Fantasy Football

ERLING HAALAND (£8.5m) and Cole Palmer (£6m) are comfortably the two most-popular players in Dream Team ahead of the new season.Manchester City’s No9 features in 57.8% of teams at the time of writing despite the fact he’s the most-expensive player in the game by a full £1.5m.Mohamed Salah (£7m) is the next most-costly asset but with Liverpool enjoying favourable fixtures from Gameweek 1 until the end of September, he too is expected to be a major player.There are several other top-tier performers available for selection but the ownership stats coupled with the starting prices have created a ‘big three’ in Haaland, Salah and Palmer.PLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON – £50,000 TOP PRIZE PLUS £5,000 FOR GAMEWEEK 1 WINNER!Palmer, Haaland and Salah will set your back £21.5m!Credit: Dream TeamThe trio have a combined cost of £21.5million, which is 43% of the total budget.Many gaffers will desperately be trying to find eight other players with the remaining 57% in an attempt to start the new campaign with an XI that features the three heavy hitters without sacrificing too much quality elsewhere. Allow us to put forward some suggestions.A strong start but what next?Credit: Dream TeamTo offset the cost of ‘the big three’ we’ll need to find some bargains in other positions.Dean Henderson (£2.5m) is set to be Crystal Palace’s first-choice goalkeeper and therefore appears reasonably priced.Most read in FootballThe Eagles finished last season with six wins from their last seven games, during which time the England keeper endeared himself to Oliver Glasner with some solid displays.Elsewhere, Emile Smith Rowe’s (£2.5m) transfer to Fulham has improved his viability considerably.The 24-year-old was starved of minutes at Arsenal but should be a regular for the Cottagers.A goal in pre-season bodes well for his future at Craven Cottage and Marco Silva’s troops could get out of the blocks sharply with fixtures against newly-promoted Leicester and Ipswich before the end of August.In defence, Valentin Barco (£2m) could offer plenty of value for money if he begins the campaign as Brighton’s starting left-back as expected.The 20-year-old Argentina international may not be a long-term pick as Pervis Estupinan (£3m) is due to recover from an ankle injury by mid-September but the first few Gameweeks is all that matters right now.Barco may even take a few set-pieces, which is always useful.Let’s plug in those three bargains for a combined cost of just £7m.Now we can splash the cash a littleCredit: Dream TeamWith the books all but balanced, we can now afford five players in the mid-range to pad out our XI with quality options.Let’s start with Josko Gvardiol (£4.5m) as our premium defender.The Manchester City left-back developed into an attacking force of nature at the back end of 2023/24 and Pep Guardiola will surely keep encouraging him to get forward.Dream Team bosses are spoiled for choice in midfield and we can fork out £9m for two of the most-popular selections in Anthony Gordon (£4.5m) and Eberechi Eze (£4.5m).The England pair combined for 23 goals, 24 assists and 503 Dream Team points last season.Both Gordon and Eze are worthy of long stints in a competitive Dream Team but they’re particularly strong options out of the gate with Newcastle and Palace up against Southampton and Brentford respectively in Gameweek 1.Looking good…That leaves us £8m for a defender and a striker to complete our 3-4-3 formation.Our first instinct is to prioritise attack with a £5m striker in the form of either Son Heung-min or Alexander Isak – the latter is hugely popular ahead of Gameweek 1.That would leave us £3m for our last defender with Joachim Andersen, Ian Maatsen and Antonee Robinson among the leading candidates.However, we’re more inclined to split the remaining budget evenly to recruit Pedro Porro (£4m) and Dominic Solanke (£4m).Only Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.5m) averaged more points-per-game than Tottenham’s right-back among defenders in 2023/24 while Bournemouth’s No9 scored 19 league goals last time out.If the transfer rumour mill is to be believed, Porro and Solanke might be team-mates soon enough – the latter’s starting price of £4m will look rather generous if he suddenly becomes Spurs’ main striker.Alternatively, we could split the difference and pair Marc Guehi (£3.5m) with Kai Havertz (£4.5m).That’s how many gaffers are spending £8m of their initial budget but if pre-season is anything to go by, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Gabriel Jesus (£4.5m) led the line for Arsenal against Wolves on the opening weekend, reducing the German’s viability.Here’s our XI in full…This team ticks a lot of boxesCredit: Dream TeamWe’re pretty happy with that.