What are good team names for fantasy football?
Looking for funny FPL team names? This may well be the best, most researched, comprehensive and original list of funny fantasy football names ever created. This is our 8th year of listing the 20 best FPL names of the season and after days of little else but name punning in our office, the 5aside.com team has lost all perspective, so we would say that! (seriously, we have been struggling to have normal conversations with people without rhyming their words back at them!
How we rank funny FPL team names
This is how we decide what is and what is not a funny fantasy league name – Our ranking system would never hold up to scientific scrutiny, let alone any standards of fairness!
- Names that are fresh, using players or subjects that are topical.
- Pun-heavy preferred – especially those that incorporate more than one player/pun.
- We are happy to have less than perfect rhyming words if it allows for a funnier dream team name.
- Obvious is great, but we have a penchant for the abstract and absurd.
- We avoid any overtly crude, (Giroud;) or rude fantasy football team names (we aim for a ‘Parental Guidance’ rating!)
- We don’t rate anything that we consider racist or homophobic (the Daily Express or Daily Mail will no doubt have a list for this if required!)
Football names: The best player names for funny team names
Certain player names are an absolute gift for funny team name creation – with De Ligt, Diaz and Timo Werner joining Mané, Salah, Juan Mata, Giroud and Cesc Fabregas as the go-to multi-use, well-known players. Fabregas is particularly helpful, providing rhyming puns on both his 1st and 2nd name (which really gives him the Cesc factor)
Other less well-known player names we (Vagner) love:
- Mark de Man (or zonal)
- Norman Conquest (1066)
- Danny Invincible (remains undefeated)
- Creedence Clearwater Couto (rock n roll footballer)
- Vagner Love (it must be love…Vagner love)
- Danny Drinkwater (5 litres a day)
- Kevin Lasagna (so many layers to this one)
- Climax Lawrence (a great finisher)
Creative premier league fantasy football team names: Most are original (swear down)
Our team got pretty nerdy this year, working to create names using perfect rhymes, (extremely!) imperfect rhymes, compounds and wordplay to give you the most comprehensively researched list to choose from. So if you are looking for something a little more creative (and contemporary) than a list of regurgitated dross from ‘The Sun’ you have come to the right place! We’ve added ‘Original’ under each team name we created (we know we’re flexing, but we couldn’t hide our pride!)
The freshest, most relevant list of fantasy premier league names
Our annual scramble to release the funny list means that you will be getting the most up to date (late summer EPL transfers can open whole new naming avenues!) and a relevant list of titles to choose from. We make your 1st fantasy team managerial decision of the season that little bit easier. So you know at least you might get a fantasy football league name that no one else has. You might even get a few laughs from it (whether you claim credit for the team name is entirely up to you!)
AI isn’t funny (at least with FPL team name generator anyway)
Given the proliferation of AI (Artificial Intelligence) the 5aside.com team thought our time might be up when it comes to creating new funny team names. However, we were relieved when our test revealed that AI maybe many things, but funny (at least in this situation) it is not…
It’s like we asked our mum to create a team – so safe!
Fantasy football team name generator – The only list you will need to read!
If you are looking for the best fantasy football team name generator you have come to the right place. Stop looking at the other sites that haul out the same regurgitated list of lame names – We’re not naming any names, but you can be quite sure that the major publications just don’t really get it and bang out an article just because they think they should. We are proudly obsessed with the art of naming fantasy teams and are confident that no one else has put the hours of research and grinding creativity that we commit every season with our updates. Use our list to generate your team name this season – You can simply use one of our names directly or remix a name to suit your league.
Looking for a funny 5 a side team name?
We should probably mention that we run FA Affiliated 5 a side football leagues across London (apparently, our annual voyage of fantasy naming is justified as marketing!)
When does the Premier League 2024/25 season start? (game week 1 deadline)
The (EPL) Premier League 2024/25 season is set to kick off on Friday, August 16, 2024. This first fixture sees Manchester United take on Fulham under the Old Trafford floodlights in an 8pm kick off.
