Noone second, Nani 13th: A-League Men Fantasy pricing and scoring explained

He notched just five goals and four assists in 23 games last season – but Macarthur FC’s Craig Noone begins the 2022-23 Isuzu UTE A-League campaign as the second-most valuable player in the Official A-League Men’s Fantasy game.

The reason? An expansive scoring system designed to reward players for excelling in a number of statistics across the board.

The A-Leagues Fantasy scoring rubric will present a different challenge to players of the immensely-popular Premier League Fantasy – which boasts more than 10 million participants worldwide – with players like Noone proving their value through the accumulation of dribbles, key passes, crosses, interceptions, dispossessions, shots on target and more.

For those accustomed to the Premier League’s scoring system, this is how the A-Leagues experience will differ in 2022-23.

A-Leagues Fantasy scoring rubric

This is the full breakdown of every scoring category in the A-Leagues Fantasy Football game.

Players in different positions will earn the same amount of points for certain statistics, whilst other statistics differ in value depending on a player’s position.

Putting Noone’s 2021-22 statistics into focus show how the scoring system rewards players for actions beyond goals, assists and clean sheets – the key statistics from which points are accumulated in Premier League Fantasy.

Despite registering a modest total of four assists and five goals last season, Noone excelled in a number of key attacking statistics: he was the fourth-best creator of chances last season, and completed more crosses (82) than any player in the game, whilst his dribbling success would have placed him in the top five for points accumulated from statistics last season.

Noone would have finished the season having recorded an average of 12.8 points-per-game – the second-most of any player returning this season after playing in 2021-22.

To those used to the traditional scoring system utilised by the Premier League, here is a rundown of the differences to expect in A-Leagues Fantasy.

Whilst A-Leagues players can earn points for key passes, tackles, crosses, dribbles, shots on target, aerial duels, clearances, blocked shots and goalkeeper saves, and lose points for conceding goals and getting dispossessed, Premier League fantasy reserves these statistics for its bonus point system, which is used to adjudge the best three players in a Premier League fixture and reward them three, two or one extra point/s accordingly.

PREMIER LEAGUE FANTASY v A-LEAGUES FANTASY: SCORING CATEGORIES

Statistic used	Premier League Fantasy	A-Leagues Fantasy
Goals scored	✓	✓
Own goals	✓	✓
Goal assists	✓	✓
Clean sheets	✓	✓
Penalty saves – keeper	✓	✓
Penalty misses	✓	✓
Penalty saves – keeper	✓	✓
Penalty missed	✓	✓
Yellow card	✓	✓
Red card	✓	✓
Playing < 60 minutes in a game	✓	✓
Playing > 60 minutes in a game	✓	✓
Keeper shot saves	✓	✓
Goals conceded by GK/DEF	✓	✓
Bonus point system	✓	–
Shots on target	–	✓
Successful dribbles	–	✓
Accurate crosses	–	✓
Penalties conceded	–	✓
Key passes	–	✓
Tackles	–	✓
Aerials won	–	✓
Clearances	–	✓
Dispossessed	–	✓
Blocked shots	–	✓

Settling on price points for our A-Leagues stars

Luis Nani’s arrival at Melbourne Victory was met with much fanfare, as the former Manchester United and Portugal star, winner of the 2008 UEFA Champions League final and 2016 Euros, arrived Down Under.

Given the opening prices have been based on past Isuzu UTE A-League performances, there will be plenty of managers seeing an absolute bargain in the Portuguese’s initial value.

Along with Charlie Austin and Daniel Arzani, new players to the league are priced lower than those whose A-League Men statistics would have produced a healthy scoring output in this scoring system last season.

You may be able to find excellent value in those unproven in the league – but with the affordability comes the risk of the unknown. Choose wisely!