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe quality of Gvardiol and Porro offsets the Barco punt in defence, our midfield has multiple routes to points, and we haven’t compromised up front at all.Many gaffers would probably do things differently but this exercise shows that combining Haaland, Salah and Palmer is very much possible.Dream Team’s Fantasy Football GamePLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON!Free to play£50,000 jackpot for overall winner plus weekly prizesPlayers score points in Premier League games, European competitions and both domestic cupsPlay in Mini Leagues against your mates£5,000 prize for Gameweek 1Play via Dream Team’s app or website today! 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ONCE you’ve decided upon your XI to start the new Dream Team season, you will have to nominate a captain.Your chosen skipper will have their points DOUBLED for the duration of Gameweek 1 – your vice captain will fulfil the role if your first-choice selection doesn’t play for any reason.PLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON – £50,000 TOP PRIZE PLUS £5,000 FOR GAMEWEEK 1 WINNER!Who else?Credit: AFPLet’s analyse the strongest captaincy candidates.Erling Haaland (£8.5m)Manchester City’s No9 is likely to be the more-popular captain for Gameweek 1 and with good reason.The Norwegian poacher has scored 63 goals in 66 Premier League games since his move to the Etihad and while Sunday’s trip to Stamford Bridge may seem like a relatively tricky opening fixture, it should be noted he scored a hat-trick against Chelsea in pre-season.For many gaffers, Haaland is the default option as long as he’s fit – there’s nothing worse than overthinking it and missing out on one of his hat-tricks.Mohamed Salah (£7m)How many points will Salah take off Ipswich?Credit: AlamyLiverpool’s Egyptian hero is often the leading alternative to Haaland and that seems to be the case in Gameweek 1.The Reds travel to newly-promoted Ipswich on Saturday lunchtime and while the Portman Road faithful will be a factor, the prospect of Salah facing a Championship-level defence is ripe with potential.The Tractor Boys were the top scorers in the second tier last season but they conceded more goals than Sunderland, who finished 16th.Salah’s form fell away at the back end of 2023/24 but a summer break should have done him the world of good.The 32-year-old does not leave as many defenders in his wake these days but he remains a massive threat in the final third – he ranked second for shots on target and big chances created among all players last season.Alexander Isak or Anthony Gordon (£4.5m)A formidable double actCredit: ReutersAway from the familiar favourites, the eye is drawn to Newcastle v Southampton.The Magpies boast a formidable home record under Eddie Howe; as personified by Gordon who registered the vast majority of his 29 goal involvements at St James’ Park last term.Saints earned promotion through the play-offs but they conceded more goals than the aforementioned Ipswich during the regular Championship campaign – even 17th-placed Stoke boasted a better defensive record over 46 games.Gordon is Newcastle’s home specialist but Isak is their most-potent attacker overall and first-choice penalty taker.The gifted Swedish forward scored 25 goals in all competitions last season, despite missing several games through injury, on his way to 267 points (6.7 per game).Dream Team bosses may remember that Isak scored a brace against Aston Villa to get 2023/24 underway – a performance that earned him 18 points.Will lightning strike twice?Dream Team’s Fantasy Football GamePLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON!Free to play£50,000 jackpot for overall winner plus weekly prizesPlayers score points in Premier League games, European competitions and both domestic cupsPlay in Mini Leagues against your mates£5,000 prize for Gameweek 1Play via Dream Team’s app or website today! More

PLAY Last Man Standing with Dream Team this season and you could win serious cash!Just like our beloved fantasy football game and Score Predictor, Last Man Standing is free to play right now via our app and website.PLAY LAST MAN STANDING WITH DREAM TEAM THIS SEASON – £5,000 JACKPOT FOR FIRST PRIZE LEAGUE!Outlast your rivals to win cash with Last Man StandingCredit: Dream TeamLast Man Standing is quick and easy to understand.Ahead of each Matchweek (MW), you simply have to select one Premier League team to win their upcoming fixture.If your chosen team wins, you progress to the next Matchweek and take another step towards the cash prize.However, if your team draws or loses, you are eliminated.But here’s the thing, you can only select each team ONCE.So if you back Manchester City to beat Southampton, as an example, and they hammer Saints 5-0 then you will progress to the next Matchweek but you will no longer be able to select Pep Guardiola’s side as your designated team.This is where it gets