Tips and Tricks for Fantasy Cricket and Fantasy Football
Fantasy cricket and Fantasy football are amongst the most popular fantasy games in India today. Online gaming enthusiasts have a huge interest in playing fantasy games related to sports especially cricket and football as it brings the game at their fingertips. Here, the users create a virtual team of real players and with the right skill and strategy, win the game. Each player has a point and the scoring happens based on how the selected players perform in the LIVE matches.
QUICK FANTASY CRICKET TIPS FOR THE UPCOMING MATCHES:
Babar Azam was as stylish as ever, but it was his positive brand of cricket against a quality pace attack that caught everyone’s attention. He has scored 4 hundreds and as many fifties in his last 6 Tests.
The same was the case with Ollie Pope. He took the crease when England were reduced to 12 for 3. The ball moved more than expected, and the Pakistan pace attack gave no margin for error. None of these things posed any threat to the young Pope, as he kept the scoreboard ticking with boundaries and quick running between the wicket.
Chris Woakes is in the peak of his form. His unbeaten 84 in a nervous chase of 277 runs makes it to the top of the list of achievements. The fact that he was trusted as a No. 7 batsman makes it even more special. With the ball, he rarely missed his lines and lengths. He dismissed Azhar Ali twice and Babar Azam once.
Captain and vice-captain suggestions
Captain: Shan Masood, Chris Woakes
Vice-captain: Babar Azam, Ollie Pope
Link: England vs Pakistan, 2nd Test: Match Prediction
At the same venue and against the same opposition, Joe Root scored his highest Test score of 254 runs in 2016. Overall, he has a remarkable record against Pakistan: 916 runs at 61.06 in 9 Tests.
In the same Test, Chris Woakes took 7 wickets and played a vital innings of 58 runs. He, in fact, has had a good time at the venue, grabbing 19 wickets at 19.5 in a mere 4 Tests. He was also the highest wicket-taker in the four-match series in 2016, having sniped up 26 wickets including two five-wicket hauls.
Babar Azam is the only Pakistan player in the list of top 10 batsmen in ICC Test Rankings. Since 2019 he has scored 4 hundreds and 3 fifties in 5 Tests.
Azhar Ali scored the bulk of the runs for Pakistan when they toured England four years ago, including a fighting hundred at Birmingham. In the practice match last week, he retired out on 120. Although all eyes will be on Babar Azam, the onus of keeping Pakistan’s innings together will be on Azhar Ali.
Captain and vice-captain suggestions
Captain: Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad
Vice-captain: Babar Azam, Joe Root
Link: England vs Pakistan, 1st Test: Match Prediction
Jonny Bairstow made amends in the second ODI with a fabulous innings of 82 off 41 including 14 fours and 2 sixes. His scores at the venue read 141*, 51, 45, 2, and 82.
Curtis Campher has had a dream start to his international career, scoring consecutive fifties and taking 3 wickets. On both occasions, Ireland’s five wickets fell for cheap scores and it was Curtis who held the fort with the lower order.
David Willey has accumulated the most fantasy points in the series thus far. He has been exceptional not only with the ball (7 wickets) but also has been more than handy with the bat. Had it not been for his unbeaten 46 on Saturday at No. 8, England would have stared down the barrel.
Adil Rashid and Saqib Mahmood have taken 4 wickets each. While Rashid has been catching the Irishmen in trance with his wrist-spin, Mahmood has been rocking them with raw pace.
Captain and vice-captain suggestions
Captain: David Willey, Curtis Campher
More Cricket Match Prediction & News
Understand player performance
One of the common errors made is, selecting a player just on the basis of their reputation and ignoring their current form. Players like Yuvraj Singh or Harbhajan Singh were in great form in 2012 and 2013, but if we talk about today, then they are not seen in many matches. It is much better to go for players who are seen playing in most of the matches. This way, you are sure to pick players, who are playing on a regular way in the current cricket matches.
