In fantasy football, laterals are generally not directly scored for fantasy points. The primary way a player scores points is through accumulating offensive or defensive statistics that are explicitly assigned point values by the league’s scoring system. This means actions like touchdowns, receptions, yardage gains, and defensive stops are what drive fantasy scores.
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Fathoming The Nuances of Laterals in Fantasy
Laterals in football, also known as backward passes, are a fascinating part of the game. They’re often used in trick plays, to keep a play alive, or to try and gain an advantage on the field. But when it comes to fantasy football, how do these often-unconventional passes translate into points for your team? The answer is, for the most part, they don’t, directly. The scoring in fantasy football is built around traditional offensive and defensive statistics. However, understanding how a lateral could indirectly impact scoring, or how specific league settings might treat them, is crucial for any serious fantasy manager.
The Core Scoring Principles
Fantasy football leagues award points based on the real-world performance of players. The most common scoring categories include:
- Passing Touchdowns: Awarded to quarterbacks for throwing touchdown passes.
- Passing Yards: Awarded to quarterbacks for yards gained through passes.
- Rushing Touchdowns: Awarded to running backs and quarterbacks for rushing touchdowns.
- Rushing Yards: Awarded to running backs and quarterbacks for yards gained by running.
- Receiving Touchdowns: Awarded to wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs for touchdowns caught.
- Receiving Yards: Awarded to wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs for yards gained by catching passes.
- Points per Reception (PPR): A popular scoring format where players earn points for each reception they make, in addition to yardage and touchdowns. This significantly boosts the value of pass-catching backs and receivers.
- Half-PPR: A middle ground, awarding half a point per reception.
- Standard Scoring: The traditional format, where points are primarily awarded for touchdowns, yardage, and sometimes interceptions or fumbles for defensive players.
Laterals, being backward passes, don’t fit neatly into these primary scoring categories for the passer. They don’t count as passing yards or passing touchdowns in the traditional sense.
How a Lateral Could Indirectly Affect Scoring
While a lateral itself doesn’t earn points for the passer, it can set up a situation where another player on your fantasy team scores. This is where the indirect impact comes in.
Let’s consider a scenario:
- A wide receiver catches a short pass.
- The wide receiver then throws a lateral pass to a trailing running back.
- The running back catches the lateral and runs for a touchdown.
In this instance:
- The wide receiver who caught the initial pass gets credit for reception yards. If it’s a PPR league, they also get points for the reception itself.
- The running back who received the lateral and scored the touchdown gets credit for a rushing touchdown and rushing yards.
The player who threw the lateral, even though they made the pass, does not typically receive any passing yards or a passing touchdown. Their stat line remains unchanged by the act of throwing the lateral.
The Passer’s Perspective
What if the player throwing the lateral is a quarterback?
Imagine a quarterback rolls out and throws a lateral to a receiver who is behind the line of scrimmage. The receiver then catches it and runs for a touchdown.
- The quarterback does not get credit for passing yards or a passing touchdown.
- The receiver gets credit for reception yards and a receiving touchdown.
This is a key distinction. The NFL’s official statisticians generally credit yards gained after a backward pass to the player who carries the ball. The passer is not penalized for throwing a lateral, but they also do not gain statistical credit for the yardage gained after the lateral.
Specific Scoring Categories and Laterals
Let’s break down how laterals interact with different scoring formats:
Standard Scoring
In standard scoring leagues, which typically focus on touchdowns, yardage, and occasionally defensive stats, laterals have minimal direct impact.
- Passer: No points are awarded for throwing a lateral.
- Receiver of Lateral: If the receiver of the lateral gains yardage or scores a touchdown, they will be credited with those stats as if they received a forward pass (for yardage) or gained those yards rushing (if they run after the catch).
PPR Scoring and Half-PPR
PPR scoring and half-PPR are designed to reward players for catching the ball. This adds another layer to how a lateral might be viewed, though still indirectly.
