Rules
The current format, and every amendment since 2016. The league's bylaws are in the Constitution.
In progress
Current format, 2026
| Setting | Value | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Sleeper | 2021 |
| Teams | 12 | 2016, founding |
| Divisions | none | 2021 |
| Regular-season weeks | 14 | 2021 |
| Playoffs start | week 15 | 2021 |
| Playoff teams | 6 | 2021 |
| First-round byes | 2 | 2021 |
| Seeding | Top 5 by record then points for, then the best points for among the rest | 2021 |
| Toilet bowl for non-playoff teams | yes | 2021 |
| Score precision | decimal points | 2018 |
| Points per reception | 1 | 2021 |
| Starting lineup | QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, IDP FLEX, DL, LB, DB | 2021 |
| Starters | 11 | 2021 |
| Bench spots | 9 | 2024 |
| Roster size (starters plus bench) | 20 | 2024 |
| Kicker slot | no | 2018 |
| Taxi squad spots | 4 | 2024 |
| Taxi eligibility | 1 season | 2021 |
| Veterans allowed on the taxi squad | yes | 2023 |
| Injured reserve spots | 2 | 2023 |
| Waiver system | FAAB blind bidding | 2021 |
| FAAB budget | $300 | 2023 |
| Daily waivers | on | 2023 |
| Waiver clear time | 1 day | 2024 |
| Trade deadline | week 12 | 2025 |
| Trade review window | 1 day | 2021 |
| Veto votes to overturn a trade | 6 | 2022 |
| Rookie draft rounds | 3 | 2023 |
| Rookie draft order | linear | 2017 |
| Future pick trading | on | 2021 |
| Bench lock | on | 2021 |
| League type | dynasty | 2021 |
| Max keepers | 1 | 2021 |
Scroll for more columns
Bold means new this season; 0 changed.
Sleeper 2021–2026
Scoring
Unchanged since 2021.
Offense
| Category | Points |
|---|---|
| Passing yard | 0.04 |
| Passing touchdown | 4 |
| Interception thrown | −2 |
| Two-point pass | 2 |
| Rushing yard | 0.1 |
| Rushing touchdown | 6 |
| Two-point rush | 2 |
| Reception | 1 |
| Receiving yard | 0.1 |
| Receiving touchdown | 6 |
| Two-point catch | 2 |
| Fumble lost | −1 |
| Fumble recovery touchdown | 6 |
Scroll for more columns
Individual defensive players
| Category | Points |
|---|---|
| IDP solo tackle | 1.75 |
| IDP assisted tackle | 0.75 |
| IDP tackle for loss | 2 |
| IDP sack | 4 |
| IDP quarterback hit | 0 |
| IDP interception | 6 |
| IDP forced fumble | 4 |
| IDP fumble recovery | 4 |
| IDP pass defended | 1.5 |
| IDP safety | 10 |
| IDP blocked kick | 6 |
| IDP defensive touchdown | 6 |
Scroll for more columns
Settings by season
Amendments
Bold cells changed from the season before.
| Setting | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 so far |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform | MFL | MFL | MFL | MFL | MFL | Sleeper (changed) | Sleeper | Sleeper | Sleeper | Sleeper | Sleeper |
| Divisions | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | none (changed) | none | none | none | none | none |
| Regular-season weeks | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 (changed) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Playoff weeks | 14–16 | 14–16 | 14–16 | 14–16 | 14–16 | 15–17 (changed) | 15–17 | 15–17 | 15–17 | 15–17 | 15–17 |
| Playoff teams · byes | 6 · 2 | 6 · 2 | 6 · 2 | 6 · 2 | 7 · 1 (changed) | 6 · 2 (changed) | 6 · 2 | 6 · 2 | 6 · 2 | 6 · 2 | 6 · 2 |
| Toilet bowl | no | no | no | no | no | yes (changed) | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Score precision | whole | whole | decimal (changed) | decimal | decimal | decimal | decimal | decimal | decimal | decimal | decimal |
| Kicker slot | yes | yes | no (changed) | no | no | no | no | no | no | no | no |
| Roster size | 20 | 20 | 16 (changed) | 16 | 16 | 18 (changed) | 18 | 18 | 20 (changed) | 20 | 20 |
| Starters | 11 | 11 | 10 (changed) | 10 | 10 | 11 (changed) | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| Bench | 9 | 9 | 6 (changed) | 6 | 6 | 7 (changed) | 7 | 7 | 9 (changed) | 9 | 9 |
| Taxi squad | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 (changed) | 4 (changed) | 4 | 4 |
| Injured reserve | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 (changed) | 1 (changed) | 1 | 2 (changed) | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| FAAB budget | none | none | none | none | none | $100 (changed) | $200 (changed) | $300 (changed) | $300 | $300 | $300 |
| Trade deadline | none | none | none | none | none | wk 14 (changed) | wk 14 | wk 14 | wk 14 | wk 12 (changed) | wk 12 |
| Rookie draft rounds | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 (changed) | 8 | 3 (changed) | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Scroll for more columns
Playoff teams · first-round byes. MFL had no trade deadline or FAAB.
