The Best Fantasy Premier League Tips to Boost Your Game
The first thing you need to do when playing fantasy football, whether it's Premier League or otherwise, is to set up your team and make some transfers. The next step after that? Please don't leave it! Fantasy football isn't something you'll get good at without putting in some real-time every week from the start of the season until the end. Here are some great tips for starting strong and finishing even stronger this fantasy premier league season.
Don't choose an easy team
Picking a team with David de Gea in goal may seem obvious, but not all players are created equal. Even between two equally skilled keepers, selecting one from a more robust defence is always better because his scoring chances will be higher. Choosing defenders from teams that give up few goals (think Arsenal, Everton or Liverpool) can be just as valuable as choosing strikers for their club's potent offence. Avoiding trendy picks: No fantasy player wants to draft a player that winds up being injured or on the bench for most of his team's games, but it happens all too often.
Don't pick a player just because you like his skill set or you want to cheer for him. For example, say you're a Manchester United supporter and are tempted to draft Juan Mata because he's great at passing. That might seem like a good idea, but it may not be if David de Gea—another United player—is your keeper. De Gea is usually one of the first goalies drafted in fantasy, and by choosing Mata over other defenders on better teams, you're limiting your options at another position.
Don't forget budget constraints
We're looking for ways to be as competitive as possible without sacrificing our ability to field an entire squad of 15 players weekly. In any given game week, some of your players will play, and some won't. If you want two or three double-game weeks, then you can probably sacrifice some of your starting XI; alternatively, if your budget is pretty much unlimited, then you can go hog wild with expensive midfielders who get tons of minutes—don't expect them all to play on Saturday and Wednesday every week.
As we continue, it's important to note that while some player prices will increase throughout my little enterprise, plenty of others will likely fall. As a general rule, you want your budget players (the lower-priced options) to increase in value over time so you can offload them for a tidy profit. Remember: The more money you spend upfront, the more trades you'll have available later, as your team starts with a higher cumulative value.
Keep a watchful eye on injury updates
Even if you have most of your team players healthy, keeping a close eye on injury reports doesn't hurt. For example, at Chelsea, Cesc Fabregas was ruled out with a groin strain on Monday and will miss the Blues' match against Everton. If he is ruled out for a considerable period (more than one week), you can swap him for Ross Barkley, who plays in that midfield position and takes penalties for Everton when Leighton Baines is off-field. There are endless possibilities, but as long as you stick with proven players from trusted teams that are not hampered by injuries, you should be fine – don't spend crazy amounts of money on them!
But when it comes to FPL, keeping an eye on who is injured and when they're returning will go a long way in helping you win those precious points. For example, Manchester City striker Sergio Agüero returned from injury last week and promptly scored a hat-trick against West Ham. If he was captained by anyone who captained him before his return and thus suffered a drop in score due to his absence, that player could have lost anywhere from 4-8 points, depending on how many transfers were made into their team! So be thoughtful about who you captain - make sure that whomever you captain doesn't have any players in their squad with questionable fitness statuses.
Look at the form of players in pre-season
Most pre-season games will take place in July and August, so it's a good idea to keep an eye on player form leading up to game week one. If you want your fantasy premier league tips for season 2015/16 to be more successful than your opponents', watch out for team lineups and news about which players are performing better than their colleagues at friendly matches.
If a player impresses in pre-season, it's unlikely he won't pick up his form when it matters at the beginning of August. Look for consistency in a player's performance - if they can keep up their excellent work during friendlies, you can expect them to be on form when games start counting.
This fantasy premier league tip is more successful than your opponents'!
Avoid making hasty transfers based on suitable matches
It's easy to pick up on a player's recent good form. But fantasy football managers should look at players in good condition for several matches ahead. Factors such as fixture difficulty and previous results against those teams should also be considered when deciding whether or not a player is worth transferring in for a fixture or two. As with picking out any potential investment, it's better to avoid making transfers based on hype and social trends. If you want to win money from fantasy football, it's best to stick with proven names consistently performing well across all factors involved in scoring points.
To avoid making hasty transfers, focusing on multiple factors determining a player's performance is essential. For example, is he underperforming due to injury or poor fixtures? It can also be helpful to look at players who have performed well against upcoming opponents in previous matches. This can help managers plan their transfers and keep track of relevant statistics throughout their season. At times, knowing which players are in good form versus their opponents can be more valuable than simply picking out those with high stats or a good record for a specific game. Sometimes it pays off not to follow social trends but instead stick with what works - and what you know works for your team!
