I use it.
If I want to bring in a track at half volume, i set the fader to half and bring in the crossfader… If I want it full I do the same.
I dont scratch.
That’s just me 
hardly ever, actually, i hardly use the volume faders either except to bring a track up 
I use the crossfader when I want to do quick breaks or transition quickly between top 40 music or Hip-Hop. using just the line faders to do this isn’t as quick and precise. even with House, i’ll have both tracks going and then at the end of the phase sometimes i’ll just cut out of the old song with the crossfader.
Before, I never used the cross-fader, but now i’m finding more and more ways to use it. But I would never use it if I was trying to do a smooth regular House transition.