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Fantasy Football Head To Head Contest

What is head to head contest in fantasy football? Get ready to learn what it means to use head to head contest when playing FF.

What are Head to Head Leagues in Fantasy Football?

A head to head league in fantasy football is a type of league in which teams face off against one another each week. Much like a real-life game of football, one team walks away with a win while the other is handed a loss.


Unlike other formats where the eventual champion of the league has the most total points, head to head leagues are all about win-loss record. Two teams compete against each other, with the winning team scoring more overall fantasy points than the losing team. The winning team then sees its win-loss record benefit, while the loser suffers an additional tally in the loss column. For example, if Team A is facing Team B in week 1 of the fantasy season and Team A scores 100 points while Team B scores 95 points, the former moves to 1-0 while the latter moves to 0-1.

Fantasy points are not cumulative in head to head leagues and count only for the current matchup before resetting for the following week's matchup. It does not matter if the winning team scores 120 points or 80 points, as either score still results in a win that is weighted just the same.

Weekly Matchups

The teams that win the most number of head to head matchups throughout the course of the regular season make the playoffs and face off against other teams with a relatively high win percentage. The format does not change in the playoffs, as advancing to the next round requires only that you beat your opponent, even if by the slimmest of margins.


Head to head leagues tend to give fantasy owners slightly more flexibility on draft day than league types such as category leagues. Whereas category leagues require teams to win the highest number of statistical categories (passing yards, rushing yards, interceptions, etc.) and thus force owners to draft a diverse group of players to fill each position, head to head leagues merely require owners to select players that can be relied on to provide consistent fantasy points.

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