The Scout Debate returns this week to try and tackle the issue of player fluctuations in the FPL and CYKI games. A lot of talk and debate on the site revolves around these changes in payer values, with people pondering early transfers to ship in a player about to rise in price, and/or ship out a player set to drop. So here to share their views and opinions on the importance of attaining a high squad value, and the impact (if any) price fluctuations have on their decision making, are some of the site contributors…

Akers: “It would be a blatant lie to say I don’t care about squad value, because everyday I check who has and hasn’t changed in price. Having said that, it doesn’t have much impact on what transfers I make.

I’m a firm believer that transfers should be made as close to the approaching deadline as possible. In general, this means that even if a player I have my eye on looks set to go up in value early in the week, I’ll stomach the extra 0.1 because the risk of injury is too great (I’m also liable to change my mind). This isn’t a belief I’ve just decided on a whim, I’ve paid the price (not literally) in past seasons for trying to play the money market too much.

Fantasy millions do not equate to fantasy points in any way, shape, or form. A high squad value may look intimidating, but it has its own drawbacks in my opinion. Reluctance to sell a player you may not be able to buy back is one, as well as keeping hold of players for the wrong reasons (form, fixtures > money). Sure I’d take an extra million, but selling your own grandmother to achieve this isn’t worth it.”

Granville: “There is a difference between squad value and what you’ve got to spend. How best can I explain, squad value is what you can buy all those players for if you started up a new mid season FRANchise team, but it’s not the same amount that you can sell your team for. I do wish FPL would include the selling value in the team finances section.

Anyway a higher value squad is important to me early on in the season with diminishing importance as the season wears on. The big question is during a busy gameweek where you know a player is about to rise in price yet he could easily pick up an injury between now and the following gameweek, do you take the risk? I wouldn’t, not for 0.1m unless my finances are exactly on the money and waiting would force me to miss out on the player or force me to spend points.

This gameweek Defoe has risen 0.2m already and there is lots of interest in him because his price is going to rise again. I’d rather wait until his fixtures are better and buy him for 0.3m more.”

Greek fan: “I enjoy it when my players’ prices go up, I grin and bear it when they take a downturn. Nobody sell Francesc only for profit when he tends to get three points from bonus allocation as often as Liverpool take three points on the field. However, it’s nice being able to make a profit when you have to sell – the crocked again – Robbie.

At the same time, I pick my lads based on whether I think they’re good. Some of them had their price fluctuating and I would not sell them because of a price drop. Transferring earlier than Saturday, trying to catch imminent price rice, sometimes made me pay a (fitness) surplus value later.

I like to buy players when their value has already dropped. For example, I thought that Sylvan Ebanks-Blake should be a good option at 5 million, when he was considered a bargain at 5.5 at the start of the season. The stock-market motto “Buy low, sell high” doesn’t always work though. I reckoned Darren Bent had scored enough ahead of the games to Liverpool and Manchester United, so I could sell him for profit and buy him back later at a similar price. Then, someone dropped a beach ball on the pitch…

I guess that buying the right players to help you climb the league table is also profitable and there is no meaning in chasing money just for the sake of it.”

Mark: “Playing the money market in the Fantasy Premier League and Can You Kick It games is very much a double edged sword. Last season I undoubtedly used it to my advantage, spending much of the first three months of the season monitoring price fluctuations and reacting quickly to rise and falls. It seemed to stand me in good stead for the second-half of the season and I managed to earn mybiggest ever FPL points haul.

Having said that, up until Christmas, my lineup did have a very familiar, almost stereotypical look to it which had Granville and one poster on the site accusing me of being a “run of the mill” manager. That spurred me on, lead me to taking risks and ultimately I think it was this this decision that earned me my final points tally. In a way then, I feel if I spend too long worrying about price fluctuations, I end up with a side that is dictated by price trends and therefore bandwagaons. In this way you can end up lacking differentials and miss out on “inspirational” signings based on hunches that can make the difference. I feel that you need a balance between a side that maintains value and brings in some money, with a healthy number of risks taken at the right time. Nowadays I spend less time obsessing over prices and far longer pondering the forthcoming fixture list.”

Sir Paulos: “If I’m being totally honest, I pay little attention to price fluctuations when planning a team. Surely you have to be single-minded in Fantasy Football; if you find yourself wondering, “How many people are bringing Player X in?” then you’re letting outside factors influence your team selection.

This week is a good example; I have Drogba but, with his recent injury added to the fact that Chelsea have Arsenal away, you know he’s going to get sold. With Defoe’s previous weekend, it’s obvious he’ll get bought. A straight swap would have definitely increased my team’s value, but as I’d currently rather have Drogba than Defoe in my team, it’s no great deal to me.

If I sell a player, it’s only ever down to tactics or injury, as in the recent case of Van Persie. Yes, I got Rooney in for him, and almost immediately profited, but my line of thinking is purely based on Man Utd’s upcoming run of games, as opposed to second-guessing others.”

SUPERIOR BEING: “When I look at my team I don’t see a very high team value, does this bother me? No. Well, not much. At the end of the day, it is points scored and not team value that decides who wins each league (at least in every league I play in).

Of course, a player’s points and value are intrinsically linked and I certainly keep an eye on crack the code to see if a potential transfer is about to change in price. This is where the interest in player values ends though; I do not let a player’s price decide WHO I select. Instead I identify a player I want first and then watch the price to decide WHEN I transfer him.

It may be argued that it is worth making some money early in the game so that one can afford more expensive players when the wildcard is played later in the season. I’ve got to be honest I’m not convinced although I would like to be proved wrong. I might create a second team next season to test the theory – if anyone already has, let me know – I’d be interested in the results.”

If you have a topic you’d like the site contributors to discuss, then please email me your suggestions to akers@fantasyfootbalscout.co.uk.