Football competition completed the season’s proceedings over the past week at club level, with the Champions League final between Madrid sides Real and Atletico proving a fitting spectacle for the occasion, and Playoffs in England securing the final few teams competition at a higher level next season. Fantasy football managers were given a glimpse of which players may look forward to a continuously good 2014, while others perhaps betrayed some signs that they were not ready to move on as fast as their clubs.
Let’s get things kicked off with the biggie: the Champions League final. The trophy appeared to be heading to Atletico thanks to Diego Godin’s opener. The defender has had a great season, accruing 355 points on his way to fourth in the club’s overall top points scorers for any fantasy managers out there. His value of €7.50m mean his points-to-value ratio sits at 47.3, which is right around the middle of the pack. In other words, a thoroughly solid season for the 28-year-old Uruguayan, capped off with a goal in club football’s biggest match of the season.
Real ultimately ran out winners, despite failing to lead the game until during extra time. An equaliser from defender Sergio Ramos deep into additional time of normal proceedings brought the side level, before Real took the game by the scruff of the neck in extra time and running out 4-1 to the good. Cristiano Ronaldo rounded things off with a last minute penalty, and his points total sets him second in the entire fantasy competition behind Luis Suarez – the only thing preventing him from being an essential team member for all participants next time round may prove to be his value, which at present stands at €28.00m. This means that, despite his massive points total, he has a points-to-value ratio of only 24.8 – comfortably in the positive, but definitely not the best around, and the lowest in Real’s top 10 points scorers this season.
New sets of players will be selectable next season, from the likes of Harry Redknapp’s QPR, who returned for a third stint in the Premier League after beating fellow former top-flight outfit Derby in the playoff final. Rangers’ top scorer this season has been Charlie Austin, who only moved to Loftus Road last summer – his 20 goals would have earned him an impressive 400 points straight away had they been in the Premier League this season. With him presently playing for a newly promoted team, there’s a good chance his value will not be quite as high as many other strikers, and so he could certainly prove a worthy addition to any fantasy squad next season.
Another possible new name in fantasy managers’ minds could be QPR midfielder Junior Hoilett, whose six assists could have garnered 60 points on their own, and his four goals would make him immediately worth 100 points – perhaps not the strongest of points totals, but one that could well increase massively if the 23-year-old can enjoy a breakthrough season in White City.
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