Fantasy Football Beginner Guide: Roster, Scoring and PPR

A fantasy football league drafts real NFL players and scores them using real box-score stats each week. A standard lineup starts one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, one flex (RB/WR/TE), one kicker and one team defense, plus six or seven bench spots. Most leagues use PPR scoring: one point per reception, 0.1 per receiving or rushing yard, six points per rushing or receiving touchdown, 0.04 per passing yard, four points per passing touchdown and minus two for an interception or a lost fumble.

PPR rewards high-volume receivers and pass-catching backs, while standard (non-PPR) pushes value toward early-down runners and goal-line backs. Half-PPR splits the difference and is now the most common default. The draft is a snake draft in most leagues: the order reverses every round, so the team picking first in round one picks last in round two.

You set a lineup each week before the Thursday night game, then manage waivers and trades through the season. The playoffs usually run over the final three NFL weeks with four to six teams qualifying. Start a free league at /fantasy.