# nflverse NFL Data Releases Scraper (`parseforge/nflverse-data-scraper`) Actor

Export nflverse NFL data releases. Pull play-by-play, schedules, rosters, player stats, weekly stats, snap counts, and more. Filter by dataset type and season. Returns release metadata + download links for CSV / Parquet / RDS files covering all NFL seasons.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/nflverse-data-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Sports, Other, Automation
- **Stats:** 15 total users, 1 monthly users, 64.2% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.75 / 1,000 result items

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### nflverse NFL Data Releases Scraper

**Scrape NFL play-by-play, player stats, rosters, contracts, and 20 other datasets from the nflverse data releases.** Every record comes with season metadata, release tags, and optional downloadable asset files. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

The nflverse project publishes clean, analysis-ready NFL data on GitHub, but downloading and parsing release archives by hand is slow. This Actor reads the nflverse release API directly, lets you pick from 24 curated datasets, and returns each matching release as a flat row. No manual downloads, no unzipping, no Git cloning.

| Who uses it | What they scrape nflverse for |
|---|---|
| Fantasy football analysts | Pull weekly player stats and snap counts to project future performance. |
| Sports data engineers | Ingest play-by-play feeds into a data warehouse for modeling. |
| NFL journalists and content creators | Gather schedules, rosters, and depth charts for season previews. |
| Betting model builders | Collect historical play-by-play and Next Gen Stats to train prediction models. |

### What it does

This Actor collects nflverse data release records by dataset type and optional season, and returns each release with its metadata and an optional list of downloadable asset files.

- 📋 **24 curated datasets:** play-by-play, player stats, rosters, contracts, combine, Next Gen Stats, and more.
- 📅 **Season filter:** narrow results to a single NFL season year, or leave empty to get every season in the release.
- 📎 **Asset file listing:** each record can include the full file manifest with name, size, format, and a direct download link.
- ⚡ **Flat row output:** every release arrives as one row, ready for spreadsheets, databases, or downstream pipelines.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

### What you can do with nflverse data

**🏈 Build a weekly fantasy dashboard.**

A fantasy analyst runs the Actor each Tuesday to pull the latest player stats and snap counts, then feeds them into a dashboard that highlights waiver-wire targets.

**📊 Backtest a betting model.**

A quantitative bettor collects five seasons of play-by-play data, joins it with Next Gen Stats, and trains a model that predicts second-half outcomes.

**📰 Power a season-preview article.**

A football writer scrapes schedules, rosters, and depth charts for all 32 teams, then builds a data-driven preview of the upcoming season.

**🔗 Feed a data pipeline.**

A data engineer schedules the Actor to pull new nflverse releases into a cloud warehouse, keeping the analytics layer always up to date.

### Why choose this scraper

|  | What you get |
|---|---|
| **No manual downloads** | The Actor reads the nflverse release API so you never touch a ZIP file or Git repo. |
| **Analysis-ready schema** | Every dataset comes from the nflverse project's cleaned, documented data releases. |
| **One row per release** | Each matching release is a flat record with season, tag, and asset metadata. |

### How it compares

No other Store actor targets nflverse the same way, so the honest comparison is with the alternatives teams actually weigh.

| | nflverse NFL Data Releases Scraper | Build it in-house | By hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | Run it now, zero config | Days of engineering | None, but hours per pull |
| When nflverse changes | Maintained for you | You fix it | You re-learn the page |
| Proxies, retries, anti-bot | Built in | Your problem | Browser only |
| Output | Fixed JSON schema, CSV/Excel export | Whatever you build | Copy-paste |
| Cost | Pay per result | Engineering time | Analyst hours |

