How to choose your FantasyTennisLeague.com superstar

Roger, Serena, Novak, Angelique … When it comes to the world’s best tennis players, we all have our favourites. But when it comes to building your Fantasy Tennis League team, sometimes it pays to play with your head rather than your heart.

This is particularly important when it comes to choosing your captains and vice captains, who score 50 per cent and 25 per cent extra points respectively. So who are the superstars of Fantasy Tennis League, and how do they measure up against one another?

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The most popular men
Andy Murray (will set you back: $24.02m)
If Fantasy Tennis League had been running in 2016, there is no doubt that Murray would have been the player of the year. Can he back it up in 2017? While he’s a guaranteed points scorer, the Brit may struggle to notch up the sheer quantity of points that he did last time around.
2016 points: 1451
Value for money: 8/10
Best on: Any surface. Murray has proved his worth across the board.
Watch his price: Rise until Wimbledon, then fall back in the latter half of the year.

Novak Djokovic (will set you back: $22.62m)
Djokovic’s dip at the end of 2016 was as surprising as it was dramatic. Don’t expect it to continue. It’s hard to know how the loss of coach Boris Becker will affect the Serb, but the world No.2 will be targeting a quick return to the top of the pile. If he can hit the ground running in 2017 he’ll be a hard man to beat.
2016 points: 1276
Value for money: 9/10
Best on: Any surface. You don’t hold all four Slams at one time without being an all-court star
Watch his price: Stay steady until Wimbledon, then rise.

Milos Raonic (will set you back: $13.26m)
The big-serving Canadian snuck his way to a career-high world No.3 at the end of the season. If he can stay injury free he’s a proven point scorer (particularly on the serve), and should be targeting semifinals (at least) in every tournament he enters.
2016 points: 962
Value for money: 8/10
Best on: Hard and grass. Raonic’s game is suited to faster surfaces.
Watch his price: Stay steady.

Kei Nishikori: (will set you back: $12.64m)
Some might say that the Japanese star is yet to live up to his formidable promise, but when it comes to scoring Fantasy Tennis League points, Kei is a winner. A strong all-round game, a consistent semifinalist and a man who knows what it takes to win a title, Kei is a value player.
2016 points: 916
Value for money: 8/10
Best on: Hard courts.
Watch his price: Stay steady.

Stan Wawrinka (will set you back: $11.6m)
Wawrinka has all the weapons to be a world No.1, but not the consistency. That said, the Swiss star likes a big stage and regularly brings his A-game to the Slams. He’s definitely one to trade in around the majors, and maybe swap out for the Masters 1000s.
2016 points: 935
Value for money: 7/10
Best on: A Grand Slam court. Stan loves the majors.
Watch his price: Rise slightly.

Roger Federer (will set you back: $12.08m)
Possibly the biggest unknown in the game. There’s no doubt that Roger will be in more Fantasy Tennis League teams than any other player, but will he score the points? The heart says yes, the head says… maybe.
2016 points: 417
Value for money: 7/10
Best on: A brilliant all-courter, but if an 18th major is coming then Wimbledon appears the most likely place for it.
Watch his price: Rise (says the heart), drop slightly (says the head).

Rafael Nadal (will cost you: $10.92m)
Another undeniable fan favourite, and another great unknown. If he’s fully fit and confident, Rafa could well be one of the bargains of the year after a few years of relatively abject results deflated his price. However, there are a lot of ‘ifs’ floating around Rafa, and there’s no guarantee he can turn his form around.
2016 points: 660
Value for money: 7/10
Best on: There is only one King of Clay.
Watch his price: Rise

Juan Martin Del Potro (will set you back: $9.43m)
One of the feel-good stories of 2016, expect to see a lot more of Delpo in 2017. Don’t read too much into his absence during the Australian Summer, instead look to invest in him later in the year – from Wimbledon onwards the courts suit his style of play.
2016 points: 418
Value for money: 7/10
Best on: Faster courts: Think Indian Wells, Wimbledon and then the US hard court swing.
Watch his price: Rise

The most popular women
Angelique Kerber (will set you back: $13.26m)
What a year for Angelique Kerber. The German rode a wave of confidence through 2016, and there’s every indication she could do the same in 2017. That said, she has a lot of points to defend, which could make it difficult for her price to rise significantly during the season.
2016 points: 1122
Value for money: 8/10
Best on: While hard is her preference, Kerber can win on any surface.
Watch her price: Stay steady.

Serena Williams (will set you back: $19.07m)
A Grand Slam investment. If 2016 is anything to go by, Serena has one thing on her mind: Grand Slam glory. And while she’s a guaranteed point scorer on the biggest stage, it’s hard to know whether she’ll play too much on the WTA.
2016 points: 768
Value for money: 9/10 at a Grand Slam – 8/10 elsewhere
Best on: The big stages. Serena can win anywhere, but she’s focused on the Slams these days.
Watch her price: Fall (if she schedules her season like 2016)

Agnieszka Radwanska (will set you back: $12.48m)
One of the steadiest players in the game, Agnieszka Radwanska is a dead cert when it comes to picking up points. The popular Pole may struggle when it comes to reaching the finals of the games’ biggest events, but she’s a solid quarter- and semifinalist.
2016 points: 1005
Value for money: 9/10
Best on: Any surface. Radwanska has won big titles on each and every surface.
Watch her price: Stay steady

Madison Keys (will set you back: $12.2m)
Is 2017 the year that Madison Keys will finally capture a title that matches her talent? The big-hitting American has gone deep at plenty of Slams, but is yet to deliver the result that will really put her on the map. A guaranteed point scorer, Keys hits big to notch up regular points, and performs best on hard courts.
2016 points: 787
Value for money: 7/10
Best on: A solid all-rounder but especially dangerous on hard court.
Watch her price: Stay steady.

Garbine Muguruza: (will set you back: $7.76m)
Last year was a strange season for the rangy Spaniard. There was the maiden Grand Slam title, but then there was the month after month of disappointing results. She has the game to score big points in 2017, whether she has the head remains to be seen.
Value for money: 7/10
Best on: Slower courts. Clay suits her to a tee, as do the Australian hard courts.
Watch her price: Could go either way.

Simona Halep (will set you back: $12.4m)
After threatening to do a lot of damage on the WTA, Simona Halep enjoyed a relatively flat season in 2016. That said, she’s always a threat and has the type of game that wracks up plenty of points. A solid investment that could score big is she can pull it together.
2016 points: 809
Value for money: 7/10
Best on: A solid all-rounder with a preference for clay or hard courts.
Watch her price: Rise.

Karolina Pliskova (will set you back: $10.23m)
One to watch this year. The Czech star announced herself to the world at the US Open, but those in tennis have been following her for a long time. Huge shots, coupled with a laser-beam focus, mean that she could be one of the buys of the season. Winner in Brisbane, adds much more value.
2016 points: 866
Value for money: 9/10
Best on: The faster surfaces.
Watch her price: Rise

Dominika Cibulkova (will set you back: $10.9m)
What’s not to like about Dominika Cibulkova? The plucky Slovak has been punching above her weight for years now, scoring regular points with her dogged, resilient style. Cibulkova is one of those rare WTA players who will snatch the occasional title – even the big ones – and notch up points throughout the season.
2016 points: 1010
Value for money: 8.5/10
Best on: you name the surface, Cibulkova can play on it.
Watch her price: Stay steady.

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