Dream Team

DREAM TEAM managers who took a punt on Diogo Jota (£4.5m) in Gameweek 1 were handsomely rewarded.All the pre-season hints suggested that the Portugal international would start the campaign as Liverpool’s first-choice centre-forward and that proved to be the case against Ipswich on Saturday.Jota justified his selection with a goal at Portman RoadCredit: Dream TeamThe Tractor Boys gave a good account of themselves upon their return to the top flight but there’s no denying the fixture computer dealt them a rough hand and the quality of Arne Slot’s side ultimately prevailed in the second half.Jota opened the scoring with a typically precise finish on the hour-mark to cap off a classy move.The 27-year-old was replaced by Cody Gakpo (£4.5m) with just over ten minutes of normal time remaining but his job was done with nine Dream Team points to show for his efforts.In fact, greedy gaffers may have wanted more from him as he also missed a header from close range just prior to his goal for what would have been a thoroughly deserved assist for Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.5m).Salah was also on target for the Reds in Gameweek 1Credit: EPAJota’s owners should be satisfied with a nine-point return, especially as it’s likely to cement his status as starting striker, for the time being at least.Liverpool’s fixtures appear relatively favourable until mid-October and so the player tasked with occupying the space between the posts in the opposition’s box clearly has huge potential.Jota is statistically one of the most efficient finishers in the Premier League and he averages a goal every 139 minutes in the top flight since his switch to Anfield.The problem is that injuries have limited his game time across the last two years.Most read in FootballIf he can stay fit and Slot is willing to give him a consistent run of starts, he could quickly make a mockery of his £4.5m starting price.Nunez was an unused substitute on SaturdayOf course, this would be bad news for Dream Team bosses keen on Darwin Nunez (£4.5m) and the aforementioned Gakpo.With Mohamed Salah (£7m) a lock on the right flank, there’s stiff competition for the other two places in the front three, with Luis Diaz (£4.5m) also in the mix.A sustained run of starts for Jota would inevitably mean reduced minutes for the other options capable of leading the line.It’s telling that both Nunez and Gakpo are already among the most transferred-out players ahead of Gameweek 2.Dream Team bosses will have to learn Slot’s preferences quicklyCredit: ReutersPredicting starting line-ups for Gameweek 1 is difficult – this is particularly true for teams with new managers – and so many gaffers will be using their two transfers to correct any errors in judgement prior to Gameweek 2.This is no time to be stubborn, holding onto a non-starter throughout August will only compound the problem. Gary Neville reveals mega-money bet with Jamie Carragher on Man Utd v Liverpool in title race as Keane picks his winner More

DREAM TEAM are determined to give you cash this season.Our beloved fantasy football game remains the star attraction but there’s all sorts of ways you can win prizes throughout the 2024/25 campaign – we’re anticipating 100+ winners overall!PLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON – £50,000 TOP PRIZE PLUS £5,000 FOR GAMEWEEK 1 WINNER!Become a winner with Dream Team this season!Credit: Dream TeamHIT THE JACKPOTThe manager who tops the fantasy leaderboard come the end of the season will bank a whopping £50,000!We’re also giving away £1,000 each to the gaffers who finish 2nd to 11th.QUICK OUT THE BLOCKSTo kick-off the new season in style, we’re putting up £5,000 in Gameweek 1.Gameweek 1 features the first round of Premier League fixtures, starting with Manchester United v Fulham on Friday night and ending with Leicester v Tottenham on Monday night.If your XI earns the most points from the first ten games, you’ll find yourself £5,000 richer!Most read in Dream TeamBut be warned, you are not eligible to win the prize if you activate one of your three Boosters – you’re better off keeping them holstered anyway.Alexander Isak is a popular selection ahead of Gameweek with Newcastle set to host SouthamptonCredit: PAWEEKLY WINSFrom Gameweek 2 onwards, the weekly winner will bank a cool £250 – that’s up £150 from last season.Again, you won’t be eligible to win the weekly prize when you play your Boosters – we want an even playing field.EXTRA LIFEIf you fall foul of some unfortunate injuries or are guilty of one too many ill-judged transfers throughout the first half of the season, our Second Shot League gives you the opportunity to start fresh.No matter what happens beforehand, whomever amasses the most points from January 3rd (just prior to Gameweek 18) until the end of the campaign will bank £3,500.There’s £1,000 for the runner-up and £500 for third as well.Dream Team’s Fantasy Football GamePLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON!