If association football is considered a beautiful sport, then Fantasy Premier League can be seen as an intriguing and long-standing pursuit. FPL participants are afforded numerous opportunities to refine their squad during the off-season, devoting significant amounts of their personal time (and possibly a portion of their professional hours) in anticipation of the season’s commencement in mid-August.
Following a thorough examination of pertinent guidance and advice, a detailed study of statistics related to potentially undervalued players, and a meticulous assessment of the initial schedule that might even surpass the teams’ own analysis, you might only accumulate 35 points in Gameweek 1 (GW1), resulting in a ranking within the mid-seven million range. Consequently, you might find yourself contemplating the use of a GW2 wildcard. Refrain from doing so. Simply resist the urge. Have confidence in your methodology.
Instead of encountering challenges from the outset, it could be beneficial to establish specific objectives prior to the season’s commencement, thereby facilitating an optimal beginning in FPL. Does this concept resonate with you?
Strategies for Accumulating Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Points Early in the Season
1. Engage in Comprehensive Analysis
Only a select group of approximately 100,000 participants will be content with their GW1 standing, and a considerable portion of these individuals might resort to creating new profiles each week to optimize their squad composition. Some might perceive this as a form of dishonesty.
Invest time and effort prior to the season’s commencement to reap benefits later in the year, and ensure that you maintain focus even if some teams within your mini-leagues achieve a more promising start. Remember, this is a test of endurance, not a quick dash. Consistently achieving a score of 60 points or higher in each of the initial three weeks might not place you at the top of the rankings, but maintaining an average score of 68 points throughout the season could potentially accumulate 2,600 points, placing you in contention for the overall championship.
2. Maximize the Utilization of Your Entire Squad and Budget
Numerous participants maintain a financial reserve of a couple of million to mitigate the potential limitations on future transfer options caused by early price increases. To accomplish this, many managers rely on inexpensive bench players who are widely owned, with the intention of profiting from price appreciation.
Astute managers will circumvent this strategy and instead construct their entire squad, not solely their starting XI, with players capable of consistently delivering FPL points on a weekly basis. Especially during a season marked by a congested international schedule, managers should strive to safeguard against zero-point performances in their lineup. In such instances, points accumulated by bench players can prove particularly valuable.
Sustaining a well-rounded squad that fully utilizes your budget will provide advantages during the initial three weeks and in subsequent transfers following the first international break.
3. Monitor Emerging Patterns and Statistical Data
The players with the highest ownership in FPL hold that status for a reason. It is improbable that most participants will have entirely dissimilar teams compared to their counterparts in the rankings.
However, it is equally crucial to use statistical analysis to uncover potentially undervalued players with significant potential. You are welcome to employ this strategy, but you cannot solely depend on Mo Salah if 80 percent of other participants also possess him.
These players are referred to as ‘differentials,’ and possessing a few of them aids in ‘differentiating’ your team from those of rival managers.
Once, former Everton forward Neal Maupay, who was also a social media personality, served as a prime illustration of this concept. The former Brighton player had made 70 appearances (59 starts) in the preceding two seasons, and in 2020/21, he ranked 13th in the Premier League for Expected Goals (13 xG). However, he significantly underperformed, scoring only eight goals.
Nonetheless, a fresh season presents an opportunity for players to perform well from the outset and justify the confidence placed in them. Maupay managed to score four goals in his first six games during that specific campaign.
4. Exercise Prudence When Selecting Your Captain
Adopting a conservative approach to captaincy selection during the early weeks is typically a prudent decision.
Identify the appropriate player, designate them as your captain, and observe as their points accumulate. Do not be concerned if many other participants have made the same selection, as this likely indicates that you are on the correct path. Prioritize proven point-scorers, particularly those in established teams competing against weaker opponents.
In previous years, we have suggested entrusting the captain’s armband to Mo Salah for Liverpool’s inaugural match against Norwich (where he scored one goal and provided two assists) or to Bruno Fernandes against Leeds, during the season in which the Portuguese player scored a hat-trick (Marcelo Bielsa’s team had the highest Expected Goals Against (xGA) when playing away from home during 2020/21). Although these choices lacked originality, the potential points were evident in retrospect.
Which promoted teams will be involved in the initial matches this time?
Avoid simply selecting players whom you anticipate will perform well throughout the season, as enticing as that may be. Instead, refrain from choosing a team solely to earn points over the course of three months; instead, analyze the schedule, determine which players might experience a sluggish start to the season, and make your decisions accordingly.
Additional Fantasy Premier League Content
You have the option to engage in Fantasy Premier League online through the Premier League website, or alternatively through the Premier League application, which can be accessed on both iOS and Android platforms. Should you require additional information, comprehensive details regarding FPL are available, including guides from FourFourTwo pertaining to the game. Enjoy!
