Fantasy League

How to prepare for a Fantasy League auction

Last week we alerted you to the relaunch of Fantasy League for the 2019/20 season, with a Q&A with founder Andrew Wainstein and an introduction to the long-running auction-based game.

For those looking to master Fantasy League, we’re lucky enough to have an in-house expert – Fantasy Football Scout site user Clouseau – to help us out.

Clouseau’s previous article looked at the merits and basics of auction-based Fantasy Football based on his two decades of experience playing the Fantasy League game.

This latest feature is the first of a two-part piece which will look in more detail at how to have an effective auction – from prepping in advance through to the big night itself.

Take it away, Clouseau…

The Scene-Setter…

First of all, let me give you the context of this article. For a lot of what you’re about to read, you should put FPL from your mind. Although the advice in this piece should translate to any auction-based fantasy game, I’m looking at it from the perspective of playing Fantasy League (FL), using their traditional scoring system.

Where I talk about FL points, this is based upon three points for a goal and two points for an assist, both irrespective of the scorer’s position, and, for goalkeepers and defenders, one point for an appearance, two points for a clean sheet with -1 point for every goal conceded.

There are no bonus points and, for goalkeepers, no points for saves/penalty saves. Fortunately, there are also no minus points for cards or penalty misses. Furthermore, whilst your league can select any number of permitted transfers, I am assuming that just 20 are allowed for the course of the season, with a starting squad of 15. This puts the focus very much upon the auction rather than your ability to constantly swap players in and out.

Think Long Term!

The principal thing you need to understand if you are a veteran of FPL, but have never played the auction-style before, is that you are looking to select a squad for the full season. As a result of this, you should try to forget about fixtures and Season Tickers because, ideally, all your players will play every team home and away.

Understanding the Player List

Most of the things which make good outfield players good FPL players also make them good Fantasy League players. That’s the good news. What’s slightly less good news is that I tried to do some rudimentary comparisons and analysis to see if there was a common margin/denominator by which FPL points convert readily to FL points; there isn’t. I also specifically said outfield players because goalkeepers throw up a lot of anomalies which I will discuss a little further down.

What I’ve managed to do is break it down by category (and for the purposes of this I have amalgamated full-backs and centre-backs, which are separate categories in Fantasy League, into an amorphous group) and, based mostly on FPL’s ‘premium’ and upper-mid-range players (I may have swapped a few players in and out of the list based on expectations for the coming season), I came up with the following average margins by which FPL points convert to FL points:

Strikers (priced 8.0 and up): 2.7
Midfielders (priced 7.0 and up): 3.6
Defenders (priced 5.5 and up): 4.3
Goalkeepers (priced 5.5 and up): 5.2

Put simply, if your striker scores you 200 FPL points, you can expect them to get you around 74 FL points. However, remember that these are based on averages and the very best players will have margins lower than the average due to their scoring the majority of their points through goals, assists and clean sheets; as an example, both Sergio Aguero and Trent Alexander-Arnold had margins of 2.5. Salah and Sterling had margins of 2.9 and 3.0 respectively, due to their playing in teams which kept a lot of clean sheets and, therefore, got additional points for them in FPL, but still much lower than the mean for midfielders.

Goalkeepers are the real outliers and, with them, it’s doubly important that you understand the difference between a good FPL goalie and a good Fantasy League stopper; remember, there are no points for saves/penalty saves or bonus.

Let me use two examples from last season: Lukasz Fabianski and David de Gea. Fabianski was the fifth-highest-scoring goalkeeper in FPL with 143 points. In Fantasy League he was the 21st ‘best’ goalkeeper with a massive score of -3 points; you’d have been better off picking a non-playing goalkeeper for the season. De Gea similarly scored 120 points in FPL, making him equal-ninth best, but got -2 in FL.

With goalkeepers, notwithstanding De Gea’s horror show last season, you are best sticking to those from the top six clubs and, after that, looking to clubs you hope will keep things tight at the back, not ship a cricket score too frequently and pick up the occasional clean sheet. Don’t be tempted by keepers in sides you know will have shots rained in on them like it’s the Alamo, but where you expect them to make 25 saves a game. That will just end in tears.

Sensible Prices

My first piece talked about setting yourself reasonable maxima for players so that you don’t end up in a bidding war with someone over a player that you both ‘must have’, where you go way beyond what represents good value for money (VFM).

I’m not saying that you should always stick rigidly to your pre-auction plans, and sometimes you’ll have to sacrifice a player you really wanted in order to secure four of the other five upon which you’d set your heart, but remember, your pot of money has to get you the whole squad, not just a couple of players, and whilst there will be those you can pick up for free or for not a great deal, it’s a brave manager who goes all-in on only a handful of players and has 14+ slots to fill with the dregs.