Understand the pitch performance
Any cricket lover will understand that every pitch is different. Yes, of course we don’t suggest you go to every pitch to check it out in person but doing a bit of research is required for sure. A flat pitch is every batsman’s favorite and for such a pitch, selecting the minimum number of bowlers is a good way to plan your gameplay strategy. Similarly, Eden Gardens has become a fast paced pitch as compared to a spin friendly pitch that it was considered for years. Based on the pitch the game is played on, you can pick the teams accordingly. If you are thinking how to win fantasy cricket, then you need to get this cricket strategy just right.
Other than that, you should also look closely, how the pitch has behaved in the previous matches and then take a calculated decision.
Make sure your players are playing on that day
This looks like a very basic thing but is often totally overlooked. The worst thing that can happen for you is to pick a team of players that are actually not playing the real game. The smart cricket tip is to avoid players who have been benched throughout the season. Further, if you have any doubt whether a particular cricketer is playing your selected match, avoid selecting him, no matter how great his records show. If you make a team that has players who are not actually playing the live game, you will just lose the match for sure.
Calculate the investment made
There are certain players who are priced on the higher side and yet don’t perform up to the standards of their bid. Selecting such players would mean, you invest significantly more on such players and yet not get the desired outcome. A good fantasy cricket game strategy would be to focus on the young and talented players and create a balance for your team. This will give you better results and you would be able to win more cash rewards as well.
Select top order batsmen
There are the top players like MS Dhoni and they are considered the best hitters of the ball, but when it comes to the batting order they come at #5, #6, #7. What it does is, reduces the opportunities to bat as compared to the top four batsmen. This plays an important role especially when we talk about ODIs and T20s. So, do you really want to pick batsmen who may or may not get an opportunity to bat in the game? Select players who are batting in the first four positions to improve your cricket game strategy.
Bonus points
When you are playing with a point system, then you definitely want to score additional points as well. There are bonus points awarded for catches, stumpings and even run outs. It is important to track players who regularly take catches and do fantastically well as fielders. This is sure going to improve your point score.
Strike bowlers
It is not just batting, but you also need to plan well when you select the bowlers. Selecting bowlers with low rates, will not really help you close the targets. Of course, that means you will not get too many points as well. It is important to select wicket taking bowlers, even though they may be giving away more runs. Select players like Amit Mishra and Yuzvendra Chahal, who may give a six once in a while, however their wicket taking appetite is high.
Choosing the captain and vice captain
The captain earns you 2X points while the vice-captain gives you 1.5X points. The combination of these two people is quite crucial for your team. Yet, you need to utilize these points in the most effective way possible. The best way to get this done is by selecting an all-rounder captain who can give the best performance on the field and also gives the maximum number of points.
Pick the right planning approach
By now you would have understood the most important fantasy cricket tips to form the right team and win the match. Another factor that you should always keep in mind is planning well ahead and then keeping track of the fixtures. You need to decide on the initial team and of course pick the substitutes, as per the upcoming games. Putting the strategy right at the beginning is one of the most important things to ensure your win in fantasy cricket.
Picking uncapped players
When you are playing fantasy cricket games, each team also requires to have one uncapped player. Uncapped players are those who are yet to play at least one international match for their country. You can pick bowlers who bowl in the middle overs and also the wicket keeper batsmen.
Yes, it is important to strategize about your team, however it is equally important to enjoy the game. Every cricket lover already understands the game, now you just need to get into the decision maker’s shoes. With each game, your strategy will improve, and you’ll get more confident in selecting players and forming a winning combination. Also, visit our how to play fantasy cricket section to learn more about the game.
Understand Player Performance
In order to maximize the points, it is important to have an idea as to how you want to line up your players. Players like Mesut Ozil, Leighton Baines, Pepe Reina were great in the last few years. However, their current form has dropped significantly, and they are way past their prime. It is much better to go for players who regularly feature in their team and this way you are sure to gain points from their performance.
Make sure your players are playing on that day
It is very important to keep track of the injuries and the fitness level of the players you select for your team. Sometimes even big players do not get to play the entire match and end up on the bench being unused or only playing for a limited amount of time.
Consider the investment made on each player
Strikers are usually the most expensive players in a fantasy football game as they score high. Selecting players who regularly provide higher points compared to other players that are in the same price range is very crucial. It is also good to invest on one top level forward. Ideally, he should be a player who is likely to be playing every week.
