What does FAAB mean? What is PPR, ADP, superflex, or BN on your fantasy football roster? Every term a fantasy manager needs to know — from ADP to Zero-RB — defined in plain English with examples. Covers football, baseball, basketball, and hockey.
Fantasy sports has its own language — from ADP (Average Draft Position) to Zero-RB strategy, the terms and abbreviations can be overwhelming for new managers. This glossary covers every key term you need to know across fantasy football, fantasy baseball, fantasy basketball, and fantasy hockey — whether you're playing in a PPR league, a dynasty format, or a rotisserie league.
Use the search bar above to find a specific term, or browse the full list below. Each definition is written in plain English with examples, so even first-time managers can quickly learn the language of fantasy sports. Bookmark this page for quick reference during drafts, trades, and waiver wire decisions.
This glossary includes terms for fantasy football (PPR, superflex, 2-QB, zero-RB, handcuffs, D/ST), fantasy baseball (roto, rotisserie, 5×5, prospects, auction drafts), fantasy basketball (9-cat, points leagues, punt strategy), and fantasy hockey — plus dynasty and keeper league terms like contract years, keeper prices, and rookie drafts. Whether you're looking up what BN means on your fantasy football roster or trying to understand FAAB waiver wire budgets, you'll find a clear, plain-English definition here.
The average round and pick where a player is drafted across many fantasy leagues. ADP helps you gauge when to draft a player. If a player's ADP is round 5, they're typically drafted in the 5th round.
A draft format where each team has a fixed budget to bid on players. The highest bidder gets the player. Auction drafts allow any team to get any player, unlike snake drafts where pick order limits access.
A fantasy format where lineups are automatically optimized each week — the system starts each team's best players. No manual lineup setting is required. Best ball is growing in popularity for season-long leagues.
A player who is drafted high but significantly underperforms their draft position. Busts can derail a fantasy season if they're in your starting lineup.
A ranked list of players by position used during a draft. Cheat sheets help you quickly identify the best available player at each position.
A format where you draft a new team each day or week and compete for cash prizes. DFS is different from season-long fantasy, where you keep the same roster all season.
A fantasy league where you keep your entire roster year-to-year and add rookies via a rookie draft. Dynasty leagues reward long-term planning and prospect development.
A budget each team gets to bid on free agents on the waiver wire. The highest bidder gets the player. FAAB prevents teams from hoarding free agents based on waiver priority alone.
A roster spot that can be filled by a running back, wide receiver, or tight end (in football). The flex gives you flexibility to start your best non-position-specific player.
A player's floor is their worst-case scenario (reliable production). Their ceiling is their best-case scenario (upside). High-floor players are safe; high-ceiling players have breakout potential.
A backup running back (or other position) drafted as insurance for your starter. If the starter gets injured, the handcuff becomes the starter and provides significant fantasy value.
A fantasy football format where you draft individual defensive players (linebackers, defensive linemen, defensive backs) instead of a team defense. IDP adds depth to fantasy football.
A fantasy league where you keep a set number of players each offseason. Keeper leagues are a middle ground between redraft (keep nobody) and dynasty (keep everybody).
A fantasy football scoring format where players earn 1 point per reception. PPR boosts the value of pass-catching running backs and possession wide receivers.
A draft strategy where you intentionally sacrifice (punt) 1-2 categories to dominate the rest. Common in fantasy basketball (punt FG%, punt FT%) and roto baseball (punt saves, punt steals).
A fantasy league where you draft a completely new team each season. No players are kept from year to year. Redraft is the most common fantasy format.
A fantasy baseball scoring format where teams are ranked in statistical categories (AVG, HR, RBI, R, SB for hitters; W, SV, K, ERA, WHIP for pitchers) and earn points based on rank in each category.
A player drafted late (or undrafted) who outperforms their draft position. Sleepers provide significant value relative to their cost and can be league-winners.
A draft format where the pick order reverses each round (1-12, 12-1, 1-12). Snake drafts are the most common draft format and ensure fairness by giving every team a chance at top players.
A late-round draft pick with significant upside. Sleeper picks are low-risk, high-reward — if they hit, they can be league-winners; if they miss, you only lost a late pick.
