Dream Team is back and better than ever ahead of the 2023/24 season.
The Sun’s much-loved fantasy game has undergone an impressive makeover and one of the most exciting new elements is the introduction of captains.
Each Gameweek, gaffers will select one of their players as captain with the chosen individual having their score doubled.
For example, if you select Mohamed Salah (£7m) as captain and he earns two points against Newcastle at the weekend and then eight points at the expense of Toulouse midweek in the Europa League, his Gameweek total would be 20 points.
But be warned, your captain will also have any negative points doubled if they drop a stinker.
You can only select one player as captain per Gameweek and so it goes without saying that you should choose wisely with the potential for significant point swings greater than ever.
Imagine the following scenario: Arsenal and Manchester United both have favourable home fixtures, Bukayo Saka (£6m) and Bruno Fernandes (£6.5m) are fully fit and in excellent form.
Either midfielder would make a worthy captain and it seems likely that most of your Mini League rivals will choose one or the other.
You opt for the Gunners’ No7 and he cashes in with a 15-point haul (doubled to 30) while the Portugal international musters just one point (doubled to two for those who captained him) as the Red Devils suffer a shock defeat.
Suddenly you’ve gained 28 points on your rivals who selected Fernandes as captain.
That’s the stuff dreams are made of and in such a scenario you would have every right to run riot in the group WhatsApp but the shoe could just as easily be on the other foot the following Gameweek.
The introduction of captains makes for a more dynamic game with greater twists and turns over the course of a season.
And each gaffer’s captaincy selections for the upcoming Gameweek won’t be revealed until lockout comes into effect – tough luck, copycats!
If life gets in the way and you forget to select a captain one Gameweek, the armband will default to your most recently-selected skipper.
For example, if choose Kevin De Bruyne (£7m) as captain in Gameweek 9 but forget to set one before the following lockout, the Belgian’s points will be doubled again in Gameweek 10.
You’re free to choose the same player as captain for several Gameweeks in a row, or all season long – Erling Haaland (£8.5m) being the most obvious candidate – but you should consider all viable options each week based on form and fixtures.
A clever, outside-the-box captaincy selection can be an effective method of gaining ground in your Mini League in the blink of an eye.
Dream Team insiders will be on hand each week to highlight captaincy options via articles, push notifications and our weekly Coach newsletter, which will bless your email inbox with tips, tricks, stats and facts to help you gain an advantage over your mates.
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