WHETHER this is your first season playing Dream Team’s fantasy game or you’re a veteran of 20 years, you should familiarise yourself with the scoring system for the 2023/24 campaign.
We’ve revolutionised how players earn points this season in hope of maximising transparency and satisfaction.
DREAM TEAMDream Team gaffers should take note of how players will earn points this season[/caption]
Firstly, while Dream Team gaffers should take all elements of the scoring system into consideration when selecting their XI ahead of the new season, there’s no need to overcomplicate things if you’re not keen on stats.
Primarily, you want your strikers and midfielders to get goals and assists, and you want your goalkeeper and defenders to keep clean sheets – that’s the classic formula for a reason.
Here’s the full breakdown of how points are gained and lost:
All Players
Goal +5 pointsAssist +2 pointsAppearance (0-59 minutes) +1 pointAppearance (60+ minutes) +1 pointShot on target +1 pointBig chance created +1 pointSuccessful tackles +1 point per twoYellow card -1 pointRed card -3 pointsPenalty miss -3 pointsOwn goal -2 points
Goalkeepers & Defenders Only
Clean sheet (minimum 60 minutes played) +5 pointsEach goal conceded over one goal -1 point
Goalkeepers Only
Saves +1 point per twoPenalty save +3 points
This is mostly self explanatory but it’s worth expanding on a few aspects, particularly those unfamiliar to experienced Dream Team bosses.
Bruno Fernandes created more big chances than any other Premier League player last seasonGETTY
As you can see, players will earn one point per shot on target, as defined by OPTA – it’s important to realise that a shot on target is different to a goal-bound shot that is blocked by a defender (registered as a blocked shot).
The average number of shots on target in a Premier League game last season was eight and of course these were generally spread out among several players from both sides.
In fact, only two top-flight players averaged 2+ shots on target per 90 minutes in 2022/23, Julio Enciso and Darwin Nunez.
Big chances created are defined by stats boffins OPTA as “a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score, usually in a one on one scenario or from very close range when the ball has a clear path to goal and there is low to moderate pressure on the shooter.”
For perspective, Bruno Fernandes created the most big chances in the Premier League last term, 32 in 37 appearances.
Again, please note that a ‘big chance created’ is different to the more common ‘chance created’ – we’re only rewarding genuinely brilliant moments of creativity.
Joao Palhinha: tackle machineGETTY
Defensive midfielders are long overdue proper recognition in the realm of Dream Team.
This season, their diligent work will be rewarded as players will receive one point per two successful tackles.
To be clear, if a player registers two/three successful tackles they will receive one point, if they make four/five tackles they will earn two points, and so on.
Combative midfielders will benefit from this addition the most but players from all positions are eligible to score points this way.
Fulham’s Joao Palhinha was in a league of his own in terms of tackles last season with 147 attempted in the league alone at an average of 4.2 per game, with 83 of them being registered as successful.
But the Portugal international was a huge outlier.
Moises Caicedo was his closest competitor and the Brighton midfielder attempted 100 tackles with half of them being successful.
Similarly, goalkeepers will earn one point per two saves – as with all these stats, we align with OPTA’s definition.
David Raya made more saves than anyone else in the top flight last termGETTY
David Raya led the way in terms of Premier League saves last season, he registered 154 in 38 appearances for Brentford at an average of just over four per game.
For comparison, Dream Team’s top two keepers in 2022/23, David de Gea and Nick Pope, averaged 2.7 and 2.4 saves per league game respectively.
In addition to the core points, each player involved in any given fixture has the opportunity to earn bonus points; zero, one, three or five depending on their performance.
These bonus points are determined by a combination of the following following stats: completed crosses, successful dribbles, pass completion rate, interceptions, blocks, fouls won and goals scored from outside the area.
Offsides, fouls conceded and errors leading to goals will negatively impact a player’s chances of earning bonus points.
When using our app or site, Dream Team managers will be able to view how many points players would have got last season if the new system had been implemented – a helpful tool when selecting an XI.
Click here for the general terms and conditions for The Sun Dream Team 2023/24.