The thrill and excitement of dynasty fantasy football has gained significant traction among football fanatics over the last decade. In a continually evolving landscape, managing a team to success requires a creative blend of strategy and adaptability, especially in scoring settings and unique rules that can make or break a dynasty league. That’s why, at FantasyPros, we are we invited seasoned dynasty analysts from around the fantasy football community to provide insights into their favorite unique scoring setting and non-scoring rule in dynasty leagues.

To kick off the discussion, we’ve posed the following two questions to our featured analysts: What is your favorite unique scoring setting for dynasty leagues? What is your favorite unique rule or non-scoring setting for dynasty leagues? The answers to these questions are as diverse as the fantasy landscape itself, offering intriguing ideas and novel approaches that can freshen up your dynasty experience.

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What is your favorite unique scoring setting for dynasty leagues?

“Most of my dynasty leagues are simple. They are 10 or 12 teams with basis PPR scoring and a superflex spot. Yet, the one not-so-basic scoring change I’ve come to like is points per first down. A simple two-yard run on third and one is a boring NFL play. It also only results in only 0.2 points for fantasy players. However, the bonus for the first down helps improve the fantasy value of the non-pass-heavy running backs like Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)

“I think all dynasty leagues should be superflex, but not everyone agrees, which is fine. If you insist on playing 1QB, at least give QB scoring some sort of turbo boost to amplify the importance of the most important position in real-life football. The most obvious way to do that is to bump the reward for touchdown passes from 4 points to 6 points. But I know of a 1QB dynasty league that also awards a point to QBs for every 10 passing yards rather than every 20 or 25 yards. Yes, quarterbacks can post some huge point totals, but that’s the point. Quarterbacks are too often an afterthought in 1QB dynasty leagues. If your scoring settings are set up so that good quarterbacks can consistently put up 40-point weeks, league members will give the QB position the attention it deserves.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

“Tight End Premium adds a balance to the position that otherwise can be lacking. Typically this means adding an extra 0.5 points on top of the usual 1 point per reception but pushing it to as far as .75 extra can really help to level the playing field between depth tight ends and running backs or wide receivers. It also makes the likes of the elite tight ends even more valuable.”
– Tom Strachan (NFL Best Ball)

“Best ball scoring! There’s no worse feeling than seeing a sleeper on your deep dynasty squad go OFF for a big game, just for you to miss out on those points because he is on your bench. Dynasty managers should be rewarded for stacking their benches with high-upside players, which is why I cannot recommend adding the best ball scoring format to any and all dynasty leagues. And if best ball isn’t your style, adding more 2-3 additional FLEX spots ensures each manager’s depth is tested every week.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)

“I enjoy playing in dynasty leagues that prioritize the quarterback, whether that’s awarding 6 points for passing touchdowns, giving bonuses for certain yardage totals, or even heavily penalizing inefficient or turnover-prone passers with harsh interception subtractions. Quarterback is the most important position in sports, and that’s how it should be in dynasty leagues too.”
– Matt Barbato (BettingPros)

“Points per first down really does a good job of valuing important plays and, therefore, good players. Even if you add a half point per first down, it helps improve the value of the better players over the lucky ones and can be a way to help balance out a PPR league across the positions.”
– Andrew Hall (FantasyPros)

“Superflex is the way. I know this might not sound like a unique setting, but there are still 1QB leagues floating out there. Adding value to the most important position in the NFL is a fantastic way to balance the scales versus other skill positions. ”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)

What is your favorite unique rule or non-scoring setting for dynasty leagues?

“The worst part of missing the playoffs in your dynasty league is that your season is over three weeks before the playoff teams. While the consolation bracket is nice, fantasy players tend to check out when there is nothing on the line. Therefore, whoever wins the consolation bracket in my dynasty leagues gets an extra third-round rookie draft pick at the end of the round. That way, the non-playoff teams have a reason to set their lineup and keep playing through the end of the NFL regular season.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)

“I love promotion/relegation leagues, which are multiple leagues rolled into one. As with the English Premier League and other soccer leagues, the top few finishers in each division are promoted to the next-highest division for the following season, and the bottom few finishers are demoted to the next-lowest division. These types of leagues are logistically challenging because of the number of people involved, but the promotion/relegation component is a fun incentive that encourages season-long involvement for managers who fall out of the playoff hunt. It also reinforces the premise of a dynasty league being a long-term endeavor. ”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

“I find that reserving the last playoff spot for a team who scored the most regular season points helps leagues to feel more balanced. It’s infuriating to miss out on the playoffs after running into teams who scored slightly more than you on any given week, but with this setting, it prioritizes good teams making the playoffs.”
– Tom Strachan (NFL Best Ball)

“I love leagues that weigh the average points scored for the week among all teams and award additional W/Ls based on how you stack up. Helps ensure that the actual best teams get to the postseason, not the ones that benefit from an easy schedule.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)

“This is kind of a rule for a rule, but I was in a dynasty league where the consolation bracket winner got to choose a new rule for the upcoming season. This gave teams who didn’t make the playoffs something to play for and added fun wrinkles to our league as time went on.”
– Matt Barbato (BettingPros)

“I really like rewarding the consolation bracket with an additional rookie pick. That being said, giving the best non-playoff team pick 1.13 feels a little too heavy. I like rewarding the consolation bracket winner with 2.13 feels like the right compromise. It’s important enough to make it worth going for but not enough to make teams super upset if they don’t win it.”
– Andrew Hall (FantasyPros)

“My favorite unique rule is awarding the winner of “the toilet bowl bracket,” aka the playoff bracket made up of non-playoff teams, a first-round pick. In your conventional 12-team leagues, this is the 1.13 (or 2.01). This keeps teams invested through the season and adds another wrinkle to the yearly motivation. ”
– Derek Brown (FantasyPros)

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