effect.