strategic.If you use up Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool early doors then you may progress with little stress but you risk being light on strong teams when the stakes ramp up.On the flip side, if you decide to save the top teams for later, you risk being eliminated early if one of the mid-table outfits lets you down.Last Man Standing players will have to think carefully about when to back Man CityCredit: AlamyIf you forget to select a team before the Matchweek deadline (not advisable) you will be randomly allocated one from those available but you will only have yourself to blame if you’re subsequently eliminated.If you make it close to the end of a Prize League and all the remaining players fail to select a winning team, all players active in the previous Matchweek will progress – think of it as an extra life.As the name Last Man Standing suggests, the last remaining competitor will be crowned champion of the Prize League – an accolade that comes with cash winnings!We’re planning to run six Prize Leagues throughout the season.LAST MAN STANDING PRIZE LEAGUES 2024/25:Prize League 1 starts on August 16th (MW1) – £5,000 prizePrize League 2 starts on September 28th (MW6) – £3,000 prizePrize League 3 starts on November 23rd (MW12) – £2,000 prizePrize League 4 starts on January 4th (MW18) – £2,000 prizePrize League 5 starts on March 8th (MW24) – £2,000 prizePrize League 6 starts on April 29th (MW29) – £3,000 prizeIf you’re still active in Prize League 1 by the time Prize League 2 gets underway, you can compete in both simultaneously – crack on!Take on fans worldwide in Last Man StandingCredit: GettyLooking forward a few months, if the Premier League season ends and a Prize League is still active, the following rules apply:The prize pot will be split equally if five or fewer players remainThe prize pot will be allocated to one player via a randomised prize draw if six or more players remainOutside of the Prize Leagues, we will be running Challenge Leagues for those who want to play Last Man Standing for fun all season long.Challenge Leagues start every Matchweek of the season, except those when a new Prize League commences (see above dates).You can only enter one Challenge League at a time but this ensures you can play Last Man Standing all season long if you like – keeping you entertained while you wait for the next Prize League to get underway.You can also play in custom private leagues against your friends, family and colleagues – or join a public league to test your football knowledge against fellow fans from around the world.Have you got what it takes to be the Last Man Standing?Dream Team’s Fantasy Football GamePLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON!Free to play£50,000 jackpot for overall winner plus weekly prizesPlayers score points in Premier League games, European competitions and both domestic cupsPlay in Mini Leagues against your mates£5,000 prize for Gameweek 1Play via Dream Team’s app or website today! More

LAST season we revolutionised how bonus points are distributed in Dream Team.Players earn player performance marks (PPM) for positive actions that don’t already result in points, which ultimately determine whether they claim zero, one, three or five bonus points from any given fixture.You can read all about the scoring system, including bonus points and PPM, in detail here.PLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON – £50,000 TOP PRIZE PLUS £5,000 FOR GAMEWEEK 1 WINNER!Bruno Guimaraes ticks a lot of boxesCredit: Dream TeamGiven the bonus point system will function in the same way in 2024/25 (plus additional PPM opportunities for goalkeepers) it’s certainly worth recapping which players topped the metric last season.MOST BONUS POINTS 2023/24Bruno Guimaraes 83ptsMohammed Kudus 70 ptsJeremy Doku 57 ptsPhil Foden 55 ptsEzri Konsa 54 ptsJames Ward-Prowse 54ptsConor Gallagher 52 ptsBukayo Saka 52 ptsEberechi Eze 48 ptsJames Maddison 43 ptsNewcastle’s all-action midfielder led the way and his huge tally helped him amass 304 total points – only ten players achieved a triple century overall.Guimaraes earns a tremendous amount of free-kicks for his side, easily outweighing the number he gives away, which is also substantial.The Brazil international also ranks relatively highly for successful dribbles and interceptions – his bonus point total is a reflection of his quality both in and out of possession.Most read in FootballWatch the ball, not his feetCredit: GettyIf you take anything away from this exercise it should be that there is a significant correlation between the Premier League’s best dribblers and the top bonus point earners.Kudus completed 150 successful dribbles in all competitions last season while Doku racked up 132 – no other player mustered more than 90, for comparison.The skilful midfielders’ off-the-charts dribbling is