By season
Settings changes
43 changes since 2016.
- Trade deadlinewk 14 to wk 12
Brackets by season
Playoff format
| Year | Bracket | Divisions | Weeks | Seeding | Reproduces bracket | Points Wildcard | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 6 teams · 2 byes | 3 | 13 · playoffs 14–16 | 3 division winners, 2 by record, 1 by points | yes | Noah (5–8, seed 6) over Nolan (6–7) | Kent |
| 2017 | 6 teams · 2 byes | 3 | 13 · playoffs 14–16 | 3 division winners, 2 by record, 1 by points | yes | Kent (5–8, seed 6) over Kris (6–7) | Evan |
| 2018 | 6 teams · 2 byes | 3 | 13 · playoffs 14–16 | 3 division winners, 2 by record, 1 by points | yes | Noah (5–8, seed 6) over Ryan (7–6) | Jake |
| 2019 | 6 teams · 2 byes | 3 | 13 · playoffs 14–16 | 3 division winners, 2 by record, 1 by points | yes | Alex (6–7, seed 6) over Evan (7–6) | Jake |
| 2020 | 7 teams · 1 bye | 3 | 13 · playoffs 14–16 | 3 division winners, 2 by record, 1 by points (2 by points in 2020) | yes | Dylan (5–8, seed 6) over Ryan (5–8); Ben (5–8, seed 7) over Ryan (5–8) | Alex |
| 2021 | 6 teams · 2 byes | none | 14 · playoffs 15–17 | top 5 by record, 1 by points | yes | Kent (7–7, seed 6) over Dylan (8–6) | Evan |
| 2022 | 6 teams · 2 byes | none | 14 · playoffs 15–17 | top 5 by record, 1 by points | yes | Alex (8–6, seed 6) over Evan (7–7) | Alex |
| 2023 | 6 teams · 2 byes | none | 14 · playoffs 15–17 | top 5 by record, 1 by points | yes | Kyle (7–7, seed 6) over Evan (8–6) | Noah |
| 2024 (commissioner override) | 6 teams · 2 byes | none | 14 · playoffs 15–17 | top 5 by record, 1 by points | yes | Alex (5–9, seed 6) over Dylan (7–7) | NolanOverride |
| 2025 (commissioner override) | 6 teams · 2 byes | none | 14 · playoffs 15–17 | top 5 by record, 1 by points | yes | Noah (6–8, seed 6) over Sirac (7–7) | NoahOverride |
| 2026 | 6 teams · 2 byes | none | 14 · playoffs 15–17 | top 5 by record, 1 by points | — | projected: Bo | In progress |
Scroll for more columns
Bold rows: commissioner override.
