DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Understanding the New Scoring Rules

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Understanding the New Scoring Rules

This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.

After significant lobbying (or Twitter complaining, however you want to look at it), DraftKings has made a few big changes to their soccer scoring rules ahead of the upcoming 2019/20 European season. While the salary cap is the same, as are the number of roster spots and positions, they've added two scoring categories while reducing the value two others. 

The changes won't drastically adjust the way we build lineups for GPPs or cash games, though there are certainly some players who will benefit while others will see their values decline. Added to the scoring categories are shots assisted, which are also known as chances created or key passes, and completed passes, two stats that are already available in DraftKings' showdown formats. Additionally, the value of crosses has declined, though for those who longed for their value to increase back to the full-point they used to be worth, the addition of shots assisted should ease that pain.

Completed passes are fairly easy to understand, but for those who aren't aware of what shots assisted/chances created/key passes are, they are passes that lead to a direct shot. Set-piece takers are generally near the top of the league lead in the category, and it's entirely possible that a player could be awarded with a cross and a chance created on a single action (i.e. kicking the ball from the wing that leads to a header in the box). However, not every chance created results from a cross, and there are certainly players who

After significant lobbying (or Twitter complaining, however you want to look at it), DraftKings has made a few big changes to their soccer scoring rules ahead of the upcoming 2019/20 European season. While the salary cap is the same, as are the number of roster spots and positions, they've added two scoring categories while reducing the value two others. 

The changes won't drastically adjust the way we build lineups for GPPs or cash games, though there are certainly some players who will benefit while others will see their values decline. Added to the scoring categories are shots assisted, which are also known as chances created or key passes, and completed passes, two stats that are already available in DraftKings' showdown formats. Additionally, the value of crosses has declined, though for those who longed for their value to increase back to the full-point they used to be worth, the addition of shots assisted should ease that pain.

Completed passes are fairly easy to understand, but for those who aren't aware of what shots assisted/chances created/key passes are, they are passes that lead to a direct shot. Set-piece takers are generally near the top of the league lead in the category, and it's entirely possible that a player could be awarded with a cross and a chance created on a single action (i.e. kicking the ball from the wing that leads to a header in the box). However, not every chance created results from a cross, and there are certainly players who create more chances than crosses they send in, such as Wilfried Zaha (54 chances created and 37 crosses last season) and Paul Pogba (55 chances, 28 crosses). Then again, of the 15 players who created at least 60 chances in the Premier League last season (James Maddison led the league with 100), nine were in the top 20 in crosses (and two of the other 11 had 59 chances created). Here's a quick comparison of the old and new rules:

 GASSOGINTCRCCTKLWFSFCPPKMD CSGK CSGC*SV*W*
Old106110.50.75011-0.50-535-225
New106110.50.7111-0.50.02035-225
* goalkeeper only                

The elimination of the five-point hit for missing a penalty will definitely reduce the tilt a little, though it's still a 10-point swing if you're expecting your player to convert. Those who play showdown are already used to getting points from shots assisted and completed passes, with the former offering much more value than the latter. And for those hoping that DraftKings would once and for all get rid of goalkeeper, well.....let's focus on the positives.

Another big change is that showdown contests will now use the same scoring rules as classic, with that adjustment de-emphasizing goals, which were significantly important in showdown because they were worth more than anything else in classic, but because showdown doubled those points, they became even more important. Now, research for classic slates and showdown slates, at least in terms of the stats, will be consistent. Additionally, goals and and assists are worth the same regardless of position, again to make classic and showdown scoring consistent.

Here's a breakdown of how some of the highest-scoring players last season, both in total points and floor points, would have ranked using the new rules, as well as a column showing the change in rank (all columns are sortable):

