The Fantasy Football Scout Dugout FC League draft night is fast approaching.
For those who missed our introductory article, Dugout FC is a free to play, draft-based Fantasy game that allows you to join or create a custom league, made up of multiple divisions.
There’s full promotion and relegation between the divisions and the game itself is driven by an Opta-based scoring system so advanced, Dugout FC are convinced it’s one of the best around.
It’s not too late to sign up to take part in draft night, which takes place this Friday at 8pm UK time.
In addition to resetting our 69-division Fantasy Football Scout South league from last year, we have also created a brand new Fantasy Football Scout North league to meet demand for the upcoming campaign.
Tactics for Draft Night
Dugout FC’s draft system is classified as a “snake” draft.
The team with the first overall pick selects, followed by the team with the second pick, third pick, and so on. At the end of the first round, the team that just drafted (with the last pick in the first round) will have the first pick in the second round and the round continues in reverse order.
There are ten teams in a division with up to 18 players allowed in each squad, there will be 18 rounds of picks before each of the teams are complete.
During the draft, you’ll have two minutes to claim your pick before your shortlist kicks in and selects a player on your behalf.
Preparation for draft night is key and the first step, aside from forming your shortlist in Dugout FC, is to form a ranking sheet for the players on your list.
This will structure your targets in order of preference – the bigger your list, the more you’ll have to turn to on the night as the two minutes ticks down on your selection.
The obvious tactic is to work down your list, prioritising your high rank players, although there will be times when you’ll consider reacting to the selections of others, perhaps promoting a player in your ranking list or even bringing in a new player. Fundamentally, however, for at least the first three or four rounds, it’s a good idea to stick to your decided ranks in order to start your squad with a foundation of players that you have some confidence in. After that, you can consider taking risks.
Getting your first round pick right is crucial as there can be a large points gap between the player list’s handful of high performing players and the chasing pack.
In 2015/16 just five players breached the 200 points barrier, including Leicester winger Riyad Mahrez and Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil, who were the game’s highest scorers and the standout midfield picks, finishing on 254 and 242 points respectively. The rest of this elite 200 point club were made up of three forwards, Harry Kane on 230 points, Sergio Aguero on 220 and Jamie Vardy on 204.
To put their points scoring feat into perspective the next highest placed midfielder was Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen on 197, while the next highest placed forward was Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez on 188.
Player Versatility
Another notable feature of Dugout FC is the concept of player versatility. For example, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino and Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney can all be played either in midfield or as a forward.
You should take a note of such players as, securing an asset who can fulfil a number of roles offers flexibility and can help cover injuries.
Be aware though they will score differently depending on where they are fielded. Midfielders earn a point for a clean sheet but need to complete 40 passes per point, while forwards only need to complete 30.
The Scoring Model
Be sure to check in on Dugout FC’s scoring model to be clear on the match events at play and how these are applied, in particular, across the positions.
The scoring is finely balanced between full-backs and centre-backs but you’ll want to either target dominant defenders who win a raft of aerial balls, or forward-thinking full-backs who provide a ready supply of accurate crosses.
The criteria for midfielders is pretty clear – aside from goals and assists, those who make accurate passes, accompanied with chances created, should be high on your list of priorities.
However, given that there are points earned for fouls won, you should also factor in those players who frequently run at opponents and earn free kicks for their side. Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha topped last season’s fouls won table with 90, closely followed by Mahrez on 83 and Swansea’s attack minded midfielder Andre Ayew on 78.
Up front, it’s clearly all about goals and shots, although again, big centre forwards who also draw fouls offer some handy supplementary points. Harry Kane looks a good prospect in this regard having won 55 fouls last term as well as topping the goal attempt table.
Dugout FC’s player list offers a full rundown of last season’s points to offer guidance on your draft night priorities. This, combined with the statistics in our Members area, should help you form your ranking list ahead of tomorrow evening.
The Fantasy Football Scout League
Once again, if you’re yet to sign up, it’s not too late and here is a reminder of the link to join our newly created Fantasy Football Scout North league. This can also be found by scanning leagues.
Good luck to all on draft night.