the main reason they ended on the podium for bonus points last season.Foden, Saka and Eze are all known for leaving defenders in their wake too.Dream Team’s Fantasy Football GamePLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON!Free to play£50,000 jackpot for overall winner plus weekly prizesPlayers score points in Premier League games, European competitions and both domestic cupsPlay in Mini Leagues against your mates£5,000 prize for Gameweek 1Play via Dream Team’s app or website today!Konsa is a notable inclusion as the only defender to make the top ten.The Aston Villa fan favourite banked 194 points overall and has been slapped with a £4m price tag ahead of 2024/25 to reflect his helpful penchant for bonus points.Antonee Robinson (£3m) and Rayan Ait-Nouri (£3m) were second and third respectively among defenders.Konsa supplemented his returns with regular bonus points last seasonCredit: GettyIt should go without saying that bonus points are only one aspect of the game – don’t target them at the expense of regular goal involvements or clean sheets.READ MORE SUN STORIESBut they are something to monitor closely as the campaign progresses.If you’re ever undecided between two evenly-matched players when making transfers, bonus points can be a good way of identifying the superior option. More

NEED an affordable midfielder to bring your Dream Team together ahead of the new season?We’ve identified five players with a starting price below £4million who might fit the bill.PLAY DREAM TEAM FOR FREE NOW AHEAD OF THE 2024/25 SEASON – £50,000 TOP PRIZE PLUS WEEKLY CASH WINNERS!Nottingham Forest’s talismanCredit: Dream TeamMorgan Gibbs-White (£3.5m)Nottingham Forest have been dealt a relatively favourable hand by the fixture computer as they are set to start the new campaign against Bournemouth (h), Southampton (a) and Wolves (h).And who better to take advantage than their No10?Gibbs-White was one of just six midfielders who passed the 200-point mark last season without European fixtures to bulk out his schedule.The 24-year-old is across all set-pieces, including penalties, and is generally at the heart of everything Nuno Espirito Santo’s side do well.He registered 18 goal involvements in 2023/24.See also: Callum Hudson-Odoi (£3m) and Anthony Elanga (£2.5m)Most read in Football Yankuba Minteh (£3m)Box of tricksCredit: GettyHow about a shiny new toy?The Gambia winger was on Newcastle’s books but never made an appearance for them before he signed for Brighton this summer.The Seagulls are understandably pleased to have picked Minteh up after his impressive campaign on loan at Feyenoord, where he scored ten goals and provided six assists in 27 Eredivisie appearances at an average of one goal involvement every 91.4 minutes.Fans have been entertained by the 20-year-old’s pre-season showings and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he hit the ground running on the south coast.Minteh is a gamble but £3m is a tempting starting price.Kaoru Mitoma (£3.5m) is a fraction more expensive but he’s a proven performer when fully fit.Brennan Johnson (£3m)Steadily improvingCredit: Nick Potts/PA WireIt may come as a surprise to some Dream Team bosses to learn that the Wales international averaged a goal or assist every 137.2 minutes in the Premier League last term.After a relatively ineffectual start to life at Tottenham, Johnson has gradually looked more comfortable in Ange Postecoglou’s system.He’s expected to start from the right flank once the new campaign gets underway and at £3m he offers a cheap route into Spurs’ attack.Some gaffers may need to see a greater degree of improvement before they deem him worthy of a place in their midfield but he’s one to keep an eye on for sure.Dream Team’s Fantasy Football GamePLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON!Free to play£50,000 jackpot for overall winner plus weekly prizesPlayers score points in Premier League games, European competitions and both domestic cupsPlay in Mini Leagues against your mates£5,000 prize for Gameweek 1Play via Dream Team’s app or website today!Morgan Rogers (£2.5m)One to watchCredit: GettyThe 22-year-old was given a short run as a starter for Aston Villa back in April and he repaid Unai Emery’s faith with three goals and an assist in five outings to help the club qualify for the Champions League.Rogers is not a guaranteed starter come Gameweek 1 but he’s certainly in contention and is generally expected to play a more prominent role this season.If the left winger does establish himself as a regular and has returned some healthy points by the time the Villains begin their European campaign, a starting price of £2.5m will look very generous in hindsight.Jack Grealish (£3.5m)City slickerCredit: GettyIs 2024/25 the season Manchester City’s No10 rediscovers his best form?Grealish showed some promising signs during the defending champions’ summer tour of America and experienced Dream Team managers will remember that he put up huge numbers once upon a time.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe fact Grealish wasn’t included in England’s Euro 2024 squad might benefit him as he’ll be fresher than the likes of Phil Foden (£6.5m) and Bernardo Silva (£4.5m) for the opening Gameweeks.Gaffers should keep an eye on the Community Shield this weekend in search of clues for how Pep Guardiola might line up against Chelsea in Gameweek 1.Dream Team New Season Explainer 2024-25 More

