In the early days of fantasy football, leagues usually used very simple scoring rules – the standard was 6 points for TDs and maybe, if a league was particularly adventurous, a 3-point scoring bonus for a player who broke 100 yards rushing or receiving, or 300 yards passing.  This limited scoring was typically used because all the calculations were done by hand.  League commissioners compiled scoring results from NFL box scores in their paper each week and distributed them to the league. It was just too much work to add in extra scoring options.

But the evolution of computerized scoring and internet leagues with sophisticated websites has led to a much wider range of scoring rules. Customizable scoring built from almost every NFL stat has now become the norm, and TD-only leagues seem archaic and incomplete.  Fantasy football’s “standard offensive scoring” is now typically 6 points for TDs, 0.1 point for every rushing and receiving yard, and 0.04 points for passing yards.  In addition, interceptions, fumbles, return yardage, and numerous defensive scoring rules are added to create a much more involved fantasy football experience.  These expanded rules have allowed much deeper rosters and led to much higher scoring fantasy games. 

However, in spite of expanded scoring rules, one thing has remained pretty constant since the old days:  The dominance of Running Backs. 

In most leagues, the top scoring players are usually Running Backs and Quarterbacks.  QBs are typically used as only one starter per team, so there is enough depth at the QB slot and less demand for these players relative to their high scoring.  But RBs are usually started as two per team, and often three if an offensive flex slot is used.  This makes their value extremely high, and RB scoring can often make or break a fantasy team.  So leagues usually see RBs go fast and furious in every draft, either in a redraft league or a dynasty league’s yearly rookie draft.  Their high-scoring potential and their high demand makes RBs simply too valuable to pass up.

In an effort to create more scoring balance among the positions and to increase the value of WRs and TEs relative to the dominant RBs, one scoring rule that is becoming more commonly used is the “Point-Per-Reception” (PPR) rule:  One point is added to a player’s score for every pass they catch.  Pretty simple. 

PPR Debate

 

But this simple PPR addition has generated a large amount of debate among fantasy football fans.  Proponents of the rule usually state that it makes a league fairer by leveling the playing field and creating more high-scoring “difference-makers” for a FF owner to choose from.  By increasing the scoring value of WRs and TEs it is intended to counter-act the importance of RBs.  But there is even debate here:  Some feel that the PPR rule should only be applied to WRs and TEs so as to not also increase scoring for the already dominant RBs, but the counter argument is that PPR actually helps to add RB depth by making second-tier 3^rd-down RBs and pass-catching FBs more valuable, ultimately providing the fantasy owner with more viable RB options.

Opponents of the PPR debate feel that it is “double-dipping” – receptions already score points based on their yardage, so why add an extra point for just catching the ball?  Some claim it is also unrealistic since the NFL doesn’t award points for catches – it is the yardage that really counts and why should a catch that could lead to negative yardage still be rewarded with a point?  They also say that the PPR rule is unfair – QBs don’t get a point for every completion and players don’t get a point for each carry, so why should a point be awarded for each catch?

Across FF forums the PPR debate rages on, but love it or hate it, there is no doubt that the PPR rule is gaining headway as more and more leagues take advantage of expanded scoring opportunities, and also try to increase the number of players who can make a difference to a roster.  In the Whiz’s own Badlands dynasty leagues which start this year, a PPR rule will be included. 

But as with any FF rule, the debate over should it be used becomes moot once the league begins, and the much more important thing is to instead fully understand the ramifications of the rule to be able to take full advantage of it.  So with that in mind, let’s take some time to break down the Whiz’s Badlands scoring both with and without the PPR rule to see what the impact really is.

Into the Numbers

 

To get some data to be able to analyze, I put together a spreadsheet of a collection of 2006 statistics on passing, rushing, receiving, returns, kicking, and defense from cutting and pasting together team statistics data available on the web.  I then combined these individual categories for each player and calculated Badlands scores, both with and without PPR.  Note that these results wouldn’t exactly be the same as real Badlands results, since no stats were included for fumble recoveries (number, return yards, or return TDs), 2-point plays, or safeties; and some rounding assumptions were made for field goals (for example, FGs in the “30-39” yard category were given an average of 3.5 pts for 35 yards).  But to be able to compare scores with and without PPR, these approximated 2006 scores should be fine.

So with the numbers calculated, we can start with a list of the top 50 overall scoring players without the PPR rule added in.  The table below lists the top 50 overall scorers in order with their score (without PPR) and their overall rank.  I’ve also added a column showing the rank among all players of the same position: