Glossary of Fantasy Football
Fantasy football in all of it’s different formats is a complicated game so there’s no shame in not knowing every acronym, slang term or setting. Use this glossary to find quick descriptions and in some cases links to more details.
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ADP
Average draft position. Usually a good indicator of the consensus value of players among all fantasy football managers.
Auction Draft
Managers are given a budget and then bid on players, in contrast to more traditional sequential drafts.
Buy In
In money leagues the money that goes into the prize pool. Sometimes share of admin fees or other special fees are included as well.
Collusion
Conspiring with another manager(s) to change the outcome of the league in an unfair way.
Commissioner
The person in charge of the league. Usually responsible for all administrative functions.
Daily Fantasy
Daily fantasy is a variety of single day/weekend fantasy games with rule modifications to make that work. Often involves gambling and represents a rapidly growing online sports betting avenue.
DST
Team defense and special teams as one fantasy “player.” Fantasy managers start an entire team’s defense with scoring based on points allowed and defensive achievements (sacks, interceptions, etc.)
Dynasty
A league type that allows managers to keep their entire roster season to season.
FAAB
Free agent acquisition budget. Instead of priority based waiver claims, each manager is given a FAAB pool used to bid on free agents during the waiver period.
Flex
A line up position where running backs, wide receivers or tight ends are eligible.
Homer
A semi-derogatory descriptor for managers that make fantasy decisions based on their real life fandom for teams.
IDP
Individual defensive positions. A format where fantasy managers start individual defensive players who score points based on their stats independently.
IR
Injured Reserve. Rules vary but most typically any player injured and declared out may be place on the fantasy manager’s IR position.
K
Kicker
Keeper
Some leagues allow players to kept over multiple seasons, those players are usually referred to as keepers.
League Fees
A share of the cost of running the league.
PPR
Point per reception, or a fantasy point awarded for every catch. Tends to vastly increase value of short route runners and can lift pass catching backs past their real life elite bellcow counterparts.
Prop
Short for proposition bet. Typically a side bet either between individuals or among the whole league.
QB
Quarterback
RB
Running Back
Redraft
League type where managers redraft their entire roster every season. The most common and traditional fantasy football format.
Sleeper
A player with the potential to far out perform consensus expectation.
Snake Draft
A sequential draft that reverses order every round to improve equity. Round 1: 1, 2, 3, …, 10, 11, 12. Round 2: 12, 11, 10, …, 3, 2, 1.
Stream
The act of acquiring new/different players from the wire or free agent pool to start based on strength of matchup.
Super Flex
A flex lineup position allowing for any positional player. Almost always quarterbacks.
Taco
The worst player or players in the league, if not by record than by fantasy IQ. The term comes from the hit show “The League.”
Tanking
Intentionally losing games, usually with the intent of acquiring better draft position in the following season.
Taxi Squad
Basically a fantasy farm system. Used in some dynasty leagues, it is a separate inactive roster to stash young players that are unlikely to near term starters. It’s a simple concept, but specifics can vary wildly be league.
TE
Tight End
TE Premium
TE scoring 150% of wide receivers in order to make the position more interesting.
Trade Block
A way to signal to other managers your interest in trading particular players.
Trade Deadline
Most leagues disallow trades for roughly the last third of the season for a variety of competitive reasons.
Veto
For Fantasy Football, the ability to vote on other people’s trades, if allowed by league rules. Depending on those rules after a certain number of votes against that trade is cancelled. Sometimes this refers to the commissioners ability to undo trades if required.
Waivers
The waiver period is a waiting period, often a full day after a game is played, where managers have the chance to claim players from the wire. Then the player is awarded to the manager with the highest waiver priority or who placed in the highest bid (in FAAB leagues).
Wire
Short for “Waiver Wire,” and often used interchangeably with the free agent pool. While some times locked in the waiver process, this represents the pool of players that is not on an active fantasy roster in the league.
WR
Wide Receiver