Is it time to Revamp Bonus Points?

As someone who likes to play Fantasy games where each individual player is scored differently based on their own performance (using Opta stats) I do find the Bonus Point System (BPS) which is used to allocate bonus points disappointing in the Major League Soccer Fantasy  (MLS Fantasy) game. Let me explain…

The sole purpose of bonus points is to add extra points onto players who have already scored well. Now I get that this is the idea of ‘bonus’ points and many will be happy with this but surely there is an argument for something a bit different. If a player like Josef Martinez or Maxi Moralez scores a hat-trick he has already earned a good number of points. Throwing an additional three points on top is just a slap in the face to the non-owners and simply widens the gap between owning and not owning the player. That’s an extreme case I know, but the rule applies throughout.

I would love to see a system where the players who play well are rewarded even if they are do not quite grab a goal or assist. You do get this “fairness” in the occasional 0-0 but as soon as there are goalscorers, assist providers and even a clean sheet for one side, the bonus points are soaked up by these (already rewarded) players. Imagine a team winning 5-1, a midfielder playing for the winning side might play well but if he doesn’t grab a goal or assist he will score exactly the same as a midfielder for the opposite side.

Michael Bradley, for example, has been integral to Toronto’s style of play. But the only two games he received bonus points this season were due to him scoring or assisting a goal. His command of the midfield and precision passing were unrewarded attributes under the bonus point system.

Is that fair? Or to put it another way: Is that too basic a scoring system?

What I’m proposing is a revamp to the ‘bonus’ system, where some additional points are rewarded to the best performing ‘non-scoring’ players. When I say non-scoring I mean no goals, assists or clean sheet. Basically take these things out of the BPS scoring as they are already rewarded. MLS Fantasy could even increase the basic point scores (goals, assists and clean sheets) if they like. I’d just feel more comfortable knowing that a player I own doesn’t have to be involved in a goal, assist or clean sheet to earn more than two points and that a good performance could reward some points. This would also significantly boost the appeal of defensive midfielders, who currently are a no-go zone for the seasoned Fantasy manager.

I’d like to finish by saying this was my first season playing MLS Fantasy and I’m very happy to finish in the top 2K, so this isn’t a rant! I just thought now is the time for some debate about how the game could be adjusted

Thanks for reading and I’d love the thoughts of old-timers and newcomers alike.