Fantasy football glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms you meet while drafting and managing a fantasy football team.
- ADP (average draft position)ADP stands for average draft position: the average spot in drafts where a given player is selected, used as a benchmark for whether a pick is early, on time, or a reach.
- Air YardsAir yards measure how far down the field a pass travels from the line of scrimmage to where it is caught or falls incomplete.
- Auction DraftAn auction draft is a fantasy football draft where managers bid fake dollars on players instead of picking in turn, so any manager can try to buy any player.
- Average Points Per GameAverage points per game is a fantasy football stat that shows how many fantasy points a player scores per contest, calculated by dividing total points by games played.
- Best BallBest ball is a fantasy football format where you draft a team and the best lineup is automatically started each week, with no waivers, trades, or lineup decisions.
- Boom or BustA boom or bust player is one whose weekly fantasy output swings wildly between huge games and duds, with little in between.
- BreakoutA breakout is when a fantasy football player suddenly jumps from bench depth or modest production to being a reliable weekly starter.
- BustA bust is a highly drafted player who underperforms his average draft position, returning far less value than the pick spent on him.
- Buy LowBuy low means trading for a player whose value has dropped in hopes he bounces back to his old level of play.
- Bye WeekA bye week is a week during the NFL season when a team does not play, leaving that team's players unavailable for fantasy lineups.
- CarryA carry is a single instance of a running back or other offensive player receiving the ball and attempting to run with it, and it is the basic unit used to measure rushing volume in fantasy football.
- Committee BackfieldA committee backfield is when an NFL team splits carries among two or more running backs instead of relying on one featured back.
- ConsistencyConsistency measures how steady a player's fantasy scoring is from week to week, rather than how high his best games are.
- CorrelationCorrelation in fantasy football is when two players' scoring moves together, such as a quarterback and his wide receiver producing points at the same time.
- Deep ThreatA deep threat is a wide receiver known for running long routes and making big plays down the field.
- Depth ChartA depth chart is a team's official listing of its players at each position, ranked from the starter down to the backups.
- Doubtful (Injury Designation)Doubtful is an official NFL injury tag meaning a player is unlikely to play in the upcoming game, giving fantasy managers a strong signal to bench him.
- Draft CapitalDraft capital is how early an NFL team selects a player in the real-life league draft, which signals how strongly the team believes in him.
- Dynasty LeagueA dynasty league is a fantasy football league where you keep nearly your entire roster from year to year, so you manage a team for the long haul instead of just one season.
- FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget)FAAB is a league system where each team gets a set amount of fake money to bid on free agents off the waiver wire instead of using a set waiver order.
- FlexA flex is a lineup slot that can be filled by a running back, wide receiver, or tight end, giving managers a choice of which position to start there each week.
- Flex PlayA flex play is a player started in a league's flex spot, a roster slot that accepts running backs, wide receivers, and sometimes tight ends.
- Flex SpotA flex spot is a starting roster position in fantasy football that can be filled by a player from more than one position, usually a running back, wide receiver, or tight end.
- Free AgentA free agent is any player not currently on a fantasy roster who can be picked up by any team in the league.
- Game ScriptGame script is how a game unfolds in terms of scoring and time, which shapes which players get the ball and how much.
- Goal-Line BackA goal-line back is the running back a team sends in near the opponent's end zone to try to punch in a short touchdown run.
- Half-PPRHalf-PPR is a scoring format that awards half a fantasy point for every reception, sitting between full PPR and standard scoring. It is the most common setting in fantasy football.
- HandcuffA handcuff is a backup player you draft or roster mainly to protect yourself in case one of your starters gets hurt.
- Handcuff ValueHandcuff value is the worth a fantasy football team gains from rostering a backup running back who would step in as the starter if the player ahead of him got hurt.
- Hero RBHero RB is a draft strategy where you take one running back with an early pick and then wait many rounds before drafting another one.
