One of the first things any Fantasy manager worth their salt looks for in a new game are the minute variations and variances that they can grasp hold of to give them an edge. This could be an oddity in the scoring system, an interesting edge case with captaincy or chips, or an out-of-position (OOP) player.
As in pretty much every Fantasy game since the dawn of time, Fantasy EFL includes players in positions that may not be quite the same way the fans understand them.
In most instances, this has little to do with the game makers and more due to the data set that powers the game. In Fantasy EFL’s case, it’s Opta. Regardless, it does usually offer interesting opportunities for Fantasy managers.
FANTASY EFL: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN POSITIONS
Given that midfielders earn an extra point per goal to forwards (six v five) and also pick up points for interceptions, then a striker listed as a midfielder offers a route to more points. It’s also a way to cram more attacking assets into your seven-man line-up.
Likewise, getting players who are classed as defenders but playing further up the pitch opens up even more point options for clearances (+1 for every three), blocks (+1 for every two) and tackles (+1 for every two). There’s also the usual advantage of clean sheets and an extra point per goal. Obviously, this is weighed against the loss of points for key passes or shots on target (+1 for two of each).
With almost 2,000 players in the game to choose from, we’ve not managed to trawl through every single team just yet. However, here are a few of the standouts…
FANTASY EFL: THE BEST ‘OUT OF POSITION’ PLAYERS
Blackburn’s Sammie Szmodics, one of the most selected players in the game already, is classed as a midfielder, but will very much be playing an attacking role (and finished with 27 goals and four assists last season) if he stays at the club.
Davis Keillor Dunn was also brilliant last season, for Mansfield Town, with 32 goal contributions. He is also in the game as a midfielder, whilst clubmate Aaron Lewis has been playing as a right midfielder but is classed in various places as a full-back and is a defender in Fantasy EFL.
Elsewhere, Junior Dixon for Birmingham City is also classed as a midfielder in the game but really playing as a striker. His team-mate Keshi Anderson is a forward who’ll be playing in the midfield.
Indeed the ‘winger as forward’ transition seems a pretty common one, where Fantasy EFL have clearly taken a different approach to that adopted by Fantasy Premier League (FPL). For instance, popular Leeds United assets Crysencio Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto and Georgino Rutter would typically be viewed as midfielders by their fans and some other Fantasy games, but are being classed as forwards here.
Norwich City’s Jon Rowe has also been classified by Fantasy EFL as a forward, despite mainly occupying the left-wing position. Then again, he did score 12 goals for the Canaries in the 2023/24 Championship campaign.
The same is true for goal-scoring winger Jack Clarke, a popular selection by Championship and especially Sunderland fans, who likes to spend most of his time on the left-hand side of midfield. In Fantasy EFL, he will be categorised as a forward option.
And also Kayden Jackson, who featured in Ipswich Town’s promotion-winning campaign last season, making 29 appearances, scoring three goals and providing as many assists. He was playing mainly on the right-hand side of midfield but the Derby County new boy is now a forward.
Other out-of-position players include the likes of Jodi Jones (a winger who ended up playing left wing-back for Notts County last year, in as a forward), Derby County’s Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, and the Burnley trio of Luca Koleosho, Anass Zaroury and Mike Tresor (all traditional wingers but again placed here as forwards).
Suffice to say, we’ll be outlining more ‘OOP’ players from the game in the coming weeks as we find them. You can put this insight to work by picking your Fantasy EFL team now.
If you’ve spotted someone obvious you’d like us to add or just want to have your say on something else for the game, mail FantasyEFL@fantasyfootballscout.co.uk and we’ll take it on board!
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