Auction

A draft format where each team is given a budget and bids on players. The highest bid wins the player, allowing any team to target any player as long as they can afford them.

Autodraft

A setting under which every one of a team's picks is made automatically when its turn comes, from its pre-draft list or rankings. DataForce places a team on autodraft after it misses two picks in a row or three overall.

Autopick

A draft feature where the system automatically selects a player for a team whose time expires before it picks. On DataForce the pick comes from your pre-draft list, then your custom rankings, then our rankings.

Bench

The portion of a roster containing players who are not currently in the starting lineup but can be substituted in during future weeks.

Best Ball

A fantasy format where managers never set lineups. While each week's games are played, the software constantly updates your lineup so your highest-scoring players at each position start. On DataForce, bestball owners still make trades, waiver bids and free agent pickups.

Boom-or-Bust

A player who has the potential for very high scores in some weeks but may produce very little in others.

Bust

A player who performs significantly worse than expected based on draft position or preseason projections.

Bye Week

A week during the NFL season when a team does not play a game. Fantasy players on that team score no points during that week.

Commish / Commissioner

The person responsible for managing a fantasy league, including setting rules, overseeing drafts, and resolving disputes. In DataForce leagues, the commissioner is a DataForce staff member whose rulings are final.

Deep League

A league with many teams or large rosters, making the available player pool thinner and increasing the importance of lesser-known players. On DataForce, "Deep" is also a roster plan with 26 players and two of each position in the starting lineup.

DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports)

A fantasy format where contests typically last one day or one week rather than the entire season.

Draft

The process where fantasy managers take turns selecting players to build their rosters before the season begins.

Draft Board

A visual display used during drafts to track which players have been selected and by which teams.

Draftmaster

A draft-only format where teams draft players but do not manage lineups or make roster moves during the season. On DataForce these are bestball, total-points leagues with six extra roster spots.

Dynasty League

A long-term league where managers keep their players from year to year (on DataForce, as many as they wish) and add rookies and free agents in an annual draft.

Email Draft

A slow draft in which managers make picks one at a time over an extended period (on DataForce, usually 8 hours per pick) and are notified of each pick by email.

Fade

To intentionally avoid drafting or starting a player, usually because their perceived value is too high.

Flex Position

A lineup spot that allows multiple position types, usually running back, wide receiver, or tight end.

Free Agent

A player who is not currently on any team’s roster and can be added by league managers.

Guillotine

A league format where, after an opening accumulation phase, the lowest-scoring team each week is eliminated and its players are released to free agency, until one team remains.

Handcuff

A backup player who is rostered primarily because they would replace a starter if that starter were injured.

Head-to-Head

A competition format where teams face a single opponent each week, with the higher score earning a win.

IDP (Individual Defensive Player)

A league format where defensive players such as linebackers and defensive backs are drafted and scored individually. DataForce's IDP leagues are hosted on MyFantasyLeague.

Keeper League

A league where managers retain a limited number of players from one season to the next. DataForce keeper leagues keep up to five players.

Lineup

The group of players selected from a roster to score points during a particular week.

Live Draft

A draft where managers gather online or in person and make selections in real time.

MyFantasyLeague

A long-running fantasy football hosting platform known for deep customization and commissioner controls. Some DataForce leagues are hosted there.

Orphan

A team in a league that has lost its owner and needs a new manager to take over.

Orphan Auction

An auction in which unclaimed teams in multi-year leagues are sold to the highest bidder. On DataForce, a team is first offered on the marketplace at the departing owner's price and goes to the orphan auction if unsold.

Player Pool

The total group of players available to be drafted or added in a fantasy league.

Playoff Push

The final stretch of the fantasy season when teams compete to secure playoff positions.

PPR (Points Per Reception)

A scoring format that awards points each time a player catches a pass. DataForce awards 1 point per reception.

Pre-draft

Activities or preparation that occur before the draft, including research, rankings, and setting draft preferences.

Redraft League

A league where all teams start fresh each season and previous rosters do not carry over.

