Games

Yusuf Sheikh wins FPL Crown

Yusuf Sheikh has claimed the Fantasy Premier League crown in the closest and most dramatic title race in memory.

The Tanzanian manager sealed his unlikely victory by six points from Fantasy Football Scout member Paul Gee, with long-time leader Bharat Dhody third.

Yusuf was ranked sixth before Sunday, some 33 points behind Bharat at the top.

As such, we had not included him in our earlier round-up of the top five contenders.

And when Marcos Alonso, Dele Alli and Gabriel Jesus were unexpectedly benched, he must have all but written off his chances of challenging for the crown.

But Yusuf’s final day performance was nothing short of remarkable from start to finish.

His final tally of 93 points was some 23 ahead of Paul in second and, incredibly, surpassed Bharat’s Gameweek total by 41.

A Triple Captain chip undoubtedly played a key role in his late surge as he was the only manager in the top ten to still have a chip remaining.

However, Yusuf’s decision to use this on Mohamed Salah had, initially, looked unwise, given that six other managers in the top ten also captained the Egyptian.

They included both Bharat and Paul.

So while Salah helped Yusuf to a 11-point advantage over that pair, the midfielder was by no means the key player in Sunday’s matches.

It was his differentials who really delivered.

That started with Marcus Rashford, who struck an early goal to hand Yusuf an initial boost. No other manager in the top ten owned the Man United striker.

Salah’s goal was then followed by an assist to help Yusuf gain a further edge via his Triple Captain. However, it was surely Lukasz Fabianski’s penalty save at the Liberty Stadium, just a minute later, that catapulted him into contention.

At that point Paul Gee had established a lead, thanks to clean sheets from Burnley pair Matt Lowton and James Tarkowski.

A goal from Wilfried Zaha – a Gameweek 38 signing for Aaron Ramsey – then re-ignited Yusuf’s charge, before the Clarets conceded at Turf Moor to topple Paul from the summit.

With Fabianski, Rashford and Zaha furthering their role as differentials with bonus points, Yusuf also benefited from DeAndre Yedlin’s clean sheet from his bench as both Alonso and Ben Davies failed to be given minutes.

That ensured victory over Paul by just eight points once the bonus points were confirmed.

With 73 points on the day, the runner-up can count himself unfortunate to miss out when Burnley’s clean sheet points were cruelly lost in the closing stages.

Paul’s decision to sell Alli for Salah proved a canny move, but it was ultimately not enough to fire him to the title, having started Sunday 20 points off the pace.

Meanwhile Bharat – who had led the way since Gameweek 21 – suffered an early blow when the teamsheets were revealed.

He was missing seven players, either with injuries or through being benched.

His decision to sell Mahrez, and not Alli, for Salah might also haunt him. The Algerian’s 13 points would have seen him tied at the top, though total transfers (43 v 41) would have eventually settled it in Yusuf’s favour regardless.

And nobody can deny the new champion his glory.

To produce 93 points on the final day – some 23 more than any other rival in the top ten – is a remarkable achievement, and one deserving of winning the FPL crown.

Congratulations to Yusuf on his win, and to all the challengers who helped to produce such a memorable day.

We hope to have further reaction, including interviews with the top managers, over the next few days.

Mark Mark created the beast. He's now looking to tame it.

1,446 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Kevin
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Sorry guys, need a bit of a rant!

    After building up the ranks and almost entering the top 1k, I have had a complete & total implosion in the last 3 GWs of the season. I don't think I have ever in 10+ years of FPL had it all go downhill so quickly.

    Started with captaining Salah in GW36, as he conspired to miss open goals, while rivals had gone with Kane. I also held fire on City assets thinking will watch them for another week.

    Then in 37, like many seem to have done, removed Vardy & Mahrez for Jesus & Sterling. Also decided to do Salah -> Hazard for what I thought was a massive differential. The week was a complete fail, TC on Jesus was a bust. I absolutely hate City anyway being a United fan, but the way they have trolled me this last couple weeks is unbelievable!!

