It’s launch day! Fantasytennisleague.com officially goes live today, which means it’s time to log in, think of a cool new team name and start the team selection process. With lockout still a month away, you’re probably going to change your team a million times between now and then (I know I will), but it’s still good to select the players that will make up the foundation of your team.
Let’s look at some key player prices for 2018, but first, for the newcomers…
It’s a free Fantasy Tennis game that allows coaches to pick a team of players from the ATP and WTA, who will contribute valuable points towards their team’s total.
Coaches are given a $100 million budget to select a squad of 16 players. Each week eight members of the squad will be able to earn points, with the remaining eight on the bench. The designated captain each week will earn a 50 percent bonus on his or her points, and three key players will also receive a 20 percent points bonus.
The value of each player will fluctuate depending on their form, with players going up in price if they win or perform well in a tournament.
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| Name | 2017 average | 2018 price |
| Roger Federer | 100.4 | $25.01m |
| Rafael Nadal | 83.4 | $20.78m |
| Serena Williams | 160.2 | $19.96m |
| Venus Williams | 56.2 | $14m |
| Novak Djokovic | 54.2 | $13.51m |
| Elina Svitolina | 54.0 | $13.45m |
| Simona Halep | 53.6 | $13.34m |
| Caroline Wozniacki | 53.0 | $13.21m |
No surprises here. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were must-haves in 2017, but at 36 and 31-years-old respectively, can they keep it up? Considering that hefty price tag, you would want to be sure. Novak Djokovic is significantly under-priced and is a good chance to be the most owned player to start the year. All reports are that his body is reaching peak fitness, if that’s the case then he’s not only a lock for my team but, given his success in Melbourne, a lock for my team’s captain spot. Elina Svitolina, Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki are all solid picks with very little risk.
FANTASY TENNIS: champions reveal tips for 2018
| Name | 2017 average | 2018 price |
| Stan Wawrinka | 48.4 | $12.06m |
| Marin Cilic | 46.7 | $11.62m |
| Karolina Pliskova |
44.7
|
$11.14m |
| Alexander Zverev |
42.8
|
$10.65m |
| Andy Murray | 47.1 | $10.55m |
| Grigor Dimitrov | 41.9 | $10.44m |
| Milos Raonic | 41.3 | $10.29m |
| David Goffin | 40.9 | $10.2m |
| Garbine Muguruza | 40.6 | $10.12m |
| Jelena Ostapenko | 40.5 | $10.08m |
| Kei Nishikori | 40.1 | $10m |
| Svetlana Kuznetsova | 40.1 | $10m |
Much like Djokovic, Andy Murray is great value. Alexander Zverev is also extremely tantalising given he reached $15.6m last year at just 20-years-old, and Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza is another worth considering if you don’t want to play the extra cash for the women in the first tier. Stay away from Svetlana Kuznetsova who won’t be playing at the Australian Open, and will probably have a limited schedule all year.
| Name | 2017 average | 2018 price |
| Caroline Garcia | 39.5 | $9.85m |
| Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | 39.5 | $9.83m |
| Juan Martin del Potro | 38.8 | $9.68m |
| Dominic Thiem | 38.1 | $9.49m |
| Ashleigh Barty | 37.8 | $9.41m |
| Nick Kyrgios | 31.6 | $7.87m |
| Petra Kvitova | 31.3 | $7.8m |
| Maria Sharapova | 38.8 | $7.73m |
| Kristina Mladenovic |
29.7
|
$7.39m |
| Sloane Stephens | 36.2 | $7.21m |
| Victoria Azarenka | 35.4 | $7.05m |
There is loads of value here, starting with twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka. Azarenka hasn’t played much over the past two years, but that’s because of a family issue. She has been given a wildcard into the Australian Open and at that price is a great low risk, high reward pick. Maria Sharapova could make an interesting point of difference (POD) selection – the five-time Grand Slam champ showed promising signs last year at the US Open and then backed it up by winning the Tianjin Open. Ashleigh Barty and Caroline Garcia finished the 2017 season like a house on fire while Dominic Thiem and Kristina Mladenovic couldn’t hit a ball in the ocean.
RELATED: Fantasy Tennis League 2017 season wrap
| Name | 2017 average | 2018 price |
| Denis Shapovalov | 24.3 | $5.46m |
| Frances Tiafoe | 15.0 | $3.72m |
| Bernard Tomic | 13.4 | $3.33m |
| Eugenie Bouchard | 13.17 | $ 3.28m |
| Belinda Bencic | 12.54 | $2.19m |
Belinda Bencic is a must-have. She is a former top ten player whose career was briefly derailed by a plethora of injuries. Still just 20-years-old, Bencic bounced back at the end of 2017 with three WTA 125k titles and will prepare for the Australian Open with Roger Federer at the Hopman Cup. Eugenie Bouchard and Denis Shapovalov are both young Canadians that are interesting for different reasons; Bouchard is a former world No.5 and Shapovalov beat Nadal to reach the semifinal of a Masters 1000 at just 18-years-old last year. I’d take Genie and use the extra two million dollars elsewhere.
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