Fantasy Football 101: What Are PPR (Point Per Reception) Leagues?

Michael Fabiano | Aug 2, 2025

Chargers WR Ladd McConkey finished his rookie season with 82 catches and 240.9 fantasy points in PPR leagues. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Fantasy football scoring has evolved since the days of the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League (GOPPL), which is considered the first-ever fantasy league. These days, commissioners and fantasy managers can choose from a number of different scoring formats, from a basic standard scoring to any number of customized formats.

However, the scoring system that has become the most popular (and the only one I play in) over the last decade is called PPR. That simply stands for “Point Per Reception.”

PPR scoring systems, where players are rewarded either a half point or a full fantasy point per catch, have become the new “standard.” It makes sense, as the NFL has become much more of a passing league, where wide receivers and pass-catching running backs are bigger threats. As a result, catches have become a bigger part of the NFL and should in turn be a prominent category in terms of your “standard” fantasy football scoring system.

Whether you go with a half-point or full point is a personal preference and should be discussed between the commissioner and league mates. Since I love scoring, I use a full (one) point. It also does a better job of rewarding a player who might have a lot of catches, but not a lot of yards.

For example, if Ladd McConkey catches seven passes for 51 yards, why should I just get 5.1 points? In full-point PPR leagues, I get 12.1 fantasy points.

That’s more like it.

If you’re a fantasy newbie, you need to know which players will benefit most from getting points for catches in an effort to have a successful draft. Maybe the best example of PPR scoring helping a player’s value in 2024 is Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.

The slot man posted a very modest 699 yards and three touchdowns, which in a standard league would make him a bench player or waiver-wire fodder. However, the fact that he caught 93 passes (10th-most among wideouts) made him a low-end No. 3 receiver or flex starter. This might also be an example of why some folks like to reward half a point for a catch, since 51 percent of Robinson’s point total on the season came just from catches.

Regardless of what the reward is for a catch, commissioners and fantasy managers who aren’t in a PPR league should get with the program and join one now! If you listen to my advice, I’ll help you get the journey started … here are my updated PPR player rankings!