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Mailbag for February 11, 2024

Ian Allan answers your fantasy questions. In this edition: Scoring rules to spice up a league. Strategy changes for standard vs. half-PPR formats.

Question 1

Love the magazine, been a subscriber since before the Bam Morris cover. My buddies and I have been thinking of starting a new league. We are looking for interesting rules. We have a couple that we have been doing forever, 1 point for reception for RB/WR except for TE is 2 points per reception. Also for QB we get a point for a completion, and lose a point for incompletion (If your QB went 20 for 30, you would get 10 points. With the new league, I was thinking worst team would host the following year (we do an auction.)

Aaron Risaliti (Massillon, OH)

I’ve been in leagues where tight ends get more for receptions (though just 1.5 points rather than 2); I like the dynamic that adds. Superflex is interesting, enhancing the value of quarterbacks. With them being the dominant figures in the sport, that makes a lot of sense. You might also want to try a “drauction” – it’s an auction, but after each team has 4-5 players, you switch to a draft, with the teams with the most remaining money getting to pick earlier in each round.

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Question 2

We are entering our 30th season, and the league has decided to switch to half-point PPR. In the past, RBs have been very valuable. Switching to half-point PPR, how does this effect drafting? Obviously, RBs who catch a lot of balls will become more valuable. Does FI have a half-point PPR system for rankings?

Patrick LaMendola (Penfield, NY)

We have a half-point PPR sheet. We’ve got 15 or 20 scoring systems listed as options, and half-PPR is one of them (it’s built from the same projections that feed the standard and full-PPR ratings). You can find all of the player ranking options in the “Your Products” section of the website.

Half-PPR, of course, lands between regular scoring and full PPR. In these pass-catching formats, it tends to push you towards looking more at players who catch more passes. In the charts below (built from final stats for 2023), the players who rank at least 3 spots higher (in half-PPR) are listed in bold, while the players ranking at least 3 spots lower are tagged with black dots. The guys who tend to rise are those catching more passes. Michael Pittman is the biggest mover, rising 10 spots among wide receivers.

Note that overall, the half-PPR system will dump more production into the receiver position. If we look at the top 30 running backs and the top 30 wide receivers, about twice as many points are added to the receiver position (44 per player, on average, compared with 22 for running backs).

STANDARD VS. HALF PPR (RUNNING BACKS)
Std	Half	Player	Std	Half	Diff	+/-
1.	1.	Christian McCaffrey	328.3	361.8	33.5	0
2.	2.	Raheem Mostert	244.7	257.2	12.5	0
4.	3.	Travis Etienne	224.4	253.4	29.0	1
7.	4.	Breece Hall	214.5	252.5	38.0	3
3.	5.	Kyren Williams	227.0	243.0	16.0	-2
6.	6.	Joe Mixon	215.0	241.0	26.0	0
8.	7.	Rachaad White	207.9	239.9	32.0	1
5.	8.	• Derrick Henry	218.8	232.8	14.0	-3
9.	9.	Bijan Robinson	194.3	223.3	29.0	0
12.	10.	Jahmyr Gibbs	192.1	218.1	26.0	2
11.	11.	James Cook	192.7	214.7	22.0	0
13.	12.	Saquon Barkley	186.2	206.7	20.5	1
10.	13.	• David Montgomery	193.2	201.2	8.0	-3
18.	14.	Tony Pollard	169.6	197.1	27.5	4
24.	15.	Alvin Kamara	158.0	195.5	37.5	9
16.	16.	Isiah Pacheco	171.9	193.9	22.0	0
19.	17.	Jerome Ford	169.2	191.2	22.0	2
15.	18.	• James Conner	174.5	188.0	13.5	-3
14.	19.	• Gus Edwards	179.0	185.0	6.0	-5
17.	20.	• Kenneth Walker	170.4	184.9	14.5	-3
21.	21.	Brian Robinson	166.1	184.1	18.0	0
20.	22.	Najee Harris	168.5	183.0	14.5	-2
23.	23.	D'Andre Swift	162.3	181.8	19.5	0
22.	24.	DeVon Achane	165.7	179.2	13.5	-2
29.	25.	Jaylen Warren	139.4	169.9	30.5	4
28.	26.	Austin Ekeler	142.4	167.9	25.5	2
25.	27.	Josh Jacobs	146.1	164.6	18.5	-2
26.	28.	Chuba Hubbard	143.5	163.0	19.5	-2
32.	29.	Javonte Williams	134.2	157.7	23.5	3
27.	30.	• Zack Moss	142.6	156.1	13.5	-3

STANDARD VS. HALF PPR (WIDE RECEIVERS)
Std	Half	Player	Std	Half	Diff	+/-
1.	1.	CeeDee Lamb	272.2	339.7	67.5	0
2.	2.	Tyreek Hill	259.4	318.9	59.5	0
3.	3.	Amon-Ra St. Brown	213.9	273.4	59.5	0
5.	4.	Puka Nacua	193.5	246.0	52.5	1
4.	5.	Mike Evans	203.5	243.0	39.5	-1
7.	6.	A.J. Brown	187.6	240.6	53.0	1
6.	7.	DJ Moore	192.5	240.5	48.0	-1
11.	8.	Keenan Allen	173.4	227.4	54.0	3
12.	9.	Stefon Diggs	168.8	222.3	53.5	3
9.	10.	Nico Collins	180.4	220.4	40.0	-1
14.	11.	Davante Adams	162.4	213.9	51.5	3
10.	12.	• Brandon Aiyuk	176.2	213.7	37.5	-3
8.	13.	• Deebo Samuel	183.7	213.7	30.0	-4
13.	14.	JaMarr Chase	162.7	212.7	50.0	-1
25.	15.	Michael Pittman	143.2	197.7	54.5	10
16.	16.	Amari Cooper	157.0	193.0	36.0	0
15.	17.	DK Metcalf	159.4	192.4	33.0	-2
17.	18.	Calvin Ridley	153.9	191.9	38.0	-1
20.	19.	DeVonta Smith	148.6	189.1	40.5	1
24.	20.	Chris Olave	144.3	187.8	43.5	4
19.	21.	Jordan Addison	151.3	186.3	35.0	-2
21.	22.	DeAndre Hopkins	148.6	186.1	37.5	-1
18.	23.	• Jayden Reed	153.2	185.2	32.0	-5
22.	24.	Jakobi Meyers	147.7	183.2	35.5	-2
31.	25.	Adam Thielen	128.0	179.5	51.5	6
23.	26.	• George Pickens	145.8	177.3	31.5	-3
28.	27.	Rashee Rice	135.5	175.0	39.5	1
27.	28.	Justin Jefferson	136.2	170.2	34.0	-1
35.	29.	Garrett Wilson	122.2	169.7	47.5	5
29.	30.	Terry McLaurin	130.2	169.7	39.5	0
30.	31.	Zay Flowers	129.4	167.9	38.5	-1
33.	32.	Chris Godwin	126.2	167.7	41.5	1
26.	33.	• Courtland Sutton	137.2	166.7	29.5	-7
34.	34.	Tyler Lockett	123.4	162.9	39.5	0
32.	35.	• Jaylen Waddle	126.6	162.6	36.0	-3
36.	36.	Brandin Cooks	119.2	146.2	27.0	0
39.	37.	Romeo Doubs	115.4	144.9	29.5	2
38.	38.	Tank Dell	118.0	141.5	23.5	0
37.	39.	Gabe Davis	118.4	140.9	22.5	-2
41.	40.	Drake London	105.6	140.1	34.5	1

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