    Then the last week, brought in Salah at least and captained him. But finished with just 45 points, in the process my rank went from 1k to 11k (!!) and I surrendered a 90 point lead in the space of TWO game-weeks in my mini-league.

    Literally the only upside is that I somehow managed to hold onto my lead in my other ML which I won by 3 points, and that's the one where more money was on offer.

    But yet, what a horrid end to the season! I was at least hoping to finish in the top 10k but even that didn't happen.

    1. Eddie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Good rant

    2. FourLokoLeipzig
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Yeah, think a lot of us are in a similar position. Mahrez to Sterling was definitely the right move though. Vardy to Jesus bugs me more. I’m not at all sure I’d have taken the hit for that if I wasn’t worried about the prospect of rivals TCing Jesus. Oh well, might be a useful lesson for next season, and at least you held on in your main league!

    3. Danno - Emre Canada
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Dry your eyes then, you won the money. I had a 21 pt lead for a 1k prize and lost by a point

      1. Planet Head
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        I surrendered a 70 point league haha. Laughing now anyway.

        Mahrez to Sterling for -4 in GW37 I did after posting here for advice and being told "no brainer" 😀

        Went from 11k to 48k in 2 weeks. Scraped it back to 31k in last GW but damage was done. This ranting seems to take a load off

        1. Planet Head
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 10 months ago

          *lead

  2. lasmons
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    22K and new personal best for me.
    Thanks for the help and support throughout the year.

  3. Mackans
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    What did you leran from this season and will change to the start of the next season?

    1. Mackans
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Learn*

    2. pjomara
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      I learnt a bad start doesn't mean anything, so don't throw the towle in early.
      Was 1.7 millionth in GW7 but was 6K after GW35.
      This was mainly due to 2 successive 100 pointers (both top 30K GW rank) which were sandwiched in between 2 other decent GWs that got me from OR of 400K to 30k in 4 GWs.

      I learnt when you stack your team up with a good few average BGW players, WC the next week if possible.

      PS Put a link to this thread in August!

    3. Ghost Gooner
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      No Kane as he doesn't get assists during barren spells and his hauls are hard to predict making it hard to capt him.

      Not getting dgw'ers just to get 15 of them. Better to go with form players.

      Rotating gk and defence to maximise budget.

      451 or 352 formation

    4. Jafalad
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Nothing. You just got to get lucky...and I had feck all.

    5. Boris Bodega
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Rolling over free transfers, I don't do it enough.

    6. Planet Head
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      To keep a note of people in form recently but low scoring season overall. Shouldn't increase in price but should return more next season. My money's on Ozil, Sanchez, King, Mendy. Maybe even Wijnaldum and Hadergjonaj - they've been immense recently.

      1. Planet Head
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        Oh and to go with my gut rather than advice on here. I love this place but too many times took advice that was told "no brainer" and turned out to be wrong. So maybe that means ignore me!!

  4. Mackans
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    How will your setup be for the start of the next season be? 3-4-3?

    1. Planet Head
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Thinking of going 4-4-2 to have a bit of flexibility.

      If it is 3-4-3 then not 3 big hitters up front at first, maybe King/Tosun/Barnes as third striker depending on fixtures and price

  5. Otis Kay
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Hi All,

    Does anybody know if there is going to be a World Cup Fantasy Football website?

    Would be amazing if so!

    1. Darth_Krid
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Almost certainly. There was one in 2014, McDonalds I believe. Fox did one too.

      1. Otis Kay
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        Love it, they'll be a few I reckon so if anyone knows the legit best one then let me know.

        Messi captain every game for me 😉

    2. Fire Chief Moe
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      The standard official 'McDonalds' one.

  6. Darth_Krid
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    170k finish for me, a bit of a comedown after 15k, 805, 1k. Really didn't enjoy the season, treading water between the 150k-300k mark for pretty much the entire 38 gameweeks not being able to rise higher or sink lower.

