Fantasy Football

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

NEED a bargain striker to bring your Dream Team together before the new season gets underway on Friday night?Look no further.We’ve identified five forwards below £4m with the potential to make a mockery of their affordable price once the action starts.PLAY DREAM TEAM AHEAD OF THE NEW SEASON – £50,000 TOP PRIZE PLUS £5,000 FOR GAMEWEEK 1 WINNER!Fulham’s new No9Credit: Dream TeamRodrigo Muniz (£3m)The Fulham striker’s tally of nine league goals in 2023/24 may seem underwhelming but the outlook changes when you consider they all came after the start of February.In fact, Muniz was among the most-prolific goalscorers in the top flight during the final third of the campaign.At his best, the Brazilian bagged eight goals in as many games, including a brace against Tottenham.Muniz has been given the No9 shirt this season as reward for his efforts and he will hope to hit the ground running with Manchester United, Leicester and Ipswich (plus a Carabao Cup opponent) to play before the end of August.Niclas Fullkrug (£3.5m)Most read in FootballHammer time!Credit: GettyA shiny, new toy for Dream Team bosses!West Ham’s new target man has arguably never been hotter after some eye-catching performances during Borussia Dortmund’s run to the Champions League final and a succession of impactful substitute cameos for Germany at Euro 2024.Fullkrug isn’t the most cultured forward around but he’s mightily effective at his best and a nightmare for opposition centre-backs.The Hammers have seemingly improved the quality of their squad considerably this summer and with the likes of Lucas Paqueta (£4m), Jarrod Bowen (£5m), Mohammed Kudus (£5m) and fellow new signing Crysencio Summerville (£3m) providing the service, Fullkrug should get enough deliveries into the box.Granted, Julen Lopetegui’s side face a relatively difficult start to the season in terms of fixtures but the German striker is a tempting option at £3.5m.Oscar Bobb (£2m)Breakout season loading?Credit: GettyThere’s value-for-money options and then there’s outright bargains.Predicting Pep Guardiola’s team selections is fraught with risk but Manchester City’s No52 seems set to play his fair share of minutes this month at least.Bobb has caught the eye in pre-season and an assist in the Community Shield last Saturday has only strengthened his case for a spot in the starting XI when the defending champions travel to Stamford Bridge in Gameweek 1.The talented Norwegian will obviously not play as an out-and-out striker, that spot is reserved for his blonde compatriot aiming for a third consecutive Golden Boot, but he may well be given the nod on the right flank.Whether the 21-year-old is a long-term selection is another conversation but he’s a potential game-breaker for the first few Gameweeks at £2m if he is afforded enough minutes to strut his stuff.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!Jean-Philippe Mateta (£3.5m)Prolific in 2024Credit: PAThis suggestion comes with an important caveat.The Frenchman went all the way to the gold medal match while on duty for his country at the Olympics and so he’s not been with Crystal Palace during the crucial stage of pre-season.It remains to be seen how Oliver Glasner handles the situation but it wouldn’t be a surprise if Mateta’s minutes were managed in August.But looking ahead to when he’s a guaranteed starter again, he’s an excellent option in the mid-range.Like the aforementioned Muniz, Mateta came to the fore at the back end of last season with a red-hot scoring streak.The 27-year-old scored 14 goals in his final 16 outings of the campaign as the Eagles finished strongly with six wins from their last seven games.Matheus Cunha (£3.5m)You may have to wait until his fixtures even outCredit: GettyOne of absolute best differentials of last season.Wolves’ talisman scored 14 goals and provided eight assists at an average of one goal involvement every 126 minutes but that only tells half the story.The Brazilian’s silky dribbling and ability to draw fouls meant he finished second among players in his position for bonus points.Cunha also ranked sixth among forwards for tackles – he ticks a lot of boxes.READ MORE SUN STORIESGary O’Neil’s side have a tough start to the new campaign with Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Liverpool to play before the end of September, which is probably why Cunha features in just 0.8% of teams at present.But you should monitor his returns closely as he averaged 6.4 points-per-game in 2023/24 – a rate superior to that of Dominic Solanke (£4m), Darwin Nunez (£4.5m) and Ollie Watkins (£6m). More

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