With the start of a new Premier League season moving ever closer, we switch our focus to Sky Sports Fantasy Football.
£50,000 is on offer to the game’s winner in 2023/24, with cash prizes of £5,000 and £1,000 dished out to those managers finishing in the other two podium places.
The fourth and fifth-placed managers are awarded £500 each.
One manager will even win £10k via a random draw in Gameweek 1.
If you’re new to the Sky game or merely in need of a refresher on the rules and scoring system, we will go over the basics of the game in the article below.
SIGN UP TO SKY FANTASY FOOTBALL FOR 2023/24 HERE
HOW DO I PLAY SKY SPORTS FANTASY FOOTBALL?
TEAM SELECTION
Just like in Fantasy Premier League, managers select a team of players that will either earn attacking, defensive or bonus points in an attempt to score more than friends, colleagues and/or the rest of the world.
However, this is not a squad-based game: you choose simply a starting XI and do not have a bench.
Any of these formations are valid:
- 4-3-3 (1 x GK, 4 x DEF, 3 x MID, 3 x STR)
- 4-4-2 (1 x GK, 4 x DEF, 4 x MID, 2 x STR)
- 4-5-1 (1 x GK, 4 x DEF, 5 x MID, 1 x STR)
- 3-5-2 (1 x GK, 3 x DEF, 5 x MID, 2 x STR)
- 5-3-2 (1 x GK, 5 x DEF, 3 x MID, 2 x STR)
- 3-4-3 (1 x GK, 3 x DEF, 4 x MID, 3 x STR)
The budget, like in FPL, is £100m. There is no quota for players from the same club, however.
TRANSFERS
Gameweeks run from Friday to Thursday with managers allowed transfers in between Match Days, allowing the maximisation of potential points by bringing in an asset yet to play for one who has already been involved that week.
Instead of one free switch per Gameweek as per FPL, the Sky Sports game allocates 50 transfers that can be used at any time during the season – with a limit of five in one Gameweek – creating the need for a more long-term strategy.
CHIPS
An ‘Overhaul’ (the equivalent of Wildcard) is also available in Sky Sports. Previously Sky managers were allowed two of these a season but this has been whittled down to one.
The Overhaul period will begin at the end of Gameweek 21 and resume when the first match is played in Gameweek 23.
You will be able to make unlimited transfers during this period until the first game day deadline.
CAPTAINCY
In the Sky Sports game, you can name more than one captain in a Gameweek so long as the players in question are in action on different days.
For example, if there were fixtures on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday in any given Gameweek, a Sky Sports Fantasy manager could name a different skipper on each of those Match Days, providing they did so before that day’s deadline.
Managers can also schedule their captains ahead of a Gameweek, too.
HOW DO YOU SCORE POINTS?
The points structure is largely similar to FPL in Sky Sports Fantasy but tends to award more points for the actions mentioned below.
| Starting XI | 2 |
| Substitution appearance | 1 |
| Goal scored by a goalkeeper/defender | 7 |
| Goal scored by a midfielder | 6 |
| Goal scored by a striker | 5 |
| Goal assist | 3 |
| Clean sheet by a goalkeeper (must play 60+ mins) | 7 |
| Clean sheet by a defender (must play 60+ mins) | 5 |
| A penalty save by a goalkeeper | 5 |
CAN MY TEAM LOSE POINTS?
Unfortunately, just like in FPL there are a few ways to lose points too.
| Action | Points scored |
| Missing a penalty | -3 |
| Every goal conceded from the second goal onwards | -1 |
| Each yellow card | -1 |
| Each red card | -3 |
| Each own goal | -2 |
HOW DO BONUS POINTS WORK?
Just like in FPL, there are additional points on offer for other events in matches – although the structure is slightly different, as you will see below:
| Tier 1 Action | Points scored |
| 3 saves made (GK only) | 2 |
| 4 tackles won | 2 |
| 60 completed passes | 2 |
| 2 shots on target | 2 |
| Tier 2 Action | Points scored |
| 5+ saves made (GK only) | 3 |
| 5+ tackles won | 3 |
| 70+ completed passes | 3 |
| 3+ shots on target | 3 |
Head over to our Premium Members Area to see which players will potentially benefit from the Sky Sports bonus on offer for saves, tackles, passes and shots on target.
HOW DO I PLAY AGAINST MY FRIENDS?
There are a number of different ways to compete against others in the Sky Sports game. You can create or join a Free League with your friends and colleagues but there are ways to win money too.
Sky Sports can actually administer your money league for you to avoid any awkwardness post-season. You can choose the entry fee (either £2, £5, £10 or £20 per person) and the prize structure beforehand and Sky Sports will take care of the rest.
We have already set up our annual, free-to-enter Fantasy Football Scout mini-league, which you can enter by heading to the ‘Leagues’ tab and clicking ‘Join+’.
The full details are below:
League Name: FFScout
League Pin: 9236658
