Fantasy cricket tools, built around the decision you actually have to make.
Captaincy logs, points reference, salary-cap tax, and the desk's repeatable process. Tools that map to the choice in front of you, not the noise around it.
A tool, not a tip.
The desk's tools are designed to be used, not just read — a frame for the decision in front of you.
Four steps, applied to every contest.
The desk's repeatable process for going from a fixture list to a submitted lineup — without panicking into a popular captain.
Set the brief
Decide contest type, salary cap, and risk profile (cash vs GPP) before you look at player names.
Read the surface
Pitch report, dew forecast, and boundary dimensions tell you which roles gain value tonight.
Build the core
Lock 4-5 high-floor players first, then spend the remaining credits on a captain and a differential.
Stress test
Re-rank the lineup by likely outcome range. A team that wins a 30/70 split beats one that wins a 50/50.
Full points map.
The complete scoring system, with role context and the leverage points that move contests.
| Action | Points | Role context |
|---|---|---|
| Run scored | +1 | Floor for any batter |
| Boundary bonus | +4 | Compounds on strike rotation |
| Six bonus | +6 | Highest ceiling per ball |
| 30 / 50 / 100 milestones | +4 / +8 / +16 | Bonuses scale |
| Wicket (bowler) | +25 | Dominant single event |
| LBW / bowled bonus | +8 | Rewards wicket type |
| Maiden over | +4 | Pressure premium |
| Catch | +8 | Reliable for fielders |
| Stumping | +12 | Wicketkeeper ceiling |
| Run out (direct) | +12 | Fielding captain's pick |
| Captain multiplier | 2x | The single biggest decision |
| Vice-captain | 1.5x | Backup if captain is dropped |
The last 5%.
How to use the last 5% of your cap on a player who actually moves the projection.
Three rules for the last 5%
- Don't fill the cap with the most expensive name. The ceiling is similar at 80-90% of the top price.
- Use the last 5% on the differential, not the captain. Differential picks have a wider ownership-to-projection gap.
- Skip the last 5% if the differential is weak. A saved 5% is worth a clear upgrade at the next contest.
Most of the desk's cash-game lineups leave 1-3% of the cap unused. The pressure to "fill the cap" costs more contests than it wins.
The four-match form window.
Default to the last four matches for form reads. Below four, the sample is too small; above four, role changes flatten the signal.
What we measure, and why
The desk's player profiles track four signals in the last four matches:
- Boundary rate — runs scored in boundaries as a % of total runs
- Strike rate against pace / spin — the matchup split
- Dot ball % (for bowlers) — pressure and control
- Minutes / overs role security — the structural check that form doesn't break
Tools, frequently asked.
Common questions about the desk's tools and methodology.
Are the tools interactive?
The desk's tools are designed to be used as a process — a frame for the decision in front of you. Interactive calculators are being added in phases; the current priority is the points reference and the salary-cap tax.
Can I suggest a tool?
Yes. The desk accepts tool suggestions through the contact page. Suggestions are prioritised by frequency of request and clarity of use case.
How do I keep up with tool updates?
Tool updates are flagged on the desk's news page. The points reference is updated whenever a major operator changes their scoring system; the form window stays at four matches unless a clear reason emerges to revise.
Reference imagery for the read above.
Editorial photographs from recent fixtures and analyst sessions, used to anchor the analysis.
Use the tools, not the noise.
The desk's tools are a frame for the decision. Apply them before every contest, not after.
What makes a fantasy tool useful.
The desk's tools are built around a single principle: a tool should map to the decision in front of you, not the noise around it. Here's the long-form version of how the desk thinks about tool design.
One decision, one tool
Each tool on the desk maps to a single decision: the captain pick (captaincy log), the points math (points reference), the salary-cap discipline (the last 5%), the form read (the four-match window). A tool that tries to answer five questions answers none of them well.
Process over output
The desk's tools are designed to be used as a process, not consumed as an answer. The captaincy log isn't a leaderboard — it's a record of picks and results, with a note on what the call taught. The points reference isn't a calculator — it's a frame for reading the scoring system.
