It’s not quite Christmas, but for fantasy football degenerates, the Scott Fish Bowl rules drop may be the next best thing. For the uninitiated, Scott Fish Bowl is a charity-driven fantasy football event that brings together thousands of fantasy football fanatics, ranging from television personalities to basement dwellers in search of fantasy glory. Unlike other tournaments, the rules vary year over year, so confirmed participants and eager hopefuls gather in mass to hear the scoring format and begin to prepare for their drafts.
All proceeds from the tournament benefit the charity Fantasy Cares, which donates to a variety of charitable causes, including Toys for Tots, No Kid Hungry, and Play Like a Girl, to name a few.
You can sign up and donate HERE.
SFB15 Twist
The theme of the SFB15 scoring is “Volume is King”. Players will be rewarded for both their offensive AND defensive impacts, so the higher the impact on the field, the higher their weekly scores will be. This could give a boost to players on turnover-prone teams, players who have special teams roles, and a certain rookie who is expected to play on both sides of the ball.
Team Format
One of the most notable changes for SFB15 is the way that starting lineups are constructed. Gone are the days when players are required to field a lineup with players from each position. In SFB15, players will have two Superflex (QB/RB/WR/TE) and nine Flex (RB/WR/TE) players in their starting lineup, with eleven bench spots. In theory, you could have a starting lineup with ELEVEN tight ends. Radical right?
This format will give players a lot of freedom. It’s imperative to zig when other players are zagging and draft with a best player available mindset. Looking at the top 132 projected players, there is a surprisingly even split across positions, as you can see below. Teams will likely have two QBs in their lineup, but you won’t have to race to the podium in early rounds for one like you do in your typical Superflex drafts. This is a cool twist that I didn’t see coming at all.
| Position | Number of Players |
|---|---|
| QB | 32 |
| RB | 35 |
| WR | 49 |
| TE | 16 |
Third Round Reversal
The biggest detail yet to be revealed is whether or not a third round reversal will be implemented for drafts. With many players already locked into their draft slots, bookend drafters are on pins and needles waiting to hear the fate of their selection. While it has not been confirmed, Scott hinted that third round reversal would not be utilized this season, bucking the trend of recent years. Given the flexibility of the format, this should not pose any major impacts either way.
SFB15 Scoring
Passing Points
- Touchdowns = 6 points
- 2 Point Conversions = 2 points
- .04 points per passing yard
The scoring for passing is fairly chalk. One nuance to be aware of is that all touchdowns are worth 6 points, and there is no bonus for a passing first down. There was a lot of speculation that quarterbacks would be nerfed. It’s evident that Scott envisioned a more difficult decision when deciding on your Superflex starters.
Dual-threat QBs will continue to reign supreme as the rushing bonuses will provide a competitive advantage relative to pocket passers. You will likely be better suited utilizing a non-QB over a pocket passer in a low-scoring offense so be weary of panic picking quarterbacks because of the Superflex format. Only one quarterback (Lamar Jackson) would have finished in the Top 10 last year using this scoring. Seeing this, I don’t anticipate taking a QB early.
The second year trio of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix provide sneaky rushing upside that may not be as pronounced as the elite tier of QBs. That could pay dividends for players who do not wish to spend early capital on a QB.
Rushing Points
- Touchdowns = 6 points
- 2 Point Conversion = 2 points
- 0.1 points per rushing yard
- 0.5 points per carry
- 1 point per rushing first down
The scoring for rushing has the added nuance of points per carry and first downs. These bonuses make short-distance backs more enticing as they don’t have to have big plays to rack up points. This goes hand in hand with the “Volume is Key” theme.
In split-backfield scenarios, it would seem easy to pivot to the third-down pass-catching back. However, I would advise looking at projected total touches before blindly making that decision. While the 2.5 PPR appears like it would be overpowering, 20-30 receptions may not be enough to overcome third and short or goal line work.
With Kellen Moore taking over in New Orleans, I feel that Alvin Kamara is greatly suited to dominate this format. Don’t let the age fool you. With a lack of competition at the RB position, a negative game script anticipated, and a fast paced offense, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him finish as a top 5 RB.
Receiving Points
- Touchdowns = 6 points
- 2 Point Conversion = 2 points
- 0.1 points per receiving yard
- 1 point per receiving first down
- 1 point per target (MFL Only)
- 1 point per reception (MFL Only)
- 2.5 points per reception (Sleeper Only)
- 1 point Tight End Premium (per reception)
Now, we are getting freaky! There is a split between platforms, but according to Scott, the points should balance out regardless of platform. Having such a large PPR value makes high-volume, pass-catching running backs the prize possession of early rounds. Looking back at the 2024 data, the top-scoring player was Bijan Robinson with 672 points. Saquon Barkley, Ja’Marr Chase, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Lamar Jackson rounded out the Top 5. It’s not unreasonable to see them be the first five off the board in 2025.
The Tight End premium is a fun element as well and makes Brock Bowers and Trey McBride extremely enticing. There is a huge fall-off after those two, though. If you can’t get a stud tight end, I’d probably punt on the position altogether.
IDP Points
- Sack – 6 points
- Safety – 6 points
- Interception – 6 points
- Block – 3 points
- Forced Fumble – 3 points
- Fumble Recovery (from opponent) – 3 points
- Tackle – 2 points
- Assisted Tackle – 1 point
- Tackle for Loss – 1 point
- Pass defended – 1 point
Travis Hunter, how the heck are ya? The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner gets superstar treatment in his first year in the NFL. An SFB rule has been designed entirely for him! The IDP points seem to offer a sexy upside, but ultimately, I think that this will cause him to be over-drafted. Even with the double-dipping potential, I don’t see myself drafting him in the first three 3-rounds. Brian Thomas Jr. is the alpha in that offense, and given that “Volume is King”, I don’t think Hunter will have the volume to be drafted that early.
For the rest of these lazy bums, you might get lucky here and there. It’s not something that should impact strategy too much.
Check back in the next couple of weeks for deeper analysis on the SFB15 draft strategy. And in the meantime, check out some of our other fantasy articles HERE.
Let us know who YOU think is the best SFB15 draft pick over at The Fantasy Advice Network.