What's the Best Fantasy Football Scoring System?

Michael Fabiano | Jul 31, 2025

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson led all players in fantasy points last season with 430.3. That's a new record among quarterbacks. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

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, part owner of the Oakland Raiders at the time, 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-teamer called the GOPPL (Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League).

The scoring system was far different than what we’re used to today. 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 returned for a score.

Obviously, touchdowns were gold … and so were the kickers!

That made George Blanda, who played both quarterback and kicked, a fantasy star. Green Bay 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 fantasy football drafts.

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!

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.

So, if you’re looking to make some changes to your scoring system, follow along with how I’ll be running my leagues this season. To me, this is the best way to score in a league.

Offensive Scoring

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. (On a side note, I’d also create a league that allowed managers to start two quarterbacks or one quarterback and a superflex spot).  

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. You can set your own guidelines, but 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 a running back rushes for 130 yards and averages five yards a rush but doesn’t score or catch a pass, he only gets 13 points. That’s not much for a good performance.

In cases like this, I like to 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 (kind of), but I like points! Plus, it’s fair to reward a player for his major receiving stats. If a receiver catches seven passes for just 51 yards, I think he deserves more than 5.1 lousy points … 12 points (full PPR) is more like it!

Obviously, we should also reward two points for two-point conversions.

I’m not big on taking away points on offense or defense, unless it makes sense. And in the case of interceptions and fumbles lost, it does. So, deducting a point or two for both of these categories is a good idea. Mistakes, no matter the reason, should be punished.

Commanders RB Austin Ekeler finished 11th in the NFL in return yards (594) last season. / Luke Johnson-Imagn Images

Special Teams Scoring

I also want to reward the players, not a defense and special teams unit, for return stats on a punt or kick. Last season, Marvin Mims Jr. had 602 return yards. Austin Ekeler produced 594 return yards. If you started those players, you should get those points. So, I’ll reward one point for every 25 return yards (kicks/punts) and six points for return touchdowns.

There are some platforms that will reward both the player and his team defensive/special teams unit for a return touchdown, which I think is fine, but yardage should be player only.

Kickers Scoring

Now, let’s talk about the kickers. You can’t have fantasy FOOT-ball without them, right? Don’t eliminate them from the game, and instead give them a chance to post 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, dudes are kicking 60-yarders these days, so reward them for long conversions.

In terms of extra points, I’m still rewarding just one point (some leagues reward three since the kicks are now longer, but I think that’s getting a little too wild … kicker premium?).

Defensive Scoring

To make defenses a bit more valuable, add a few more defensive categories. Obviously, a defensive touchdown is worth six points. All interceptions, sacks and fumble recoveries should be worth a point or two. You decide. 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 … maybe the latter since they’re not common.

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. I’d leave anything else alone.

Scoring System Final Thoughts

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. You get the point …  but don’t get to in the weeds.

Whatever you do, don’t be stingy with the points. Fantasy football is more fun when there are 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! Trust me, you’ll be thanking me!