Claiming that your opponent believes something that they do not because the made up belief (the Strawman) is easier to attack than their real argument. This can happen both intentionally and accidentally. To avoid committing a Strawman Fallacy, be sure that you fully understand your opponent's argument and that you are addressing it with your statement.

A Strawman can seem similar to a Red Herring, the distinction being a Strawman changes the opponent's argument while the Red Herring changes the topic.