Regardless of which platform you use for your league, there will be a standard format for the scoring by default. A savvy commissioner can tweak this to improve the league even further, but imagine it's like a soup: You want to add enough salt and seasoning to taste, but you don't want to ruin it by getting too bold or extreme.
Minor scoring considerations should be left to the commish and opened to the league for comment and input on the message boards before the draft. Such scoring issues include an increased deduction for interceptions and fumbles or for missed field-goal attempts of under 50 yards. Another helpful scoring adjustment includes having passing TDs worth less than rushing or receiving TDs (four points as opposed to six).
However, the most contentious of all the scoring debates comes in the form of PPR, points per reception. PPR leagues have risen sharply in popularity, primarily because fantasy players like anything that gives them points.
Certainly, it stings when you have receivers who haul in a ton of catches and rack up the yards, but your opponent outshines that with a couple of guys getting a sneaky touchdown on just one or two receptions.
However, PPR leagues also reward teams with a dearth of receiving targets and unfairly tilt the playing field in favor of certain passing attacks.
Think back to the New England Patriots' Week 2 victory over the New York Jets in 2013. Julian Edelman caught 13 passes on 18 targets, but he did not find the end zone and totaled just 78 yards. He should not yield a handsome fantasy bonus merely because Tom Brady had no one else to throw to.
Some leagues balance PPR with points per carry for running backs (at a lesser rate, such as 0.25 points for a carry and 0.5 for a reception), especially in an NFL that has de-emphasized the feature back. To be clear, PPR can be a good scoring system, but it cannot be allowed to run wild. Do not become beholden to the almighty reception!
Return yards represent another contentious scoring consideration, and you might as well just cross that category off the list. However, the trend toward PPR cannot be resisted.
