Someone has rightly said, “Do it with passion or just don’t do it at all”. You need to follow the saying sincerely to be successful in anything you do in life. And Yes, the same holds true for Fantasy Sports as well. It is a game of skill and requires patience for you to get the best out of it. Let us introduce you to one of our elite users who began his journey on HalaPlay from Fantasy Football because of his intense following for the game and ended up becoming an avid player, has already earned over ₹12 lakh playing Fantasy Football & Fantasy Cricket on the platform.
Our team asked some interesting questions based on his participation and got his memorable journey documented for you to travel through his achievements and experiences, an opportunity to see the world of Fantasy Sports from his lens and gather all the important insights needed for you to make a mark in this competitive world of dedicated fantasy players.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where you grew up, went to school, what you did before playing Daily Fantasy Sports?
My name is Vikas (Vikupiku) and I am currently pursuing MBBS from Patna Medical College and Hospital, Patna (2016 Batch). I finished my primary education from Bihar Sharif, Nalanda and then prepared for NEET UG from Allen, Kota.
When did you start playing on HalaPlay and what was your introduction to it?
I started playing on Halaplay in May 2017. Before that I did play on other platforms but they didn’t really suit me.
I remember I was introduced to HalaPlay in a WhatsApp group where I saw someone referring it along with a withdrawal proof, so I gave it a try and it actually went well.
I generally watch a lot of football matches, it’s sort of an entertainment for me. So I thought if I am spending my time in watching football matches then it would be better if I can also earn from it simultaneously. And this was one of the many motives behind joining Halaplay.
Tell us a bit about your Daily Fantasy journey. The struggles you had and successes.
In the beginning for like 3-4 months, I used to play small leagues of just 4 to 6 players for a budget of ₹100-500 per match. After that I increased my budget to ₹500-1000 per match (in the similar leagues as before) and once I started making profits (in like few months time) is when I began playing big leagues like Monster, Rumble and Last Man Standing (with 10 teams in each). It turned out to be a fruitful idea as my profits increased massively.
As far as efforts are concerned, it took me 10 to 15 days to understand the system and plan my tactics accordingly.
Seeing that you have preference for Fantasy Football, what makes you coming back to it?
I started playing on Halaplay majorly because of my interest in Football and that interest grew watching Cristiano Ronaldo play for Real Madrid. He is one of the big reasons of my developing interest in the game. Now I watch almost all major football matches, especially the Champions League. And since I’m used to playing on Halaplay so it has become a habit of not just watching football but also to play each and every football match.
While choosing your fantasy football team what is your criteria for choosing players (Current form, past records, etc.)?
I generally go with both, the present form and the past records. Not to mention, Form is temporary but Class is permanent. So sometimes I prefer records over forms. Let say you leave Cristiano because of the current form (for not scoring in last 2 matches) and no wonder in that very match you could witness his hat-trick. Hence, it’s always wise to go with class players having good past records.
Does your strategy take into consideration match venue (home/away) for a particular team?
Yes, absolutely. For matches between a weak and a strong team, I draft team in the favour of strong team irrespective of the venue. But when two competitive teams face-off, I draft in the favour of the home team unless my heart says otherwise 😉
Also, I believe the strong team can keep clean sheet easily at home rather than in away matches.
How much does player position affect your drafting strategy (ST/MID/DEF)?
Well, it is The MOST Important THING in Fantasy Football if you ask me. Initially, I started playing with 2/3 Forwards, 4/5 Midfielders, 3 Defenders and a Goalkeeper. But in few days time, I understood the scoring criteria and points system of HalaPlay. Now, in almost all matches, I go with 5 Defenders, 4 Midfielders, a top class Forward and a Goalkeeper. At times, if a midfielder is playing at a defending position then I make it a point of picking him.
What is your general strategy while choosing a captain for fantasy football. Does this strategy change while playing multi entry leagues and single entry small leagues?
I generally choose Central Defender of stronger team as my captain since he has better chances of giving you points in multiple ways.
But if I have a feeling that the teams can’t keep a clean sheet then I go with an attacking midfielder as the captain (like Eden Hazard, Isco) or with top class forward (like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi).
Usually, I don’t change my strategy while playing small leagues or multi entry monsters (always go with safest players is the key according to me).
What kind of leagues are your favourite on HalaPlay?
I play almost every league. But 6 players leagues, Rumble, Monster (of ₹350 & ₹1999) are my favourite as they yield maximum profits. Not to overlook the fact that the easiest leagues to win for anyone are obviously Head-to-Head (H2H) ones. So, I ensure to put my teams in those leagues as well.
Earlier, I used to draft 10 teams for Monster and other multi entry leagues, but now I go with only one due to shortage of time and also because entering too many teams somewhere lowers your confidence in the primary team.
Seeing that earning through DFS takes a lot of time and dedication, how do you balance your work life with playing DFS?
I am a college going student so it’s not possible for me to invest much time especially during the day. But fortunately, almost all football matches are in the evening or midnight. And since I watch football matches live, it doesn’t kill my time in referring the stats or doing research and so I can play Fantasy Football simultaneously.
Which was your best day on HalaPlay and what do you remember about it?
It was 26th May 2018 – Champions League Final, Liverpool vs Real Madrid. As I’ve said before that I’m a BIG Real Madrid fan, so the first reason of happiness was Real Madrid winning the match and the cup. Secondly, I had invested around ₹25,000 in that match (including small leagues and monsters) and got ₹74,000 in return, approximately a profit of ₹49,000 in a single match.
What kind of matches you prefer playing the most (International tournaments, Big Club leagues, Domestic leagues) & why?
I mostly prefer playing big club matches (like matches of Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester City, Liverpool, etc) and international tournaments like Champions League, FIFA World Cup or if there is any popular international match happening.
This is because of the nature of these matches as they are stable, certain and the players are known so it requires very little or sometimes no time at all, in analysing the players’ records.
I try to avoid domestic matches like ISL, Chinese Premier league because there is lot of uncertainty in players’ performance and on top of it significant time goes into the research and collecting data for analysing.
If you had one piece of advice to offer to a player new to DFS in terms of strategy, what would it be and why?
The first thing to remember while playing fantasy sports is that you should perceive fantasy games as a fantasy and not a routine work. Choose the matches that you are confident about rather than trying your luck in each and every match.
Secondly, start with small budget, get some profits and then invest it to make big instead of starting big and then losing it in no time.
The most important thing to remember is, have a consistent faith in your players, don’t keep them out just because they didn’t perform in last few matches, always go with a strategy in every match. Changing players in every match will only lead to loss.
Where do you see yourself down the road in regards to DFS? Do you want there to be a long-term thing for you? What things do you hope to accomplish as a result of DFS success?
I would say I’ve had a very rewarding journey in DFS till now, be it in Fantasy Football or Fantasy Cricket. In like 15 months, I have garnered enough experience and profits to play further. Since it does not hinder my daily life and studies, it should and definitely would Go Forever. As a result of earnings through HalaPlay, I don’t require any kind of significant financial help for my studies from my parents.
I even look after my sister’s higher studies and also help my friends financially, whenever required. I guess that is more than enough for me and frankly speaking, I couldn’t have asked for more.
This is not just an inspirational read but also a very reliable guide for all the fantasy lovers who are yet to make a mark and win big in Fantasy Football. Well, don’t just keep these insightful and informative stories upto you, share them with your friends so they can also benefit and get a direction in designing their strategy for the day–to-day matches. Let them signup using your referral code so they can earn ₹100 bonus instantly while you get ₹50 just after they verify their PAN details.
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