Pro Pundits

FPL 2022/23: Why unlimited transfers are a game-changer

With Fantasy Premier League (FPL) live for 2022/23, we’ll be welcoming back our stellar team of Pro Pundits and Hall of Famers for the new campaign.

We’ll be hearing from a different writer every day in the aftermath of the FPL relaunch, to get their initial thoughts on the pricing and rule changes.

Our writers will be providing regular articles and team reveals throughout the new season, with only Premium Members able to access every single one.

Next up is three-time top 200 finisher and two-time champion of India, Lateriser, who will be writing for us every Gameweek throughout the season.

How the unlimited World Cup transfers have changed Lateriser's strategy

And we’re back!

It feels like only yesterday that we closed the curtains on what was a marathon season, given the number of curveballs and Double Gameweeks we had.

On a personal note, I was delighted with how things panned out as I finished in 1,047th place overall. Gameweek 38 was very kind to me as both purchases – James Maddison (now £8.0m) and Callum Wilson (now £7.5m) – brought in double-digit hauls that led to 100 points and a 16k Gameweek rank.

Looking back over last season, I pretty much stuck to a pre-decided strategy. Having had a horrendous 2020/21 campaign, I realised that the times when I go against the crowd usually occur in the second half of the season, with regular Gameweek ranks under 50k.

This meant that I curbed my instincts during the first ten Gameweeks and stuck to a template, keeping with the crowd until at least ten weeks of subconscious data and eye tests get stored in my head, ready to go against the curve.

An opportunity to play aggressively

Auto Draft 29

Before the game’s recent launch, it’s what I thought I would do again. Once I had a look at the fixtures, I realised that the best two teams have a great start to the season. It would be quite logical to go along with the template and play the ‘long game’ with these value picks – as already discussed online, the premium full-backs offer immense value.

Then the game launched and this little paragraph really caught my attention:

‘Unlimited free transfers can also be made between Sat 12 Nov 19:00 and Mon 26 Dec 19:00 when the Premier League season has been adjusted to accommodate the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.’

This is quite a big macro factor. Essentially, we don’t have to think beyond Gameweek 16 at all and have two bites at making a team until then.

Then there is an extra Wildcard that everyone has to use in the gap before Gameweek 17. Given this added rule, there are a few trickle-down effects.

In a normal season, when deploying our Wildcard anywhere between Gameweeks 2-10, we’re building a very long-term team. One that will stick for at least 20 rounds until we usually use the second later on, around the Double Gameweek season.

This time, no matter what, you don’t need to look past Gameweek 16. The only things to carry forward, post-World Cup, are your team value and remaining chips.

For me, this means I can start the season more aggressively, target some fixtures and go ‘haul-chasing’. If things don’t work out, I’d then have no qualms deploying the Wildcard very early on. Additionally, as each team can now make five substitutions in a Premier League match, you can even look to ignore the bench early season and build unbalanced, lopsided teams that focus on targeting particular occasions.

Tread with caution with Chelsea

Whilst it would now take a lot to lead Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers away from ‘big at the back’ with explosive premium defenders, it’s worth noting that the game has also given us some cheap defensive assets who offer immense value.

It is way too early to be discussing a set-and-forget draft because we have so much to learn in pre-season: Manchester City will be playing with a proper number nine, Liverpool have a new-look front three, Chelsea are seemingly losing their entire defence and Manchester United have a new manager at the helm.

All things considered, I still see myself starting with five players from Man City and Liverpool but there are a couple of things that have caught my attention in terms of ‘opportunity’ and ‘tread with caution’.

For example, be careful with Chelsea’s defence. They have lost their best centre-back to Real Madrid and are seemingly going to lose a couple more from their backline. Due to this, there are murmurs of Thomas Tuchel potentially reverting to a four-man defence.

All things considered, their full-backs still offer tremendous value at £6.0m but the early fixtures don’t exactly scream ‘clean sheet’ to me. I am also questioning Chelsea’s elite defence status, given the huge reshuffling of personnel and system.

Thomas Tuchel is a manager not historically known for supreme defences and applied a ‘horses for courses’ approach when he first arrived at the club. Now he may look to evolve their tactics. I’ve nothing against Chelsea here, it is just something I’m monitoring closely.

Target the strong Spurs start

Check out more initial reaction from Lateriser and co on The FPL Wire here.


FPL General’s Gameweek 15 team reveal + transfer plans


733 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Kickin the balls
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 5 months ago

    RMT please

    Mendy 4.0
    Perišić Trippier N.Williams Digne Malacia
    Luis Díaz Sterling Bowen Cafu Wilso
    Martial Kane Haaland

    1. One Man
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      Different. Martial wouldn’t be an option tho if CR7 stays.

  2. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 5 months ago

    Too much Arsenal?

    Raya
    Trent Cancelo James Tomiyasu
    Son Diaz Mahrez Martinelli
    Haaland Jesus

    1. Bobby Digital
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      Nope

    2. Ninjaa
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      Yeah I think so. Upgrade Diaz to Salah also. I think over the season he'll comfortably outscore diaz and will be more nailed

    3. Baps hunter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      Nope

    4. Scots Gooner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      No such thing

    5. noissimbus
      • 2 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      4.5mil for starting top 5 defenders? Great attacking potential at 8.0mil tops? Seems good value to me.

  3. Ninjaa
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 5 months ago

    If Rashford can establish himself as a starter in Uniteds front 3 surely he'll be well worth his 6.5m as a Midfielder???

