One of the most important things you need to do when joining a fantasy football league is read the rules thoroughly. Not only will the rules feed you important information, such as roster construction and how you acquire free agents, but they will also outline your scoring format.
You will learn the value of your quarterbacks based on how many points they get for throwing a touchdown pass, whether your running backs get additional points for longer runs and, the most important, the value of a reception. A standard league offers no points for a catch. In a PPR format (point per reception), that extra point you receive for a catch can go a very long way, especially for your wide receivers.
Though obtaining elite wide receivers such as Davante Adams and DeAndre Hopkins is a no-brainer in any scoring format, fantasy owners in a PPR league can adjust their draft strategy if they know which wide receivers excel the most in this type of scoring. Big-play guys such as DeSean Jackson and Tyler Lockett can be fun to watch and own, but they pale in comparison to your more heavily targeted wideouts who help their team move the chains.
Last season, in a standard league, Lockett posted 163.4 fantasy points, which ranked him 12th overall. However, in a PPR format, Lockett scores 220.4 points, which was good for just 17th. Mike Williams of the Chargers is another great example. He ranked 19th in standard leagues, yet 29th in PPR formats. Both players had strong touchdown totals, which gave them their value, but in a league in which you get points for each catch, sometimes the touchdowns just aren’t enough.
So where do you get your value in a PPR format? Considering how Julian Edelman and Keenan Allen are the poster children for PPR-friendly wideouts, the answer is: slot receivers. The disparity in rank between the two formats for these guys isn’t huge, but it is noticeable. Allen ranked 15th in standard leagues and 12th in PPR. Edelman ranked 22nd in standard and 19th in PPR. The disparity in rank isn’t all that substantial, but the further into the receiver rankings you go, the more evident will the difference be.
Adam Humphries and Nelson Agholor are prime examples as they ranked 30th and 40th respectively in standard formats, but 23rd and 32nd in PPR. They may not have marquee touchdown totals, but they see an abundance of targets because they routinely help move the chains. Others to watch include Tyler Boyd, Jarvis Landry and even Randall Cobb.
Slot receivers are the reliable, fallback options for most quarterbacks, and as a result, they get that boost you need in a PPR format. And the best part is, they usually come cheaper in drafts. Grab your marquee names early, but if you’re in a PPR league, look to build your receiving depth out of the slot. It’s a major win.
Howard Bender is VP of operations and head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitters @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 4-6 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football advice and NFL player rankings.