Fantasy Gaelic Football All-Stars: The players dominating the points charts
Who would make an All-Star team if selections were based purely on fantasy points?
The game mode provides its own answer, with the players who have delivered the biggest returns in each position earning their place in the Team of the Year to date.
Shane Murphy’s championship began as an opportunity and has developed into a season to remember. With Shane Ryan unavailable for Kerry, the 32-year-old stepped into the starting role and grabbed the opportunity with both gloves.
The numbers behind Murphy’s campaign are particularly impressive. Kerry have conceded just four goals in seven championship games, while he has recorded clean sheets in four of their five All-Ireland series ties. Those four consecutive shutouts have accounted for almost half of his points total and underline just how integral his performances have been to the reigning champions.
Dylan Casey has been another beneficiary of Kerry’s defensive record, finishing with one of the strongest returns among defenders. The corner-back featured in every game where Kerry secured sufficient defensive bonuses. He also found a way to contribute at the other end of the pitch, scoring a point against Clare in Kerry’s opening championship game. That score added three more points to his overall total.
Jason Foley completes the Kerry trio in defence, matching Casey’s total of 48 points. The current All-Star full-back’s tally was boosted by his involvement in Kerry’s clean sheet returns, collecting 20 points from those defensive bonuses. Foley also added to his score in attack, registering a point during Kerry’s comprehensive victory over Armagh.
Despite playing just four championship games due to Donegal’s early exit, Peadar Mogan has produced the highest points return among the corner-backs. The versatile defender recorded attacking returns in each of his appearances, finishing with 1-6. His two-pointer against Down in the Ulster Championship and his goal against Dublin were key contributions to his final total of 49 points.
Ronan Wallace’s attacking returns were central to his 75-point total, with the Westmeath captain producing scores in six of his seven championship appearances, a campaign in which he played every minute. Wallace finished the season with 1-15, while his standout display came against Galway when he scored a goal and added a two-pointer, earning 15 points from his attacking output in that game alone.
Dessie Ward’s 63-point total was largely built on his attacking contribution throughout Monaghan’s championship campaign. Across six games, the defender finished with 0-14, including six points from outside the arc. Ward also collected the maximum seven defensive points against Roscommon after Monaghan restricted their opponents to 0-14. His final tally was affected by three yellow cards during the campaign, with each booking resulting in a one-point deduction.
After making the transition from the forwards to wing-back, Matthew Whittaker’s attacking output was the main driver behind his 82-point total as he finished the championship with 2-12, becoming the only defender to surpass the 80-point mark. The 22-year-old’s season was in doubt after suffering a serious ankle injury prior to Westmeath’s game against Kildare, but he defied the odds to feature in all five of their remaining games. Remarkably, 2-8 of his overall tally came while playing through a severe pain barrier with three ruptured ligaments.
Although Dara McDonnell wore number six for Louth, he is listed as a midfielder when selecting a fantasy team, an area where he had a major influence for the Wee County this season. The towering McDonnell was heavily involved in Louth’s attacking play throughout the championship, scoring 1-13 across six games. While he was not eligible for defensive points, his attacking returns in every match helped him finish with a strong total of 44 points.
Jarlath Óg Burns’ 76-point total was built on a combination of defensive returns and consistent attacking contributions throughout Armagh’s championship campaign. He benefited from the Orchard county’s reliable defensive returns while also contributing 0-15 at the other end of the field. Burns failed to register attacking returns in just two of his seven championship outings.
Although Armagh’s season came to an abrupt end, Oisín Conaty still finished with an impressive 68-point total. Had the Ulster champions managed a deeper run, the forward would have been almost nailed on to win a third successive All-Star. After being held scoreless in their championship opener against Tyrone, the former Northern Ireland Under-19 soccer international scored 1-24 across his next six games. That tally leaves him fourth on the list of the championship’s leading scorers from play.
Ryan O’Donoghue has amassed 99 points so far this championship, making him the second-highest scorer overall after producing a remarkable level of consistency across the All-Ireland finalists seven match weeks to date. The Mayo sharpshooter has scored 2-51 during their run to the decider, including 2-22 from play. His form in the closing stages has been particularly impressive, with 1-19 coming across the last two games, including a 1-11 haul against Louth that earned him 37 points.
Darragh Heneghan’s attacking threat has been reflected in his 54-point total, with the wing-forward finding the net regularly throughout Roscommon’s championship run. The Rossies’ livewire scored 5-7 across their five games, with two of those goals coming against Galway in the Connacht final. Heneghan had found the net in every game since making his championship debut against New York in the Bronx before being curbed by Monaghan’s Stephen O’Hanlon in their final outing.
David Clifford has been the ultimate fantasy asset this championship, with the Kerry forward being the only player in the country to break the 100-point barrier. Even when the reigning Footballer of the Year has been tightly marshalled, he has continued to be a reliable source of returns, highlighted by his 38-point haul last Sunday after scoring 1-5 against Dublin.
Clifford is currently the championship’s overall top scorer with an outstanding 6-44, while he also leads the scoring charts from play with 6-31 across seven games.
Following an injury-hit Leinster Championship where he featured for just a half against Wicklow, scoring a point, Con O’Callaghan came alive during the All-Ireland series as Dublin’s campaign gathered momentum. The Dubs’ main attacking outlet scored 4-26 across five All-Ireland series games, with his lowest return coming against Kerry when he was held to 0-2 by Jason Foley.
Brandon Kelly has been one of the most productive scorers from play in the championship, with his 4-22 tally bettered only by David Clifford’s remarkable scoring rate. The Westmeath man becomes the Leinster champions’ third player selected based on their fantasy points total, having played a key role in their run to the provincial title.
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