Essential - NO
Useful - SOME
Worth the $$$ - RARELY
I worked in the industry and have seen the shady goings on...
These days I use a little whey, more so to flavour my egg whites/oats than for the acutal protein content - BulkPowders birthday cake or bannana fudge are my go to ATM.
I'll buy the cheapest N.O drink I can find and use that pre training with coffee/coconut oil/honey. (Using Conquer right now, paid £12 for a 40 serving tub.) I like the foucs/pump from this lil combo...
I also use a little carb powder around my workouts sometimes.