The opening game is the deadline to choose your football team (and dream team name!). If entering the classic (FPL) Premier Fantasy league format generally game week deadlines are 2 hours before the 1st game of the weekend/game week, so be sure to submit your team in time for the FPL. Of course, if you are entering a draft format you will have already endured the drama of the draft in the days or weeks before Gameweek 1.
When will the Premier League 2024-25 season finish?
The Premier League season will end on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
Fantasy Premier League (FPL) or Draft Fantasy Football (DFF)?
We are no fortune tellers (if we were we wouldn’t need great fantasy football team names to deflect our poor fantasy football team’s position!), but we can certainly glean some direction on where things are heading by focusing on one trend we have noticed. “Draft Fantasy Football” has established itself as a genuine competitor to the official Premier league fantasy football with many moving to the draft format. The official Premier league responded to this with their version of draft, using the same principles, including the key rule of one player per manager.
Lots of managers now prefer the structure of draft and compared with from the classic format whereby halfway through the season most teams have the same players. DFF has sometimes struggled to cope with the influx and have looked to new ways of monetising their site to afford more tech to satisfy demand.
Join a 5 a side league today
What type of fantasy football manager are you?
Manager type A: The innocent bystander
You arrive late to the party, picking your team in week 2 and not looking again until your mate tells you that you still have Rooney (circa 2017/18) in your team and he hasn’t started a game for 3 months?
Manager type B: The bullsh!tter
Are you the kind of manager that uses their wild card in week 3 once the starting line-ups have been established and then claim to have “heard a lot of good things about Mo Salah when he was at Roma” circa 2017/18?
Manager type C: The veteran
Are you a veteran of fantasy football management – Beginning your career in the 90s with “Dream Team” and researching your players on “Championship Manager” (the precursor to “Football Manager“) moving onto Premier league then to DFF? Maybe you have been in the same fantasy premier league with the same friends for many years, therefore, often resulting in the same winners and losers?
Manager type D: The pro
Do you treat your team management as a 2nd job, with hours spent each week researching, planning and executing your game week professionally?
Manager type E: The maverick
Do you see yourself as a managerial maverick – Preferring to take a punt on a player that no-one has considered for a chance of glory when that player becomes the unexpected points machine of the season?
Most of us now support 2 teams, your club and your EPL fantasy football team
This can lead to added confusion watching matches, often ending in a convoluted ethical dilemma – Do I want my team to win or my captain to score?
"I think my fantasy football management needs managing"
I know it’s only fantasy football but I like it (♫ …but I like it ♫)
Anyone who has tried explaining fantasy football to someone who doesn’t play will know the vacant look of questioning bemusement: Why on earth would anyone care enough to commit to a whole premier league season of what most people would consider at best revision without reward or at worse unpaid labour! Little do they know that the last-minute Saturday lunchtime changes will make the weekends fixtures that little more engaging. This exciting game can add excitement to games that are seemingly unwatchable, with 0-0 draws becoming a “good day at the office” for your defence.
Gambling on fantasy football
Ladbrokes 5 a side
In 2020 Ladbrokes released a 5 a side and fantasy football gambling mash-up and proclaimed: “Pick your formation. Select your players. Choose your stats. Build your team. Place your bet. Be the boss” – It’s a relatively innovative concept and they have spent heavily on marketing. This suggests they see it as a nice earner and if they are earning the punter is paying, so we suggest it’s best to keep that in mind!
DFF Lightning Drafts
In 2018 DFF was awarded a licence to host gambling on the platform and launched fantasy football gambling with their “Lightning Drafts” system. Here you compete against other players with your chosen team against theirs and the winner(s) take all. 2021 UPDATE: DFF appear to have lost or dropped their gambling license.
Football betting and gambling: Keep it fun and gamble aware
People have different and justly held views on gambling. We, for instance, find the ad breaks on football programs unhealthily saturated by gambling ads. Also, the problem is “Ray” that not all “Bet365” punters do gamble responsibly and it is made increasingly difficult for them when they are enjoying watching football only to be bombarded by “hard-sell” and sometimes “soft-sell” (wanna be like all these cool guys betting?) at half-time!