End of season
Taxi and injured reserve
The taxi squad went from 19 of 24 spots filled in 2016 to 48 of 48 in 2025. The cap doubled and the league filled it.
| Year | Taxi used | Full squads | IR used | Taxi · IR moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 19 of 24 (79%) | 8 of 12 | 8 of 12 (67%) | 43 · 16 |
| 2017 | 17 of 24 (71%) | 6 of 12 | 10 of 12 (83%) | 51 · 34 |
| 2018 | 18 of 24 (75%) | 8 of 12 | 10 of 12 (83%) | 70 · 38 |
| 2019 | 17 of 24 (71%) | 7 of 12 | 9 of 12 (75%) | 58 · 31 |
| 2020 | 19 of 24 (79%) | 8 of 12 | 14 of 24 (58%) | 128 · 63 |
| 2021 | 21 of 24 (88%) | 10 of 12 | 10 of 12 (83%) | not logged |
| 2022 | 23 of 24 (96%) | 11 of 12 | 12 of 12 (100%) | not logged |
| 2023 | 35 of 36 (97%) | 11 of 12 | 18 of 24 (75%) | not logged |
| 2024 | 46 of 48 (96%) | 11 of 12 | 23 of 24 (96%) | not logged |
| 2025 (every taxi spot filled) | 48 of 48 (100%) | 12 of 12 | 23 of 24 (96%) | not logged |
| 2026 so far | 47 of 48 (98%) | 11 of 12 | 16 of 24 (67%) | not logged |
Scroll for more columns
Bold rows: every taxi spot filled. Sleeper does not log taxi and IR moves.
Reference
Glossary
- FAABfree-agent acquisition budget
- The waiver budget. Each owner bids blind from $300 a season (since 2023); the high bid wins and unspent money does not carry over. MFL waivers were first come, first served.
- IDPindividual defensive players
- Defensive players score as individuals instead of as a team defense. The lineup starts DL, LB, DB and an IDP flex; a solo tackle is worth 1.75 and a sack 4.
- Taxi squad
- 4 roster spots (since 2024) for players with at most 1 season of experience, veterans allowed. Taxi players do not count against the active roster and cannot be started.
- IRinjured reserve
- 2 roster spots (since 2023) for players the platform lists as out or on injured reserve. They do not count against the active roster.
- All-play record
- A team's record if it played every other team every week: a win for each team it out-scored, a loss for each that out-scored it. It removes the luck of the schedule.
- Luck index
- Actual wins minus the wins the all-play record predicts. Positive means the schedule helped.
- Era-adjusted
- A score relative to its own season, because MFL whole-point scoring and Sleeper full-PPR scoring with IDP are not comparable raw. Either a z-score or an index (score over the season mean, times 100).
- Points Wildcard
- The last playoff seed goes to the highest-scoring team left outside the record line, whatever its record. Top 5 by record then points for, then the best points for among the rest. On MFL the line was the three division winners and two record wildcards.
- Last place
- Last place = the non-playoff team with the lowest regular-season points for (same team that gets pick 1.01).
- Toilet bowl
- The Sleeper consolation bracket, played in reverse: the lower score advances. Kept as lore only: it never decides last place, 12th place, punishments or draft slots.
- Seat
- One of the twelve franchise chairs, numbered by original franchise and carried across owner handoffs. Careers never merge across a handoff; only the seat view adds them.
- Lineal belt
- Held by the 2016 champion after the title game; from 2017 week 1, whoever beats the holder in a real game takes it. Consolation, toilet-bowl and fifth-place games do not count.
- Points King
- The team with the most regular-season points for in a season, whatever its record.
- Real games
- Regular-season, playoff, championship and third-place games. They count for streaks, the belt, head-to-head and playoff records. Fifth-place and consolation games are excluded.
- Z-score
- How far a score sits from average, in standard deviations: the score minus that week's mean, divided by that week's standard deviation. Zero is average; +1 beats about five in six scores.
- Dynasty Elo
- A rating that starts every owner at 1500 and moves after every rated game: the winner takes what the loser gives up, and bigger margins move it further. It runs through the 2021 platform move and slides a third of the way back to 1500 before each season. Consolation, toilet-bowl and fifth-place games are not rated.
- Pythagorean expectation
- The wins a team's points suggest it should have: points for raised to a power, divided by that plus points against raised to the same power, times games played. The exponent here is 6.7, fitted to this league's own seasons. A team above its line won more than its scoring earned.
- Points King curse
- The Points King often fails to win the title. The count sorts every Points King by how its season ended: champion, lost the final, or missed the final.
- Crown
- The highest score in the league in a given week.
- Spoon
- The lowest score in the league in a given week, the opposite of the crown.
p. RL