Fun Ways to Improve Your Fantasy League's Scoring System

On a rainy night in a Manhattan hotel back in 1962, Bill Winkenbach, Scott Stirling and Bill Tunnell created the concept for what we now call fantasy football. Winkenbach, who was part owner of the Oakland Raiders, Stirling (an Oakland Tribune columnist) and Tunnell (a Raiders public relations staffer) huddled in a hotel room at The Milford Plaza and built the foundation for what would become the first-ever fantasy football league, an eight-team format that was called the GOPPL (Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League).

The scoring system was far different than what we’re used to in this day and age. The GOPPL rewarded 25 points for a touchdown pass, rush or reception, 25 points for a field goal, 10 points for an extra point and 200 points for a punt, kickoff or interception that was returned for a score. Obviously, touchdowns were gold.

And so were the kickers!

That made George Blanda, who played both quarterback and kicked, a star. Packers legend Paul Hornung was also a dual threat, playing halfback and kicker. He would have been a locked-in first-rounder in early GOPPL drafts.

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Of course, scoring systems have evolved since the days of GOPPL. Now we get points for yards, receptions and an assortment of defensive stats. Heck, in some leagues you can even get points for carries, first downs, pass attempts and even coaches if their team wins (though I don’t recommend adding that to your league)!

With so many options, why are some fantasy managers still using a basic scoring system? In my humble opinion, we should be taking advantage of the platforms we have at our fingertips that allow a virtual cornucopia of options and personalized customizations. If you’re looking to make some changes to your scoring system, follow along with how I’ll be running my leagues this season.

Let’s start with the offense.

First off, touchdown passes should be worth four points and all other touchdowns worth six. Quarterbacks already have a big advantage in scoring, so dropping them down two points for touchdown passes makes sense. Also, make sure you’re using fractional scoring. That means if your running back runs for 43 yards, you’ll get 4.3 points instead of just four. This should apply to all offensive positions.

I also like rewarding bonuses. Throwing for 300 yards, rushing for 100 yards and posting 100 receiving yards should be rewarded, right? The best argument for this rule is to benefit running backs who might not be big pass catchers. For example, if Browns superstar Nick Chubb rushes for 113 yards and averages five yards a rush but doesn’t score or catch a pass, he only gets 11.3 points!

In these cases, reward extra points (three or four) when a player hits these marks.

Whether you reward half a point or a full point (my preference), catches should also be part of all scoring systems. I get the argument against it, but I like points! And, if a receiver catches seven passes for just 51 yards, I deserve more than 5.1 points. Obviously, we should also reward two points for two-point conversions.

I also want to reward players, not a defense and special teams unit, for return stats on a punt or kick. For example, Isiah Pacheco had 597 kick return yards last season. If Pacheco is on my fantasy team and in my starting lineup, I should get points for all of his skills and abilities. As a result, reward one point for every 25 return yards on kicks and punts, plus six points for all return touchdowns.

I’m not huge on taking away points on offense or defense, unless it makes sense. And in the case of interceptions and fumbles lost, it does. Deducting a point or two for both of these categories is a good idea.

Now, let’s talk about the kickers. You can’t have fantasy FOOT-ball without them, right? Don’t eliminate them from the game, give them more points!

I’m not going to make kickers as valuable as Winkenbach and the GOPPL folks did, but I want them to be rewarded at a slightly higher level. Using the fractional scoring I mentioned earlier, a 53-yard field goal should be worth 5.3 points and not just five. Heck, we had five kickers boot 60-yarders or more last season! Reward them for such a long conversion. In terms of extra points, I’m still rewarding just one point (some leagues reward three since the kicks are now longer).

Now on to the defenses.

In an effort to make these units a bit more valuable, add more categories. Obviously, a defensive touchdown is worth six points. All interceptions, sacks and fumble recoveries should be worth a point or two. If you reward for forced fumbles, make them and recoveries worth one point apiece to avoid making a fumble recovery worth three points (that’s too much). Safeties should obviously be worth two points, and blocked kicks and punts should be worth a point or two.

I would also reward two points for a two-point conversion return. If you want to go a step further, you can also reward points for defensive points allowed. For example, a shutout could be worth 10 points, holding an offense to six points or less could be worth six points, etc. While I usually don’t give negative points, I do think a defense should be penalized two to four points if it allows 35-plus points to the opposition.

Obviously, you can add more categories as you see fit. Maybe you’ll give players a point for first downs or create a premium position like tight end where catches from those players are worth an extra half a point. You can even add other bonuses for throws of 50-plus yards or runs of 20-plus yards, for example.

Whatever you do, don’t be stingy with the points. Fantasy football is more fun when there’s more chances to score points, so be sure to give your league a reboot and kick your scoring system to a new (and much improved) level!