In the previous installment, we looked at all the different leagues in Fantasy Soccer Manager. Now, let's jump right into the scoring system. In fantasy soccer, a solid understanding of what makes a player valuable can be the difference between winning your league, just having a good season or becoming the butt of your friends' jokes.
It makes sense that players will notch points for the goals and assists, as well as the shutouts they record. However, there are several additional ways to score points, like a goalkeeper saving a penalty or a forward earning a penalty kick for his team.
Here's the full list for you to peruse. We'll discuss the finer points below.
Action |
Points |
|---|---|
For playing in a game |
1 |
For playing at least 60 minutes in a game<br>
(includes playing point mentioned above) |
2 |
For each goal scored by your goalkeeper or defenders |
6 |
For each goal scored by your midfielders or forwards |
5 |
For each assist * |
3 |
For your goalkeeper conceding 0 goals<br>
(must also play at least 60 minutes) |
4 |
For your defenders conceding 0 goals<br>
(must play at least 60 minutes) |
4 |
For your midfielders conceding 0 goals<br>
(must play at least 60 minutes) |
1 |
For every penalty miss |
-2 |
For every penalty save |
5 |
For every penalty earned |
2 |
For each own goal |
-2 |
For each own goal assist |
1 |
For every 2 goals conceded by your goalkeeper or defenders |
-1 |
For every yellow card |
-1 |
For every red card<br>
(includes any yellow card points) ** |
-3 |
For every 3 saves |
1 |
Assists: What's an assist? It's when a player makes the final pass that leads to a goal. Additionally, secondary assists are credited, so it's possible that two attacking players can receive assists on the same goal.
*Red Cards: If a player receives a red card during a match, he will continue to be penalized for goals conceded by his team in addition to the -3 point penalty he suffers. Points deductions for red cards include any points deducted for yellow cards.
BONUS POINTS
Another way in which Fantasy Soccer Manager is unique is that it seeks to reward the most influential players on the field with bonus points. There are two categories: attacking and defending. However, it's possible that effective two-way players will collect points on both sides of the ledger; Dax McCarty, Kyle Beckerman and Tony Tchani come to mind as able two-way threats.
Attacking
All players on the field are eligible to tally attacking bonuses for things like crosses, key passes and chances created.
Action |
Points |
|---|---|
3 crosses (A cross is defined where the ball is played to their own player in the penalty area) |
1 |
3 key passes (A key pass is one that leads to a shot at goal) |
1 |
1 big chance created (A big chance is one where the analyst determines the player should score) |
1 |
In practice, the players who are creating goals and assists will also perform well in these categories, too. However, sometimes stationary center forwards won't notch any bonus points for crosses, while marauding outside backs will, so keep that in mind when selecting your team.
Defending
It's the same idea on defense. Bonus points reward the players who find themselves in the thick of the action, clearing balls away or recovering possession for their team. Here's the breakdown:
Action |
Points |
|---|---|
6 clearances, blocks, or interceptions |
1 |
6 recovered balls |
1 |
Error leading to goal |
-1 |
These bonus categories can really boost a player's score. For example, D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid recorded 368 recoveries during the 2014 season, helping him become the No. 1 goalkeeper in fantasy soccer as determined by total score.
CHOOSING A CAPTAIN
One of the biggest decisions you'll make each week is who to captain. Your captain scores double points, so it can really swing the momentum of a head-to-head matchup or send you to classic title if your captain lays an egg or, even worse, takes a red card. (Negative scores are, cruelly, also doubled.)
Some people choose to hand the armband to the same player each week. Others, myself included, like to assign the armband based on the best matchups. Whatever you decide, you'll be watching his stats with twice the usual interest! Start playing
Fantasy Soccer 101:
« Part 2: Create and join leagues
Part 4: The transfer market »
