Fantasy Football: Who should be in the 2020/21 Team of the Season?
With the Premier League campaign reaching its conclusion, the Sky Sports Fantasy Football podcast team have put together their Team of the Season.
In the latest episode, Tom Carnduff, Billy Lumsden and Aidan Smith sat down to review the 2020/21 Sky Sports Fantasy Football season.
With the Premier League over, the trio pick out their Team of the Season - with players who starred in each position included for their fantasy football efforts.
The episode, with full explanations behind each selection alongside those who just missed out, is available to listen to at the links above.
After much deliberation, the team named the following 11 players in their Team of the Season.
Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez
- Club: Aston Villa
- Total points: 231
A firm fantasy football favourite this season, Emiliano Martinez finished with the highest number of points among goalkeepers on Sky Sports Fantasy Football.
His 15 clean sheets across the course of the campaign was bettered only by Chelsea's Edouard Mendy and Manchester City stopper Ederson. Martinez was a regular among saves tiers - his 15 Saves Tier 2 appearances brought plenty of extra points.
He was also considerable cheaper than those battling for top spot. £6.3m proved to be an absolute bargain for the fifth-highest points scorer on the game.
Defence: Stuart Dallas
- Club: Leeds
- Total points: 204
We see a defender become a popular choice at a low price most seasons, and the 20/21 campaign concluded with Stuart Dallas racking up the second-highest points gained among those in the back line.
The best bit about his season was that he found himself in an advanced position in the latter part of it. Dallas' versatility meant that Marcelo Bielsa could trust him to play in midfield and that led to goals - his eight was the highest of any defender on the game.
We can expect his price to rise significantly next season - he will be the Caglar Soyuncu of 2019/20 - but Dallas should still justify using extra funds to bring him in.
Defence: Ruben Dias
- Club: Manchester City
- Total points: 229
The only defender who posted more points than Dallas was Manchester City's Ruben Dias. His presence in the back line was a massive reason behind City's recent title success and he quickly became a popular selection on Sky Sports Fantasy Football.
His £9.1m price tag greatly underestimated the impact he would have and it rewarded owners with 229 across the course of the season.
Dias finished the campaign with 17 clean sheets but it was the bonus points that truly made him a Team of the Season player - his 22 Pass Tier 2 games put him firmly ahead of anyone else in this category.
Defence: Cesar Azpilicueta
- Club: Chelsea
- Total points: 166
He may have only finished the campaign with 166 points, a lower tally than some of the leading defensive figures on the game, but Cesar Azpilicueta's showings since Thomas Tuchel's appointment at Chelsea have led to his involvement in the Team of the Season.
Azpilicueta became a regular in the back line following Tuchel's arrival whereas he was a rotation player under Frank Lampard previously. It became clear to see why the new head coach wanted him on the right side of a back three and he rewarded owners with a regular flow of points in the second-half of the campaign.
His 13 clean sheets across the season led to points there but he would regularly hit Pass Tier 2 in the latter half of the season. Azpilicueta's 11 appearances in that column was the fourth-highest of any defender.
Defence: Lewis Dunk
- Club: Brighton
- Total points: 179
While finishing eighth for points among defenders this season, Brighton's decent defensive rate and Lewis Dunk's low cost has led to inclusion in the Team of the Season. He became a potential differential option when compared with the likes of Joao Cancelo and John Stones but delivered more often than not.
His 15 shots on target was the second-highest of any defender while he secured Pass Tier 2 points on 11 separate occasions.
At £8m, Dunk was a strong budget-friendly choice in defence and we could expect that to be a little bit higher in 2020/21. He is an ideal defender for the Sky Sports game.
Midfield: Bruno Fernandes
- Club: Manchester United
- Total points: 268
What else really needs to be said about Bruno Fernandes that we don't know already? The Manchester United man was a must-have on any fantasy football game and he finished with the highest points return of any midfielder - 268 was well clear of anyone.
Fernandes had more shots on target and more Shots Tier 2 appearances too. Being a penalty taker makes anyone a popular fantasy football choice and he firmly fell into that category.
He was £10.9m this season but we should expect something closer to Kevin De Bruyne's £11.5m price in 2021/22.
Midfield: Ilkay Gundogan
- Club: Manchester City
- Total points: 192
A title winner with Manchester City on the back of a prolific season, Ilkay Gundogan's selection rate continued to rise as the campaign progressed. He finished with 13 goals and three assists in 28 Premier League games.
For a City asset he was really cheap too, coming into the game at £8.2m this season. Six other City midfielders were more expensive but we can confidently predict that won't be the same in a few months' time.
Gundogan finished as the third-highest scoring midfielder on the game.
Midfield: Jesse Lingard
- Club: West Ham
- Total points: 120
Another player in on the basis of a strong second-half of the season but Jesse Lingard's impact at West Ham has led to a return to the England set-up. Without this loan spell, he wouldn't be anywhere near the picture for the Euro 2020 26-man squad.
Lingard's 120 points have come in a half-season loan at the Hammers and replicating that form over a whole campaign would have seen him rival Bruno Fernandes at the top of the midfield charts. His bargain £7.2m price tag quickly established him as a must-have player.
It will be interesting to see where Lingard ends up next season but a return to the London Stadium will likely see a price increase and serious consideration for fantasy football teams. He has been more than impressive during his time at West Ham.
Forward: Patrick Bamford
- Club: Leeds
- Total points: 234
Not many will have looked to Patrick Bamford as a regular source of goals at the beginning of the season but his campaign turned out to be a hugely successful one - it was a big surprise to see that he wasn't included in Gareth Southgate's provisional 33-man England squad.
The Leeds striker finished the season with 17 goals and eight assists from 38 appearances and his £8.2m price tag made him a firm favourite on fantasy football games. He was the bargain option that freed up budget for elsewhere while also providing a huge number of points.
We can expect that price to go much higher next season with above £9m on the cards given the campaign he has had. Even then, replicating this season's showing will make him a popular choice once more.
Forward: Mohamed Salah
- Club: Liverpool
- Total points: 248
Of course, we couldn't do any Team of the Season without including Liverpool's Mohamed Salah. He narrowly missed out on the Golden Boot, and even with a quiet spell in the middle of the season, he rewarded Sky Sports Fantasy Football players with 248 points.
He finished second for shots on target and also for hitting Shots Tier 2. At £12m, he was the most expensive player on the game but he did justify that tag and will be a popular selection in 2021/22.
The target for him will be finishing as the top goalscorer while Liverpool will be hoping to regain the Premier League title. We can expect a price similar to his current one but he's worth using that extra budget for.
Forward: Harry Kane
- Club: Tottenham
- Total points: 290
Will he be in the Sky Sports Fantasy Football game next season? We certainly hope so after finishing as the top points scorer with a huge tally of 290.
Harry Kane beat Salah to the Golden Boot while also landing the award for most assists across the season. With a cost of £11.7m, we could easily argue that he outperformed even that expensive tag with his returns.
We should see him hit £12m in price if he remains a Premier League player with his Tottenham future uncertain. Just imagine Kane in this Manchester City team though - he would easily be a solid captaincy choice every single week.
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