Fantasy Premier League is set to roll out the all-new draft feature for 2017-18.
Over four million fantasy managers participated in last season’s Fantasy Premier League, making it one of the largest season long fantasy sports leagues in the world. The new Premier League season will kickoff in just about a month’s time, and fantasy managers are salivating at the chance to pick their new teams.
To mark the new season, Fantasy Premier League has introduced an all-new draft feature. The draft is similar to what fans of the much loved fantasy NFL get to experience, and it is a feature many have wanted for a very long time.
Fantasy Premier League had allowed managers to add players with few requirements other than price and a three player from one club restriction previously. Other than those two constraints, there was little else fantasy managers couldn’t do.
Perhaps the biggest problem with this model was that numerous teams in a league could have the same players playing for them. In fact, teams could be made up of the same exact players if a group of managers wanted to be so cheeky. With multiple teams having some of the same players, it left some feeling that Fantasy Premier League could get boring as the season progressed.
The new draft feature now prevents multiple teams from selecting the same players in a league. Like the NFL fantasy leagues, managers will select players in a draft through rounds one to 15. Once a player is selected, he plays only for that manager’s team until released. The draft feature makes each team unique, and should improve the interest levels of managers as a season progresses. Now a manager has a unique team and their quality in selecting players can be put to the test. This season should see the gaps in the best league teams and the worst open up more than ever.
Managers will have a 15-man squad to fill out using £100m as their set budget. All league drafts must be completed by August 11, the day before the 2017-18 English Premier League kicks off. Fantasy Premier League with the draft feature will be free for managers to enter, and leagues must be made up of between two and 16 teams. If managers are used to massive leagues, it just can’t happen this season. Much of that is down to the lack of players available for a fantasy team as each squad will have its own unique 15-man roster.
