The Pre-Match Preamble – Gameweek 17

Does anyone else feel that this Fantasy Football management lark has called for more “management”?

Maybe it was just the whirl of the midweek fixtures but, when I finally stopped to think about the season so far, I can barely remember being so involved, so hands-on with my team on a day-to-day basis.

I’m well aware that I’m in a minority – perhaps not around these parts, but certainly among those who play Fantasy Football. I allow the game to eat up my time and occupy my headspace, but that’s nothing new.

I have always obsessed to the same degree, it’s just that this time around, it feels that the game has demanded more from me.

The recent discussions on price rises and team value perhaps touched on one of the key factors behind this.

I don’t think I’ve ever had to manage my budget so closely. I’ve always been influenced by price rises, but this season I’m more driven to ensure that I stay on top of player and team value.

It’s not, as some have suggested, out of vanity or as an alternative goal to overall rank, it’s just that I’ve felt that every 0.1 this season can prove crucial – not necessarily at Wildcard time, but every other week as we adjust our teams to form and fixtures.

That’s been the crucial difference for me. I don’t think I’ve ever felt truly settled on my squad.

Only this week we’ve seen Adam Lallana and Christian Eriksen make compelling bids to shake things up – the latest in a conveyor belt of midfielders to deliver and spark transfer activity.

Eriksen was already in for an failing Roberto Firmino, and so I caught his second big home haul. But that transfer, made for 4-point hit, illustrates my point.

In previous seasons I would have rarely been compelled to make such a decision. I think I would have held on to a player like Firmino for a lack of attractive alternatives, particularly ones that would tempt me into a “hit”.

But Eriksen’s points were typical of a season which has seen a constant shift and a drive to re-assess our squads.

We could, of course, remain faithful, let class and pedigree come to the fore and try to ride out temporary bouts of form. But, for me, that’s been a difficult policy to adopt.

Maybe I’m wrong in this assumption. Maybe there are still “Ghost ship” squads, unmanned vessels, outperforming me and destined to rank above me.

But I’ve felt compelled to stay on top of market trends, of shifts in form and fixtures. There’s been greater choice, more viable alternatives to break up the template. More goals, fewer clean sheets, urging us to shuffle the defence more often.

The captaincy decision has also been fraught and will likely remain that way.

Without adding further complexity to the game, the nature of this season has ramped things up.

It feels like that are tangible rewards for sinking more time and effort into things; greater margin for error if we sit still and fail to react.

I wonder whether the gap between “hands on” Fantasy Football managers and, dare I say it, those who play more “casually”, is wider than ever, even before we get to the Wildcards, chips and double Gameweeks.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. I’ve enjoyed every twist and reveled in the challenge. Sinking more time into Fantasy Football is not something I consider to be an issue.

It might be for my family. I’ll check that over the FA Cup break and report back.