When doing your auction prep, it’s worth thinking about how much players may go for in order that you can sketch out a potential squad for yourself. In my experience, the table below sets out the approximate costs for players by position and ‘quality’, based on % of auction budget (I’ve gone with this rather than absolute prices as different leagues will set different starting budgets):

 

The VFM point above is one I consider to be imperative in having a successful auction and you should always be conscious of the point at which no player is worth the amount you’ll have to spend. No player is guaranteed to score you a certain number of points and whilst certain players increase the likelihood of big scores, these have to be looked at relative to prices and points for other players.

Consider the top three Liverpool scorers from last season: Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson and Alexander-Arnold who scored 90, 82 and 75 points respectively in Fantasy League. Salah went for 28% of someone’s pot at my auction, whereas Robertson and Alexander-Arnold went for 10% and 4% respectively. Clearly that won’t happen again but I would expect Salah to be around 32% and the full-backs to be a maximum of 16% each. Based on last season’s scores, the two defenders would get you 157 points to Salah’s 90. Now, of course, this vastly oversimplifies the argument. For starters, it overlooks the fact that you’d have another player, picked up for free, to sit alongside Salah when working out how many points your 32% of budget had bought you. However, the chances of your picking up a freebie who will score you at least 67 points are very, very low. I’m not saying it can’t happen (I remain smug to this day that I picked up an unknown Michael Owen for free at the 1997/98 auction) but just bear in mind when you set yourself an eye-watering budget for a big player that you may be better off spreading the money around.

Starters vs Substitutes

Although picking players you expect to start matches is a good starting point, appreciate that it matters less in Fantasy League where there are, for example, no appearance points for midfielders and forwards. Impact subs at good clubs can easily outscore regular starters in lesser teams.

Leroy Sane is a great example of this. He currently sits in just 3% of FPL squads, reflecting his lack of certainty of starts, even though he was the 10th-highest scoring FPL midfielder. Last season in Fantasy League, he was the fifth-highest-scoring midfielder (and 18th highest in any position) and rightly went for 16% at the auction. Good players playing only 15 minutes per match can easily outscore 90 minutes per match from lesser players or those at lower-placed clubs.

Squad Structure

With Fantasy League giving you up to seven substitute berths (on the Legend package; the squad is fixed at 15 players for Novice and Pro), over which there are no positional restrictions, it can be very tempting to load up on strikers; you can, in principle, have up to ten of them with the Legend package.

A wiser move is to spread your substitutes around: for example, assuming that your starting XI is a 4-3-3 formation, having three strikers, three midfielders and a defender on your bench. There’s no perfect structure until your squad is forming but this is the sort of ballpark for which I aim in my pre-auction prep. Of course, you should keep an open mind and you should never limit yourself by enforcing a certain structure; to use an extreme example, you would never turn down the chance to get Aguero for a good price because you already had your ideal number of strikers, particularly if you were only missing a midfielder from your subs and the only options left in that category were players who only their mothers had heard of.

The caveat I give to this advice is that Fantasy Football is a game loaded with schadenfreude and, in the case of auction-based Fantasy Football, spoiling tactics. Every player you own is a player denied to everyone else. If the average number of strikers per manager is six, your taking ten means that you’ve removed four [presumably] desirable strikers from the pool who are now not available to your fellow managers.

The same can apply to goalkeepers. As you’ll see from my analysis of points by position in Fantasy League vs FPL, good goalkeepers are more of a rarity in the former than they are in the latter. Whilst a second goalkeeper (I would never advise getting a third keeper!) is rarely a boon from a points-scoring perspective, it can leave one of your opposition managers with the unpalatable choice of a goalie who will likely leak goals like a rusty bucket or one who will only ever be played by his club in League Cup games.

Caveat Emptor…..

….. or ‘buyer beware’ for those of you who aren’t lawyers and/or versed in Latin. If you spend your precious money on a player who is crocked or is halfway out of the door, you kiss that money goodbye. Therefore, even if you do very little prep in the run-up to the auction, five minutes of last-minute cramming may well save your season. Check the latest injury situation.

I’m not saying don’t aim to buy players who are currently injured for the short term (see above for ‘think long term’ with your acquisitions), but be aware with your VFM calculations that being out until the end of September means seven games will be missed, almost 20% of the total season.

Similarly, check the gossip columns. The BBC does a handy daily round-up of all the stories from the main papers and outlets, and whilst if every transfer ‘story’ came true half the players around the world would be playing for three clubs simultaneously, you should still bear them in mind.

I learned the painful way 20 years ago when I spent one-third of my auction pot on Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink after he’d had that stellar season with Leeds, only for him to run off to Atletico, leaving me with a gaping hole in my squad and not a penny of my huge investment returned. Back then, I’d have had to buy a paper every day to know this; nowadays, with the proliferation of news and gossip through multiple, free outlets, there’s no excuse for not knowing the latest.

