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Comparison · Analytics
nflfastR vs washdata
A side-by-side editorial comparison of nflfastR and washdata — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
nflfastR vs washdata: at a glance
What is nflfastR?
nflfastR is shedding surface to the rest of nflverse and consolidating on one stats API.
The play-by-play backbone of nflverse, shipping one or two releases a year with long bug-fix lists against decades of NFL data. Since 5.0.0 the package has had a single calculate_stats() entry point that replaces the older calculate_player_stats*() family, backed by an exported nfl_stats_variables table describing every returned column. The last two releases hand work outward — standings moved to nflseedR, and the loaders are now straight re-exports of nflreadr — while fast_scraper_roster(), fast_scraper_schedules() and report() are formally deprecated.
What is washdata?
washdata is a fixed survey dataset; eight years of releases have changed only its packaging.
A data package distributing the Urban Water and Sanitation Survey, on CRAN since January 2018. No release has altered the data. The 2018 pair added survey country, year and aim to DESCRIPTION and fixed a README link; everything since — 2020, 2024 and the January 2026 release — is documentation, formatting, badges, repository refreshes and updates for a new rhub version.
nflfastR vs washdata: editorial side-by-side
nflfastR
0.0ANALYTICS
nflfastR is shedding surface to the rest of nflverse and consolidating on one stats API.
◆ Current state
The play-by-play backbone of nflverse, shipping one or two releases a year with long bug-fix lists against decades of NFL data. Since 5.0.0 the package has had a single calculate_stats() entry point that replaces the older calculate_player_stats*() family, backed by an exported nfl_stats_variables table describing every returned column. The last two releases hand work outward — standings moved to nflseedR, and the loaders are now straight re-exports of nflreadr — while fast_scraper_roster(), fast_scraper_schedules() and report() are formally deprecated.
◆ Where it's heading
nflfastR is becoming the parsing and modelling core rather than the whole toolkit. Every recent release either narrows its own API or points users at a sibling package, and the documentation strategy follows: re-exported functions are deliberately undocumented here so nflreadr stays the single source. The remaining in-house work is data correctness — duplicated play IDs, scramble identification, new penalty types — plus keeping the xgboost-backed models running as that dependency moves.
◆ Prediction
The deprecated scrapers and report() are the next things to be removed outright, and the calculate_player_stats*() family should follow, leaving calculate_stats() as the only supported path.
washdata
0.0ANALYTICS
washdata is a fixed survey dataset; eight years of releases have changed only its packaging.
◆ Current state
A data package distributing the Urban Water and Sanitation Survey, on CRAN since January 2018. No release has altered the data. The 2018 pair added survey country, year and aim to DESCRIPTION and fixed a README link; everything since — 2020, 2024 and the January 2026 release — is documentation, formatting, badges, repository refreshes and updates for a new rhub version.
◆ Where it's heading
Nothing is heading anywhere, and for a dataset package that is the point: the value is a citable, unchanging artifact, and the release history exists to keep it installable as R's toolchain moves. The maintenance cadence matches the maintainer's other nutrition packages, which received the same repository-refresh treatment in the same period. Note also that the tags are backfilled out of order — v0.1.0 carries a later stamp than v0.1.2.
◆ Prediction
Expect further releases only when CRAN checks or infrastructure require them; there is no indication the survey data itself will be extended.
Alternatives to nflfastR and washdata
Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either nflfastR or washdata.
cfbfastr
College football's open data client hit v2 — and now reports how many API calls you have left.
rnpn
The USA phenology data client rebuilt its entire stack and stopped handing users -9999 as a number.
GeneNMF
GeneNMF rebuilt how it derives meta-programs, changing every result it had produced.
rempsyc
Publication-ready psychology tables and plots, tracking APA style as closely as the software allows.
sdsfun
A spatial-statistics utility package exists to be depended on, and is built accordingly.
See all nflfastR alternatives → · See all washdata alternatives →
Recent activity from nflfastR and washdata
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 6mo agonflfastRLoaders re-exported from nflreadr; legacy scrapers deprecated
- 6mo agowashdataRepository and toolchain maintenance
- 1y agonflfastRStandings handed to nflseedR; R 4.1 now required
- 1y agonflfastRnflfastR 5.0.0 ⚡
- 2y agowashdataDocumentation and formatting updates
- 2y agonflfastRSeason-level conversion rate aggregation fixed
- 2y agonflfastRRaw play-by-play can now be cached and parsed locally
- 3y agonflfastRReverse-dependency tests and dplyr compatibility fixes
- 5y agowashdataSecond release: documentation and formatting
- 8y agowashdataPre-release of the survey dataset
- 8y agowashdataFirst CRAN release of the Urban Water and Sanitation Survey
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between nflfastR and washdata?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. nflfastR and washdata are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is nflfastR better than washdata?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. nflfastR and washdata are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to nflfastR?
Top nflfastR alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "nflfastR alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/nflfastr for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to washdata?
Top washdata alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "washdata alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/washdata for the full list with editorial commentary on each.