[the phantom]

A Look at Phantasy Competitions
Philip McPhantom, MESPN News

As always there are quite a few folks in Middle-Earth entered in Phantasy Leagues based around this year’s Arda Cup. Of course the rules are slightly different—e.g. in many of the Orc-run leagues yellow cards are actually worth positive points, and Numenorean leagues going a game without being caught flopping or whining is worth a point. But overall the scoring mechanics are similar. So here’s a bit of blanket advice when it comes to picking your squad—and we’ll start with the two most important words.

Matchups matter.

Take a look at the teams your players are going up against. Are you picking a forward or midfielder that is about to battle a highly ranked defense like FC Valinor, Real Valinor, T-I-G, etc.? Then just know that it’s a risky play. Are you choosing a defender that’s about to be attacked by Hithlum, AC Beleriand, Nargothrond, etc.? Then don’t bet on getting points for a shutout. You can’t just pick good players—the opposition is every bit as important a consideration.

Also, you may want to see if you have players on your team that are set to face off against each other. Do you have an offensive player going up against a defender? Well then, it’ll be pretty tough to gain good points from both players.

And finally- what to do about a point train? In other words, if someone is scoring well, do you trade for them and hope they’ll keep going, or stay away because they’re due to fall off? Well honestly that’s a tricky question, but one thing to keep in mind—is that player a frequent strong performer? If a player that doesn’t typically score well goes on a binge, more likely than not they will fall off, whereas if a solid player hasn’t scored well perhaps they're due for a good game. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, but it’s something to keep in mind nonetheless.

Anyway, that’s just a bit of advice for you Phantasy players out there. Here’s hoping you score well!