Fantasy football is back and raring to go ahead of the Premier League’s return on Friday, with Arsenal hosting Leicester at the Emirates Stadium.
Hundreds of thousands of you have signed up to play this season’s Dream Team – and it’s easy to see why with a massive £750k prize pot at stake with entry to play being entirely FREE.
Dream Team 2017/18
How does the game work?
- This year’s fantasy football game will be absolutely FREE for all players to play
- The total prize pot is an approximated £750,000
- Game Weeks will run from Friday to Thursday
- £50m budget on 11 eligible players
We’ve had a good look back at some of this season’s most picked players.
And while there’s a few surprises among the top 20, we’re not sorry to say we’ve got a large chunk of them in our Dream Team.
What will Lacazette offer on Dream Team?
- Highest rated player (7.57) in France last season
- 28 league goals in as many appearances for Lyon
- 61 points on Dream Team Europe after helping Lyon reach the semi-finals of the Europa League
- Want Lacazette in your fantasy team? Sign up here
Over 45% of you have chosen Spurs’ main man Harry Kane, despite him being Dream Team’s most expensive player this season.
But there’s one man who’s way ahead at the top with 58.9% of you picking him…
Fantasy football tips: Why is Romelu Lukaku the most picked player this season?
Lukaku secured his dream move to Manchester United this summer, with the Red Devils swapping £75million of their hard-earned cash for the Belgian ahead of rivals Chelsea.
His arrival has been met with much enthusiasm, with United struggling to score goals last season, albeit Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s haul of 17 in the league.
But why have so many of you picked him?
His link-up with Paul Pogba this season
It’s no secret that Pogba played a big role in Lukaku’s decision to join United this summer.
When Lukaku was spotted hanging out with United’s midfield dynamo during the summer break, it was clear that he fancied linking up with his good friend at Old Trafford.
Say what you want about Pogba’s first season back at United; statistically, he was one of the very best in the league.
NOT PICKED YOUR FANTASY FOOTBALL TEAM YET? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
WhoScored, Dream Team’s ratings provider, gave the Frenchman a cool 7.72 rating in the Premier League, while he was by-far United’s top points scorer with 236 points.
Lukaku, too, managed a decent haul of 247 points during his final campaign with Everton, notching 25 goals in the league.
With Pogba likely to be more settled in his role at United this season, and with new signing Nemanja Matic taking away some of his defensive responsibilities, we can expect his main role to be Lukaku’s provider.
The Mourinho-factor
A lot’s been said about how callously Jose Mourinho shipped Lukaku out of his Chelsea side back when the pair were working together in 2013.
But the Belgian undoubtedly proved the Portuguese manager wrong, by grasping his role as top dog with the Toffees and scoring 25 goals in each of his last two seasons at the club.
And this time around, we think it’s going to work.
Lukaku is exactly the kind of striker Mourinho loves; strong, quick, powerful and with an eye for goal.
Man United is a greater platform for success
No disrespect to Everton (who will surely challenge the top six, and maybe even the top four, this season) but Lukaku’s move to United is a step-up.
The Red Devils will compete in this season’s Champions League, while they were surely finisher higher than sixth in the Premier League this season.
And as a top striker, playing at one of the best club’s in the world, and with a plethora of superstars around you, he’ll surely flourish.
He’s cheaper than Harry Kane, Alexis Sanchez and Sergio Aguero
If we get into the nitty-gritty of fantasy football, Lukaku is significantly cheaper than Kane.
Even Sanchez and Agguero cost more than him on this season’s game, despite Sanchez starting the season injured (and unsettled) while Aguero isn’t a guaranteed starter for City.
He’s also in the same price-range as Diego Costa, with Son Heung-min and Roberto Firmino only £500k cheaper.
Makes sense to go for Lukaku then, right?
He’s a proven goalscorer in the Premier League
Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United strengthened their attacking options this season, with the Gunners opting for French hotshot Alexandre Lacazette while the Blues settled on Alvaro Morata.
Both are fine forwards, who’ll no doubt be successful for their respective clubs.
NOT PICKED YOUR FANTASY FOOTBALL TEAM YET? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
But they both lack one thing that Lukaku has, and that’s Premier League experience.
The Belgian has been a Premier League mainstay for years now, joining Chelsea in 2011 when he was just 18-years-old.
He’s scored goals wherever he’s gone, be it West Brom or Everton, and has gotten pretty good at it too.
How does fantasy football work?
The setup for Dream Team is pretty simple really – as a manger you get a budget of £50m to spend on your team of 11 players.
Game Weeks will run from Friday to Thursday this season and you’ll be allowed to transfer out players who have already played in that Game Week.
How did Sanchez perform in fantasy football last season?
- Second highest rated player (7.76) in the Premier League last season, behind only Eden Hazard
- Registered 30 goals and 13 assists in all competitions
- Highest points scorer on Dream Team with 340 points
- Want him in your fantasy football team this season? Sign up now
Each manager gets a maximum of three transfers a month – so it’s important to pay attention to upcoming fixtures.
And if the incentive of beating your mates in our Mini-League system isn’t enough, there’s a whopping £750,000 prizepot at stake too.
Which fantasy football team names are the most popular?
Team names have become almost as important as picking winning sides in recent years, with the punnier the better the general perspective.
So whether it’s Lallana in Pyjamas, Giroud Sandstorm or Teenage Mutant Ninja Skrtel, take a look at our foolproof list to help you decide.
What else do I need to know?
Remember Dream Team stands above it’s competitors because it factors in every single competition in the season – not just the Premier League.
That means you’ll have to have your wits about you in the League Cup, FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League too when selecting your players.
Head to Head leagues and Mini Leagues will also be back so you can beat your mates and earn those all important bragging rights.
Like what you see? Keep up to date with all the latest with our fantasy football live blog and sign up to play Dream Team below…