MOST Dream Team managers resent having to use a transfer on their goalkeeper.Once the season is underway, there are usually more pressing matters to attend to and so a reliable, set-and-forget figure between the sticks offers peace of mind.So who fits the bill ahead of the 2024/25 campaign?PLAY DREAM TEAM FOR FREE NOW AHEAD OF THE 2024/25 SEASON – £50,000 TOP PRIZE PLUS WEEKLY CASH WINNERS!Mr PopularCredit: Dream TeamAccording to Dream Team bosses, Emi Martinez (£3.5m) is the leading candidate as he currently features in 18.8% of teams in the build-up to Gameweek 1.Aston Villa’s No1 is hardly the first person one thinks of in regards to stress-free assets – no player in his position picked up more yellow cards last season.While the 31-year-old is fond of antics, he has made many terrific saves in recent years, as Argentina supporters will gladly confirm.One of the reasons Martinez is the most-popular keeper in Dream Team is the fact the Villains will have Champions League fixtures to bolster their schedule this season.Clean sheets don’t come easy in Europe’s premier competition but the revised format ensures at least eight outings for Unai Emery’s men.Martinez is comfortably the cheapest first-choice keeper among those who finished in the top four of the Premier League last time out and so his popularity comes as no surprise.Most read in Dream TeamRaya amassed 20 clean sheets in 2023/24Credit: GettyEderson (£4.5m), Alisson (£4.5m) and David Raya (£4.5m) are the premium options who come at a significant cost.The latter is seemingly the most appealing of the three having kept 20 clean sheets last season – none of his rivals registered more than 14.It remains to be seen whether Arsenal can replicate the airtight nature of their defence but there’s no reason to expect a dip at this stage.Gaffers would do well to remember that Andre Onana (£4m) was the only keeper to achieve 200+ points in 2023/24.The Cameroon international was guilty of several glaring errors during his first few weeks at Old Trafford but he gradually improved and ended up limiting the damage Manchester United incurred.Erik ten Hag struggled to construct a resilient defence and Onana was forced to make a whopping 193 saves in all competitions – Jose Sa (£2.5m) was the only other keeper to notch over 150.It may feel counterproductive to select a keeper who is protected by a vulnerable defence but Onana proved last season that save points add up fast – he also kept 13 clean sheets.Everton conceded fewer league goals than every other team barring the top three last termCredit: GettyElsewhere, Jordan Pickford (£3.5m) is a solid pick in the mid-range.Everton may have lacked firepower last term but their defence held relatively firm.As a result, the Toffees’ custodian finished the season with more clean sheets than the likes of Ederson, Alisson and Martinez.Gaffers keen on a value-for-money option between the sticks should consider Dean Henderson (£2.5m).The England one-cap wonder was one of many Crystal Palace players who looked excellent at the back end of last season as Oliver Glasner’s side ended with six wins from their last seven games.That being said, Henderson faces stiff competition from Sam Johnstone (£2.5m), who was the Eagles’ first-choice keeper before he got injured.It might pay to wait for a clearer indication of the pecking order before commiting to a Palace keeper but at £2.5m Henderson may be worth a punt from the get-go.Palace found some excellent form back in April and MayCredit: ReutersIn the bargain aisle, Carlos Miguel (£2m) is an intriguing alternative.READ MORE SUN STORIESNottingham Forest’s newly-acquired keeper is 6ft 8in tall and has a relatively favourable set of fixtures to ease him into Premier League life in the form of Bournemouth, Southampton and Wolves before the end of August.That’s if he gets the nod of course, Matz Sels (£2m) and Matt Turner (£2m) will also be hopeful of minutes.Dream Team’s Fantasy Football GamePLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON!Free to play£50,000 jackpot for overall winner plus weekly prizesPlayers score points in Premier League games, European competitions and both domestic cupsPlay in Mini Leagues against your mates£5,000 prize for Gameweek 1Play via Dream Team’s app or website today! More