A draft strategy where you group players into tiers by projected value and draft the best player in the highest remaining tier. Tiers prevent reaching for a player just because you need a position.
A league vote to reject a trade. In most leagues, a trade can be vetoed if enough owners vote against it (e.g., 6 of 12). Vetoes prevent collusion and lopsided trades.
The system for adding free agents (undrafted or dropped players) to your roster. Players go on waivers for a set period, during which teams can claim them. If unclaimed, they become free agents.
A fantasy football draft strategy where you draft zero running backs in the early rounds, loading up on elite wide receivers and tight ends instead. The theory: RBs are replaceable and can be found on the waiver wire.
A fantasy basketball scoring format with 9 categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, threes, FG%, FT%, and turnovers. Teams are ranked in each category.
A roster designation for players who are on your team but not in your starting lineup. BN players don't score points for the current period but remain on your roster. You can move bench players into starting slots before lineups lock.
A roster slot for injured players that doesn't count against your active roster limit. Players on IR can't be started but free up a roster spot. In most leagues, a player must have an official injury status to be placed on IR.
A fantasy football roster position that can be filled by any offensive player, including a quarterback. SuperFlex leagues make QBs extremely valuable because you can start 2 QBs — the position becomes scarce with only 32 NFL starters for 12+ teams.
A fantasy football format requiring two starting quarterbacks per team. 2-QB leagues dramatically increase quarterback scarcity and value — elite QBs jump from $30-40 in 1-QB formats to $70-85+ in 2-QB trade value charts.
A fantasy football scoring format where receptions are worth zero points. Standard scoring favors volume running backs and touchdown-dependent players. Also called non-PPR.
A fantasy football scoring format where receptions are worth 0.5 points. Half-PPR is a middle ground between standard (0 points per reception) and full PPR (1 point per reception), balancing the value of pass-catchers and volume runners.
A fantasy football roster position for a single NFL team's defense and special teams unit combined. D/ST scores points via sacks, interceptions, fumble recoveries, safeties, and return touchdowns.
A fantasy football roster position for an NFL kicker. Kickers score points via field goals and extra points. Kickers are typically drafted in the last round due to their high week-to-week variance.
The date after which trades are no longer allowed in a fantasy league. The trade deadline forces contenders to make final roster moves and creates urgency that shifts trade values — proven producers become more expensive as the deadline approaches.
A list of players a team is willing to trade, shared with the league. The trade block helps facilitate deals by signaling which players are available and what the owner is looking for in return.
A tool that evaluates a proposed trade by comparing the total value of players, draft picks, and FAAB on each side. A trade analyzer gives a fairness verdict — fair, slightly lopsided, or lopsided — to help managers avoid bad deals.
The relative worth of a future draft pick in dynasty and keeper leagues. Draft pick values are calculated using models like the Jimmy Johnson chart or dynasty-specific curves, helping managers evaluate pick-for-player trades.
An unproven young player with significant fantasy upside, typically a minor league baseball player, a recently drafted NFL player, or a top-ranked amateur. Prospects carry premium dynasty value due to their long career runway.
A roster designation for developmental players who are not on the active roster but remain in the organization. In fantasy, practice squad players are stashed prospects who can be called up to the active roster but cannot return once promoted.
The dollar amount or draft round a team must pay to keep a player in a keeper league. Keeper prices typically escalate each year, forcing managers to decide between keeping productive players at rising costs or releasing them back to the draft pool.
The number of seasons a player can be kept in a dynasty or keeper league before they must return to the draft pool. Contract years limit how long a single player can be locked up, preventing one team from hoarding talent indefinitely.
A trade strategy where you acquire a player whose value has temporarily dropped due to a cold streak, injury, or tough schedule. Buy-low targets are undervalued relative to their true talent and can provide significant returns when they rebound.
A trade strategy where you trade away a player whose value has temporarily spiked due to a career game or unsustainable production. Sell-high candidates are overvalued relative to their true talent and should be traded before regression hits.
A strategy of rotating players in and out of a roster spot based on weekly matchups rather than rostering one player full-time. Streaming is common at tight end, kicker, and defense in fantasy football.
Starting a quarterback and one or more of his pass-catchers on the same fantasy team. Stacking can amplify upside — if the QB has a big game, his receivers likely do too — but also increases week-to-week variance.