    1. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      IF! yes

    2. @persecuted_by_mods
        2 years, 5 months ago

        Of course

      • Herger
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 5 months ago

        If he gets 20 goals he could be a bargain

        1. Bobby Digital
          • 7 Years
          2 years, 5 months ago

          10 goals would do

          1. Herger
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 3 Years
            2 years, 5 months ago

            Or 8 and a few assists

      • Baps hunter
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 5 months ago

        Certainly. But we possibly must wait and see that Ronaldo is gone first.

    3. Kickin the balls
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      RMT please, lost on last page!

      Mendy 4.0
      Perišić Trippier N.Williams Digne Malacia
      Luis Díaz Sterling Bowen Cafu Wilso
      Martial Kane Haaland

      1. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 5 months ago

        different! I like different

        1. Kickin the balls
          • 12 Years
          2 years, 5 months ago

          Swap Martial to Greenwood then Digne to TAA?

          1. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
            • 8 Years
            2 years, 5 months ago

            what formation would you play?;

            1. Kickin the balls
              • 12 Years
              2 years, 5 months ago

              4-4-2 standard lol

      2. Kun Tozser
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 5 months ago

        Cafu won’t play

    4. NJ MetroStars
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      opinions?

      sanchez

      taa, robbo, laporte, diaz, james

      salah, saka, martinelli, neto

      haaland

      steele, undav, andreas, greenwood

      1. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 5 months ago

        Cancelo + Trippier/Tierney/Cash over Laporte + Dias for me
        other than that, nice team

        1. NJ MetroStars
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 3 Years
          2 years, 5 months ago

          Thanks and I hear that but I'm really feeling double city early on with their schedule

    5. Stamford B
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      A funny thing about this game is how the idea of going without a particular expensive big hitter will ruin your season before it’s even began. Presuming you’re going to distribute those saved funds elsewhere, allowing other heavy hitters probly less well owned should solve this problem I’d wager. Having Son instead of Haaland for instance springs to mind. Haaland is the new shiny thing that’s going to be super ace (hopefully) whereas Son is the old shiny thing that is always super ace. As the late great Jimmy Greaves used to say “It’s a funny old game”.
      Anyway if it does go titts up you can always go and read a book or something. No need to cry about it ffs.

      1. Stamford B
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 5 months ago

        It’s only a game :upsidedownemojithing:

      2. Bobby Digital
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 5 months ago

        I'm betting on the 8.0m mids... Could be awesome or blow up in my face.

      3. fantasyfog
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 5 months ago

        So should I have Haaland or Son, confused.com

      4. Baps hunter
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 5 months ago

        Haaland is cheaper than Son and lack of forwards is another issue.

    6. Chipmunk
      • 2 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      Alright guys
      How’s this?

      Mendy
      TAA / Cancelo / James / Perisic / Robbo
      Salah / Martineli / Neto
      Haaland / Jesus

      Gazz / Bailey / Andreas / Greenwood

    7. Dom76
      • 2 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      A) Sterling + Gabriel/Tomi
      B) Chilwell + Mount/Diaz
      Assuming Sterling to Chelsea and therefore starting most weeks feels like he'll be a differential with a point to prove...

    8. @TruthSeeker
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      RMT Please lads

      Ederson
      TAA, Perisic, Tomiyasu, (Neco, Tanganga)
      Salah, Saka, Diaz, Rashford, (Andreas)
      Edouard, Haaland, Jesus

      Cheets

      1. Bobby Digital
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 5 months ago

        Play Neco, downgrade and drop Edu and upgrade Rashford.

    9. fantasyfog
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      What's the chances of Mount, Saka and Kulu combined scoring more than Salah and Son

      1. Wild Rover
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 5 months ago

        You’re missing a player from the equation

        1. Baps hunter
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 7 Years
          2 years, 5 months ago

          I assume cheap no playing player.

          1. Wild Rover
            • 14 Years
            2 years, 5 months ago

            How can it be a non playing player? Three can’t replace two.

        2. Pasqualinho
          • 15 Years
          2 years, 5 months ago

          You need to answer the question and not get all technical.

          Vaery good point, though.

          1. Wild Rover
            • 14 Years
            2 years, 5 months ago

            No point, old article 😛

    10. Jerse
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      All the podcasts are somewhat boring. Salah,Haaland yada yada. Luke saying the template is obvious. Haaland, injury prone but 66% owned compared to proven world class Kane at 15%. In my opinion so many great options and Sterling to Chelsea puts the cat amongst the pigeons. Not many picking Bowen because of a well justified 0.5 differential over the 8m options.I have decided to be slightly different. Raya, Trent,Robertson, James ( may move to Chillwell), Peresic, Castagne; Sterling, Bowen, Diaz, Gumarez,Perrerria; Jesus, Kane, Greenwood.

    11. Davros
      • 15 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      How much game time for Darwin Nunez? Klopp sees him as a no.9…

      1. Esalman
        • 15 Years
        2 years, 5 months ago

        No idea but I'm amused and probably even a little concerned by the amount of trolling he's already receiving on social media.

      2. Holmes
        • 11 Years
        2 years, 5 months ago

        Pre-season should help in predicting

        I guess it will be sub appearance with occasional starts in first half of the season.

    12. Spelmer
      • 2 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      Any feedback please!!
      A: Salah, Tomyasu, Mendy
      B: Sterling, Robertson, Ederson

      Should I go safe with option A as Mo guarantees large points or go B and hope Robbo and Raheem amass more points together? Please help

    13. Dale Sartip-Zadeh
      • 2 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      interesting article

    14. Damien Sartip-Zadeh
      • 2 Years
      2 years, 5 months ago

      Really like Callum Wilson