Fantasy Premier League Guide
Here are some useful tips that helped me improve my total points tally every season:
1. Squad Selection
2. Patience is the key to success
1. Squad Selection
To kickstart your season, it's essential to maintain flexibility with your initial squad. Avoid overcommitting your budget to one position at the expense of others and refrain from taking excessive risks with player selection. Be cautious about including new signings in your 15-man squad as they typically need a few game weeks to settle into their new team and adapt to the Premier League. Opt for proven FPL players to begin your season and steer clear of players from newly promoted sides. Despite their impressive performances in the championship, history suggests they often struggle to maintain that form in the Premier League.
When choosing players, focus on building a strong starting XI while ensuring your substitutes regularly feature in their respective teams. Defensive midfielders like Rodri, Casemiro, Rice, Partey, and Enzo may be unsung heroes in real-life football, but their FPL points potential is limited due to the scoring system's design. So, it's best to avoid them in your fantasy squad.
2. Patience is the key to success
During my first season, I made a costly mistake by wasting over 100 points on unnecessary transfers. I noticed that many FPL managers tend to rush their transfers early in the week, fearing player price changes, but I believe it's a foolish approach. After all, what matters more – the points or the team value? I strongly recommend waiting until the end of the week to make your transfers, as taking a -4 hit can significantly impact your ranking in FPL. Making an early transfer could backfire if another player in your team gets injured, leading to additional point deductions. To justify a transfer hit, the player you bring in must score at least 6 points in the Gameweek to contribute positively to your total points.
Patience is key when it comes to transfers. Gather as much information as possible about teams and players throughout the week, and try to make your transfers as late as you can. Avoid making multiple transfers and wasting precious points. Always keep an eye on the upcoming fixtures for the next 3-5 weeks when making your transfers. Saving a single transfer allows you to make a double transfer in the following week, adding more flexibility and dynamism to your team.
3. Make the most of FPL chips
The best opportunity to utilize FPL chips is during double-game weeks, where certain teams play twice within a single game week due to Cup games. Typically, there are two double-game weeks in a season, occurring toward the end of the season. It's essential to note that you cannot use your wildcard and any of the three chips together in the same game week. Therefore, keeping an eye on fixtures is crucial, and you can use your second wildcard a week before the double-game week to maximize the number of double-game week players in your team. Additionally, the free hit chip allows you to create an entirely new team with unlimited transfers for a single game week, making it particularly useful for managing blank game weeks rather than double game weeks.
A significant percentage of FPL managers tend to quit midway through the season, creating an advantageous window for you to employ your most potent cards, the chips. Strategic use of double-game weeks can lead to a substantial climb in the rankings, potentially gaining you thousands of places.
4. Build the team value
As I mentioned earlier, the beginning of the season is full of surprises, and most FPL users actively participate during this time. If certain players consistently perform well in the initial weeks, they become popular choices and are quickly transferred in by many users, resulting in a rapid increase in their prices. Therefore, it's a prudent strategy to follow the trend and includes well-known bandwagon players in your team during the early stages of the season to boost your team's value. Aim to transfer in popular choices for the first 5 or 6 Gameweeks and then consider opting for differential choices. As the season progresses, you can become more selective with your transfers.
Using the first wildcard early or starting the season with a healthy budget can be beneficial in building your team's value. This allows you to take advantage of the price rises of in-form players and strengthen your squad for the challenges ahead.
5. Do not gamble with Captaincy Choice
In fantasy, one thing is clear: getting your captain's choice right significantly increases your chances of earning above-average points in the game week. Opting for a differential choice as your captain, the player whose points are doubled, rarely pays off. It's wiser to go with the premium and popular choice for the captaincy. This way, if the decision doesn't pan out, the negative impact on your ranking is minimized since most managers are likely to make the same choice.
Having a differential captain works only in a rare scenario where the player scores double-digit points, and the popular captaincy choices fail, which happens very infrequently. Therefore, it's best not to play the differential game with the captaincy. Instead, focus on having a few best-value differentials in your playing XI. Additionally, keep in mind that players usually perform better at home. When torn between two players for the captaincy, prioritize the one with a home fixture.
While having a few differentials in your squad can be beneficial, it's essential not to gamble by making a differential player your captain. As for the vice-captain, don't underestimate their role. During the winter months, fixtures come thick and fast, leading to frequent rotations in starting XIs. Ensure that your captain is supported by a suitable vice-captain in every game week to avoid being caught off-guard by unexpected lineup changes.
6. Set-Piece Taker
Including set-piece takers in your team can significantly boost its strength. Certain players are the primary choice for all kinds of dead ball situations, such as free kicks, corners, and penalties. The presence of players like Salah, Saka, Fernandes, Kane, TAA, KDB, James, Chilwell, Tripper, and Maddison become even more appealing with the introduction of VAR.
Enjoy the game, everyone. If you have any specific questions, leave them as a comment. I will get back to you.
***Last updated in August 2023***
Nice buddy (Y) i really appreciate your work .
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
Deletefeels good to see someone like u have shared experience regarding football..... u were the one who made me involve in the fantasy league and its very entertaining to play as wel.. this is my second season so far... though i dnt have much experience than u but i learned a lot in the world of football from the bro.... keep it up ....⊙﹏⊙⊙﹏⊙⊙﹏⊙⊙﹏⊙
ReplyDeleteYour experience might help many users!! Keep it up :)
ReplyDeleteThanks
ReplyDelete👌🏻
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