Finally….. Make Lists, Lots of Lists

Lists will smooth and caress your passage to the successful end of your auction. Ok, that may be a slight exaggeration, but lists help with focus in preparation and can act as a vital crutch during the auction, particularly towards the end when your player list, printed from the Fantasy League website, is getting harder and harder to read.

Break down by position the players you really want and maybe break them down again by premium, mid and low; you’ll probably want to ensure that you get at least one from the premium column and avoid delving into the low column as much as possible.

Print out at least two copies of the player list to take with you: one to keep on top where you’ll cross off players as they are bought, and one hidden underneath (away from prying eyes) where you’ll highlight the players you want, preferably using different highlighter pens to denote must-haves, highly desirables and ‘have at a push’.

I will be looking at how to tackle the auction night itself in the not-too-distant future so watch this space.

Clouseau Serious (for which you can read \'stressy\') fantasy football fan. Have been playing the auction-based version with its unique squads (fantasyleague.com) for over 20 years but more recently branched out into FPL. Follow me on Twitter @FFSClouseau

1,994 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Coaly
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Does anyone think Lucas Moura will play GW3 home to Newcastle?

    Son will be back then, surely he goes straight into the team?

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Is possible - Poch has not been afraid to bench Son before.

    2. Bullet Eder
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      You would think so, but loads of factors to consider. Nobody knows how Spurs are going to line up just yet. I like the Lucas punt, the first fixture especially looks fantastic and you can always change to whichever Chelsea winger is nailed for their nice fixture run from GW3.

    3. SADIO SANÉ
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      if Eriksen stays and Alli doesn't get injured then probably not (but bare in mind I thought the same last year and he scored a brace against United after I removed him) - he could score from the bench in that game anyway so think I'd just start him and hope (or remove straight after GW1)

      1. SADIO SANÉ
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        agree with BE, I like the idea of swapping him for Willian if Lampard likes him

    4. Valar(Keith)
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      If Eriksen leaves moura could play every game.. They could line up with
      Son Kane Moura
      Alli
      Eriksen Ndombele
      But I don't know much about ndombele.. Ie if he is a defensive mid like Kante or if he needs sissoko next to him.. Thar being said I can't see sissoke dropped either. If Eriksen leaves I'm all over moura

      1. internal error
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        He can play a few roles but I think his best role is b2b.

    5. LangerznMash
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      He will play, just maybe not from the start.

    6. Skalla
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      He could play but will no longer be nailed unless he goes crazy with the goals and assists and they drop Alli instead. Son should come straight back into the team either way!

  2. KKluigi
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Bottomed:

    Does Wood really takes penalties for Burnley? I thought it was Barnes?

  3. cemal
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Out of these two options, I would bench one of the two each week and play the other.

    A. Pereyra and Mousset
    B. Greenwood and Perez?

    1. aapoman
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      B and bench Greenwood every week unless he turns out to be a starter

      1. cemal
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        You'd still take Perez from Leicester even with the really nice Watford fixtures?

      2. Odikostar
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        This

    2. Klaren
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      A - gives you 2 likely starters and Pereyra has great fixtures.

  4. Ajax Hamsterdam
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    feel free to tear apart 🙂

    Ryan(button)
    VVD/Digne (Cathcart/diop) / kelly
    Salah/kdb/pogba/doucoure(dendon)
    Haller/king/kane

    thank you

    really trying to fit vardy but struggling...

    1. LangerznMash
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      KdB -> Bilva
      Haller -> Vardy

      1. Ajax Hamsterdam
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        thanks. trying to keep kdb too though 🙂

        thoughts on the team ??

  5. The Yorkshire Pirlo
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    How’s this look with KDB instead of Sterling?

    Would only go Dunk if he goes Leicester.

    Ryan
    TAA - VVD - Digne - Dunk
    Salah - KDB - Siggy - Lucas
    Vardy - Wilson

    Button - Dendoncker - Nketiah - Kelly

    1. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      nice.

    2. Chandler Bing
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Salah captain every week?

      Team looks well-balanced though.

      1. The Yorkshire Pirlo
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Most probably, don’t think I’d mind capping Vardy or KDB through good fixtures as well.

    3. Super John McGinn-
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Literally just seen what I could do with the money difference of Sterling and KDB and came up with basically the exact team

      1. The Yorkshire Pirlo
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Hmm yeah, it’s just the fear of not owning Sterling 🙁

    4. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      What’s the exit plan for Lucas?

      1. The Yorkshire Pirlo
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Plenty of players around that price point to shift to, also gives a bit of time to see which one to jump on.

    5. yakirh
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Very, very nice.
      I'm on the Sterling camp but this KDB version look tasty.

      Suggestion: Fraser instead of Lucas.
      You will most likely transfer Lucas in GW3 when Son is back, and Fraser has 2 good fixtures instead of 1 for Lucas.