- IDP (Individual Defensive Player)IDP is a fantasy football format where you draft and start individual defensive players instead of relying only on team defenses.
- Injured ReserveInjured reserve, often called IR, is a roster spot where fantasy teams can stash injured players without using a regular bench slot.
- Injury ReportThe injury report is an official league listing of which players are hurt, how seriously, and whether they are expected to play in the upcoming game.
- Keeper LeagueA keeper league is a fantasy football league where each team carries over a few players from one season to the next instead of starting from scratch.
- Late-Round QBA late-round quarterback is a fantasy draft strategy where you wait until the final rounds to pick your QB and load up on other positions early.
- Lead BackA lead back is the running back who gets the largest share of his team's carries and handles the main rushing role.
- League SettingsLeague settings are the rules that govern a fantasy football league, covering scoring, roster spots, lineup requirements, waivers, and schedule format.
- League WinnerA league winner is a fantasy football player whose standout performances single-handedly carry a manager to a championship.
- MatchupA matchup is the game or defensive opponent a player faces in a given week, which affects how well that player is expected to perform.
- Must-StartA must-start is a fantasy football player who should be in your starting lineup every week no matter the matchup.
- Negative RegressionNegative regression is when a player's stats are expected to drop because his recent results were better than his underlying performance suggests they should have been.
- Onesie PositionA onesie position in fantasy football is a spot where only one player starts, like quarterback, tight end, or kicker.
- Opportunity ShareOpportunity share is the percentage of a team's rushing attempts, targets, or red zone chances that go to one player.
- Out (Injury Designation)"Out" is an official NFL injury designation meaning a player has been ruled unable to play in that week's game.
- Pass-Catching BackA pass-catching back is a running back who gets most of his fantasy value from catching passes out of the backfield rather than from carrying the ball.
- Positional ScarcityPositional scarcity is the idea that some fantasy football positions have fewer quality starters than others, which affects how you draft and value players.
- Positive RegressionPositive regression is when a player's fantasy production improves back toward his normal level after a stretch of unusually poor luck or performance.
- Possession ReceiverA possession receiver is a wide receiver known for catching short and medium passes to move the chains rather than stretching the field for big gains.
- PPR (points per reception)PPR stands for points per reception: a scoring format that awards one fantasy point for every pass a player catches, on top of yardage and touchdown scoring.
- PPR FlexA PPR flex is the roster spot in a point-per-reception league where you can start a player from more than one position instead of being locked into a single one.
- Practice SquadThe practice squad is a group of extra players an NFL team keeps who practice with the team but do not play in games, and they usually have no fantasy value unless promoted.
- Questionable (Injury Designation)Questionable is an NFL injury tag meaning a player is uncertain to play in the upcoming game, usually listed as about 50-50 to suit up.
- ReachA reach is when a fantasy manager drafts a player earlier than his average draft position calls for, giving up value to secure him.
- Red ZoneThe red zone is the area of the field between the opponent's 20-yard line and the goal line, where offenses are most likely to score touchdowns.
- Redraft LeagueA redraft league is a fantasy football league where teams are rebuilt from scratch every season through a new draft.
- RegressionRegression is when a player's stats move back toward their normal level after an unusually good or bad stretch.
- Replacement LevelReplacement level is the level of production you could get for free from the waivers or the last bench spot, used as the baseline for measuring a player's value.
- Robust RBRobust RB is a draft strategy where you load up on running backs early, taking them with most or all of your first several picks.
- Rookie DraftA rookie draft is a yearly draft in dynasty and keeper fantasy football leagues where teams select first-year NFL players entering the league.
- Roster SettingsRoster settings are the league rules that decide how many players each team can carry at every position and how many can start each week.
- Scoring SettingsScoring settings are the league rules that decide how many points players earn for their stats, such as yards, touchdowns, and receptions.
- Sell HighSelling high means trading a player away right after a stretch of strong games, when his value is at its peak.
