2
April
25
.jpg)
Dream11, India’s most popular fantasy sports platform, has revolutionised how fans engage with cricket. With millions of users crafting teams for every match, the competition is intense. But let’s be real - not everyone has the time (or patience) to analyse player form, pitch reports, and team combinations before every match. Even if you do, sometimes, it’s really difficult to choose between certain players while finalising your team.
That’s where Dream11’s Guru Teams come in. With this feature, you can explore pre-built squads created by seasoned fantasy cricket experts, ready for you to choose and play. No stress, no hassles - just pick the Guru Team and enter the competition.
Sounds tempting, right?
But here’s the most important question: Are Guru Teams actually worth it? Can they really help you in reigning the leaderboard or are they just a safe, average choice that keeps you from making bold, game-changing moves? Do you really need these teams, or are you better off trusting your own instincts?
Let’s break it down and understand whether Guru Teams is the ultimate fantasy cricket hack or if it is just another convenient shortcut with hidden pitfalls.
Guru Teams on Dream11 are pre-constructed fantasy sports teams created by experienced players referred to as "Gurus." These teams act as a resource for users who may lack the time or expertise to build their own teams from scratch.
The primary purpose of Guru Teams is to improve user engagement. It allows participants to enter contests with teams that have a higher likelihood of success based on expert analysis and insights.
Users can easily access Guru Teams within the Dream11 platform by navigating to the "Guru" section, where they can view various teams created for upcoming matches.
Let’s say you want to play a T20 fantasy contest and decide to use Dream11’s Guru Teams feature. Here’s how you can do it, step by step.
Launch the Dream11 app and join a Mega Contest for an upcoming T20 match between India and Australia.
Once you select the contest, go to the ‘Guru & Stats’ section. Here, you will find multiple expert-created Guru Teams, each curated by top-performing fantasy players.
Different Guru Teams have ratings and format-based recommendations. For instance:
Since this is a T20 Mega Contest, you decide to pick Guru A’s team, given their strong record in this format.
Pro Tip: If you frequently use a particular Guru’s teams, you can favourite them for quick access next time.
Dream11 allows you to choose Guru Teams tailored for different contest types:
Since you’re entering a Mega Contest, you pick the Guru Team specifically optimised for it.
The Guru Team already has a Captain (C) and Vice-Captain (VC) selected. If you agree with these picks, you can proceed. However, if you prefer, you can swap the captain or vice-captain with other players based on your own instincts.
Check Out our Blog on How to Select Captain and Vice-Captain in Dream11
After finalising your team, Dream11 sends a notification if the Guru updates their team before the deadline. Let’s say Guru A changes their Vice-Captain from Maxwell to Suryakumar Yadav due to a last-minute injury update. You will get a notification and update your team to match the Guru’s latest insights.
To ensure the quality of Guru Teams, Dream11 handpicks the Gurus based on a few specific criteria. Here’s what it takes to be a Guru at Dream11:
The Dream11 Guru Teams feature has brought a fresh dimension to fantasy cricket, enabling players to compete with a strategic edge while saving time. Here are the key benefits of using Guru Teams:
One of the biggest advantages of Guru Teams is how accessible and convenient they make fantasy cricket. Are you short on time? Or just starting with your fantasy cricket journey? Guru Teams can have your back. No need to dig into player stats, analyse match conditions, or spend hours creating your lineup. All you have to do is choose a Guru’s pre-formed team and start participating.
With Guru Teams, you’re not just getting a ready-made team. You’re participating with a strong team built by experienced fantasy players with strategies and insights. These Gurus often share valuable advice based on player performance, match conditions, and tactical decisions that are key to reigning the leaderboard in fantasy cricket contests.
Dream11 allows you to see how popular and trusted each Guru is based on their performance history and user feedback. This level of transparency helps you choose the right Guru Team for your contest. Choosing a Guru with a strong track record can give you confidence in your fantasy team.
Even though Guru Teams provide a ready-made lineup, you still have the flexibility to tweak them to your preferences. You can change the captain or vice-captain based on your preferences or match-specific insights, ensuring that you apply your strategy without starting from scratch.
In addition, you can also choose from teams specifically built for different types of contests to increase your chances of the content you are participating in.
While Dream11's Guru Teams offer several advantages for fantasy cricket players, they also come with the following limitations, which users should keep in mind.
Guru Teams are created by individual experts, and this reliance on one person’s expertise can lead to biases in the selection process. Suppose a Guru has consistently backed a particular bowler or batter, say, Rohit Sharma, even if their recent form is not great. Their bias could affect the objectivity of the team-building process. This could potentially limit the performance of the team, especially in high-stakes contests.
11Wizards uses a data-driven approach and predictive analysis to generate fantasy cricket teams, reducing the impact of personal bias and focusing more on performance metrics.