Look out for differential players
These are the players who are not selected by many fantasy teams. They may be priced lower than other popular players, but they end up scoring more points than any popular player that has been selected in almost all teams!
Choosing the Captain and Vice-captain
A captain earns you 2X their points and the vice-captain earns you 1.5X the points they score. So the selection of these two players is quite crucial for your team. You can end up selecting the right captain and vice-captain and still score high when other players of your team have not performed well. It is advisable to select top players who are sure to score goals or provide assists for their teams. At times, selecting defensive players who like to attack also helps, as they earn more points for their contribution in attack.
Choose designated set-piece players
Set-pieces in football are penalties, corners and free-kicks. These situations enhance a chance of a goal being scored and can result in extra points earning for a player. It is advisable to select such players that regularly take free-kicks, corners and penalties for a team which maximizes their earning potential. They can also become a good option for captaincy in your team.
Lookout for Home and Away fixtures
Set-pieces in football are penalties, corners and free-kicks. These situations enhance a chance of a goal being scored and can result in extra points earning for a player. It is advisable to select such players that regularly take free-kicks, corners and penalties for a team which maximizes their earning potential. They can also become a good option for captaincy in your team.
Lookout for Home and Away fixtures
Home fixtures are those which a team plays in their own stadium and away fixtures are those that they play in the opponents’ stadium. Some players might have a great home record but a dismal away record and vice-versa. Make sure you look for such patterns in a player. It is also generally assumed that a team plays well and wins more matches at home than away. However, it will not always be true.
Follow player and team news
Follow the manager’s press conferences that usually take place one day before the match where you can get the idea of how they will set up their teams and which player is more likely to play or benefit from that playing style. You could also get information about fitness and return of players from injury from these press conferences. Also, keep an eye for players who are playing for their country in international matches and are performing well. Selecting them during league matches might help you increase your chances of a high score.
Watch out for player transfers
New players can join a club or rise through the ranks for their country from time to time. Usually after a transfer window in January or at the beginning of a new season in August, there can be a few new players in a team. Make sure that these players are well settled in their new clubs and only select them if you are confident, they will play and score points. At times, a player might bring his good form from his previous club and hit the ground running and earn you a lot of points right away, so watch out for all the incoming players.
Create a balanced team
It is always advisable to select a balanced team in terms of different positions such as defenders, midfielders and forwards and also in terms of selecting players from both the teams playing the match. Sometimes upsets do take place and a top team can get beaten by a lower ranked team. In such cases if you only have players selected from the top team, you would end up scoring fewer points. Similarly, being too reliant on only say midfielders can lead to loss of points from defenders and forwards.
MORE FANTASY TRICKS TO PLAY BETTER:
If you are playing fantasy cricket, then look out for toss
Make a practice of tracking the toss and make last moment changes before the match start based on who is playing first.
Other tricks which will help you in both fantasy cricket and football are below:
Match prediction helps
Read the match prediction which is generally published many hours before the match to understand the upcoming match details from the experts.
Post-match presentations
Always look for the previous post-match presentations to understand the strategy or any important announcements made.
Type of contest
There are multiple contests around an upcoming match, and based on your expertise and knowledge, you choose the same wisely. For example, if you are a beginner, you can start with a low-fee contest and test your skills, and once you gain enough confidence in prediction and strategizing in making your team, you can go ahead for higher-fee contests as well.
Check for our promo codes
There are different promotions happening at different points of time, and at times there are promo codes offered for the limited time period where the platform gives you discounts and offers which can help you play more.
Best time to make fantasy teams
This is a little tricky, but at times this can help a lot when keeping a close look over players’ news: you get to know last-minute injuries or players not playing, eventually helping you in making decisions before the match takes place.
Pick the best players from each team
It would be wise to select the best players from each team and also the players you know are popular and likely to score more points.
Creating multiple teams & joining multiple contests
The trick works better for better skilled users, because creating multiple teams or joining multiple contests is thought to increase your chances of winning but also need more expertise as you would be putting up more entry fees as well.
To summarize, you should always make sure that you have made the perfect team with the best information available on all players and expert opinions as well. Tweaking your team until the start of the match as you get more updates is also advisable and keeping track of players’ form, fitness level and past records will help you make a more informed decision.