Fantasy Football

HAS the first half of your Dream Team season not gone to plan?Maybe you’ve suffered rotten luck with injuries or made one too many ill-judged transfers.Or perhaps you’re interested in playing Dream Team for the first time and don’t want to wait until the 2025/26 campaign.Whatever your situation, our Second Shot League offers you a chance to start fresh in the new year and compete for a prize pot of £5,000!Struggling Dream Team bosses have the chance to start fresh in Gameweek 18Credit: Dream TeamOur Second Shot League allows new gaffers to compete against existing ones on a level playing field throughout the second half of the season.Think of it as a clean slate, although of course the overall leaderboard from Gameweek 1 will continue as normal.Scoring starts on January 4th with Tottenham v Newcastle due to get Gameweek 18 underway at 12:30pm – the deadline for submitting a new team or tweaking an existing one will be 11am the same day.To clarify, the Second Shot League will only take into account points scored between Saturday January 4th and the end of the season.SECOND SHOT PRIZE MONEY1st: £3,5002nd: £1,5003rd: £500Need a reset in 2025? You’re not the only one…Credit: APPerhaps you’ve heard about Dream Team’s market-leading scoring system, flexible transfer process, and our game-changing Boosters?If so, now is the perfect time to get involved as the Second Shot League will give you a fair, competitive framework to measure yourself against rivals old and new.Managers new and old will automatically be entered into the Second Shot League come January 4th so if you’re happy with your progress so far, keep going, this is another route to cash winnings if you excel throughout the second half of the season.New to Dream Team? Check out the Game Rules here.BetMGM sign up offerBetMGM: Get £40 in free bets — HERE**New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org More

HERE at Dream Team HQ we try to avoid overly declarative statements.But we’re happy to brand Cole Palmer (£6.3m) a must-have player for the festive period.Dream Team’s most popular player!Credit: Dream TeamIt could be argued that Chelsea’s talisman has been essential since Gameweek 1 given he’s already racked up 174 points via 11 goals and seven assists this season.But there was one frustrating drawback that limited his viability throughout the first four months of the campaign — his comparatively relaxed workload.Enzo Maresca has opted to rotate his squad extensively in the additional competitions to keep his key players fresh for the Premier League.This strategy has worked superbly so far with the Blues now just two points behind league-leaders Liverpool, albeit having played an extra game.The likes of Palmer, Nicolas Jackson (£4.2m) and Moises Caicedo (£3.5m) have watched Chelsea’s Conference League adventures from the comfort of their sofas, keeping their overall minutes in check.Jackson has excelled in the leagueCredit: GettyWhile this has undoubtedly been beneficial in terms of warding off fatigue, it has meant the West Londoners’ star performers have not added points to their tally in midweek.Hence why Jackson is ranked just 11th among Dream Team strikers despite the fact he’s score nine goals in 15 league outings this term.In fact, the Senegal international averages 8.1 points-per-game, a rate bettered by only Mohamed Salah (£7.6m) and Erling Haaland (£8.4m) among players in his position, but he’s outside the top ten in terms of total points because he’s only played in the league.Most read in FootballMeanwhile, Kai Havertz (£4.7m), Cody Gakpo (£4.3m), Ollie Watkins (£5.5m) and others have all notched regular points in the Champions League, with Dominic Solanke (£4.2m) having banked 32 points in the Europa League so far.Palmer’s minutes have been managed this seasonCredit: RexIncredibly, Palmer is ranked second among midfielders and fourth overall despite the fact he has been limited to 16 league appearances.For comparison, Bukayo Saka (£6.9m), the game’s leading midfielder right now, has made 22 appearances in the same time frame.Chelsea’s No20 boasts the highest points-per-game average (10.9) among all players this season and so it’s logical to assert that he, not Salah, would be the top performer if every player fulfilled the same number of games.It’s crucial Dream Team bosses understand that this hypothetical level playing field is about to become a reality.Score PredictorPlay Score Predictor with Dream Team this season!FREE to play£250 