How Does Fantasy Football Work? A Beginner’s Guide

Fantasy football is a game in which you act as the manager of a team made of real NFL players. Each week your players score points based on what they actually do on the field, and your team plays against another manager's team in your league.

How a season works

1. Join a league: usually 8 to 14 managers, often friends or coworkers.
2. Draft: managers take turns choosing NFL players for their rosters.
3. Set your lineup weekly: pick starters by position; the rest sit on your bench.
4. Score points from your starters' real stats.
5. Head-to-head matchups: each week you face another team; higher score wins.
6. Playoffs at the end of the NFL regular season decide the champion.

How the draft works

• Snake draft: the order reverses every round, so the manager picking last in round one picks first in round two.
• Auction draft: each manager has a budget and bids on players.
• Prepare a ranking list and draft by value, not just by your favorite team.

A typical lineup

One quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, one flex (RB, WR or TE), one kicker and one team defense. Leagues customize this.

Scoring

Stat	Common points
Passing yards	1 point per 25 yards
Passing touchdown	4 points
Rushing or receiving yards	1 point per 10 yards
Rushing or receiving touchdown	6 points
Reception (PPR leagues)	1 point (0.5 in half-PPR)
Interception thrown	Minus 1 or 2 points

Settings vary by league; check yours.

Waivers and trades

During the season you can add free-agent players from the waiver wire and trade with other managers. Injuries and bye weeks make the waiver wire essential.

Free vs paid leagues

Most leagues among friends are free. Paid leagues and daily fantasy contests involve money and are regulated differently from state to state, with minimum ages; check the rules where you live.

New to the sport itself? Read how does football work and football positions.