It's that time of year again. The summer days are getting shorter, kids are returning to school, and the PSLs are back on the menu. But most importantly, Fantasy Football (FF) is here.

Whether this is your first or 25th year in a Fantasy Football league (FFL), the abbreviations, acronyms, and slang FF fans use can make your head spin faster than a Tyreek Hill 40-yard dash. To help keep you in the game, we've compiled a list of terms you should know for drafting your team and staying competitive through the season.

Types of leagues, drafts, and scoring formats

First, you need to know if the league is only for one season (the league may last only one year, you re-draft new players every year, etc.) or a Keeper league, where you keep the players you draft into future seasons. Then, you'll need to know the type of draft you will be partaking in. Typically, it's one of two types:

• Snake draft - Draft where the order reverses (e.g. the last pick in one round is the first in the next round)
• Auction draft - Draft where owners bid on players

Next, you'll need to know the scoring format your league employs. For example, leagues may have different starting positions available and award different point totals for stats. Some terms you will commonly see regarding the scoring format:

• PPR and Half-PPR - PPR leagues award one point for every reception recorded by offensive players, and Half-PPR awards a half point
• QB, RB, WR, TE, Flex, DST, and K - Common starting positions you will be drafting to fill; positions with numbers after them indicate multiple starting slots for that position (e.g., WR2 for the second starting wide receiver)

Terms to know when preparing for the draft

• ADP - The average draft position a player is taken
• Proj - Common abbreviation for the points a player or team is projected to score
• FPG - An abbreviation for the average points a player or a team scored the previous year or is projected to score
• Sleeper - A player drafted late but exceeds expectations
• Reach - Drafting a player too soon
• Fade - Purposely disregarding a player
• Ceiling - The upside of a player (highest they are projected to perform)
• Floor - The downside of a player (lowest they are projected to perform)
• QBBC - Playing multiple QBs during a season
• Handcuff - Backup player that could potentially replace a starting player
• Vulture back - RB who steals scoring chances from the starter

Terms to know during the season

• Waiver hawk - An owner that patrols the waiver wire like a hawk
• Stream - Rotating players in and out of a lineup based on weekly matchups
• Undroppable - A player an owner cannot drop from a team because they are too good
• Trade bait - A player that entices teams to trade for them
• Fleecing - Taking advantage of an owner through a trade (e.g., winning a lopsided trade)
• Draft dasher - An owner that abandons their team after the draft
• Ghostship - A team with no owner because it has been abandoned due to lack of interest, poor sportsmanship, etc.

Knowing these terms will help you dominate your league. But remember, there are many more terms, especially when you join specialized, in-depth leagues. You can find our complete list of terms on our Fantasy Football page.

Finally, after you've studied the FF slang playbook, take our Fantasy Football quiz to see if you are ready for the bright lights!