PlayerTeamMINOld RankOld PtsOld Flr RankOld Flr PtsNew RankNew PtsNew Flr RankNew Flr PtsOverall Rank ChangeFloor Rank Change
Eden HazardCHE29251608.253358.251729.682479.6801
Mohamed SalahLIV32562542.7510274.752624.2811356.280-1
Ryan FraserBOU31713513.002365.003609.903461.900-1
Gylfi SigurdssonEVE31274505.005339.005584.305418.30-10
James MaddisonLEI28485480.251368.254593.501481.5010
Sadio ManeLIV30856467.7516241.758529.3017303.30-2-1
Luka MilivojevicCRY34207464.756332.756546.286414.2810
Sergio AgueroMCI24798456.7536198.7510503.1841245.18-2-5
Pierre-Emerick AubameyangARS27319453.7534203.7511494.8442244.84-2-8
Raheem SterlingMCI277610450.7524220.757534.6816304.6838
Paul PogbaMUN300911441.0012257.009528.8613344.862-1
Lucas DigneEVE296612406.504342.5013485.664421.66-10
Felipe AndersonWHU305113395.759281.7514480.069366.06-10
Andros TownsendCRY301614394.258310.2515463.268379.26-10
Harry KaneTOT242715394.0035200.0018431.4846237.48-3-11
Matt RitchieNEW293916393.257325.2516456.367388.3600
Christian EriksenTOT277117392.7517240.7512490.2414338.2453
Raul JimenezWLV312218387.7527215.7517443.8029271.801-2
RicharlisonEVE267819382.2514246.2522410.7426274.74-3-12
Jamie VardyLEI272820364.5072160.5025400.5877196.58-5-5
Wilfried ZahaCRY304021362.7520232.7519430.4618300.4622
Alexandre LacazetteARS250522362.7549184.7524403.7452225.74-2-3
Marcus RashfordMUN234223353.7526217.7526399.4036263.40-3-10
Aleksandar MitrovicFUL328124352.0023224.0027397.4831269.48-3-8
Leroy SaneMCI186725342.5050182.5028391.9050231.90-30
WillianCHE210826329.7511263.7520421.3812355.386-1
Trent Alexander-ArnoldLIV246627327.2515245.2529391.5015309.50-20
Callum WilsonBOU253428324.5096130.5031360.44107166.44-3-11
Joao MoutinhoWLV303829314.5013256.5021420.3210362.3283
Bernardo SilvaMCI285330310.2538198.2523407.0819295.08719
Son Heung-MinTOT204531306.7583150.7533351.3879195.38-24
Joshua KingBOU297032305.7564167.7532353.1858215.1806
Salomon RondonNEW260833301.0084149.0039342.5883190.58-61
Ayoze PerezNEW292734293.5070161.5035349.2255217.22-115
Jose HolebasWAT239435292.2522226.2542331.2233265.22-7-11
Ricardo PereiraLEI312536291.5019235.5038343.2221287.22-2-2
Ashley BarnesBUR238637287.5077155.5049315.3291183.32-12-14
Roberto FirminoLIV261738286.7595130.7534349.9681193.96414
Diogo JotaWLV236839285.5065165.5045321.9671201.96-6-6
Nathan RedmondSOU327540282.5037198.5036347.6835263.6842
Robert SnodgrassWHU222141278.0021228.0037344.4220294.4241
Gerard DeulofeuWAT207942277.5085147.5048315.5488185.54-6-3
David SilvaMCI240943276.2561168.2530380.9028272.901333
Ashley YoungMUN256944267.7518235.7546318.2422286.24-2-4
Victor CamarasaCC257845266.7541192.7543324.0040250.0021
Granit XhakaARS250146266.2528214.2541338.1223286.1255
David BrooksBOU227647262.2569162.2557303.1069203.10-100
Michail AntonioWHU209948261.5052177.5062291.1065207.10-14-13
PedroCHE178049260.2562168.2555304.6261212.62-61
Solomon MarchBHA247450259.0025219.0058303.0837263.08-8-12
Matt DohertyWLV314751258.5044188.5050313.4644243.4610
Troy DeeneyWAT254752258.5088138.5053310.7282190.72-16
Andrew RobertsonLIV321953258.2542192.2540342.3824276.381318
Marcos AlonsoCHE276154258.0029214.0047318.1027274.1072
Pierre-Emile HojbjergSOU276455255.2539197.2552311.5439253.5430
James Ward-ProwseSOU194256255.2548185.2554305.0049235.002-1
James MilnerLIV178657251.5053177.5051312.5245238.5268
Riyad MahrezMCI133758249.7576155.7565283.6085189.60-7-9
Ilkay GundoganMCI213559248.0058170.0044322.3243244.321515
Lucas MouraTOT212860244.7586144.7567281.8292181.82-7-6
Aaron MooyHUD232761244.0032208.0059300.6234264.622-2
Johann Berg GudmundssonBUR174962241.7556175.7568279.9260213.92-6-4
Romelu LukakuMUN213063240.50107120.5074266.28125146.28-11-18
Kieran TrippierTOT227864240.2531212.2556304.3625276.3686
Glenn MurrayBHA251265239.00138103.0077257.66172121.66-12-34
Ruben NevesWLV300966235.0055177.0063289.2451231.2434
Marko ArnautovicWHU199967235.00122111.0069279.66116155.66-26
Wilfred NdidiLEI329868232.5030212.5064285.6232265.624-2
Ben ChilwellLEI324069231.0033207.0061293.7630269.7683
Cesar AzpilicuetaCHE340370230.5043190.5060294.8038254.80105
Anthony MartialMUN162471229.00113117.0071274.52111162.5202
Josh MurphyCC182272228.5046186.5083244.5270202.52-11-24
Chris WoodBUR259473223.50120111.5081251.66131139.66-8-11
Henrikh MkhitaryanARS164474220.7592136.7575259.3297175.32-1-5
Roberto PereyraWAT282175220.5079154.5073272.1666206.16213
Ashley WestwoodBUR282276216.7578154.7570276.0859214.08619
Anthony KnockaertBHA183377215.7573159.7579254.8873198.88-20
Alex PritchardHUD208978215.5040195.5078257.0247237.020-7
Theo WalcottEVE212279213.7581151.7587240.4696178.46-8-15
Pascal GrossBHA187680213.5066165.5072272.6453224.64813
David Junior HoilettCC214281213.2554177.2588240.3467204.34-7-13
Abdoulaye DoucoureWAT306282213.25102127.2566283.1076197.101626
Danny IngsSOU166683208.00108120.0085240.90118152.90-2-10
Dwight McNeilBUR159784205.7582151.7592232.7695178.76-8-13
Aaron Wan-BissakaCRY313585205.5045187.5091233.7257215.72-6-12
Lucas TorreiraARS237986201.5060169.5084243.9062211.902-2
Marc AlbrightonLEI162687200.2563168.2593231.1872199.18-6-9
James McArthurCRY307288198.2593132.2582250.7089184.7064
Will HughesWAT243389197.2580153.2589238.8680194.8600
Andre SchurrleFUL164990197.2591137.25100224.34108164.34-10-17
Philip BillingHUD219091195.0057175.0094231.0863211.08-3-6
Joe BryanFUL234792192.2547186.2598224.8254218.82-6-7
Charlie TaylorBUR324093187.7551181.75107209.8268203.82-14-17
Etienne CapoueWAT294694186.7574158.7597226.0275198.02-3-1
Alex IwobiARS197295186.75106120.7590238.7099172.7057
Mark NobleWHU230896185.25136105.2595230.82122150.82114
Patrick van AanholtCRY319797182.2587140.2586240.7874198.781113
Idrissa GueyeEVE282598181.7559169.7596228.4656216.4623
Ryan SessegnonFUL229499180.00103124.00101219.78109163.78-2-6
JonnyWLV2777100179.0068163.0099224.4264208.4214

