Published On: August 22, 2018 11:20 AM NPT By: Rahat Poudel

Enroll football greats into your team

Enroll football greats into your team

KATHMANDU, Aug 22: Premier league is already creating a buzz among football fanatics. While some are obsessed with the game, others watch it just to be a part of the post-match rants that take social media by storm. Moreover, enthusiasts assemble their fantasy teams to prove their supremacy. 

Fantasy Premier League, the biggest of such virtual competitions, has over 5 million  online players. The game accumulates points on the basis of on-field performances of the real-life football stars. Each online player is given 100 million pound sterling( virtual currency) to assemble their individual dream team. 

Anurodh Pandey has been playing Fantasy Premier League since the 2014/15 season. His reason for joining the fantasy league bandwagon is for the sheer purpose of fun. “Since most of my friends play the league, it’s entertaining to go head to head with them,” he says.

The game has equally tempted the people from different work streams. Dr Banu Sharma, a dentist at Healthy Smiles Dental Clinic, is a Manchester United fan, and owns a virtual fantasy league team. She has been playing the game for the last five seasons, and  says, “Football is all about interest and so is Fantasy Premier League. However, I haven’t let the game hamper my work. It’s just a matter of personal interest.”

Likewise, Ashish Shakya, marketing representative of Tuborg Beer has participated in four seasons so far. His drive toward football brought him to try his hands on the virtual league. “In my experience, the game allows you to stay updated with the performances, match results, and the statistics of different teams participating in the English league,” Shakya stated.

These virtual competitions are famous all over the globe. In Nepal, Ravi Timilsina, a civil engineer by profession, has been actively organizing different tournaments for the supporters. Timilsina said, “We started Fantasy Premier League Championships after the success of the UEFA Euro 2016 and 2018 World Cup prediction contests. With the help from our brothers living abroad, we came up with this idea.” 

He further added that the organizing committee had announced various prizes to make the competition more interesting. “The winners receive a set of their favorite team’s jersey along with cash prize. However, to participate, an entrance fee of Rs 250 is mandatory,” added Timilsina. 

According to the players of the game, assembling a team requires football knowledge. “Bringing together a team is a challenging task for most of the players,” Pandey said. “The participating team managers need to carefully go through the tips and consider suggestion provided by veteran players to form a perfect squad. So, making a strong team requires a lot of research. It further benefits if you are updated with the happenings in football.”

Participation, especially of the youths, is on the rise. Though the virtual league did not create much hype right after launch, it currently engages millions of players globally. Timilsina, a seven-year veteran, remembers competing with less than 600 Nepali players. “Many people didn’t even know about the league. Thanks to the internet and free fantasy services, the increment of Fantasy fans has made the league even more interesting and challenging” added Timilsina. 

FPL secrets: How to build a champion's squad
The 2018/19 season is already here and so is Fantasy Premier League. Here are some quick tips you might want to consider while assembling a successful squad. 

Risk Limitations
Try to limit any risk when picking your players. For example, a promoted player or a new signing can be appealing. But history has shown that they can be less reliable while adjusting to the league. Therefore, it is best to limit your selection to one or two of these "gambles". Instead rely on proven FPL performers.

Don’t waste a pick
Avoid being wasteful by leaving expensive players on the bench. Monitoring pre-season team sheets can help you find some of those value options.

Maximize your money
Rotating players helps maximize the value they offer. Select nine or 10 regular starters for your XI and fill the remaining slots with cut-price players who can be swapped out according to fixtures. Seek out two cut-price defenders who can be swapped in and out ofthe XI and use the Fixture Difficulty Ranking (FDR) to find a suitable pairing.

Allocate wisely
You can only select three players from any Premier League club, so do not waste a slot on low-scoring players. Instead, opt for cut-price players from teams unlikely to take up your three-player allocation.

 

Source: premierleague.com

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