### Configure the run

Drive the Actor by picking a dataset type and an optional season year, and filters run as each release is read so only matches reach your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
  "maxItems": 10,
  "dataset": "pbp"
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
  "maxItems": 200,
  "dataset": "pbp"
}
```

### Pricing

Pay-per-result: **$0.005 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $0.50 |
| 1,000 results | $5.00 |
| 10,000 results | $50.00 |

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

### Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. [Upgrade your Apify plan](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

### Run it

1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [nflverse NFL Data Releases Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/nflverse-data-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp).
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the **Dataset** tab.

Run it programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) (`run-sync-get-dataset-items`) or the [ApifyClient](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js) for JavaScript and Python.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to nflverse through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=parseforge/nflverse-data-scraper"
```

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting no results?**

Check that you selected a valid dataset from the dropdown and that the season year, if set, falls within the range that nflverse has published for that dataset. Some datasets start later than 1999.

**The run is taking a long time.**

Large datasets like play-by-play have many releases across many seasons. Lower the maximum records or set a specific season to speed up the run.

**I cannot find a specific stat in the output.**

The Actor returns release metadata and asset file listings. The actual stat columns live inside the asset files. Enable Include Asset Files to get the download links, then load the CSV or Parquet file to see the full data.

**The download links are broken.**

nflverse asset links point to GitHub release attachments. If a link fails, the release may have been updated or moved. Try re-running the Actor to pick up the latest release metadata.

**I hit the maximum records limit.**

The maximum is 1,000,000 records per run. If you need more, split your request by season and run the Actor multiple times, once per season.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is nflverse? | nflverse is an open-source project that cleans, documents, and publishes NFL data in analysis-friendly formats. It covers play-by-play, player stats, rosters, contracts, draft picks, and much more, all released through GitHub. |
| Do I need a GitHub account or API key? | No. The Actor reads the public nflverse release API. You do not need a GitHub account, a token, or any authentication. |
| Which datasets can I scrape? | You can pick from 24 datasets: play-by-play, participation, schedules, rosters, weekly rosters, players, player components, player stats, team stats, depth charts, snap counts, injuries, officials, draft picks, combine, contracts, FTN charting, ESPN data, PFR advanced stats, Next Gen Stats, teams, trades, and misc. |
| Can I filter by season? | Yes. Set the Season field to a specific year, like 2024, and the Actor returns only releases tagged with that season. Leave it empty to get all seasons. |
| What are asset files? | Each nflverse release contains data files in formats like CSV or Parquet. When you enable Include Asset Files, every record lists the available files with their names, sizes, formats, and direct download links. |
| How many records can I get in one run? | You can set the maximum from 1 up to 1,000,000 records per run. The default is 10, which is enough to preview a dataset. |
| What output formats are supported? | You can export your results to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the Apify dataset tab. |
| Is this the official nflverse API? | The Actor reads the public nflverse data release tags and assets. It is not maintained by the nflverse project, but it consumes their published releases. |
| Can I schedule this to run automatically? | Yes. Apify supports scheduled runs. You can set the Actor to pull new releases daily, weekly, or on any cron schedule. |
| Does this include live in-game data? | No. nflverse releases are updated after games, not live. The Actor reflects whatever the latest published release contains. |

### Related actors

Browse the full [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp) for more scrapers.

🆘 **Need help?** Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ **Disclaimer.** This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by nflverse. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.

# Actor input Schema

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

How many records to collect per run.

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

Which nflverse dataset release type to pull.

## `season` (type: `integer`):

Filter assets to a specific NFL season year (e.g. 2024). Leave empty for all seasons in the release.

## `includeAssets` (type: `boolean`):

Include the full file list (name, size, format, download link) for each release.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "maxItems": 10,
  "dataset": "pbp",
  "includeAssets": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "maxItems": 10,
    "dataset": "pbp"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/nflverse-data-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "maxItems": 10,
    "dataset": "pbp",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/nflverse-data-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "maxItems": 10,
  "dataset": "pbp"
}' |
apify call parseforge/nflverse-data-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/nflverse-data-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/egZojprphbG7bDV0g/builds/w0D8xQ9T7pEKeC3i0/openapi.json