Roster

The full collection of players controlled by a fantasy team, including starters and bench players.

Salary Cap League

A league where each team operates under a budget and player salaries determine roster construction.

Season-long

A traditional fantasy format where teams compete across the entire NFL season.

Sell High / Buy Low

A trading strategy where managers trade away players performing above expectations or acquire players performing below expectations.

Skinny League

A DataForce roster format with only skill players (QB, RB, WR, TE) and no kickers or defenses.

Sleeper

A player expected to perform better than their average draft position or public expectations.

Snake Draft

A draft format where the pick order reverses each round.

Snipe

To select a player immediately before another manager was planning to draft them.

Stacking

A strategy where a manager drafts players from the same NFL team to benefit from correlated scoring.

Standard Scoring

A traditional scoring format that does not award points for receptions. DataForce leagues use PPR or TE Premium scoring instead. Not to be confused with a Standard lineup.

Start/Sit

The weekly decision of which players to place in the starting lineup and which to leave on the bench.

Streaming

A strategy of frequently rotating players at a position based on weekly matchups.

Superflex

A lineup spot that may be filled by a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, or tight end, letting a team start a second quarterback.

Tanking

Intentionally losing a game, or weakening a lineup or roster, in order to secure better future draft picks. DataForce sets draft order by potential points, so tanking gains nothing, and it violates our fair-play rules.

TE Premium (TE+)

A PPR scoring option in which tight ends receive 1.5 points per reception instead of 1.

The Wonk

DataForce's projection tools (Draft Wonk, Lineup Wonk, Waiver Wonk and Trade Wonk), tailored to your league's scoring and roster settings.

Total Points

A scoring format where standings are determined by cumulative points rather than weekly matchups.

Trade Bait

Players or draft picks placed on the trading block to signal that a manager is willing to trade them.

Trade Balancer (Trade Bar)

A DataForce bar shown to the trading partners on the trade pages, estimating whether public opinion would strongly favor one side of a trade, and so how likely the trade is to be reviewed. It is based on crowdsourced trade values and expert rankings, not projections.

Trade Review

A process in which a completed trade can be reversed. On DataForce, any owner may request a review within 12 hours; league members and a jury of peers vote during a 24-hour review period, and the commissioner makes the final decision.

Trade Wonk

DataForce's tool for evaluating proposed trades using projections tailored to your league.

Victory Points

A scoring system that awards points based on weekly performance compared to the rest of the league, rather than simple wins and losses.

Waiver Wire

A system that allows teams to claim available players, usually with priority rules or bidding. DataForce uses blind bidding: each team gets $500 per season and the highest bid wins.

Watch List

A list of players a manager is monitoring for possible future additions.

Zero-RB Strategy

A draft strategy where managers avoid selecting running backs early and focus on other positions first.

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Scoring Terms

Touchdown

A scoring play worth six points in the NFL that typically provides significant fantasy points.

Receptions

Catches made by a player, often worth points in PPR scoring systems.

Passing Yards / Rushing Yards / Receiving Yards

The yards a player gains through passing, running, or catching the ball, which typically earn fantasy points based on yardage totals.

Fumble / Fumble Lost

A fumble occurs when a player loses possession of the ball. A fumble lost happens when the opposing team recovers it, usually resulting in negative fantasy points.

Interception

When a defensive player catches a pass intended for an offensive player, typically resulting in negative points for the quarterback.

Pick-Six

An interception returned for a touchdown by the defense.

2-Point Conversion

A scoring attempt after a touchdown where a team tries to score two additional points instead of kicking an extra point.

Field Goal Distance

The length of a field goal attempt. Many leagues award more points for longer kicks; DataForce awards 3 points plus 0.1 point per yard beyond 39.

Defensive / Special Teams Points

Points scored by a team defense (DE) through sacks, turnovers, safeties, blocked kicks and touchdowns, and reduced by points the opponent scores. On DataForce a defense starts each game at 10 points.