As the Official A-League Men Fantasy season kicks off on Friday night, newcomers to the platform may encounter an experience that differs from the norm.
Fantasy players around the world have become accustomed to the scoring, trading and selection process of the English Premier League’s fantasy platform – but although the premise is the same, the A-Leagues’ edition offers a very different experience to FPL.
To those used to the traditional scoring system utilised by the Premier League, here is a rundown of the differences to expect in A-Leagues Fantasy.
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The scoring rubric
While A-Leagues players can earn points for key passes, tackles, crosses, dribbles, shots on target, aerial duels, clearances, blocked shots and goalkeeper saves, and lose points for conceding goals and getting dispossessed, Premier League fantasy reserves these statistics for its bonus point system, which is used to judge the best three players in a Premier League fixture and reward them three, two or one extra point accordingly.
PREMIER LEAGUE FANTASY v A-LEAGUES FANTASY: SCORING CATEGORIES
| Statistic used | Premier League Fantasy | A-Leagues Fantasy |
| Goals scored | ✓ | ✓ |
| Own goals | ✓ | ✓ |
| Goal assists | ✓ | ✓ |
| Clean sheets | ✓ | ✓ |
| Penalty saves – keeper | ✓ | ✓ |
| Penalty misses | ✓ | ✓ |
| Penalty saves – keeper | ✓ | ✓ |
| Penalty missed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Yellow card | ✓ | ✓ |
| Red card | ✓ | ✓ |
| Playing < 60 minutes in a game | ✓ | ✓ |
| Playing > 60 minutes in a game | ✓ | ✓ |
| Keeper shot saves | ✓ | ✓ |
| Goals conceded by GK/DEF | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bonus point system | ✓ | – |
| Shots on target | – | ✓ |
| Successful dribbles | – | ✓ |
| Accurate crosses | – | ✓ |
| Penalties conceded | – | ✓ |
| Key passes | – | ✓ |
| Tackles | – | ✓ |
| Aerials won | – | ✓ |
| Clearances | – | ✓ |
| Dispossessed | – | ✓ |
| Blocked shots | – | ✓ |
A-LEAGUES FANTASY SCORING SYSTEM
Weekly team lockouts
You can modify your line-ups at any time while a round is NOT in progress – but each of your 11 starters will be locked the minute their respective game for the weekend begins. This is a different process to FPL, where a manager’s entire squad is locked one hour prior to the start of the matchweek.
There are also differences in the number of formations you can utilise in A-Leagues Fantasy – including a two-player defence that allows you to load up on midfielders and forwards.
From your 15-player roster, you will select a starting 11 each weekend. You will be able to choose from the following formations:
Defenders-Midfielders-Forwards
- 4-4-2 (default)
- 2-5-3
- 3-4-3
- 3-5-2
- 4-3-3
- 4-5-1
- 5-2-3
- 5-3-2
- 5-4-1
With 11 players on the field, you’ll have four players on your bench. If a player in the starting 11 doesn’t play, they will be replaced by a player on the bench of the same position. If there are two players from the same position capable of replacing a player in your starting 11 who doesn’t play, the lowest-scoring player will be selected.
For example: you put Jamie Maclaren in a 5-4-1 formation, and he withdraws late through injury. You have two forwards on your bench: Marco Tulio, who scores four points, and Thomas Waddingham, who scores six. Tulio would then replace Maclaren in your lineup as the lowest-scoring replacement.
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