Study trends - Look back at previous seasons
If you've been following Fantasy Premier League for a while, take some time to review old league tables from previous seasons. Look at how successful it was for players who were in different positions. Then, when you're looking for new players for your team, analyze their posts and see which jobs are hot right now. Use that information to devise strategies for picking your team so that you can be ahead of others during draft night. Knowing which position is hot right now will help with making strategic moves on draft day if you need to make a trade on draft day. Understanding trends will also allow you to make bold predictions about what might happen in future matches!
And when you do draft, be smart about it. Remember that consistency is vital. You should have at least one goalkeeper and two defenders—preferably a centre-back and a full-back—for your team because they're always on the pitch during matches, as well as three midfielders and three strikers (sometimes four strikers) so that you can cover as many positions as possible. Of course, if there are certain players you like who aren't available in those positions in your starting lineup, it's OK to pick them up later. But remember that filling up all of your slots before other people do will help keep you competitive!
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Choose your captain wisely
Many fantasy games reward high scores for goals, assists and clean sheets. You're likely to collect points if you captain a player who manages one of those. That's not just important for your overall score but also for your mini-league ranking. If you have several lower-ranked players in your mini-league, it might be worth captaining a player from another team (from outside your mini-league) that has excellent form – even if they don't makeup part of your starting XI! Take advantage of a mini-form boost by selecting a captain with good records who plays against lesser teams. You could bring in some additional points without putting yourself at risk against more formidable opponents.
Although there are plenty of different ways you could choose your fantasy football captain, there is a general strategy that has proven successful. First, consider which teams have good form and which players have an excellent individual records. Think about how many points those players will score if they keep up their good performances, then compare that against what players from other teams might bring in for points as well. If a player has good form but isn't likely to do much in their next game – think 'one-offs' like red cards or penalties – don't consider them an option.
Take time out of transfers - Plan ahead
A good fantasy player knows he needs to make at least two transfers per game per week. There's no need to make more than that, and it may not help you win your fantasy league, either. As such, take time out of transfers and plan. Rather than making three or four last-minute transfers, spend time planning a few weeks ahead. This is especially important if you have limited funds: if you know who you want to sign but are short on cash, transfer in that player when his team plays against a side known for playing defensively (this also means that with less budget available for new signings, your old players will play more often). Plan smartly and save yourself from shelling out on multiple wild cards!
Also, it's important to remember that your transfers don't just reflect on your present but also your future. While you want players who are most likely to get points in their next game, remember that transfers have short-term and long-term effects. This means that it may be worth investing in a player who is out for two weeks but will play again when his team plays twice or thrice - although, in such cases, you'll need some money left over for last-minute transfers after that player returns from injury! Overall, plan and save yourself from having to use three wild cards by planning well.
Use your bench players wisely!
If you're playing fantasy football, chances are you already have a favourite team in mind. Make sure your roster includes some players who may earn valuable points from goals and assists by investing in strikers or midfielders from your favourite club. The same strategy works for leagues that offer bonus points for clean sheets; teams with solid defences will likely be full of fantasy-worthy players. If your league offers a category like most shots on target or most minutes played, use those as opportunities to include players from new clubs you might otherwise not consider.
If you're having trouble picking a team, remember that fantasy football is all about putting your best lineup on the pitch each game. If you know that your goalie will get several clean sheets or your striker will be on penalty duty, include them in your starting lineup. But don't force a sub if their numbers aren't as good; better to leave an underperforming star out of your lineup in favour of someone likely to give you more points.
Identify the golden boot contenders.
The golden boot is typically awarded to a forward, but plenty of midfielders can find themselves on the score sheet enough times over a season to grab one too. Some players might want you to put them in your fantasy premier league squad: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Romelu Lukaku, Harry Kane, and Sergio Agüero. Having two forwards and three midfielders as your premium picks is an intelligent way to build your team - it lets you spread risk (injuries and suspensions) over six critical spots in your team. You'll also be able to make use of rotating captaincy (we'll get into that later) while leaving yourself with room for wildcard flexibility.
Using your wildcard in early rounds may be tempting, but you'll want to ensure you have at least one viable squad before activating it. If things don't go according to plan and you lose a couple of players early on, you'll need room for flexibility, or your team will be in a hole. Having two forwards as your premium picks means you can split up their points total over different weeks - let's say Aubameyang gets 12 points one week but seven another time; Lukaku comes off with 9 and 5 - it helps soften those ups and downs.
Conclusion
The Fantasy premier league is a very challenging game, and it can be hard to know how to win the fantasy premier league. Use these tips for more information on the fantasy premier league. To win your fantasy premier league game, you need good knowledge of how the fantasy premier league works. Knowledge is power, so use it well!
I hope you can use these fantasy premier league tips to win your fantasy premier league game. Good luck!