Sky Sports Bonus Point Magnets

The Sky Sports game has now launched with a number of key changes to its rules and scoring. This article will look at specifically how the new bonus system works and also aims to find out which outfield players are most likely to do well in 2016/17 based on last year’s performance.

New Bonus System

First up let’s recap on the new bonus system, which has two tiers of bonus.

Tier 1 – Two bonus points have been made available for the following:

3 saves made (GK only)
4 tackles won (All)
60 completed passes (All)
3 shots on target (All)

Tier 2 – Three bonus points have been made available for the following:

5 saves made (GK only)
5 tackles won (All)
70 completed passes (All)
5 shots on target (All)

For passing, in particular, this represents a key change compared to last season, where two bonus points were awarded for 60 completed passes. This means that those who did well last season in terms of distribution are set for a significant hike in bonus points if they can maintain, or better, last season’s form.

Bonus Point Magnets

Next up, I take a look at last season’s statistics to find out how many times players would have received those extra points now on offer by the top Tier 2 bonus allocation. With three extra points up for grabs this is a key group of players to consider investing in.

Number of 2015/16 matches where 70 completed passes were made

Cesc Fabregas 14

Santi Cazorla 11

Aaron Ramsey 8

Fernandinho 7

Yaya Toure 7

Ashley Williams 6

Federico Fernandez 5

Mark Noble 5

Jon Obi Mikel 5

Lucas Lieva 5

Two stars of this bonus allocation are the 9.2m-priced Santi Cazorla. His incredible record of achieving maximum bonus on 11 occasions from just 15 starts is unbeatable. With his 2015/16 campaign curtailed by injury those investing in the Arsenal man will be hopeful he can stay fit and earn regular starts next season.

Cesc Fabregas’ tally of 14 from 33 starts is also very impressive. He looks to be another that will do well next season, particularly as under new management Chelsea should be set for an improvement. Furthermore the Chelsea man achieved the tier one threshold 12 times, the only player to hit double digits in terms of frequency. This means that for passing alone Fabregas would have achieved an incredible 66 bonus points last season if this year’s bonus rules applied.

Also worth noting is the Swansea centre back pairing of Ashley Williams (7.3) and Federico Fernandez (6.6m), who offer a few extra points on top of any clean sheets you might expect. Of the pair, Fernandez offers the better value if using bonus allocation as a guide.

Number of 2015/16 matches where 5 Tackles were won

Lucas Leiva 7

Yohann Cabaye 6

Allan Nyom 6

Simon Francis 4

Kyle Walker 4

Gareth Barry 4

N’Golo Kante 4

Yann M’Vila 4

Lucas Leiva (7.8) of Liverpool, Yohan Cabaye (8.6) of Crystal Palace and Watford defender Allan Nyom (6.2) are the main beneficiaries here. However, there could be question marks over starts for Nyom and Lucas, which makes Cabaye perhaps the better, albeit most expensive, bet of these three. If Lucas can get regular starts, given his passing bonus potential as well as tackling potential, he could be a great option for those looking for a cheaper midfielder. However, there is speculation that the Liverpool man could be subject to a transfer away from the Premier League.

Number of 2015/16 matches where 5 Shots were on target

Harry Kane 2

Andy Carroll 2

Sergio Aguero 2

This is a tough bonus to get. Just three players achieved this on more than one occasion. Shots on target, however, remains a useful indicator of expected goals.

In terms of the tier one threshold of three shots on target this is easier to achieve. Among those who did well here Kane (12.8) stands out after hitting this lower threshold on eight occasions, while Jamie Vardy (12.0) achieved this seven times.

Conclusion

With the creation of a tier 2 bonus points success in the Sky Sports game depends on ensuring you invest in bonus magnets. Fabregas is a great example of this and could be set to handsomely reward his suitors. If he and Cazorla can also add more goals and assists to their game their end of season scores could set records in this Fantasy game.

It is also worth noting that defenders fair poorly on the whole compared to central and defensive midfielders the main beneficiaries of bonus next season, albeit at a reduced rate compared to last season. This suggests that a 3-5-2 formation could, once again, prove the most profitable.