- Passer: Again, no points for throwing the lateral.
- Receiver of Lateral: The player who catches the lateral will receive points for the reception itself in PPR and half-PPR formats. They will also get points for any yards gained after the catch. This makes the player who catches the lateral more valuable in these formats, as they can accumulate points from both the reception and subsequent yardage.
Fantasy Points for WRs and Wide Receiver Scoring
Wide receivers, in particular, can be involved in lateral plays. Sometimes a wide receiver might be the one throwing a lateral on a trick play. More commonly, they are the ones receiving a lateral from another player, like a running back or even another receiver.
- WR Throwing a Lateral: The receiver throwing the lateral does not gain passing yards or a passing touchdown. They might get credit for the initial reception that led to the lateral, but the act of throwing the lateral itself doesn’t add to their score.
- WR Receiving a Lateral: If a wide receiver catches a lateral, they will gain reception yards and, in PPR formats, points for the reception. If they then run for a touchdown after catching the lateral, they will be credited with a receiving touchdown and receiving yards.
Impact on Quarterbacks
Quarterbacks, whose primary fantasy production comes from passing yards and passing touchdowns, are largely unaffected statistically by laterals.
- Interceptions Thrown: A lateral can never be an interception. An interception is defined as a forward pass caught by an opponent.
- Fumbles Lost: A lateral can be fumbled. If a player throws a lateral and the ball is dropped backward, and an opponent recovers it, that would be a fumble. If the player who fumbled possessed the ball prior to the lateral, it would count as a fumble lost against them. This is a rare but possible scenario.
Trick Plays and Laterals: A Fantasy Manager’s Dilemma
Trick plays often involve laterals and can be a source of big fantasy points, but it’s crucial to know who is getting the credit.
Consider a “double pass” play:
- A quarterback throws a forward pass to a running back.
- The running back then throws a lateral pass to a wide receiver.
- The wide receiver runs for a touchdown.
In this scenario:
- The quarterback gets credit for the initial forward pass completion and any yards gained on that pass.
- The running back does not get passing yards or a passing touchdown for the lateral.
- The wide receiver gets credit for receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.
The risk with trick plays is that they are less predictable. While they can lead to big plays, they also have a higher chance of resulting in turnovers or incompletions. For fantasy purposes, always focus on the player who ultimately crosses the goal line or gains yardage, and who catches the ball.
Official NFL Scoring Rules and Fantasy
The NFL’s official scoring rules dictate how stats are recorded, and fantasy leagues then translate these stats into points.
- Backward Pass: A backward pass is defined as a pass thrown parallel to or behind the passer.
- Forward Pass: A forward pass is a pass thrown toward the opponent’s goal line.
Fantasy scoring is primarily driven by the results of these passes. A backward pass that results in a touchdown for the player who possesses the ball after the lateral will credit that player with the touchdown and any yardage gained. The player who threw the lateral does not get credited with passing yards or a passing touchdown.
Defensive Scoring and Laterals
For defensive players in fantasy football, laterals don’t directly contribute to most common scoring categories.
- Interceptions: A lateral cannot be intercepted.
- Fumbles Recovered: If a lateral is muffed and recovered by the defense, it counts as a fumble recovery for the defensive player and their team. This can earn fantasy points depending on the league settings.
- Sacks, Tackles, Pass Defenses: These are not directly affected by laterals.
However, a lateral play that goes wrong could lead to a turnover, which the defense can capitalize on. For instance, if a lateral is fumbled and recovered by the defense, that’s a positive fantasy outcome for the defensive player who made the recovery.
Common Misconceptions
One common misconception is that a player who throws a lateral somehow “counts” their yards as if it were a forward pass. This is not the case. The official scorer is focused on the player who ends up with the ball and advances it.
Another area of confusion can be around players who are eligible to throw passes. While only quarterbacks are typically expected to pass, any player can throw a lateral. This means a receiver or running back could be the one throwing a lateral on a play. In such cases, they gain no passing stats from the lateral.