What's missing is the noise
The desk's tools are deliberately missing things. There's no "optimal lineup" calculator — the desk's view is that fantasy is a series of decisions, not a single optimisation. There's no ownership projection tool — ownership is downstream of the lineup, not the other way around.
What the desk will and won't add
- Will add: tools that map to a specific decision the reader is making
- Will add: tools that read the data the desk already publishes
- Will add: tools that respect the desk's editorial process
- Won't add: tools that promise an "optimal" answer to a probabilistic question
- Won't add: tools that hide the methodology from the reader
- Won't add: tools that require account creation or payment
The desk's tools are a frame, not a crutch. The aim is a reader who uses the tools and doesn't need them by season's end.
Where the tools page hands off.
The tools page is the reference desk. The other pages on the desk put the tools into action.
The desk's calls
The predictions page is where the points reference and the salary-cap tax are applied — every fixture, every captain pick, every differential.
Predictions →The methodology
The tips page is the long-form on the desk's methodology — the four-step captain math, the cash vs GPP split, and the role-by-role read on the scoring system.
Captain math →The form window
The player profiles are where the four-match form window is applied — watchlist updated weekly, with the four signals measured in the same window.
Player profiles →The full tool kit.
The desk's tools are a frame for the decision, not a calculator for the answer. Here's the long-form version of the tool kit, with the use case for each.
Captaincy log
The captaincy log is a record of picks and results, with a note on what the call taught. Use it as a learning tool, not a leaderboard. The log is updated after every fixture the desk covers, with the in-game context attached.
Points reference
The points reference is a frame for reading the scoring system. Use it before every contest, not just when the points don't add up. The reference is updated whenever a major operator changes their scoring system — the desk's standard is the four signals the captaincy math is built on.
Salary-cap tax
The salary-cap tax is the desk's framework for spending the last 5% of the cap. Use it as a pre-submit check, not a post-mortem. The framework is built around the three rules: don't fill the cap with the most expensive name, use the last 5% on the differential, and skip the last 5% if the differential is weak.
Form window
The form window is the desk's four-match read on a player. Use it as a default, not a rigid rule. The window captures enough variance to be meaningful, but not so much that it drowns in season-long noise.
What the desk will add to the kit
- Wicket-probability estimator — venue- and format-adjusted, useful for bowler selection
- Captain matrix — captain pick vs contest size, useful for cash vs GPP selection
- Matchup data set — batter vs bowler head-to-head, useful for differential picks
- Contest log — every entry with captain pick and result, useful for bankroll discipline
Tool additions are flagged on the news page. The desk's standard is: every tool maps to a specific decision the reader is making, reads the data the desk already publishes, and respects the desk's editorial process.
How to read the desk's tools.
The tools are a frame, not an answer. Here's the long-form version of how to read them.
The captaincy log
Read the captaincy log as a record of picks and results, with a note on what each call taught. The log is a learning tool, not a leaderboard. Use it to understand the desk's captaincy math, not to copy a single pick.
The points reference
Read the points reference as a frame for the scoring system. The points math is the engine of the lineup — understand it, and the lineups write themselves. The reference is updated whenever a major operator changes their scoring system, with the change flagged at the top of the page.
The salary-cap tax
Read the salary-cap tax as a pre-submit check, not a post-mortem. The framework is built around three rules: don't fill the cap with the most expensive name, use the last 5% on the differential, and skip the last 5% if the differential is weak. Apply the rules before submitting, not after.
The form window
Read the form window as a default, not a rigid rule. The four-match window captures enough variance to be meaningful, but not so much that it drowns in season-long noise. Use it as a starting point for the player-level read, not as the only signal.
Tools in the order you should use them
- 1. Read the venue (the prediction page)
- 2. Read the projected XI (the live matches page)
- 3. Apply the points reference (the tools page)
- 4. Build the role core (the tips page)
- 5. Apply the salary-cap tax (the tools page)
- 6. Stress test the captain (the tips page)
- 7. Log the entry (your own record)
The order matters. Apply the tools in the order they were designed for — venue first, captaincy last — and the lineup will be built on a structured read, not on a vibe.