weekly prizePredict scores of five selected Premier League fixtures and earn points for accuracyMost points wins weekly cash prizePLAY NOWThe European competitions are about to be put on hold for the festive period, meaning all 20 top flight clubs have the same number of fixtures across the next two Gameweeks.Not only that, Chelsea’s schedule appears rather favourable with Everton, Fulham, Ipswich and Crystal Palace to play between now and January 4th – three of those four opponents are currently in the bottom six of the table.The first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals are due to take place in Gameweek 18 which will give four teams an additional fixture over Maresca’s side in early January but generally speaking it’s the perfect time to back Palmer now the only negative factor has been temporarily erased.And who knows, maybe the 22 year-old superstar will be added to Chelsea’s Conference League squad for the knockout phase?READ MORE SUN STORIESChelsea’s form players should be popular recruits this weekCredit: GettyWe wouldn’t be so bold to declare Jackson a must-have asset but he’s certainly a great option for the remainder of the year as well.At the time of writing, Palmer is the second-most recruited player ahead of Gameweek 16 and he’s now the most selected individual in the game with an ownership of 60.3%, marginally ahead of Haaland on 60%.BetMGM sign up offerBetMGM: Get £40 in free bets — HERE**New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org More

AMAD DIALLO (£3.7m) is currently the most transferred-in player ahead of Gameweek 16.It’s early days as the deadline isn’t until Saturday morning with several fixtures still to come before the current Gameweek is complete but clearly the Manchester United youngster has made an impression on Dream Team managers.Man of the momentCredit: Dream TeamThe 22-year-old inspired the Red Devils to victory over Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday.First, he capitalised on an under-hit back pass from Matheus Nunes (£3.3m) and the Portuguese midfielder’s over eagerness to atone for his mistake to win a penalty, successful converted by Bruno Fernandes (£6.3m) for an 88th-minute equaliser.Two minutes later, Diallo latched onto a pass over the top to take the onrushing Ederson (£3.6m) out of the game before executing a smart finish from an acute angle to claim all three points for the visitors.When the dust had settled, Diallo banked 16 points as he also earned three bonus points outside of his dramatic goal contributions.A winner for the agesCredit: GettyThat the Ivory Coast international emerged as Man United’s hero against the defending champions would not have surprised a large portion of fans, who have witnessed his gallant efforts of late.Diallo has now scored or assisted in four of his last five appearances in all competitions.Widening the frame, he’s registered three goals and seven assists in his last seven outings – a fruitful spell that has yielded 87 points in six Gameweeks.Ruben Amorim has rotated his attacking assets during his first few weeks as Old Trafford boss with Diallo even playing some minutes as a wing-back in the former Sporting CP tactician’s preferred 3-4-3 formation.Most read in FootballBut with Marcus Rashford (£3.4m) and Alejandro Garnacho (£4m) controversially left out of the matchday squad altogether at the weekend, Diallo appears to have earned a high ranking in Amorim’s pecking order.Amorim has favoured Diallo lately, with good reasonCredit: GettyGiven his recent form, it’s understandable why a sizeable chunk of Dream Team bosses are looking to acquire the ex-Atalanta man’s services ahead of Gameweek 16.However, there’s a catch.Diallo is categorised as a forward in Dream Team, which is rather ungenerous.This means that gaffers who decide to back him will only have room for a maximum of two other strikers, no matter what formation they select.This is not a deal-breaker by any means but the forward slots are at a premium in the world Dream Team.Goals remain the game’s primary currency and so the idea of allocating a place in one’s front line to a player who might be deployed as a wing-back feels counterproductive.Diallo is among Dream Team’s most in-form playersCredit: GettyThat being said, the metric that matters most in Dream Team is points and Diallo has provided plenty in recent weeks. He could easily slot into an XI that contained enough goal threat from elsewhere, especially at the relatively affordable price of £3.7m.READ MORE SUN STORIESDiallo leads the way for tackles (32) in his position while only Jarrod Bowen (£5.9m) has earned more bonus points.Man United are due to play Tottenham in the Carabao Cup on Thursday night before taking on Bournemouth and Wolves in a Premier League double header in Gameweek 16.BetMGM sign up offerBetMGM: Get £40 in free bets — HERE**New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org More