Player Positions and Lateral Involvement
Different positions are affected differently by laterals:
- Quarterbacks: As discussed, they don’t gain passing stats from laterals. They are more likely to be on the receiving end of a lateral from another offensive player on a trick play, or to throw one themselves to avoid a sack (though this is rare and risky).
- Running Backs: Running backs are often involved in laterals, either receiving them to gain yardage or, on rare occasions, throwing them themselves. If a running back catches a lateral and scores, they get rushing yards/TDs. If they throw one, they gain no passing stats.
- Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: These players are frequent receivers of laterals, especially on screen passes or trick plays. They will get reception yards and, in PPR, reception points. If they catch a lateral and then score, they are credited with receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. They can also be the ones to throw a lateral on a gadget play.
The Strategy Behind Laterals in Fantasy
As a fantasy manager, you don’t draft players specifically because they throw laterals. Instead, you draft players who are consistently involved in scoring plays. However, awareness of how laterals can contribute indirectly is valuable:
- Player Usage: Knowing if a team uses trick plays involving laterals might give a slight edge to a receiver or running back who is often on the receiving end of these plays.
- PPR Value: In PPR leagues, a player who frequently catches laterals, even if for short yardage, can gain valuable reception points.
- Exploiting Scoring Rules: Some deep leagues might have obscure scoring categories. Always check your league’s specific rules to see if there are any unusual bonuses or penalties.
Summary Table: How Laterals Impact Fantasy Scoring
| Action | Passer’s Fantasy Impact (General) | Receiver’s Fantasy Impact (General) | PPR/Half-PPR Impact for Receiver | Defensive Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Throwing Lateral | No passing yards/TDs | N/A | N/A | No direct impact |
| Catching Lateral | N/A | Reception Yards | Reception Points + Yards | No direct impact |
| Lateral Fumbled & Recovered by Defense | Fumble Lost (possible) | N/A | N/A | Fumble Recovery (points) |
| Lateral Caught by Opponent (Intentional or Accidental) | No penalty, no stat | N/A | N/A | No direct impact (not an interception) |
Final Thoughts on Laterals in Fantasy Football
In conclusion, laterals in fantasy football are not scored directly for the player who throws them. They do not contribute to passing yards, passing touchdowns, or quarterback ratings. However, the player who receives the lateral can certainly benefit, gaining reception yards and, in PPR leagues, valuable reception points. If the player who catches the lateral then scores, they will be credited with a touchdown and the yardage gained. For defensive players, a fumbled lateral recovered by their team can lead to fantasy points. Always consult your specific league’s scoring settings, as variations can exist, though the core principle of laterals not directly scoring for the passer remains consistent across most platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Does throwing a lateral count as a pass attempt in fantasy football?
A1: No, throwing a lateral does not count as a pass attempt for fantasy scoring purposes. Pass attempts are generally counted for forward passes.
Q2: Can a lateral be an interception in fantasy football?
A2: No, a lateral cannot be an interception. An interception is specifically a forward pass caught by an opposing player.
Q3: If a running back throws a lateral to a wide receiver who scores, does the running back get any fantasy points?
A3: The running back who threw the lateral does not get any fantasy points for the throw itself. The wide receiver will get points for the reception, reception yards, and the receiving touchdown.
Q4: If a lateral is fumbled and the defense recovers, does the defender score fantasy points?
A4: Yes, if a lateral is fumbled and recovered by the defense, the defender who recovers the fumble will typically score fantasy points for a fumble recovery, depending on the league’s scoring system.
Q5: Are there any leagues where laterals are scored for the passer?
A5: It is extremely rare, but technically a league could implement a custom rule to award points for laterals. However, standard and common custom scoring systems do not award points for throwing laterals. The official NFL scoring rules do not credit passers with yards or touchdowns on laterals.