If your football team hasn’t had the dream season. Maybe it’s time to turn to fantasy. Bet365 Fantasy Football to be exact.

While there are several other sports covered in bet365 Fantasy, it is football that certainly attracts many players to the site. In fact, some of its fantasy football games have attracted several hundreds of thousands of players.

Additionally, there are some high-value prizes up for grabs. For example, the current bet365 Fantasy Football Premier League game, which has been running all season, has a £500,000 prize pool.

So, why not play these often free-to-play Bet365 Fantasy Football games, with a bit more strategic knowledge behind you?

That is what we are going to focus on in this article. Looking at the four key positions for the main fantasy football game – Goalkeeper, Defenders, Midfielders and Attackers.

We will then also look at other key aspects of the game including the wildcards, transfers and using the captain and vice-captain picks.

Remember, you don’t need a bet365 Fantasy account to play these games. Any bet365 account will do. So if you want to play, sign up today using this link to bet365 Sport!

For context, this article was written near the end of the 2023/2024 Premier League Season. The data shown was therefore correct at the time the article was written.

Where a fantasy point is awarded based on something non-positional related, such as playing for over 60 minutes in a game, then these are not displayed in the positional profiles below.

Instead, we have listed the non-positional-dependent scoring factors b elow, both in t erms of positive and negative points.

Bet365 Fantasy Football – Points Awarded To All Players Regardless of Position

Positive Points Modifiers

• Playing time up to 60 minutes = 1 point
• Player time over 60 minutes = 1 point
• Assist = 3 points
• If the score during the time the player is on the pitch sees his team winning = +0.3 points

Negative Points Modifiers

• Scores an Own Goal = -2 points
• Misses a Penalty = -2 points
• Yellow Card = -1 point
• Red Card = -3 points
• Gave a foul away for a free kick from which a goal was scored = -2 points
• Gave a foul away for a penalty kick = -2 points
• If the score during the time the player is on the pitch sees his team losing = -0.3 points

All points awarded here are cumulative, as are the points awarded for specific positions.

Example A

Kevin De Bruyne plays for 80 minutes, during which he is awarded a yellow card, but also assists with two goals for Manchester City, scoring another in a 4-0 win for Manchester City. When he left the pitch Manchester City were winning the game.

Before we add on any additional modifiers for his position as a midfielder, Kevin De Bruyne’s fantasy score from these general modifiers for all players would be:

• Playing time up to 60 minutes = 1 point
• Player time over 60 minutes = 1 point
• Two Assists =  2 x 3 points = 6 points
• If the score during the time the player is on the pitch sees his team winning = +0.3 points
• Yellow Card = -1 point

So on the plus side he would earn 1+1+3+3+0.3 points for the positive contribution he made, which equates to 8.3 points. However, he was also booked which carries a -1 point penalty. So, his non-position specific points for this game would be +7.3.

Bet365 Fantasy Football – Positional Player Traits & Picks Of 2023/24

Goalkeeper

For many people, the goalkeeper position is one that they can save a little of their wage cap on. That isn’t always the best strategic move as the best goalkeepers can score you significant points at times.

Selecting a goalkeeper is a lot more than simply picking one that is likely to keep a clean sheet most often.

How a Goalkeeper Earns/Loses Points

• Scoring a Goal = +8 points
• Keeping a Clean Sheet = +4 points
• Make a save = +0.5 points
• Save a penalty = +5 points
• Have a Shot on Goal = +1 point
• Concede 2 or more goals = -1 point

Ideal Goalkeeper Fantasy Player Profile

• Either – keeps a lot of clean sheets or makes a lot of saves per game on average – ideally both.
• Has a reputation for being a good penalty saver.
• First choice and is rarely injured.
• Plays for a team that tends to concede fewer than two goals per game.

Top Goalkeeper Fantasy Scorers in 2023/24 (so far)

1. Jordan Pickford (Everton) – 147.1 points
2. Bernd Leno (Fulham) – 142.3 points
3. Andre Onana (Man Utd) – 141.7 points
4. David Raya (Arsenal) – 135.5 points
5. Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) – 125.9 points
6. Neto (Bournemouth) – 123.4 points
7. Jose Sa (Wolves) – 122.4 points
8. Alphonse Areola (West Ham) – 119.2 points
9. Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham) – 118.7 points
10. Mark Flekken (Brentford) – 118 points

Defender

Picking the right defenders can make or break a fantasy team, as it is probably the most difficult position to pick to get regular points from. There are also significantly more negative points on offer for defenders and goalkeepers.

However, get the right blend of defenders from a variety of teams and the points they can contribute can be hugely significant.

How a Defender Earns/Loses Points

• Scoring a Goal = +6 points
• Keeping a Clean Sheet = +4 points
• Shot on Goal = +0.6 points
• Concede 2 or more goals = -1 point
• Having more than one defensive player from the same team in your team – –2 points per additional player.

Ideal Defender Fantasy Player Profile

• Plays on a team that doesn’t concede many goals
• Is liable to score a handful of goals each season.
• Is a penalty taker and/or a dead ball free kick specialist
• Can play in more than one position, sometimes playing in midfield or even attack.
• Rarely injured and tends to play the full 90 minutes in games when selected.
• Isn’t afraid to have a shot at goal from distance.

