Beginning your A-League Fantasy journey
With the A-League coming into its tenth season, it seems popularity of the league is reaching an all time high. Fantasy competitions have also boomed as a result of the league popularity throughout the summer months. This results in new people on the fantasy scene, resulting in many poor decisions (and some good) during the creation process of your team, leaving your squad in a tough position for the rest of the season to recover. Below are 5 simple tips, useful for both newcomers and those with little experience that can be followed to ensure you give yourself the best possible start.
Step 1 – Basic Knowledge and Cutting Your Ties
First step to doing well in fantasy is to have a basic knowledge of the league you’re competing in, no matter what fantasy competition you’re in. By this, I don’t mean that you need to watch every game, you just need to know who is in form and out of form, who is injured and suspended and who has been dropped. It is essential that you ‘think with your head rather than your heart’ as well. Picking Sydney FC players just because you support them, for example, may result in you overlooking a better fantasy option from another club. Don’t avoid options like making a player captain just because he is coming up against your favourite A-League club, you should choose the option that which result in you gaining maximum points each round.
Step 2 – Players Missing from International Duty and Injury/Suspension
Throughout the first couple of game-weeks, many of the large players in the A-League will be missing due to call ups from their national teams. These players should be avoided from being picked or at the least, relied on for the weeks they will be missing. Notable players missing due to the International break include : Mark Milligan (MVC), Marc Janko (Syd), Nikolai Topor-Stanley (WSW), Ali Abbas (Syd) and Bernie Ibini (Syd), along with all the Young Socceroos missing early games, including, but not limited to: Dylan Murnane (MVC), Awer Mabil (Adl), Scott Galloway (MVC), Daniel De Silva (Per) and Hagi Gligor (Syd).
There are a few players who will be unavailable for the first week or even longer due to injuries, lack of fitness or carried over suspensions. A few of the notable players missing include : Michael Theo (Bri), Sasa Ognenovski (Syd), Matt Spiranovic (WSW), Osama Malik (Adl), Matt McKay (No pre season – Bri), Sidnei Sciola (Per), Tomi Juric (WSW). Squads released from the clubs on Thursday will show the players available for each game, and more importantly, what players have been excluded due to international call up, injury or suspension, so look out for those on the official A-League website.
Step 3 – Fixtures
Looking at who each team is playing throughout the season is important as a team with a lot of home games coming up or easy opponents would be a good enough reason for you to choose one player over another. What should be taken into consideration early is the WSW’s foray into the ACL final, and the effect that has on their A-League campaign, meaning that along with the Mariners they don’t play in game week 3, and also don’t play in game week 4, as with the Roar.
Step 4 – The Premium Essentials
Attacking players score the most points in fantasy game modes for A-League, and thus your budget should be spent in accordance to this. You need to spend big on at least 2 or 3 big, consistent, fantasy scorers, including Besart Berisha (MVC), Thomas Broich (Bri), Gui Finkler (MVC), Fabio Ferrera (Adl), Marcelo Carrusca (Adl) as well as highly rated players, such as Andy Keogh (Per), David Villa (MCY), Robert Koren (MCY) and Mitch Nichols (Per).
Step 5 – Cheapies/Cash Cows
To accommodate these expensive attack-minded players, you will need to save money elsewhere, usually in the Goalkeeper and Defender positions, as well as players on the bench. Some of the better value cheap players, who will go up in value while earning you points for playing even if they don’t make your starting 11 are: Dino Djubic (Per), Dylan McGowan (Adl), Tom Doyle (Wel), Alex Gersbach (Syd), Josh Risdon (Per) and Jamie Young (Bri), who are all expected to have a good chance to start for their respective teams come round 1. Michael McGlinchey (Wel) is a special type of cheap option, at $120k he is a must have as he will rise in value undoubtedly and has proven himself as a top player when he was with CCM.
Footnote – The write-up is based on FFA’s official fantasy game mode. Tips can mostly be transferred across to other fantasy competitions such as Fox Sports and Dream Team. Written by Luke Hall – Twitter : @hally_101
From The Stands is running its very own A-League Fantasy League along with our good friends at ‘Around the Bloc’ (@ATBWSW). Feel free to join in the league, who knows you could even walk away the winner of the league.
Name: From the Stands – Australia
Code: CWU3F52T
Site: A-League Official Site
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