With a mere two weeks standing between football enthusiasts
and the opening of some of the world’s biggest leagues, the time is nigh to
begin discussing fantasy league ambitions for the upcoming season. If you are
new to the trials and tribulations of managing a football team online, our goal
is to provide some insight into how best to approach the arduous yet hugely
rewarding task of fantasy football management. However, there is no point in
creating and grooming a side of world-beaters in a vacuum. The bragging rights
that come with fantasy league domination are best shared on the forum and for
that, you need to be a member of a league. SBN have created fantasy leagues for
English Premier League and ABSA Premiership junkies alike, so be sure to join
in and stand a chance to win monthly and overall prizes. It’s free!
Fantasy Premier League
Overview
Once you have registered on the website you will be taken to a
screen allowing you to select your squad. Fantasy Premier League managers must
select a squad of 15 players with a budget of £100m and players are priced
according to their threat of scoring points, among other factors. Managers must
fill their squad with two goalkeepers, five defenders, five midfielders and
three forwards. Managers are limited to select a maximum of three players from
any given Barclays Premier League team.
From the 15 members of your squad, you must pick 11 of them to
form your side for the upcoming week of matches. You will only receive points
from the players selected in your Starting XI, however, should one of your
starters not play, they will be substituted for the nearest replacement on your
bench. Remember; if a player does not start for his team but is brought on as a
substitute, if he is a starter in your side, he will receive points for the
minutes he plays. It is only if he doesn’t take to the pitch that a
substitution in your team will occur. Your team can play in any formation
provided that one goalkeeper, at least three defenders and at least one forward
are selected at all times. From your Starting XI, you can nominate a captain
and a vice-captain. Your captain receives double points for the week but should
he play zero minutes, your vice-captain will be selected for double points.
Should both play zero minutes, no player will receive double points.
Before we get
into how to score points, it is important to understand the transfer market.
After selecting your squad, you can make unlimited changes to it until the
beginning of the first gameweek. Thereafter, you will receive one free transfer
for each new gameweek. Each additional transfer you make during that gameweek
will result in four points deducted from your total. If you do not use your
free transfer allocated, it will carry over to the next gameweek, giving you
two free transfers. However, you cannot store more than this and you will only
be allowed a maximum of two free transfers per week. As mentioned, players are
priced according to threat. However, this is slightly misleading. Player prices
also change during the season depending on the popularity of the player in the
transfer market. Therefore, a player’s price will rise if they are scoring
regular points and are in demand by other Fantasy Premier League managers. The
rise and fall of a player’s price affects the value of your team. The higher
your team value, the more money you will have for future transfers. It is
therefore crucial to sell players who are either injured or not performing
well, while at the same time attempting to buy players whose value is on the
rise. Also take note that you only gain 50% of a player’s value gain. For
instance, should you buy a player costing £8m and his value rises to £9m, you
will only be able to sell him for £8.5m. All changes to your team (Starting XI,
transfers, captain changes, substitution priorities) must be made by the
gameweek deadline in order to take effect for that set of matches. Deadlines
are usually one hour before the kick-off time of the first match of the Gameweek.
During the season, your players will be allocated points based
on their performance in the Barclays Premier League. You will need to visit – http://fantasy.premierleague.com/rules/
– for a full breakdown of how points are allocated but I will provide a few
examples. Most simply, a player can score two points for playing 60 minutes or
more. A goal scored by one of your forwards will win you four points, while a
midfielder is allocated five points for a goal and a defender six points.
Goalkeepers and defenders receive four points for keeping a clean sheet while a
midfielder receives one point for a shutout. Points are lost for missing a
penalty, for every two goals conceded, for yellow and red cards and own goals.
There are also bonus points awarded for players that shine in the match. As
illustrated, a player’s points are decided by their actual performance on the
pitch and some players have better opportunities for points than others. For
example, defensive midfielders are usually cheap to buy but have very few
opportunities to score points by virtue of their role in the side. When picking
players, be sure to take into consideration their position on the pitch as well
as the role they are used in by their real-life managers.