£5,000 prize for the manager who earns the most points in Gameweek 1 – master the opening weekend for a HUGE payout!Play in Mini Leagues against your mates£50,000 jackpot for overall winner plus other weekly prizesPlay for FREE via Dream Team’s app or website today!CRYSTAL BALLDon’t forget to play Score Predictor with Dream Team this season.Simply estimate the scores of five selected Premier League games each Matchweek and earn points based on the accuracy of your predictions.As with our fantasy game, there’s an ongoing leaderboard for the entire season, as well £250 for each weekly winner.The overall winner will pocket £3,500, with £1,000 and £500 for second and third respectively.PICK A WINNERLast Man Standing is our shiny new game for the 2024/25 season.Pick a Premier League team to win and you’ll advance to the next Matchweek if they bag the three points.If your chosen team draws or loses, you’re eliminated!But here’s the catch, you can only select each team ONCE – so you can’t pick Manchester City every week!Outlast your rivals to win cash.Play Last Man Standing with Dream Team this seasonCredit: Dream TeamWe’re running SIX Prize Leagues throughout the season:Prize League 1 starts on August 16th – £5,000 prizePrize League 2 starts on September 27th/28th – £2,000 prizePrize League 3 starts on November 22nd/23rd – £2,000 prizePrize League 4 starts on January 3rd/4th – £2,000 prizePrize League 5 starts on March 7th/8th – £2,000 prizePrize League 6 starts on April 25th/26th – £3,000 prizeEXPERIENCE COUNTSAlongside everything else, you will earn Experience Points (XP) throughout the season by playing our various games and completing specific achievements.Essentially, the more you engage with the Dream Team universe the more XP points you’ll earn; so dive head first into Score Predictor, Higher or Lower, and any other offerings that may crop up.Just some of the Badges available that will increase your XPCredit: Dream TeamThe more XP points you earn the higher your level in our Loyalty Programme.Every month there will be prize draws, with better prizes allocated to those in the higher levels:READ MORE SUN STORIESLevel 1 prize – Nike Premier League Academy football (size 5)Level 2 prize – Premier League or EFL football shirt of winner’s choiceLevel 3 prize – £150 Amazon voucherLevel 4 prize – Nintendo SwitchLevel 5 prize – PlayStation 5Level 6 prize – iPhone 15And remember, you can target all these prizes without putting in a single penny of your money – we spoil you! More

ARE you determined to improve your overall rank in Dream Team this season?We’ve assembled a list of five schoolboy mistakes to avoid if you want to take your game to the next level in 2024/25.PLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON – £50,000 TOP PRIZE PLUS £5,000 FOR GAMEWEEK 1 WINNER!Guehi played well for England in Germany but that’s in the past nowCredit: PAClinging to the EurosAfter major international tournaments, it’s always the case that too many Dream Team managers allow the details of England’s campaign to impact their strategy for the domestic season ahead.Marc Guehi (£3.5m) was arguably the Three Lions’ best performer this summer and that’s probably why he’s currently the fourth-most popular defender in the game.The Crystal Palace centre-back is a class act but he averaged just 3.4 points-per-game last season, which is more relevant than his England form.Guehi may be the subject of a big-money transfer before the window closes, which would affect his viability, but at present it’s weird that he’s over six times as popular as fellow Eagles Joachim Andersen (£3m) and Daniel Munoz (£3m), who are both available at a lower price.It’s a similar story with Kobbie Mainoo (£3m), who became a starter under Gareth Southgate in Germany.The Manchester United midfielder is a natural talent who is pleasing on the eye but the fact is he mustered 135 points last season, a tally that doesn’t align with his current status as the tenth-most selected asset in his position.Most read in FootballHaaland is currently