Sky Sports Game Top Tips

The Sky game is about to be released this week (and may even have opened by the time you read this) and I thought I’d share my top tips on how I like to play. For further reading please read D1sable’s guide to the Sky Game ahead of last summer’s launch. While I’m not amongst the very top players I have finished 453rd and 100th in the two seasons I’ve played.

Captain strategy

Captain strategy, whereby a player scores you double points, is vitally important in the Sky game. One captaincy swap is allowed, so for example if Chelsea play on the Saturday and Manchester City play on the Sunday you can use your captaincy switch to change Eden Hazard to Sergio Aguero and bank both sets of captaincy points. In the Sky game you can also transfer out your captain for another player without using up a captaincy change, giving a valuable extra points lift when needed.

The best way to beat the system is to find a nice run of games where a strong captain plays late one week and early the next, to ensure you have a good captain already in place for the next week. This is where analysing the fixtures and the live games is of utmost importance. I’ve looked at the first two months  of the 2015/16 season and  have come up with the following teams to focus on ending the Gameweek with and therefore having a captain in place with a good fixture for the start of  the next Gameweek:

Gameweeks 1/2 – Southampton

Gameweeks 2/3 – Man City (They play on the Sunday in Gameweek 3 but if you then move it to Arsenal or Liverpool on Monday you can still benefit)

Gameweeks 3/4 – Arsenal or Liverpool

Gameweeks 4/5 – This involves an international break and therefore a free switch giving you more options, but make sure you remember to do it before the Saturday.

Gameweeks 5/6 – Leicester, Villa, Sunderland, Newcastle and West Ham all have good fixtures at the end of Gameweek 5 and the start of Gameweek 6 but their players represent a risk. It may be wiser this week to leave the captaincy on Sergio Aguero for Gameweek 5 and carry that over to the next week.

Gameweeks 6/7 – Liverpool

SKY bonus points

Two key types of bonus available in Sky are for those all-action midfielders with slick passing and strong tackling ability. There are two points for four or more tackles and two points for 60 or more successful passes in a game. This means there is some value in defensive midfielders and this is shown by the top bonus point scorer last season being Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic. He  gained an extra 56 points just from bonus allocation. Others to suit these extra bonus points are Cesc Fabregas, who gained 50 extra points last season, as well as Yaya Toure and Morgan Schneiderlin, who gained 42 extra points each for their tackling and passing.

Arguably the most important bonus is the five points awarded for Man of the Match. These often go to hard-working defensive midfielders, players that score multiple goals or the bright spark of the team. Eden Hazard is among those eye-catching, game-changing players to often get this award.

Initial squad selection

Using the above you can build your team by focusing on expensive heavy-hitters you want to use for captaincy combinations, potential bonus-point magnets and cheap defenders. Opting against an expensive defence is key in the Sky game where last season defenders did not gain extra points for goals and could accrue negative points for goals conceded. If this year’s game carries on in this vein then money is best spent elsewhere in midfield and attack. Look for reliable cheap goalkeepers and avoid spending more than 5.0 on defenders. Amongst the best assets last year were Swansea’s keeper Lukas Fabianski, who benefitted from clean sheet points at a budget-friendly price tag.

As well as Hazard, other midfielders and attackers to consider are those such as Aaron Ramsey and Yaya Toure, who have the potential for goals, assists as well as bonus points in their locker. They are also solid captaincy options.

Transfers

In the Sky game players have just 4o transfers. It is crucial to look across the season and avoid making rash moves early on. Personally, when cheap defenders who are nailed-on starters emerge they are good early transfers to make. Other transfers should focus on dealing with injuries and suspensions and maximising captain potential.

Saving transfers for double Gameweeks and captain switches are key come the end of the season, so hold onto them as long as you can.

The Aguero/Sanchez Dilemma

Both players played in the Copa America final and are expected to miss a large portion of pre-season training with their clubs. This also places a question mark over their chances of starting the 2015/16 season. For me, Aguero is a must-have player when he’s available. He is the key asset for Manchester City and the best captaincy option from amongst their ranks. Sanchez, who could also miss the first game due to his summer exertions, is another key player. But with so many other strong options amongst Arsenal’s ranks, he is not as essential as Aguero. Keep a close eye on team sheet news ahead of Gameweek 1 before committing to either of these options.

Mini-Leagues/Multi Teams

In Sky you can have two teams side by side, which can be useful for having different options, or for very similar teams with minor changes when you are completely undecided. The other option is to have identical teams and then split them when big decisions come OR if you’re lucky enough to be chasing big prizes come the end of the season and want to chase a number of prizes.

Anyone can enter mini leagues if you share the code. The beauty of Sky is that if you have a Sky Bet account you can just enter with the money in that account. The end of the season sees the money transferred back if you are lucky enough to win. It’s a great system that I wish the Fantasy Premier League would also implement.

Another handy tip for those looking to join mini-leagues and gain cash prizes is to check Sky Sports’ Facebook page after the game has launched as this often lists people advertising their leagues.