- Six-Point Passing TDA scoring setting in fantasy football where quarterbacks earn six points for each passing touchdown instead of the traditional four.
- SleeperA sleeper is a player being drafted later than his likely production warrants — an overlooked pick expected to outperform his average draft position.
- Slot ReceiverA slot receiver is a wide receiver who lines up in the slot, the space between the outer receiver and the offensive line, rather than on the outside edge of the formation.
- Snake DraftA snake draft is a fantasy football draft where the pick order reverses each round, so the team that picks last in one round picks first in the next.
- Snap CountA snap count is the number of offensive or defensive plays a player is on the field for during a game.
- StackA stack is a fantasy football strategy where you start two or more players from the same NFL team, usually a quarterback paired with his top receiver or tight end.
- Standard scoring (non-PPR)Standard scoring, also called non-PPR, awards fantasy points for yardage and touchdowns but nothing for a reception. It is the original fantasy football format.
- Start or SitA start or sit decision is the weekly choice fantasy managers make about which players to place in their starting lineup versus leaving on the bench.
- Startup DraftA startup draft is the first draft held when a new fantasy football league is created, when every roster is empty and every NFL player is available.
- StreamingStreaming is a fantasy football strategy where you rotate a new player off the waiver wire each week instead of keeping one at a thin position.
- Strength of ScheduleStrength of schedule measures how tough a player's or team's upcoming matchups are based on the quality of the defenses they will face.
- SuperflexA superflex is a lineup slot that can be filled by a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, or tight end, which in practice means a second quarterback can start each week.
- Superflex LeagueA Superflex league is a fantasy football league where one flex slot can hold a quarterback along with running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends.
- Target (Fantasy Football)A target is a thrown pass intended for a specific receiver, whether or not the pass is caught.
- Target ShareTarget share is the percentage of a team's total pass attempts that are thrown to one player, showing how big a role he has in the passing game.
- Taxi SquadA taxi squad is a roster spot in dynasty fantasy football leagues where owners can stash young players without those players counting against the active roster limit.
- TE PremiumTE premium is a league scoring setting that awards tight ends extra points per reception, usually 0.5 more than other positions.
- Tier-Based DraftingTier-based drafting is a fantasy football strategy where you group players of similar value into tiers and draft the best available player from your thinnest tier.
- TouchA touch is any time a player receives the ball on offense, counting both carries and catches, and it is a key way to measure how involved a player is in his team's game plan.
- Touchdown VultureA touchdown vulture is a player, usually a backup running back, who takes short-yardage carries near the goal line and scores touchdowns that would otherwise go to a team's starter.
- Trade ValueTrade value is a measure of how much a fantasy football player is worth in a deal with another team in your league.
- Two-QB LeagueA two-quarterback league is a fantasy football format where each team must start two quarterbacks every week instead of one.
- UndroppableAn undroppable player is one that a fantasy league's rules prevent managers from cutting to waivers or free agency.
- UsageUsage is how often a team relies on a player to touch the ball, measured through carries, targets, and snaps.
- Value over replacement (VOR)Value over replacement is a player's projected fantasy points above the last startable player at his own position — the player you could add from waivers for nothing.
- Value PickA value pick is a player drafted later than his expected production deserves, giving your fantasy team a strong return for a low draft cost.
- Waiver PriorityWaiver priority is the order in which teams can claim players who are dropped or added from free agency during the waiver period.
- Waiver WireThe waiver wire is the process fantasy football leagues use to let managers claim free agents who are not on any roster, with claims awarded based on league rules rather than first-come speed.
- Workhorse BackA workhorse back is a running back who handles the large majority of his team's carries and catches, making him a valuable and reliable fantasy starter.
- Yards After CatchYards after catch (YAC) is the yardage a receiver gains after the ball is caught, showing how much extra work he does once the ball is in his hands.
- Zero RBZero RB is a draft strategy where a manager waits on running backs and instead loads up on wide receivers and tight ends with early picks.