Once you have decided on your squad and have familiarised
yourself with the rules and scoring, you are ready to join to the SBN Fantasy
League. Everyone who joins the league is added to the table which is calculated
in order of points scored. If your team has more points than anyone else, you
will find yourself at the top of the table and eligible for prizes. To join the
league, sign into your Fantasy Premier League account, click the tab labelled
Leagues, click Join a League, click Private League and click next. Input the
league code – 339969-89912 – and click Join Private League. Get involved in the
banter by posting your season ambitions on the comment forum!
Strategy
I will not delve too deeply into the tactics behind a successful
fantasy team as they vary widely and are subjective. One man’s team value gain
is another man’s lost points. There is no surefire way to be successful when
playing this game but there are pointers to consider.
●
Stay Up-to-Date:
This will probably not prove too difficult for football addicts but life
can be pretty busy. One lacklustre gameweek when a manager is not paying
attention can often ruin a season. Keep your finger on the pulse of transfers,
injuries and which players are in form. If you know which players are playing,
and playing well, you can instantly gain an advantage over other players who
are slower to react.
●
Start your
season with caution: While it is very easy to get carried away with all of
the summer transfers and fill your squad with new, exciting prospects, it is
often more prudent to begin your season with tried-and-tested performers. Team
stalwarts are more likely to play 90 minutes of early season football as new
signings are introduced sporadically by real-life managers looking to gauge
their talents. By all means, include a marquee signing but be aware that not
all stars adjust to the rigours of the Premier League. Managers who selected
Radamel Falcao immediately last season can attest to this fact.
●
Plan in advance:
Make sure to scrutinise the fixture list and identify teams who have
favourable fixtures (a high percentage of home games, weaker sides) in the
upcoming weeks. Target proven performers in those sides who have a good chance
of returns. Additionally, plan wildcards (unlimited transfers you are allowed
to use twice during the season) around instances when sides play more than once
in a given gameweek. Those players will receive double points and should be
brought into your side at the correct time.
●
Balance: Always
aim to maintain a balanced line-up. While it may seem attractive to spend a
large chunk of your budget on an unstoppable attacking line, bear in mind that
your defence will suffer and end up jeopardising the good work of your
strikers. To add to this, don’t completely neglect your bench. Your bench
should be made up of cost effective players but try to ensure that your bench
is made up of players that still feature for 90 minutes. Should one of your
Starting XI miss the gameweek, there is nothing worse than having a replacement
on your bench who hasn’t got on the pitch.
Kickoff Fantasy (PSL)
The Kickoff Fantasy League for players more interested in the ABSA
Premiership works in much the same way. Register on the website, select your
team name and pick your team. However, be sure to note that there is no budget
when it comes to picking your squad and that your squad consists of 18 players,
with a maximum of three from any PSL club. Your squad consists of two
goalkeepers, six defenders, six midfielders and four strikers. The points
scoring is also slightly different but based on the same principles as the
Fantasy Premier League, in that your selected players are allocated points by
their real-life performances. Captains score double points while vice-captains
come into the equation if your selected captain does not play in the gameweek.
In terms of transfers, they are unlimited. You can make as many changes to your
squad as you like between gameweeks so long as you do not select more than
three players from any one club. All of the usual Fantasy League rules such as
deadlines and automatic substitutions apply.
The key to being successful in the Kickoff Fantasy is to take
care in being fastidious about the fixtures and gameweeks. The ABSA Premiership
does not have the same fixture structure as the English Premier League and so
managers can capitalise on the free transfers granted each week. Take note of
which sides are actually playing in each gameweek and adapt accordingly. Fill
your side with players who are playing at home and are in good form. Again, it
is advisable to look at proven performers during the first part of the season
as new signings take time to bed in and take effect.
In conclusion, this is just about the most fun a football
lover can have on the internet. Playing in a Fantasy League not only provides
plenty of opportunities for gloating among friends and colleagues, it forces
you to keep up-to-date with your chosen league and broadens your knowledge on
the subject. It gives you yet another reason to obsess about the beautiful game
and experience highs and lows akin to proper football management. Join one of
the SBN leagues today and reign supreme!
Written by Rick John Henry for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!