DFS FOCUS
The Sweat Factor
In the lead up to kick off, you’ll start to realise it’s a sweaty experience
picking a line-up you’re happy with. Here’s how it plays out:
• Do your research and set a preliminary line-up. Don’t sweat here. You’ll need those
perspiration juices for later on.
• Wait for the line-ups to be released. Take the dog out for a walk, head down the gym or
get an early beer in. Whatever your bag is.
• Open the app as soon as the line-ups drop and start changing. This is where it gets
real sweaty. Every change you make has a bearing elsewhere on your line-up so be
decisive.
• Finalise your picks and head down the pub to watch it all play out.
• Collect your winnings. If you’ve tinkered too much this might not be possible and it’s
back to the drawing board in a week’s time.
Who are the best players?
So you’re probably ready to ask who scores
the most points on daily fantasy football
and things are quite a bit different to
traditional fantasy football in that regard.
Whilst all these players won’t make your
line-up, thanks to their exorbitant salaries,
think of this as a good starting point for
your line-up.
GK: Petr Cech (11 DraftKings Fantasy
Points Per Game (FPPG)) – Cech gets
plenty of points for wins and clean sheets
thanks to Arsenal’s status atop the Premier
League and his league-leading 10 clean
sheets. Both are worth five points each and
give Cech a significant upside.
DF: Leighton Baines, Everton (10
FPPG) – Baines has only been back for a
few weeks but is already the second most
expensive defender behind Kolarov. The
Everton left back takes the majority of set
pieces, loves a cross and is as comfortable
getting forward as he is defending.
DF: Aleksandar Kolarov, Man City (11.8
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FPPG) – As you play DraftKings more and
more you’ll learn the importance of wing
backs. Kolarov epitomises this.
DF: Cedric Soares, Southampton (10.1
FPPG) – Cedric is one player that often
allows users to take advantage of positional
eligibility due to the fact Ronald Koeman
likes to play three at the back and Cedric is
pushed to right midfield as a result.
MF: Riyad Mahrez, Leicester City
(18.4 FPPG) – Where do you start with
Mahrez? The Leicester man has been a big
part of why the Foxes have been so good,
mainly thanks to his contribution in every
attacking stat column out there.
MF: Dimitri Payet, West Ham (17.9
FPPG) – Until he got injured he was
pulling the strings at Upton Park. Now that
he’s back to full fitness, he’s one of the best
daily fantasy midfielders in the Premier
League.
MF: Kevin de Bruyne, Man City (18.4
FPPG) – de Bruyne arrived with the
reputation of being one of those players
that Jose Mourinho wasn’t fond of at
Chelsea. Any problems the former Chelsea
manager had look ridiculous now as de
Bruyne makes a contribution every week.
FW: Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal (15.4
FPPG) – His fitness is a problem but the
way he drifts out wide often is ideally
suited to daily fantasy football.
FW: Harry Kane, Tottenham (14.5
FPPG) – England may well opt to leave
Kane on the bench for the European
Championship in the summer, but his
value to Tottenham remains undiminished.
Fantasy users get added value thanks to
the amount of shots Kane has during an
average game.
UTIL: Mesut Özil, Arsenal (15.9 FPPG)
– 16 assists is almost one per game and that
gives him a six point head-start going into
any contest.
UTIL: Yohan Cabaye, Crystal
Palace (14.8 FPPG) – Cabaye is by far
Palace’s biggest ever signing and has
been influential to how they play. Set
pieces, assists, crosses and goals make the
Frenchman a stand out.
JAMIE HINKS is part o f
DraftKings’ content team
and writes about daily
fantasy sports every day at
draftkingsfc.com. Holding a
degree in Sport Journalism, he
worked in the online gaming industry
and IT before moving into fantasy
sports in late 2014.