The World Cup was a haze of goals, gaffes and glorious entertainment – but for fantasy football fans the Premier League is the pinnacle.
England fans have been on emotional rollercoaster this summer, so a return to the bread and butter will be a welcome comfort.
As the Premier League season draws ever closer, so does Dream Team – the UK’s biggest fantasy football game – is back and better than ever to make your experience of it all even more compelling.
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- Dream Team is back and better than ever ahead of the new Premier League season
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- £400k jackpot up for grabs across the season
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We’ve taken a look back at the defenders who scored the most points in last season’s fantasy football game.
Some of the players on the list prove that it’s not always the biggest names who score the biggest points.
1 Nicolas Otamendi – 222 points
Otamendi looked a player reborn during Pep Guardiola’s second season at Man City.
The Argentine picked up 222 points during the campaign – the highest points tally for a defender in fantasy football.
The centre-back was a stalwart in City’s title winning side, playing 34 times and chipping in with four goals as Guardiola’s men steamrolled the competition.
Otamendi is yet to be priced up for this season’s game, but he is likely to cost Dream Team managers around £4.5m.
2 Marcos Alonso – 204 points
Alonso has quickly become one of the best wing-backs in Europe since his move to Chelsea in 2016.
The Spaniard had another standout campaign for the Blues, picking up 204 points and thriving in what was an otherwise underwhelming Antonio Conte side.
Alonso’s marauding antics from left wing-back saw him score seven goals and pick up two assists in 33 games for Chelsea.
The 27-year-old is somewhat of a set-piece specialist at Stamford Bridge, with his ability from free-kicks definitely something for Dream Team managers to consider.
Alonso is yet to have his price for this season’s game confirmed, but the defender is likely set you back £4.5m – a relative steal considering what he brings to fantasy football.
3 Cesar Azpilicueta – 197 points
Azpilicueta has been one of the Premier League’s most consistent performers in recent years.
The Spaniard featured in all but one of Chelsea’s games last season, scoring twice and providing six assists during the campaign – scoring a mammoth 197 points.
The 28-year-old formed an impressive partnership with Alvaro Morata during the season, with the defender’s pinpoint passing to his countryman a highlight of the Blues’ campaign.
Azpilicueta’s price for this season’s game is yet to be officially confirmed, however his rumoured price-tag of £4.5m will entice those Dream Team managers on the hunt for a consistent defender.
4 Chris Smalling – 194 points
Smalling’s impressive performances for Man United went somewhat under the radar last season.
The towering centre-back played 29 times for Jose Mourinho’s side and chipped in with four goals, helping him to score 194 points in fantasy football.
The 28-year-old has one year left on his contract and will hope to impress Mourinho to help further his case for a new deal at Old Trafford.
Smalling hasn’t had his price for this season’s game confirmed yet, but we estimate him to cost Dream Team managers £4m – a relative steal considering his respectable points tally last season.
5 Jan Vertonghen – 174 points
Vertonghen was a standout performer for Spurs last season and stepped up when needed during the long-term absence of Toby Alderweireld.
The 31-year-old featured in all but one of the Premier League games for Mauricio Pochettino’s side – scoring 174 points.
Despite not registering a single goal or assist during the campaign, Vertonghen’s defensive masterclasses played a major role in Spurs’ impressive clean-sheet tally.
The Belgium’s price for this season’s game is yet to be confirmed, although he is likely to cost Dream Team managers around £5m.
How does Premier League fantasy football work?
Every single season the Premier League gets more intriguing – and playing Dream Team really is the perfect way to enhance your experience of it.
You’ll be assigned a total budget of £50m for each side you pick and you’ll be able pick a maximum of 10 free teams.
The Game Weeks run from Friday to Thursday, effectively meaning the new Game Week starts after the last Europa League games are completed.
You get three transfers a month on the first Friday of every month so using them wisely is essential.
Every player on the game will be assigned a price at the start of the season which will then vary and fluctuate on a weekly basis dependent on their performances.
For example, last season we valued Mo Salah at £4m at the start of the season but the Egyptian King rocketed to over £11m by the end after his stunning goalscoring form.
Make sure to check out our website or app to see how our simplistic points system works.