27 Sep, 2024

Fantasy Fundamentals

Fantasy Premier League can be a confusing platform to navigate, with all sorts of different strategies regarding team selection, transfers and Chip strategy.

Here’s our 10 Tips to help you Stay in The Game and win your mini-league:

1. Build Your Team From The Premiums Downwards: Not sure where to start when building your team? One place we like to start is with the premium players. Premium players are the top scoring players in the game, and there price will often reflect this. Think Haaland, Saka, Salah, Palmer etc. Try starting with 3 or 4 of these and then fill the rest of your squad out with the mid to lower priced players. Our Transfer Wizard is a great tool to assist with building your perfect team! Check it out here!

1. Make Sure You Have Good Bench Cover: Although having a cheap bench can enable your starting line up to be stronger. Making sure you have a couple decent options on the bench can really help in terms of covering injuries, rests and suspensions. If you are going to include 4m and 4.5m options, try and make sure they are regular starters. Check out our Hot Picks section to find out who the best bargain options are!

1. Don’t Chase Last Week’s Points: A player having 1 bad week does not mean he should be dropped immediately. Even the best players can have bad games, so look more at things like xG and xA instead of Fantasy Points when deciding whether to drop a player. Similarly, a player having a good week does not mean they should be picked up immediately. FPL is a marathon not a sprint. Check out our Opta Stats Centre to keep up with these underlying stats!

1. Identify Set Piece and Penalty Takers: Knowing whose on Set Pieces and Penalties for each team is a good way of picking up some extra points throughout the season. These players will often have decent floors as a result and tend not to be priced that much higher.

1. Be Careful Taking Hits: Try and resist the temptation to regularly overhaul your team, as 4 points is a hefty price to pay. Try and reserve the 4 point hits for when a player will definitively not be playing and you need a starter, or when you are trying to make the most of a chip like Bench Boost.

1. Use Your Chips Wisely: We normally suggest using 1 wildcard early to allow you to get ahead of potential price risers and fallers once teams starting 11s settle. This can be a good way of increasing squad value from early. Save the rest of your chips such as Triple Captain, Free Hit and Bench Boost for Double Game Weeks, as this is where they will have the most value. The order you play these in is completely up to you but make sure you follow the schedule to know when to save them for. Use our Fixtures and Results section in the Opta Stats Centre to plan when best to use these!

1. You Don’t Need To Be Different To Win: Needing a team that is different to everyone else’s in order to get ahead is not necessary. More often than not, there is a reason why certain players are in everyone’s squads, so try not to stray too far from the top scoring or high owned players. Captaincy is another area where you do not need to try and be different, the reason players are expensive is because they get points, and these are often the best choices for captaincy. Try and target the lesser oppositions to maximise value!

1. Stay Updated On Injuries, Price Changes And Team News: Make sure you keep an eye on changes in player status before making any changes to your team. This is a crucial part of FPL management as it allows you to optimise and adjust your line ups before its too late. Check out our Injuries section on our Game Week Tips page to make sure you’re never caught off guard! We also update our Transfer Wizard in live time, to keep you up to date with all the changes in price!

1. Be Wary Of Rotation Risks: Be careful selecting players who are minutes risks for their clubs. Although they can seem like attractive options, the missed points from weeks where they do not play can often come back to bite. Traditional examples of this are Foden, Jota, Doku, Trossard, Gakpo, Wilson etc. If you are planning on including such players, make sure you have good cover on your bench to manage the risk.

1. Go With Your Gut and Have Fun: Fantasy is as much about numbers and stats as it is about having fun and going with your gut. We could all google what the optimum team is, or even have AI construct it for us, but where is the fun in that? Leagues are often won with a few bold and ahead of the curve decisions, so do not be afraid to trust your instincts every now and again. These also feel the sweetest when they pay off! We provide weekly suggestions for every game week in our Game Week Tips section, so keep an eye out!