Building a balanced fantasy XI: roles, credits and team mix
Most fantasy games make you pick eleven players within a budget ("credits"), with a minimum and maximum for each role and a cap on players from one team. The exact limits differ by game. The thinking behind a balanced team is the same everywhere.
Start with the roles
- Wicketkeeper. Keepers get catches and stumpings. A keeper who also bats in the top four gives you two routes to points.
- Batters. Prefer top-order batters, who face more balls. Middle-order batters are riskier in T20s, where they may get only a few balls.
- All-rounders. The most valuable role if the player really bats in the top six and bowls a full or near-full quota. A batting all-rounder who bowls two overs is mostly a batter.
- Bowlers. Wickets are usually the biggest single source of points. Prefer bowlers who bowl their full quota, and in T20s, bowlers who bowl the powerplay or death overs.
Spread across both teams
A side can lose and still give you the match's top scorer. Splitting your picks, for example six and five or seven and four, means a collapse by one team doesn't wipe out your score. Lean towards the side that conditions favour: the chasing side on a dewy night, or the side with better spinners on a dry pitch.
Spend credits where the opportunity is
Expensive players are usually expensive for a reason. The best value often comes from cheaper players who are sure to play and have a full role: an opener who has moved up the order, or a fourth seamer who bowls a full quota because the conditions suit pace.
When to take a differential
A differential is a less popular pick. It makes sense when you have a specific reason the crowd may be missing:
- conditions that suit a particular bowler type (for example a dry surface for a second spinner),
- a confirmed change in batting position,
- a matchup, such as a left-arm spinner against a top order with several left-handers.
Avoid differentials without a reason. Being different only helps when you are right.
Before you lock
- Every player is in the announced XI.
- Your captain and vice-captain follow our method.
- You have enough bowling overs covered.
- You considered what happens if the toss goes the other way.
FAQ
How many bowlers should I pick?
Enough to cover the wickets your scoring table rewards. In most formats that means at least three or four frontline bowlers, plus all-rounders who bowl. Check the minimum and maximum per role in your game's rules.
Should I pick more players from the stronger team?
Usually somewhat more, but not all of them. Even a losing side has a top scorer and a leading wicket-taker, and most games cap how many players you can take from one team.
What is a differential pick?
A player most people are unlikely to choose. It only helps if that player scores well, so use it sparingly and for a reason, such as conditions that suit them or a promotion up the order.