ONLY Chelsea have scored more Premier League goals than Tottenham this season.In fact, the Blues and league-leaders Liverpool are the only teams that boast a better goal difference than Spurs’ +17 right now.And yet Ange Postecoglou’s side are only tenth in table, level on points with Brentford and Newcastle in 11th and 12th respectively, such is their frustrating nature.It’s hard to get a read on Spurs this seasonCredit: GettySpurs are arguably the most curious team in the land at present, capable of outplaying any opponent on their day but also liable to inexplicable slip-ups.Their inconsistent nature causes headaches for Dream Team managers but the strength of their attack means there are plenty of points on offer most Gameweeks.Certainly that was the case on Sunday when the North Londoners waltzed to a 5-0 victory over Southampton at St Mary’s.Spurs could have inflicted more damage on Saints but opted to conserve energy in a goalless second half.James Maddison (£4.5m) and Son Heung-min (£5.2m) were the biggest beneficiaries as they banked 19 points each – both were directly involved in three of the five goals.The former has amassed 56 points in seven outings since the start of Gameweek 12 while the latter has gone one point better in the same time frame, despite not looking his best.Maddison enjoyed himself against Southampton on Sunday nightCredit: RexDejan Kulusevski (£3.6m) also took advantage of Southampton’s porous defence to score in his third consecutive game.Most read in FootballThe Sweden international now has five goals to go alongside his tally of eight assists in 2024/25 – he averages a goal involvement every 114.6 minutes in all competitions.However, one Spurs player was particularly notable for his lack of returns at the weekend, Brennan Johnson (£3.8m).The Wales international was named on the bench and mustered just one point after he replaced Son at half-time.The former Nottingham Forest man has registered just ten points from his last four outings at a time when several of his team-mates have cashed in.Johnson has been starved of points in the last two GameweeksCredit: APThis disparity is noteworthy because Johnson is the most popular Spurs asset in Dream Team.Not only that, an ownership of 27% makes him the sixth-most selected player in the whole game at the time of writing!On current evidence, it appears gaffers are backing the wrong the horse.On paper, there’s not much between Postecoglou’s main attacking threats.Johnson, Maddison and Son have all registered 14 goal involvements apiece with Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke (£4.2m) on 13 each.The former is the club’s top scorer this season with ten goals to his name in all competitions but it’s Maddison who leads the way in terms of points, the metric that matters most.MOST DREAM TEAM POINTS AMONG TOTTENHAM PLAYERS THIS SEASON:155pts – James Maddison141pts – Brennan Johnson136pts – Son Heung-min132pts – Dominic Solanke123pts – Dejan KulusevskiSon has notched his fair share of points despite not always looking at his bestCredit: RexFurthermore, Johnson owners may be concerned about his minutes lately.Prior to his benching at St Mary’s, he was hooked after 53 minutes against Chelsea and played just an hour at Ibrox in the Europa League.READ MORE SUN STORIESPreviously, Maddison’s playing time nosedived but the 28-year-old has seemingly clawed his way back up the pecking order with some encouraging performances while Kulusevski is arguably Spurs’ Player of the Season at this stage.Postecoglou’s troops are due to take on Manchester United in the Carabao Cup on Thursday night so gaffers will be afforded another glimpse before having to decide upon their strategy for Gameweek 16.BetMGM sign up offerBetMGM: Get £40 in free bets — HERE**New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org More