If you feel as strongly (as we clearly do!) about this there’s a good article here. However, most people can have a flutter on football without it ruining their lives (and often their families) and just like EPL fantasy football it adds an additional element of interest to their football consumption and we see this trend towards fiction football gambling increasing as the hugely profitable betting companies realise its potential – Mo’ money… mo betting ads! (or as Biggie Smalls like to say “Mo’ money… mo’ problems” – or as we like to say “Mo Mané… Mo Salah problems” [No.9])
If you are worried about your gambling or feel that your gambling is out of control you can find support at https://www.begambleaware.org/
2019 UPDATE: The big betting companies have agreed a voluntary ban on “whistle to whistle” ads (good news everyone!)
State of the (fantasy football) union
Fantasy football is now as much part of the average Premier League (EPL) fan’s consumption of the sport as TV coverage. The last 2 or 3 seasons have seen fantasy football being regularly referenced in commentary and punditry across all media. Indeed it has become such a known cultural reference, that it even makes its way into this EE TV Advert – Although, as you can tell by the young actor’s delivery of the line “cheers Dad, I’ve switched up my captain” it’s not a cultural bandwagon that can be always easily jumped upon seamlessly!
The top 20 funny fantasy football team names of 2024/25
This year we have had player puns, music mash-ups and triple player compounds, so making the decision has been even harder than usual. All but a few are original and coined by the 5aside.com team. No copyright inferred – whether you claim credit for the name is up to you (sharing this article is enough props for us!)
Disagree with our No. 1? Find the whole list offensive? Find the list too inoffensive?! We can only apologise for our very specific sense of funny. We humbly thank you for joining us on this (hopefully) comedic journey and wish you the best of luck in your 2024/25 fantasy football managerial campaign.
The 5aside.com team – August 2024
What can I call my fantasy football team?
Check out our A to Z of funny fantasy football team names that didn’t quite make the top 20
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘A’
- Andrea Furlough
- Absolutely Fàbregas
- Anthony Martial Law
- Antonio-ment
- Ate All Depays
- Auto-Matic suspension
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘B’
- Botman Begins
- Baines meanz Gabriel Heinze
- Baines on toast
- Bed Azpilicueta
- Bilboa Baggins
- Bite-em & Shove-em Albion
- Bless Capoue
- Boom Xhakalaka
- Bournemouth Identity
- Bournemouth Supremacy
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘C’
- Cesc and the City
- Cesc on legs
- Cesc on the beach
- Cesc-ie football
- Charlie Austin Powers
- Charlie Austin-tatious chip
- Chiellini Con Carne
- Couldnt score in a Boufal
- Coutinho like a hot knife through butter
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘D’
- Dark Juan Mata
- David Silva lining
- Dawn of the Fred
- Deeney in a Bottle
- Delph and Safety
- Dirty Sanchez
- Doucouré blimey
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘E’
- Egg Fried Reus
- Earth wind and maguire
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘F’
- Fàbregas football
- Father and Son Heung-Min
- Fiorentina Turner
- Footballs coming Martin Keown
- For Fuchs Ake
- Friend or Jermaine Defoe
- Fun Lovren criminals
- Farke the Police
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘G’
- Gabbia-Troy Deeney
- Galatas-sorry
- Game of Stones
- Game of Throw-ins
- Grey Juan Mata
- Gylfi Pleasures
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘H’
- Hakuna Juan Mata
- Hanging by a Fred
- Harry-Giroud-Deeny
- Hazard warning Ian Wright
- Hazards sleeve
- Huddersfield Clowns
- Hits From de Jong
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘I’
- Iheanacho Monreal men
- In-Sane in the Mem-Baines
- Isco Inferno
- Its raining Mané
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘J’
- Jason Bournemouth
- Jermaine Zagreb
- Juan Mata of facts
- Juan Mata-rial girls
- Just Matip
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘K’
- Karius on camping
- Kingdom of Jordan Pickford
- Kissed by Danny Rose on a hill
- Kouyaté ugly
- Krul and the Gang
- Kante you take a joke?
