How points are counted, and why PPR rules

It is a competition among managers who draft real NFL players and add up the points those players produce each week. You do not coach a league team. You manage a mixed roster. The Chiefs game matters if you have Mahomes, not because you carry all of Kansas City.

PPR is points per reception: every catch is worth a point, on top of the yards and the touchdowns. Half-PPR pays 0.5. Standard scoring does not pay for the catch. We use PPR as the reference because it rewards the receiver's dirty work, and "touching the oval" is a test a soccer fan understands immediately.

The usual PPR table: 1 point per reception; 1 point per 10 rushing or receiving yards; 1 point per 25 passing yards; 6 points for a rushing or receiving touchdown; 4 for a passing touchdown; −2 for an interception or a lost fumble. The kicker is paid by field-goal distance. The defense is paid for sacks, turnovers and how many points it allows. Your league can move the decimals. The scale does not.

An extra spot that accepts RB, WR or TE. It does not accept a quarterback or a kicker. Flex is where you win the week when your RB2 is out and you move up a volume receiver. It is not an NFL position. It is a fantasy rule.

The list of players nobody owns, or that a manager has cut. In most leagues the claims process overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday. The manager lowest in the standings usually has priority, unless you play FAAB (a blind budget). If a starter gets hurt on Sunday, that backfield's backup is the first name you should look up on Tuesday.

In the real NFL it is the team's salary ceiling. Some fantasy leagues use a budget to bid in the draft or on waivers. It is not required. If your league is a snake draft, there is no cap: there are turns. If it is an auction, each manager starts with virtual money and cannot go over it.

In weekly leagues, at the kickoff of your player's first game. Thursday Night leaves out anyone who did not set the lineup on Thursday. That kickoff is often after midnight in Europe: lock the lineup Wednesday night if you are not staying up.

Out: he will not play. Doubtful: a very low chance; do not start him. Questionable: a real doubt until the walkthrough or the inactive list 90 minutes before kickoff. Probable: he almost certainly dresses. The official NFL report comes out between Wednesday and Friday; Friday afternoon is the useful hour for a manager in Europe.

This portal treats fantasy as a game of management and knowledge. We do not offer cash prizes or odds. If your private league moves money among friends, check the gambling rules where you live. The editorial content is not a sportsbook.