DREAM TEAM brings you all the latest injury, suspension and availability news ahead of Gameweek 15 in one easily digestible dose.Mikel Arteta was characteristically vague when discussing player availability in his Friday press conference.Arsenal’s head coach said one defender has a “possibility” of featuring against Everton on Saturday having trained and when pushed with a follow-up question he confirmed Gabriel as the player.This weekend comes too soon for Riccardo Calafiori.Gabriel is a “possibility”Credit: AlamyOn the other side of North London, Tottenham are once again without first-choice centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.Plus, Yves Bissouma is suspended for the Lilywhites’ trip to Southampton.A late decision will be made on Ollie Watkins after the Aston Villa striker picked up a “small injury” in Leipzig last time out.Unai Emery and his team will assess the England international after Friday’s training session.Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa are in contention to feature for Liverpool in some capacity when Fulham visit Anfield on Saturday.Alisson returned against Girona in the Champions League, leaving only Ibrahima Konate, Kostas Tsimikas and Conor Bradley on the injured list for certain.Most read in FootballWatkins was substituted at half-time in midweekCredit: Dream TeamChelsea have no fresh concerns as Wesley Fofana and Reece James remain injured while Mykhailo Mudryk may still be ill – Pedro Neto is suspended.Rico Lewis is suspended for Sunday’s Manchester derby having been shown two yellow cards last weekend.Manchester City will also be without defenders John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake, as well as long-term absentees Rodri and Oscar Bobb.Phil Foden and Mateo Kovacic are expected to make the matchday squad having been named on the bench against Juventus in midweek.Bournemouth centre-back Marcos Senesi may be sidelined for as long as four months having undergone surgery to address a quadriceps injury.Cherries midfielder Marcus Tavernier is also expected to be out for the next few weeks.Score PredictorPlay Score Predictor with Dream Team this season!FREE to play£250 weekly prizePredict scores of five selected Premier League fixtures and earn points for accuracyMost points wins weekly cash prizePLAY NOWARSENALInjuries: Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White, Gabriel (doubt), Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko (doubt)Suspensions: NoneASTON VILLAInjuries: Jacob Ramsey, Leon Bailey, Ollie Watkins (doubt)Suspensions: NoneBOURNEMOUTHInjuries: Luis Sinisterra, Alex Scott, Julian Araujo, Marcos Senesi, Marcus Tavernier, Suspensions: NoneBRENTFORDInjuries: Aaron Hickey, Josh Dasilva, Gustavo Nunes, Rico Henry, Kristoffer Ajer, Vitaly Janelt (doubt), Mathias Jensen (doubt)Suspensions: NoneBRIGHTONInjuries: Solly March (doubt), James Milner, Adam Webster, Ferdi Kadioglu, Jack Hinshelwood, Joel Veltman (doubt)Suspensions: NoneCHELSEAInjuries: Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Mykhailo Mudryk (doubt)Suspensions: Pedro NetoCRYSTAL PALACEInjuries: Matheus Franca, Chadi Riad (doubt), Adam Wharton (doubt)Suspensions: NoneEVERTONInjuries: Youssef Chermiti, Tim Iroegbunam, James GarnerSuspensions: NoneFULHAMInjuries: Harrison Reed, Joachim Andersen, Reiss NelsonSuspensions: Tom Cairney, Calvin BasseyIPSWICHInjuries: George Hirst, Chiedozie Ogbene, Axel TuanzebeSuspensions: NoneLEICESTERInjuries: Jakub Stolarczyk, Ricardo Pereira, Abdul Fatawu, Harry Winks, Wilfred NdidiSuspensions: Boubakary SoumareLIVERPOOLInjuries: Ibrahima Konate, Conor Bradley, Kostas TsimikasSuspensions: Alexis Mac AllisterMANCHESTER CITYInjuries: Oscar Bobb, Rodri, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Manuel AkanjiSuspensions: Rico LewisMANCHESTER UNITEDInjuries: Luke ShawSuspensions: NoneNEWCASTLEInjuries: Jamaal Lascelles, Emil Krafth, Sven Botman, Nick Pope (doubt), Callum Wilson, Joe Willock (doubt)Suspensions: NoneNOTTINGHAM FORESTInjuries: Danilo, Ibrahim SangareSuspensions: NoneSOUTHAMPTONInjuries: Gavin Bazunu, Ross Stewart, Aaron Ramsdale, Adam Lallana, Will Smallbone, Juan LariosSuspensions: Jack StephensTOTTENHAMInjuries: Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison, Guglielmo Vicario, Mikey Moore, Ben DaviesSuspensions: Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves BissoumaWEST HAMInjuries: Michail AntonioSuspensions: EmersonWOLVESREAD MORE SUN STORIESInjuries: Sasa Kalajdzic, Enso Gonzalez, Boubacar Traore, Bastien Meupiyou (doubt), Yerson Mosquera, Pablo Sarabia (doubt), Jose Sa (doubt)Suspensions: Joao GomesBetMGM sign up offerBetMGM: Get £40 in free bets — HERE**New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org More