Future draft selections used as trade assets in dynasty and keeper leagues. Picks are valued on a trade value chart and can be traded for players, other picks, or FAAB. First-round rookie picks are the most valuable.
The total dollar amount a team has to spend on waiver wire claims for the entire season, typically $100 or $1,000. FAAB budgets force strategic allocation — spending early on a breakout leaves less for late-season finds.
The order in which teams get to claim players on waivers. In rolling priority systems, the team with the highest priority that claims a player gets them and moves to the back of the line. In FAAB systems, the highest bidder wins regardless of priority.
An annual draft in dynasty leagues where teams select incoming NFL rookies. Rookie draft order is typically the reverse of the previous season's standings, giving the worst teams the best picks — a built-in parity mechanism.
A dynasty team strategy focused on accumulating draft picks, young players, and prospects rather than competing for a championship now. Rebuilds trade veterans for future assets, betting that accumulated youth will produce a championship window in 2-3 years.
A dynasty or redraft team positioned to compete for a championship in the current season. Contenders trade future picks and youth for proven producers at the trade deadline, prioritizing win-now value over long-term assets.
The positions a player is eligible to fill in a fantasy lineup, determined by real-world game appearances. A player who appears at a new position during the season may gain eligibility at that position, expanding lineup flexibility.
A fantasy format where teams are ranked by total fantasy points scored, rather than by category rankings. Points leagues are common in fantasy basketball and baseball, where cumulative production determines standings.
A fantasy scoring format where two teams face off each week (or period) and the team with more points (or more categories won) gets a win. Head-to-head is the most common weekly matchup format in fantasy football, basketball, and hockey.
A multi-sport fantasy format where a single franchise competes across multiple sports, earning points based on placement in each sport's standings. The points combine into one year-round championship race — every sport matters, every day.
A trade in a multi-sport fantasy league where a player from one sport is traded for a player from a different sport. Cross-sport trades require normalized player values so a $50 NFL player and $50 MLB player represent equivalent trade value.
A high-stakes fantasy league with a large advertised payout, funded by entry fees minus a platform fee. High Roller tiers range from $10,000 to $100,000+ in advertised prizes, attracting serious competitors.
The percentage of a league's entry fee pool retained by the fantasy platform to fund payouts and operations. Fantasy365 charges a transparent 2-4% platform fee, significantly lower than traditional high-stakes platforms.
An official change to a player's stats made by the league or data provider after a game, typically due to an official scoring change or data error. Stat corrections retroactively adjust fantasy scores and can change matchup outcomes.
The deadline after which a lineup cannot be changed for the current period. In daily sports (MLB, NHL, NBA), lineups lock at the start of each player's game. In NFL, lineups typically lock at the start of each player's game time.
A lineup setting where the system automatically starts each team's highest-scoring players each week. Best ball eliminates the need for manual lineup decisions, rewarding good drafting over active management.
A practice draft against AI or other users, used to test draft strategy and prepare for a real league draft. Mock drafts simulate the real draft experience without consequences, helping managers identify value picks and avoid reaches.
Drafting a player earlier than their Average Draft Position suggests. A reach is typically a bad value pick, though it can be justified if you believe the player will outperform their consensus ranking.
Drafting a player later than their Average Draft Position suggests. Value picks (or steals) provide excellent return relative to their draft cost and are the foundation of a strong fantasy team.
A draft strategy in roto or category-based leagues where you intentionally ignore one or two categories to dominate the rest. Punting is common in fantasy basketball (punt FG%, punt FT%) and roto baseball (punt saves, punt steals).
Season-long fantasy standings based on cumulative category totals across the entire league. Roto standings rank teams in each category and award points by rank, rewarding balanced teams that contribute across all categories.
A point in a rankings list where there's a significant drop in player value. Drafting just before a tier break ensures you get the best player in a tier; drafting just after means you missed the tier and should pivot to the next position.
The degree to which a fantasy position has few elite options. Positions with high scarcity (QB in superflex, elite TEs) command premium trade values because there aren't enough top options for all teams.
The period when a fantasy team's roster is positioned to compete for a championship. Win-now teams trade future assets for proven producers; once the window closes, the team enters a rebuild phase.