    My first year as a Member here...coincidence? :p

    Looking forward to the break and recharging as it became a bit of a slog. Congrats to all ML winners, and thanks to the great FFS community for the advice and good chat this year. It might not have been a great year, but this place still made the game a lot more fun. Hopefully there's still decent activity over summer.

  7. Mario Balofail
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    I can't wait for those type of comments like: "Finally we got rid of all casuals." and "This place is quite now." 🙂

    1. CloudSky
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Quite what?

      1. Mario Balofail
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        *calm...haha....see another casual trying to stir some attention

  8. Limited & Mediocre Mana…
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Looking forward to the break. I'll only play WC FF if there are decent prizes, otherwise I think it's too much!

  9. Team Cruel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Finally we got rid of all casuals. About time!

    1. Mario Balofail
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      I'm glad that finally posted it. Thanks Mr. Cruel 😉

      1. Mario Balofail
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        *someone finally posted it...oh come on what's going on here with those missing words. If I only could say autocomplete is messing with it ;P

  10. Flynniesta
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Does anybody have some Tippex I can borrow to hide my worst ever overall rank please?

  11. Jafalad
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    So the guy who was leading the FPL standings since week 21 stands 33 points of the guy in 6th.

    The guy in 6th - for some inexplicable reason - decides to play his triple captain chip in the lottery that is week 38 rather than the previous gameweek which of course was a double gameweek and cleans up.

    That in a nutshell sums up this season - lottery. There was no skill involved - just pure luck.

    My worst ever season. A season of unfathomable scoring. Let's hope we never see its like again.

    1. Mario Balofail
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Next season will be very similar to this one, I think.

    2. boc610
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      what utter tosh. so because he didnt play the TC in a DGW-which have been damp squibs this season-its pure luck?

      1. Jafalad
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        What an idiot comment...which frankly doesn't deserve a reply.

    3. Flynniesta
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Lottery hahah, that’s what I keep telling myself

      1. Jafalad
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        Good lad.

    4. Ghost Gooner
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      The skill is in recognising that gw38 is awash with goals and worth going for.

      Dgw players are usually rotated, tired by the 2nd game (short turn around time) or playing teams with a lot to fight for (ie Hud)

      1. Jafalad
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        I'd suggest there is more chance of rot in week 38 than 37 which has often been stated on here with stats to support that.

    5. Spambo
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Absolutely, luck really seemed to play a big part this season. It makes it more annoying when looking back.

      I think for me I stayed with Kane for far too long this season when I knew I should have gotten rid. Making him capt way too often. Surely his price next season should be matched by his performance this season.

      1. Mario Balofail
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 10 months ago

        ....like 9.5, right? 🙂

  12. Whirl
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Looking back, The fact that I didn't captain Salah until GW25 may have impacted negatively on my overall rank.

    I honestly don't know what I was thinking.

  13. Jigger & Pony
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Hello DZ.

    So whilst the memory is fresh, which “hidden gems” from a value perspective are you planning to monitor / start with next season?

    To name a few: Dubravka, PvA, Dunk, Arnie, Zaha, Stanislas, Wood

    1. PrettyDick
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 10 months ago

      Interesting question. It obv depends on a lot of things (new coaches, injuries, form etc) but potential ones for me:

      Masuaku, Hughes, Richarlison, Lascelles, Kiko, Giroud (if the new manager picks him), Tosun (if they get a new, good manager), Neves, Kenedy (if he get's regular game time. Chelsea or elsewhere), Silva (Bernardo), Laporte, Lucas Moura/Lamela,

      Not sure if all of these are considered "hidden gems", but I would say they are in some way at least

  14. PrettyDick
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    Your overall rank and point hits taken?

    Mine:

    OR: 761
    Point hits: - 204 (lol)

  15. boc610
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 10 months ago

    maybe the moment of the season for me.....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QAOLk2KyRU