As you can see, the changes benefit some of the bigger clubs because they create more chances, so players like Bernardo Silva and David Silva, who don't necessarily cross much but create a lot of chances, will see their values increase. Center-backs and defensive midfielders will see a small bump because of the completed passes, but it's not enough to start prioritizing them over fullbacks.

The reduction of crosses from 0.75 points to 0.70 doesn't seem to move the needle much, and while 0.02 points per completed pass also seems to have little significance, it will surely have one in terms of breaking ties. And speaking of trying to reduce ties, showdown slates will now include a captain spot, which is one player who will accrue 1.5x their total fantasy points, though at 1.5x their salary. This added wrinkle could help reduce duplicate lineups, a situation that has become increasingly frustrating of late, particularly in cash games.

There were also changes to shootout goals, misses and saves, which won't come into play during most of the contests DraftKings posts in the lobby. We'll see it in the second leg of Champions League matches that are all square after extra time, or similarly in some international competitions, but from a week-to-week basis, it's not really something we should worry about.

If you have any questions about the new rules, please feel free to leave a comment below, hit me up in the subscriber Discord chat or find me on Twitter @RotoWireAndrew.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew M. Laird
Andrew is a former RotoWire contributor. He was the 2017 and 2018 FSWA Soccer Writer of the Year. He is a nine-time FSWA award finalist, including twice for Football Writer of the Year.
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