If you’ve ever wondered how a 15-yard catch or a missed free throw translates into fantasy points, you’re not alone. Fantasy sports are built on real-world stats, but the way those numbers are scored varies from sport to sport—and even from league to league. To win, you need to know not just who’s performing, but how that performance is rewarded.
Let’s take a look behind the curtain and break down how player performance gets converted into fantasy points in the most popular formats.
Fantasy Football: Yardage, Touchdowns, and Turnovers
In most standard leagues, offensive players score points based on yardage, touchdowns, and receptions. Here’s a common breakdown:
1 point for every 10 rushing or receiving yards
1 point for every 25 passing yards
6 points for rushing or receiving touchdowns
4 points for passing touchdowns
-2 points for interceptions or fumbles lost
PPR (Points Per Reception) leagues add even more value to pass-catching players, awarding 1 point per reception. Half-PPR leagues give 0.5 points instead. Defensive players and team defenses can also score through sacks, interceptions, and touchdowns.
Fantasy Basketball: Accumulating Stats Across the Box Score
Basketball leagues usually rely on cumulative stats per game or per week. Scoring categories include:
Points
Rebounds
Assists
Steals
Blocks
Turnovers (often a negative value)
Some leagues use head-to-head formats with categories, while others use a points-based system (e.g., 1.5 points per rebound, 2 points per assist, -1 per turnover). Double-doubles and triple-doubles may offer bonus points depending on the platform.
Fantasy Baseball: A Game of Averages and Volume
Baseball fantasy scoring can be split into two major formats: rotisserie (roto) and points leagues.
In roto leagues, your team competes in several categories over the season—like batting average, home runs, runs, RBIs, stolen bases for hitters, and ERA, WHIP, strikeouts, and wins for pitchers.
Points leagues assign values for each action:
Single: 1 point
Double: 2 points
Home run: 4 points
Walk: 1 point
Strikeout (pitcher): 1 point
Earned run allowed: -1 point
Pitcher scoring often includes bonuses for wins and quality starts, and penalties for blown saves or losses.
Fantasy Hockey: Offensive and Goalie Stats
In fantasy hockey, points are typically awarded for:
Goals: 3 points
Assists: 2 points
Shots on goal: 0.5 points
Hits and blocked shots: 0.5-1 point each
Goalies earn points through:
Wins: 5 points
Saves: 0.2 points each
Shutouts: Bonus points (often 3-5)
Goals allowed: negative scoring
Different platforms have their own tweaks, but volume shooters, power-play contributors, and starting goaltenders are often the backbone of winning rosters.
Custom Scoring and Platform Variability
What makes fantasy even more complex—and fun—is that leagues often have custom scoring. Some leagues reward bonus points for long touchdowns, milestone achievements (like 100 rushing yards), or rare plays (like a safety).
That’s why understanding your league’s scoring settings is absolutely critical. A running back with minimal receptions might be less valuable in a full-PPR format but a top-5 asset in standard leagues with high touchdown probability.
Final Thoughts
Fantasy success isn’t just about who plays well—it’s about how their performance gets counted. Real stats like yards, points, and assists form the foundation, but fantasy platforms interpret and weight them differently.
To gain an edge, learn your league’s scoring system inside and out. Use it to find undervalued players who outperform their real-life reputation in the fantasy world. When you know how the math works, you don’t just watch the game—you win it.