Top Defender Fantasy Scorers in 2023/24 (so far)

1. Ben White (Arsenal) – 160.9
2. William Saliba (Arsenal) – 141.6
3. Gabriel (Arsenal) – 137.3
4. Fabian Schar (Newcastle) – 113.3
5. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) – 111.2
6. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) – 101.4
7. Kyle Walker (Man City) – 100.6
8. Pedro Porro (Tottenham) – 100.3
9. Jared Branthwaite (Everton) – 100
10. Joachm Anderson (Crystal Palace) – 98.1

Midfielder

Midfielder is an interesting position in bet365 Fantasy Football as the list includes many players people would have down more as forwards (such as Mohamed Salah, Son Hyeong-min, Luis Diaz, Alejandro Garnacho, Bukayo Saka, Gabriele Martinelli).

These players, because of their goalscoring exploits, can prove to be excellent additions to your team.

How a Midfielder Earns/Loses Points

• Plays the full match = +1 point
• Scoring a Goal = +5 points
• Keeping a Clean Sheet = +1 point
• Shot on Goal = +0.4 points

Ideal Midfielder Fantasy Player Profile

• Starts most/all the games.
• Tends to play more as a forward/winger than natural midfielder.
• Is not substituted very often.
• Scores and creates goals in significant numbers for his team.
• Plays for a team with a good defensive record.
• Isn’t booked too often.
• Takes penalties and/or direct free kicks on goal.

Top Midfielder Fantasy Scorers in 2023/24 (so far)

1. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) – 216.6
2. Phil Foden (Man City) – 203
3. Cole Palmer (Chelsea) – 202.6
4. Jared Bown (West Ham) – 200.6
5. Mo Salah (Liverpool) – 200.5
6. Hyeong-Min Son (Tottenham) – 190.7
7. Anthony Gordon (Newcastle) – 181.4
8. Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd) – 180.8
9. Martin Odegaard (Arsenal) – 177.2
10. Kai Havertz (Arsenal) – 173

Forward

Forward tends to be the easier of the four positions to pick. Usually, entrants try to ensure that they get a player that will score lots of league goals. That is a pretty safe tactic here too.

However, it is worth noting that forwards can also earn almost as many points for an assist (3) as a goal (4). Therefore, creative forward players can also be excellent points scorers.

How a Forward Earns/Loses Points

• Plays the full match = +1 point
• Scoring a Goal = +4 points
• Shot on Goal = +0.4 points

Ideal Forward Fantasy Player Profile

• Starts all or the vast majority of games.
• Is the team’s top goalscorer and/or assist maker.
• Takes lots of shots on goal.
• Doesn’t miss too many penalties
• Isn’t substituted too frequently in games.

Top Forward Fantasy Scorers in 2023/24 (so far)

1. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) – 229.7
2. Erling Haaland (Man City) – 190.5
3. Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth) – 185.5
4. Julio Alvarez (Man City) – 159.8
5. Darwin Nunez (Liverpool) – 145.8
6. Alexander Isak (Newcastle) – 145.7
7. Carlton Morris (Luton Town) – 143.4
8. Juan Mateta (Crystal Palace) – 134.3
9. Matheus Cunha (Wolves) – 132.2
10. Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea) – 125.4

Further Bet365 Fantasy Football Strategic Decisions

Alongside your team selection, there are several other factors to consider for your team. They are: –

• Wildcards (which you can only use twice per season, once in the first half, once in the second)
• Transfers (you get one Free Transfer per week, which can be collected over several weeks)
• Captain & Vice Captain (you must appoint one of each for your team)

Bet365 Fantasy Football Wildcards

To help you land additional points, or make significant changes to your team, there is a game modifier called a Wildcard.

• Wildcards

There are two Wildcards available per season. The first can be used between Game Weeks 1-19 and the second from Game Weeks 20 – 38.

Wildcards reset your total number of Free Transfers saved. But playing it allows you to make unlimited free transfers to your team for that game week.

There are a number of strategies to using Wildcards and namely they are as follows: –

• Use a Wildcard when a significant proportion of your team is out injured/suspended for a lengthy period of time.
• Or ideally, use a Wildcard on a week when many players have a double game week (from re-organised fixtures) as by bringing in more players that play twice in that week, you give your team more chance of scoring more points.

Bet365 Fantasy Football – Transfers

For each game week from Game Week 2, through to Game Week 38, entrants can make one free transfer. Swapping one of their players out of their squad and replacing them with another, provided that they do not exceed the wage budget of £100m.

Transfers can be collected and used throughout the season. Players can collect up to 37 free transfers to use over the course of the season.

Additional transfers can be made alongside free transfers. However, these will cost you -4 points from your Fantasy Team’s total so far for each additional transfer you make.

Using transfers wisely is the best way to ensure that you keep your team competitive.

• Don’t make unnecessary transfers. If a player is injured for a week, it is perhaps better to put him on the bench for that week and bring in a replacement rather than transfer him out using up a Free Transfer unnecessarily.
• Sometimes paying the -4 points for an additional transfer to get rid of an injured or suspended player to bring in a replacement can pay off. Especially if the replacement is likely to score considerably more than the four points you lost.
• Players that are injured long term, out of favour with their manager, not starting many games or completely out of form are those you should look to Free Transfer out of your team at the right time.

Bet365 Fantasy Football Strategy – Captain & Vice Captain Picks

Your Captain has their fantasy points score doubled for that week. So, if he scored 6.9 points as standard, then he would actually contribute 13.8 points for your team.

The Vice Captain is only used if your Captain does not start the game for their team for that game week. In this case, your Vice Captain’s points are doubled instead of your Captain.

As such, you should make sure your Captain and Vice Captain are: –

• Players that will play almost every week when fit.
• Are regularly amongst the top points scorers for their team and ideally in the game.
• Not likely to land a minus points score (as minus points scores are also doubled).

We hope our strategic look at Bet365 Fantasy Football will help you hone your picking skills ahead of the new season or perhaps even over the last couple of weeks of this one!