# How does fantasy basketball scoring work?

*Yahoo's default is Head-to-Head Points, and Sleeper's default for new leagues is its own Lock-In Mode.*

- Type: Explainer
- Section: Fantasy
- By: Fantasy Desk
- Published: 2026-11-12T01:39:33-05:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T01:39:33-05:00
- URL: https://factsdesk.com/fantasy/how-does-fantasy-basketball-scoring-work/

Topics: [NBA](https://factsdesk.com/topic/nba/)

## Key facts

- On ESPN, fantasy basketball scoring either assigns a point value to each statistic or compares teams in each statistical category, in head-to-head matchups or season-long standings. Source: [ESPN Fan Support](https://support.espn.com/hc/en-us/articles/360003913632-Scoring-Formats). Confirmed 2026-11-12T01:39:33-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/fantasy/how-does-fantasy-basketball-scoring-work/#on-espn-fantasy-basketball-scoring-either-assigns-a-point
- ESPN lists five scoring formats: Rotisserie, Head-to-Head: Points, Head-to-Head: Each Category, Head-to-Head: Most Categories and Season Points. Source: [ESPN Fan Support](https://support.espn.com/hc/en-us/articles/360003913632-Scoring-Formats). Confirmed 2026-11-12T01:39:33-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/fantasy/how-does-fantasy-basketball-scoring-work/#espn-lists-five-scoring-formats-rotisserie-head-to-head
- Yahoo's default scoring type in Fantasy Basketball is Head-to-Head Points, with points worth 1, rebounds 1.2, assists 1.5, blocks 3, steals 3 and turnovers -1. Source: [Yahoo Help](https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN6919.html). Confirmed 2026-11-12T01:39:33-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/fantasy/how-does-fantasy-basketball-scoring-work/#yahoo-s-default-scoring-type-in-fantasy-basketball-is-head
- Yahoo's default Head-to-Head Categories and Rotisserie leagues track nine statistics: points, rebounds, assists, steals, turnovers, blocks, 3-pointers made, field goal percentage and free throw percentage. Source: [Yahoo Help](https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN6919.html). Confirmed 2026-11-12T01:39:33-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/fantasy/how-does-fantasy-basketball-scoring-work/#yahoo-s-default-head-to-head-categories-and-rotisserie
- Sleeper's default format for new fantasy basketball leagues is Lock-In Mode, in which one game per week, per player, counts toward the matchup score. Source: [Sleeper Support Center](https://support.sleeper.com/en/articles/4644860-league-formats-game-modes). Confirmed 2026-11-12T01:39:33-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/fantasy/how-does-fantasy-basketball-scoring-work/#sleeper-s-default-format-for-new-fantasy-basketball-leagues

Fantasy basketball scoring works in one of two ways: a league either assigns a point value to each statistic and adds the points up, or it compares teams statistic by statistic, according to the [scoring formats ESPN lists](https://support.espn.com/hc/en-us/articles/360003913632-Scoring-Formats) for fantasy basketball. Either method can run as head-to-head matchups against one opponent per scoring period or as season-long standings across the whole league. The platform and the league's own settings decide which one applies.

## The formats each platform lists

| Platform | Formats its help pages list | Default it states |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ESPN | Rotisserie, Head-to-Head: Points, Head-to-Head: Each Category, Head-to-Head: Most Categories, Season Points | Default settings are pre-selected when a league is created |
| Yahoo | Head-to-Head Points, Head-to-Head Categories, Head-to-Head One Win, Rotisserie, Season Points | Head-to-Head Points |
| Sleeper | Lock-In Mode, and Game Pick Mode for renewed leagues only | Lock-In Mode |

The ESPN row comes from its [Scoring Formats](https://support.espn.com/hc/en-us/articles/360003913632-Scoring-Formats) and [Scoring Settings](https://support.espn.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000991391-Scoring-Settings) pages. The Yahoo row comes from its [default league settings](https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN6919.html) and [Head-to-Head scoring](https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN6777.html) pages. The Sleeper row comes from its [League Formats & Game Modes](https://support.sleeper.com/en/articles/4644860-league-formats-game-modes) page.