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘L’
- Lord Farkesquad
- Lallanas in pyjamas
- Lifes an Ibrahimovic
- Love Mee Ronaldo
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘M’
- Man walks into a Pogba
- Manchester Pity
- Mané Sane Mané
- Mané walks into a Pogba
- Mané-chester United
- Men Behaving Chadli
- Moves Like Agger
- Murder on Zidane’s floor
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘N’
- Nacho Monreal Madrid
- Nerds of Bremen
- Newcastle Dis-United
- No Kane, No gain
- No laughing Juan Mata
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘O’
- Obi Wan Kenobi Nil
- On the Fred Son Heung-Min
- One Flew Over Lukaku’s Nest
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘P’
- Pain in the Fàbregas
- Pain in the Niasse
- Pain in Dias
- Pjanic at the disco
- Pedro-ing me Pedro-ing you, Zaha
- Petr Cech Yourself
- Phil Neville wears Prada
- Pique Blinders
- Pique and De Bruyne
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘Q’
- Quickfire Dybala
- ACF Quarantina
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘R’
- Real Modric
- Real Social Dad
- Red Card-iff City
- Rooney Tunes
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘S’
- Silence of the Lahms
- Show me the Mané
- Snorting Whizbon
- Stranger Mings
- Simple Mings
- Siuuu Later
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘T’
- Tea and Busquets
- The Cesc factor
- The Otamendi Empire
- The Tortoise and De Gea
- Tottenham Luke-Warm-Spur
- Two’s Kompany, Three’s Giroud
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘U’
- Unprotected Cesc
Fantasy names starting with the letter ‘W’
- Woop Woop it’s the sound of Mike Olise
- We set a high Pogba
- When Harry Met Alli
- Who Giroud think you are?
- Willian dollar baby
- Womanchester United
- Who ate all Depays
- Walcottage Cheese
Good football team names from the top Premier League clubs
Liverpool fantasy football names
- Pain in Diaz
- Floppy Dijk
- Childish Firmino
- The 40 year old Virgil
- Alisson Wonderland
- Mo’ Mané… Mo Salah problems
- Potato Salah
- Fun Lovren criminals
- Its raining Mané
- Mané Sane Mané
- Just Matip
Manchester United fantasy football names
- WoManchester United
- Earth, Blind and Maguire
- Born again Cristiano
- The Tortoise and De Gea
- Pogba challenge
- Anthony Martial Law
- Dawn of the Fred
- Baines meanz Gabriel Heinze
- Anthony Martial Law
- Auto-Matic suspension
- Dark Juan Mata
- Dawn of the Fred
- Lifes an Ibrahimovic
- Love Mee Ronaldo
- Man walks into a Pogba
- Hakuna Juan Mata
- Hanging by a Fred
- Juan Mata of facts
- Juan Mata-rial girls
- No laughing Juan Mata
- How I met Juan Mata
- Gary Neville wears Prada
- Rooney Tunes
Chelsea fantasy football names
- I’m sorry Nic Jackson
- Old Havertz Kai hard
- Finding Timo
- Four-Four-Lukaku
- Bed Azpilicueta
- Netflix & Chilwell
- Kante you take a joke?
- One Flew Over Lukaku’s Nest
- Willian dollar baby
Leeds United fantasy football names
- Yeboah constrictor
Manchester City fantasy football names
- Manchester Pity
- Pinky and De Bruyne
- Cancelo culture
- Game of Stones
- David Silva lining
- Two’s Kompany, Three’s Giroud
Arsenal fantasy football names
- Boom Xhakalaka
- Cesc and the City
- Cesc on legs
- Cesc on the beach
- Cesc-ie football
- Fàbregas football
- Pain in the Fàbregas
- Hazard warning Ian Wright
Spurs fantasy football names
- Tottenham Luke-Warm-Spur
- Father and Son Heung-Min
- No Kane, No gain
- Friend or Jermaine Defoe
- Kissed by Danny Rose on a hill
- When Harry Met Alli