Guru Teams are generally limited to one or two pre-formed teams per Guru, which restricts your options when selecting a team. This limitation doesn’t allow for a lot of flexibility in terms of contest types or strategies. If you’re looking to create a lineup for multiple contests (e.g., Mega, H2H, Small Leagues, etc.), you may find that the Guru’s team doesn’t fit all your needs.
11Wizards, on the other hand, allows users to generate multiple teams simultaneously, providing more flexibility and enabling you to create teams tailored to various contest types.
While Guru Teams provide ready-made solutions, they lack the ability to personalise the team according to your individual preferences or strategies. You can edit some elements, like captain/vice-captain choices, but the overall structure of the team remains fixed. This means that users cannot fully integrate their own insights or strategies into the lineup.
11Wizards, in contrast, offers more room for customisation. Before the team is even created, you can adjust the Lineup Wizard’s parameters—fine-tuning team balance, prioritising specific player types, or excluding certain players. This ensures that the generated team aligns more closely with your strategy rather than simply offering a pre-made selection that you modify afterwards.
In fantasy cricket, the real game-changer is data. It's not about hoping for a player to do well; it’s about using data to predict it.
By utilising player statistics, historical performance, and match conditions, fantasy players can gain an edge over their competitors. Data points like batting strike rate, economy rate, and previous performance on a certain pitch or against a specific opponent give players a deeper understanding of who is most likely to shine in the game.
Let’s break it down with an example. Imagine you’re picking players for an upcoming ODI match. Although you have been a fan of Suryakumar Yadav, his historical data and recent performance stats indicate that he is not in his best form right now. On the other hand, Abhishek Sharma has been consistently scoring big in the T20 format and has been a great choice as captain or vice captain. The smart move is to select Abhishek Sharma based on the data.
Beyond just historical performance, data allows fantasy players to adapt to changing conditions. The pitch and weather can drastically impact a player's chances of success. For instance, if it's a flat pitch, power hitters like Andre Russel or Hardik Pandya can be your top choice.
When it comes to building the perfect fantasy cricket team, 11Wizards brings a whole new level to the game with its data-driven approach. While Guru Teams rely on the intuition and expertise of individual fantasy players, 11Wizards uses predictive analytics and forward-looking metrics to give you the best possible chance at the contests. With the help of Lineup Wizards, you can also generate as many lineups as a particular contest offers.
Here’s how 11Wizards stands out:
While Guru Teams on Dream11 offer an easy way to enter contests, they come with a few limitations. Their lack of customisation options, reliance on individual expert opinions, and limited ability to make adjustments can hold you back from fully optimising your fantasy cricket strategy.
So, are Guru Teams worth it? They can be a good starting point, but if you’re serious about gaining a competitive edge in fantasy cricket, 11Wizards can help you make smarter, more strategic decisions by combining predictive analytics and data-driven insights. It’s time to make smarter decisions and take your fantasy cricket game to the next level!
The Guru Team feature provides users with expert-recommended teams for upcoming matches. Users can select a Guru Team, make modifications based on their preferences, and join contests using these teams.
To use the Guru Team feature:
Dream11 selects Gurus based on consistent high skill scores (above 500), experience in various series and contests, frequent winnings in paid contests, and a verified KYC status without any Fairplay violations.
Guru Teams are curated by experts based on their knowledge and experience. While they may incorporate some data analysis, they primarily reflect the individual expertise of the Gurus rather than comprehensive data-driven algorithms.
Relying solely on Guru Teams isn’t ideal, as they are often influenced by personal biases rather than data-driven insights. A more effective alternative is using a lineup builder like 11Wizards, which uses predictive analytics and multiple important data points to generate high-performing fantasy teams in seconds. Unlike pre-made teams, 11Wizards allows for customisation, ensuring your lineup is backed by data while still aligning with your strategy.
| Aspect | Pre-Toss Predictions | Post-Toss Predictions |
|---|---|---|
| Accuracy of Predictions | Predictions are based on unconfirmed lineups, without knowing the toss outcome. They are ‘best guesses’ based on various data points and publicly available data. Usually less accurate | Predictions are based on the actual outcome of the toss and the confirmed lineups, hence they are usually more accurate. |
| Risk and Flexibility | Higher risk due to unknown factors like which team will bat first and less flexibility as early lineups are based on projections rather than confirmed details. | Lower risk as strategies can be adjusted to actual conditions; flexibility in adapting lineups based on the toss outcome and real-time match information. |
| Impact on Strategy | Essential for early lineup locks in leagues requiring submissions before the toss; it involves a level of guesswork but allows early strategy development. | Enables precise adjustments, allowing players to optimise lineups according to specific game conditions, such as team batting or bowling first. |
© 2024 Eleven Wizards Services Private Limited UGF-9, SNG PLAZA, BLOCK B, ANSAL GOLF LINK-1, I.A. Surajpur, Noida, Gautam Buddha Nagar- 201306, Uttar Pradesh
*You must be 18 years or older to play real money fantasy sports