## How ESPN defines its five formats

ESPN's [Scoring Formats](https://support.espn.com/hc/en-us/articles/360003913632-Scoring-Formats) page, updated November 9, 2026, says League Manager leagues can be created with one of five formats and that the league creator can customize them by changing individual categories and points. The page sits in ESPN's Fantasy Basketball help section, and its examples use baseball statistics.

| Format | How ESPN says it is scored |
| --- | --- |
| Rotisserie | Teams are ranked from first to last in each statistical category. Points are awarded by the order in each category and totaled for an overall score and league rank. |
| Head-to-Head: Points | Each statistic has a point value. The team with the most fantasy points against a single opponent in a scoring period gets a win. |
| Head-to-Head: Each Category | Team totals are accumulated for each scoring period, and a win, loss or tie is credited in every category, for example 6-3-1 in a 10-category league. |
| Head-to-Head: Most Categories | Team totals are accumulated across each category for a scoring period, usually Monday through Sunday. The team that wins the most categories gets one win. |
| Season Points | Each statistic has a point value. Standings are based on total points, and the team with the most overall points wins. |

ESPN's [Scoring Settings](https://support.espn.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000991391-Scoring-Settings) page says its default settings are pre-selected when a League Manager league is created and that every available stat category and point value can be edited. The same page says a League Manager can change categories and point values at any time during the season, and that the system then changes all previous game results to match the new settings.

## Yahoo's default point values

Yahoo's [default league settings](https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN6919.html) page says the default scoring setting for all league types in Fantasy Basketball is Head-to-Head Points. The default point values on that page are the same for public leagues and public prize leagues.

| Statistic | Default value on Yahoo |
| --- | --- |
| Points scored | 1 |
| Total rebounds | 1.2 |
| Assists | 1.5 |
| Blocked shots | 3 |
| Steals | 3 |
| Turnovers | -1 |

In Head-to-Head Points, a team plays a different opponent each week, and Yahoo's [Head-to-Head scoring](https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN6777.html) page says the manager with the most total points gets one win added to the win-loss-tie record. The page says the commissioner defines how many points each tracked stat is worth and that points reset at the start of each new game week.

## Yahoo's default categories

The [default league settings](https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN6919.html) page lists the same nine stat categories for Yahoo's default Head-to-Head Categories leagues and its default Rotisserie leagues:

- Points scored
- Total rebounds
- Assists
- Steals
- Turnovers
- Blocked shots
- 3-point shots made
- Field goal percentage
- Free throw percentage

Yahoo's [Head-to-Head scoring](https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN6777.html) page says each stat in Head-to-Head Categories counts as one game per game week, and the weekly wins, losses and ties accumulate in the team's record. Head-to-Head One Win is identical, the page says, except that only one result is added to the record per week, a win for the manager who took the most categories.

Rotisserie has no weekly opponent. Yahoo's [overview of scoring](https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN6818.html) describes it as "Season-long accumulated stats against your entire league." The overview also says that when percentage stats are tied after rounding, Yahoo uses the actual figures to identify the winner and marks that stat with an asterisk.

## How Sleeper scores fantasy basketball

Sleeper's [League Formats & Game Modes](https://support.sleeper.com/en/articles/4644860-league-formats-game-modes) page, dated September 29, 2026, says Lock-In Mode is the default format for new Sleeper fantasy basketball leagues. In Lock-In Mode, one game per week, per player, counts toward the matchup score. A manager can lock in a player's performance after the game ends and must do so before that player's next game begins. Weekly matchups run from Monday through Sunday.

The same page says formats such as Rotisserie, Head-to-Head Categories and 9-Cat "may be considered in the future," and that Sleeper has no plans to offer them at this time. It also says Game Pick Mode is open only to leagues renewed to the 2026-27 season and can no longer be chosen for a new league.

Sleeper's [scoring settings](https://support.sleeper.com/en/articles/4645009-what-scoring-settings-are-available) page says the platform offers 22 scoring settings and marks 11 of them as Sleeper default scoring settings:

- Points scored
- Rebound
- Assist
- Steal
- Block
- Turnover
- 3-point shots made
- Double-double
- Triple-double
- Technical foul
- Flagrant foul

## Sources

1. [Scoring Formats (Fantasy Basketball)](https://support.espn.com/hc/en-us/articles/360003913632-Scoring-Formats), ESPN Fan Support, 2026-11-09 (primary source)
2. [Scoring Settings (Fantasy Basketball)](https://support.espn.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000991391-Scoring-Settings), ESPN Fan Support, 2026-07-15 (primary source)
3. [Default league settings in Fantasy Basketball](https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN6919.html), Yahoo Help (primary source)
4. [Head-to-Head scoring in Yahoo Fantasy](https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN6777.html), Yahoo Help (primary source)
5. [Overview of scoring in Yahoo Fantasy](https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN6818.html), Yahoo Help (primary source)
6. [League Formats & Game Modes](https://support.sleeper.com/en/articles/4644860-league-formats-game-modes), Sleeper Support Center, 2026-09-29 (primary source)
7. [What scoring settings are available?](https://support.sleeper.com/en/articles/4645009-what-scoring-settings-are-available), Sleeper Support Center, 2022-04-07 (primary source)