the most-popular player ahead of the new seasonCredit: APPoorly-timed BoostersThere are some exceptions, but it’s generally wise to wait for double Gameweeks when activating one of your three Boosters.Each of the Boosters – Goal Bonus, 12th Man and Max Captain – applies a special effect that will result in bumper points if deployed smartly.Each Booster lasts for the duration of one Gameweek but you can maximise their impact by waiting until the relevant players have two fixtures to fulfil instead of one.For example, you might choose to select a 12th Man from a team with an easy league fixture that falls in the same Gameweek as a favourable European match-up.Dream Team’s Fantasy Football GamePLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON!£5,000 prize for the manager who earns the most points in Gameweek 1 – master the opening weekend for a HUGE payout!Play in Mini Leagues against your mates£50,000 jackpot for overall winner plus other weekly prizesPlay for FREE via Dream Team’s app or website today!Picking defenders purely for defenceIt’s easy to fall into the trap of picking defenders purely because they’re solid at the back.These days, more goals are scored in your average Premier League game than in eras past and that means fewer clean sheets for defenders.Arsenal showed last season that a solid defence can still set themselves apart from the rest but it’s generally a good idea to select defenders who offer other avenues to points.The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.5m), Josko Gvardiol (£4.5m) and Pedro Porro (£4m) had success last term because they chipped in with goals and assists.Whereas Ezri Konsa (£4m) and Antonee Robinson (£3m) did well because they earned plenty of bonus points.Trent Alexander-Arnold is the most-expensive defender in the game because of his attacking threatCredit: EPALimiting your opportunitiesThis may sound condescending but it’s worth stating: a player can only score points when they’re on the pitch.Ideally, your team will consist of eleven players who are guaranteed to start every game if available – this isn’t always possible but it’s the optimal approach.Half the battle in Dream Team is ensuring you give yourself as many chances to earn points as possible by squeezing the schedule for all it’s worth.This means selecting the right players from the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa to capitalise on the Champions League fixtures; not forgetting Tottenham and Manchester United in the Europa League plus Chelsea (if they make it through the play-offs) in the Conference League on Thursday nights.Targeting certain Carabao Cup and FA Cup fixtures can also be beneficial.Cole Palmer could feast if Chelsea make it the league stage of the Conference LeagueCredit: GettyShortsightednessTwo transfers per Gameweek allows for a certain degree of flexibility but the best gaffers are able to plan ahead.Shortsighted transfers are changes that initially provide healthy returns but ultimately hinder your team’s progression.For example, you might use your two transfers to bring in a pair of Crystal Palace players ahead of their favourable home game against struggling Southampton (sorry Saints fans, it’s just an example!) and immediately see rewards following the Eagles 3-0 win.But if Oliver Glasner’s side then face a tricky run of Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester City, your two newest recruits may find points hard to come by.Of course, you’ll be able to replace them with your next set of Gameweek transfers but that means you won’t be able to make any other changes – what if one of your other players has picked up an injury?READ MORE SUN STORIESSometimes it pays to target certain fixtures but you should also consider how the following Gameweeks might play out as a result of your changes.PLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON – £50,000 TOP PRIZE PLUS £5,000 FOR GAMEWEEK 1 WINNER! 