Fantasy football: Everything you need to know from tips to player prices to best team names ahead of the new Premier League season
The Premier League and fantasy football seasons are looming in the not so distant future.
Arsenal and Leicester get the new and eagerly anticipated season underway at the Emirates on August 11, but you can start getting your Dream Team selections in way before the big day.
Dream Team 2017/18
How does the game work?
- This year's fantasy football game is absolutely FREE for all players to play
- The total prize pot is an approximated £750,000
- Game Weeks will run from Friday to Thursday
- £50m budget on 11 eligible players
The Dream Team game is back and better than ever before for the 2017/18 after launching on July 7.
WANT TO PLAY FANTASY FOOTBALL? SIGN UP HERE
That gives you over a month to choose your team accordingly, with decisions to be made after Premier League clubs already making some eye-watering deals this summer.
How does fantasy football work?
The setup for Dream Team is rather simple - as a manger you get a budget of £50m to spend on your team of 11 players.
Game Weeks will run from Friday to Thursday this season and you'll be allowed to transfer out players who have already played in that Game Week.
Each manager gets a maximum of three transfers a month - so it's important to pay attention to upcoming fixtures.
And if the incentive of beating your mates in our Mini-League system isn't enough, there's a whopping £750,000 prizepot at stake too.
What other games can I play?
The standard Dream Team season game is your bread and butter, but Dream Team Weekender and Dream Team Europe will also be back in 2017/18.
Weekender sees you pick seven players in the Saturday and Sunday games on a weekly basis, with smaller cash prizes at stake.
The Europe game will return, as normal, when the Champions League and Europa League reach the knockout stages in February 2018.
Who should I pick?
Alexis Sanchez was the game's top points scorer in 2016/17 after a stunning individual season for Arsenal, scoring 30 goals and racking up 13 assists in all competitions.
But the Chilean had the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sergio Aguero and Christian Eriksen hot on his heels for the accolade.
Which new players are on the game and how much will they cost?
Premier League clubs have been extremely busy getting deals done already this summer, with some of the fees agreed simply eye-watering.
While Romelu Lukaku’s mega move to Manchester United isn’t likely to be beaten financially, Alexandre Lacazette’s arrival at Arsenal might cause the biggest waves.
How did Lukaku get on in fantasy football last season?
- 25 goals and six assists
- 7.50 rating on WhoScored - the tenth best in the Premier League
- 247 Dream Team points
- Fancy Lukaku to shine? Get him in your fantasy football team now
Liverpool have splashed the cash on former Chelsea winger Mohamed Salah while Manchester City, as always, have loosened the purse strings again.
Every new signing will be added to the Dream Team game, with Lacazette priced at an intriguingly cheap £5m.
What else do I need to know?
Remember Dream Team stands above it's competitors because it factors in every single competition in the season - not just the Premier League.
How did Dele Alli perform last season on fantasy football?
- Finished last season with a rating of 7.35 in the Premier League
- Scored 22 goals in all competitons - more than any other midfielder in Europe
- Fourth-highest points scoring midfielder on Dream Team with 219 points
- Fancy Alli in your fantasy football team? Sign up now
That means you'll have to have your wits about you in the League Cup, FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League too when selecting your players.
Head to Head leagues and Mini Leagues will also be back so you can beat your mates and earn those all important bragging rights.
Which fantasy football team names are the most popular?
Team names have become almost as important as picking winning sides in recent years, with the punnier the better the general perspective.
So whether it's Lallana in Pyjamas, Giroud Sandstorm or Teenage Mutant Ninja Skrtel, take a look at our foolproof list to help you decide.
You can stay up to date with all the latest fantasy football news with our fantasy football live blog and sign up to Dream Team for next season right here.