The default settings I refer to in this chapter and in this book are the default settings on Yahoo!’s Fantasy Football Platform, but other leagues use different scoring modifiers that may even affect your draft strategy. Check with your league and acquaint yourself with its scoring default settings before you do anything.
Scoring 101: Only the Basics
Winning in traditional fantasy football (not Daily Fantasy, which will be covered in Part 4) leagues is no different than winning in the NFL: Two teams play each other in season-long formats, and the team that scores the most points wins. However, the big difference is how points are scored. To give you a broad overview of scoring and to touch on something you probably already know if you’re a football fan, in the NFL, scoring breaks down as follows:
Touchdowns: 6 points
Field goals: 3 points
Safeties: 2 points
Two-point conversions: 2 points
Extra points: 1 point
Fantasy football also awards points to kickers who kick field goals and extra points and to team defenses that can score fantasy points by limiting points allowed and creating turnovers, in addition to scoring TDs and safeties. (Check out the “Shooting for Shutouts: Scoring with Defense” section later in this chapter for more info.) Basically, anything from fumble recoveries to receptions to field goal distance can add up for your fantasy team.
Every league provider has a default setting for the stats that will convert to fantasy scoring, but any NFL stat can translate into fantasy points — only your league commissioner can make the decision to change any defaults.
The Proof’s in the Points: Offensive Fantasy Scoring
The old saying goes “defense wins championships,” but football fans know that offense makes the highlights. Exciting players who move the chains and score the TDs have always been the game’s superstars, so fantasy football was designed to focus on the offense. Big-time QBs, RBs, and WRs are the heart of any good fantasy team, and their total fantasy points scored will make or break your season.
This section gives you a basic breakdown of the default scoring values by position for the individual offensive positions — using Yahoo! as a default setting. I also explain why each position is valuable to your fantasy team and how the players can help you rack up fantasy points on game day. (For a more detailed analysis of each offensive position and how the scoring system will affect your fantasy draft, check out the chapters in Part 2.)
Running backs
In most league formats, running backs are the most valuable players in fantasy football because they have plenty of opportunities to score fantasy points, and the great ones are hard to come by. This is because of the relative scarcity of good RBs to fill all your roster spots. With 32 teams in the NFL, you have 32 choices for starting QBs to slot into your single QB roster slot, and since each NFL team starts two WRs, this means you have 64 starters to choose from for the two to three WR slots in your lineup. But, since NFL teams only have one starting RB each, and you need to fill two running back slots (and FLEX options) in your lineup every week, good RBs can go very quickly in the draft.
More carries and receptions equal more chances to rack up yards and to score in the red zone — the area inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
The following list breaks down the default scoring for RBs on Yahoo!:
Rushing yards: 1 point per 10 yards
Rushing touchdowns: 6 points
Catches: 0.5 point per reception
Receiving yards: 1 point per 10 yards
Receiving touchdowns: 6 points
Kick/punt return touchdowns: 6 points
Two-point conversions: 2 points
Fumbles lost: –2 points
For every 10 rushing yards or receiving yards, your player and fantasy team get a point, compared to 25 passing yards to net the same amount (check out the “Quarterbacks” section to compare). Rushing yards are more difficult to get in the NFL, so most fantasy scoring systems make them more valuable. And receivers must rely on getting open and on their QBs finding them; plus they have to catch the ball to get the points — which isn’t as easy as it sounds. All the RB has to do is take the handoff from the QB and hit the hole. For these reasons, RBs are the most valuable players in fantasy football, especially in full-point PPR leagues. And not only do they run for TDs, they gain points for yardage gained via the pass — not many QBs and receivers can get valuable rushing yards. A RB who can run and receive is extremely valuable. (Check out Chapter 5 for more on scouting running backs.)
Wide receivers
Again, depending on the scoring system of your league, wide receivers are the second most valuable players in fantasy football, behind RBs, particularly because of the scarcity of truly elite RBs. The WR position’s value isn’t because they score more points than QBs; it’s because there are fewer high-scoring WRs in the league, and you have to start two or three each week, as opposed to one QB. In full-point PPR formats, which are becoming more common across the board, top WRs are gold.
In addition,