A player whose weekly outcomes swing wildly — they either score big or put up a dud, with little middle ground. Boom-or-bust players (deep-threat WRs, home-run-hitting RBs) are high-ceiling, low-floor assets best suited for best-ball formats or as tournament lineup fliers.
A player whose fantasy value relies heavily on scoring touchdowns rather than accumulating yards. Touchdown-dependent players are volatile week to week — a TD gives you a top-5 week, but a no-TD game can be a bust. They're riskier in redraft than dynasty.
The number of opportunities a player gets — carries, targets, routes run, snaps. Volume is the most reliable predictor of fantasy production: a player with 20+ touches per game has a high floor regardless of efficiency. Target share (percentage of team targets) is the key volume metric for WRs and TEs.
The percentage of a team's total passing targets that go to a specific player. A 25%+ target share is elite for a WR; 30%+ is rare and makes a player a locked-in WR1 regardless of matchup. Target share is a better predictor of future production than raw catch totals.
The percentage of a team's offensive snaps a player is on the field for. A high snap share (80%+) means the player is rarely rotated out and has consistent opportunity. Snap share trends reveal role changes before box scores do — a rising snap share often precedes a breakout.
The statistical tendency for extreme performances (good or bad) to move back toward a player's true average over time. A WR catching 80% of targets will regress toward 60-65%; a defense forcing 5 turnovers per game will regress toward 1-2. Regression is the basis of buy-low and sell-high strategy.
A single week where a player far exceeds their seasonal average — often a 30+ point fantasy explosion. Spike weeks are unpredictable by nature, which is why high-floor players are safer starters and boom-or-bust players are better on benches or in best-ball formats where the auto-optimizer captures the spike.
The weekly choice of which players to place in starting lineup slots versus leaving on the bench. Start/sit decisions are driven by matchups, injuries, weather, and recent form. Start/sit optimizers compare projected points and win probability to recommend the optimal lineup.
A player not currently on any team's roster who is available to be added immediately, without passing through waivers. Free agents have cleared waivers or were never claimed. In FAAB leagues, free agents may still cost a bid; in first-come-first-served leagues, they're free to add.
Releasing a player from your roster to make room for a waiver claim or free agent addition. Dropped players go on waivers for a set period before becoming free agents. The decision to drop a slumping player for a breakout is one of the most consequential in-season moves a manager makes.
The standard four-year NFL rookie contract that pays well below market value for first-round picks. Because rookie-contract players are cheap for four years, they carry premium dynasty trade value — a productive player on a rookie deal is worth more than the same player on a market-rate extension.
A popular independent dynasty trade value chart that crowdsources player values from community votes. KTC values are widely cited in dynasty fantasy football as a reference point for trade fairness. Fantasy365's trade value chart uses a similar exponential decay model but normalizes across all 8 sports for cross-sport comparison.
The projected likelihood that starting a specific player over another will result in a matchup win. Win probability calculators compare two players' projected point distributions and matchup context to recommend the start with the highest expected win rate — more useful than raw projected points alone.
A matchup where a player's projected outcome is relatively safe — they're likely to produce a usable score even in a worst case. Floor games favor high-volume, low-variance players (possession WRs, workhorse RBs) over boom-or-bust options. Start floor players when you need a safe total; start ceiling players when you need a spike.
The composition of a fantasy roster across positions, tiers, and asset types. Good roster construction balances elite starters, productive depth, upside bench pieces, and future draft capital. In dynasty, roster construction also includes prospect stashing and contract-year planning for long-term sustainability.
The multi-season period when a dynasty team's core is in its prime and positioned to compete for titles. Windows open when young stars reach their prime and close when they age out or leave. Managing the window — trading future picks to win now, or rebuilding before the window closes — is the core strategic challenge of dynasty fantasy.
Trades made in the final days before the trade deadline, when contenders overpay for proven producers and rebuilders cash out veterans for picks. Deadline deals carry the highest variance in trade value — urgency creates mispriced assets, making the deadline the best time to find buy-low and sell-high opportunities.
Now that you know the terms, put them into practice — all free, no sign-up required.
Player values & trade calculator for all 8 sports
PPR, standard & dynasty rankings for 2026
Trade draft picks fairly — Jimmy Johnson + dynasty
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Common fantasy sports questions answered
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