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MANCHESTER UNITED’S unexpected FA Cup final win over local rivals Manchester City changed the outlook for the Red Devils in Dream Team entirely.Having finished eighth in the Premier League last season, it seemed as if Erik ten Hag’s side would be without European football in 2024/25, something that would have dented their players’ viability considerably.But victory at Wembley meant they qualified for the Europa League at the second time of asking, making some of their assets rather appealing again.PLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON – £50,000 TOP PRIZE PLUS £5,000 FOR GAMEWEEK 1 WINNER!Victory at Wembley had some notable knock-on effectsCredit: APMore fixtures equals more point-scoring opportunities and with the European competitions changing format this season to accommodate more games, managers should be fully aware of what Man United have to offer.The Europa League doesn’t get underway until September but it’s not too early to analyse the state of play at Old Trafford in terms of top stars, bargain options and players to avoid.TOP STARSBruno Fernandes (£6m) remains the main man having racked up a whopping 328 points in 2023/24.A particularly fruitful second half to the campaign propelled the Portuguese playmaker up to sixth in the overall rankings.No player created more big chances (31) in all competitions than the 29-year-old last season – he deserved more assists than the 14 he registered.Most read in FootballAnd only Phil Foden (£6.5m) and Cole Palmer (£6m) clocked more shots on target among midfielders.Garnacho is a match-winner on his dayCredit: Dream TeamFernandes’ impressive output comes at a high price and so some Dream Team bosses might prefer the more affordable Alejandro Garnacho (£4m).The Argentina international notched 10 goals and 11 assists last time out, including a show-stopping bicycle kick against Everton and a decisive goal in the aforementioned FA Cup final.A goal in the Community Shield ahead of Gameweek 1 has resulted in a popularity boost for the 20-year-old winger, who now features in 14% of teams created.Andre Onana (£4m) deserves a mention in this section as he earned more points than any other Dream Team goalkeeper last season.The Cameroon international was guilty of some notable errors upon his arrival on these shores but he made a whopping 193 saves throughout the campaign, 37 more than his closest rival, Jose Sa (£2.5m).Man United conceded an almighty number of shots and their league position would have been much lower had Onana not stuck to his task admirably after Christmas.He also kept 13 clean sheets, hence his points total of 204.Onana was a busy man last seasonCredit: GettyDiogo Dalot (£4m) was also able to mix it with several top-tier defenders for long spells last term – he gets through plenty of tackles.BARGAIN OPTIONSAmad Diallo’s (£2.5m) starting price would seem low if he’s able to establish himself as a regular starter but gaffers would probably be wise to wait for a clearer indication of his place in the pecking order before committing. Interestingly, the value for money might come from Man United’s new recruits.Defenders Matthijs de Ligt (£3.5m), Leny Yoro (£3.5m) and Noussair Mazraoui (£3.5m) are all intriguing prospects but again, backing any them of them from the get-go feels like an unnecessary risk.Gaffers will have a better idea of the arrivals’ viability once they’ve seen them in action.The same applies to Joshua Zirkzee (£3m), the skilful forward was a fun watch at Bologna and his play style seems suited to Dream Team but it can be difficult to predict how players will adapt to the Premier League.Zirkzee is a player to monitor as the season progressesCredit: ReutersPLAYERS TO AVOIDKobbie Mainoo (£3m) is a natural talent and his stock increased to an all-time high after some mature showings for England at Euro 2024 but his current ownership of 13.6% is curiously high.It’s not that the midfielder is a player to avoid as such (his price tag is modest) but his average of 4.2 points-per-game in 2023/24 doesn’t align with his current status as the tenth-most selected player in his position.He’s silky and pleasing on the eye but managers should strive to pack their midfield with players who are persistent goal/assist threats.Dream Team’s Fantasy Football GamePLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON!£5,000 prize for the manager who earns the most points in Gameweek 1 – master the opening weekend for a HUGE payout!Play in Mini Leagues against your mates£50,000 jackpot for overall winner plus other weekly prizesPlay for FREE via Dream Team’s app or website today!Marcus Rashford (£4m) has lit up Dream Team several times in his career but there’s no denying he was an asset to avoid at all costs last time around.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe long-serving forward bagged 30 goals in all competitions in 2022/23 but that figure dropped to just eight in 2023/24.Until gaffers see a marked improvement from Rashford, he’s one to avoid – £4m is better spent elsewhere. More