      1. yakirh
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Just noticed the double BRI defense, I wouldn't double up.

  6. LSK
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Lots talking about Salah, Sterling, Kane teams so I thought I would post my draft. (I have 2 or 3 drafts but this is the one that I will use if I feel I can't go without any of those 3).

    Ryan/Button
    TAA, Robertson, Zinchenko, Cathcart/Diop (2 x 4.5 rotating)
    Salah Sterling Jorginho Perez/Dendoncker
    Kane King/Greenwood

    I have 0.5 in the bank as well, so Zinchenko could become Digne if necessary, but I personally prefer City defence to begin with.
    I'm not worried about playing rotating 4.5 defenders, the best of the bunch usually scores between 100-120 points and you won't keep the same structure all season so they just need a decent first 1-10 games before wildcarding. Jorginho is a punt but if Chelsea are playing a diamond that suggests to me that Lampard is trying to accomodate his centre mids and if he's on penalties he is a decent option for 5.0 imo. I think this is a perfectly viable team to begin with until you decide whether Son will match or nearly match Kane or KDB will be close enough to Sterling to make the switch. I always find it easier to downgrade heavy hitters to cheaper options than vice versa. Obviously only worth doing it if you trust Kane to score very well in his early home games. If he blanks in those games, then yes the strategy has failed, but you simply move on.

    1. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      mmh really not sure about jorginho...

      sterling to kdb and he could become siggy ?

      1. LSK
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        This is my Sterling, Kane, Salah draft. My main draft actually has Kane, Salah and KDB, but I've made this in case I want all three.

    2. yakirh
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Considering you have 3 big hitters its a very decent team.
      But..
      Consider the alternative and predict the points difference.

      For example, In my current draft I have the same players except for:
      Lloris + Digne + Siggy + Deulofeu
      VS
      Ryan + 4.5 def + Jorginho + Kane

      Who gets more points? that is the real question, nothing else matters.

      1. yakirh
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Here is a comparison using points-per-game AVG (taken from https://www.fplanalytics.com/playerStatus.html)

        Lloris + Digne + Siggy + Deulofeu
        VS
        Ryan + Cathcart + Jorginho + Kane

        4.4 + 4.5 + 4.8 + 4.4 = 18.1
        VS
        3.1 + 2.6 + 2.6 + 5.7 = 14

      2. LSK
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Yours over a season, no doubt. But I always look in small blocks of games because our teams are always in transition. If you don't have faith in Deu but you expect 2 braces from Kane against Villa and Newcastle, I would argue that the second is better to start with. Obviously if you do have faith in Deulofeu and Everton then yours is a no-brainer to start with. 4.5s won't score zero points. Watford could easily get a clean sheet at home to Brighton. Digne can blank. Siggy can blank. Jorginho can score a penalty or get an assist. The point is you only go for the big 3 if you think they will outscore the alternatives by a significant amount for the time you have them.

        1. yakirh
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          All fair points, your plan could work well in the short term.
          As of now I believe in Everton and can't see how both Siggy and Digne blank for the first couple of gameweeks.

  7. SHOOTER MCGINN
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    How many players are you putting in your team that you consider to be risky? Obviously what is considered risky will vary from person to person.

    I think I'll end up with 2 (being KDB and Martial). Otherwise playing safe for a steady start to the season.

    1. Valar(Keith)
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Kdb isn't risky at all.. I'm going with O'Connell though il be rotating him.. That's possible the only risk. And a 4.5 keeper I guess could be one

      1. SHOOTER MCGINN
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        KDB is risky as an alternative to Sterling IMO.

        I like the O'Connell pick as a rotation option.

        1. Valar(Keith)
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          Cheers. Yup. Looking forward to playing him in his home games. BTW I have kdb too. Owned him almost every season and apart from last year he has been a beast. Maybe he won't match Sterling but even if he comes within 30 points I'd be happy

      2. Whazza
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Who does O'Connell rotate with?

    2. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Depends on your bench - no bench = no risks (and even no risks are risks with injuries etc.)

    3. LangerznMash
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Zinchenko, KWP, Martial, Lucas

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

      Greenwood and Zinchenko atm, but I will rearrange if they are both unlikely to play. Greenwood I am just going on his form preseason and a lack of Utd striking options from what I have read on here and elsewhere.

      1. SHOOTER MCGINN
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Tbf I have Greenwood too but don't consider him a risk as he's only a 4.5 bench player for me that is unlikely to make it into my team. If you're looking to start him agree he's a risky choice.

    5. Siggy in the Middle
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Zinchenko. Double Everton defence (Coleman and Pickford) and Haller

    6. kime67
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      zero

    7. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Zinchenko, Origi, maybe KWP

  8. Super John McGinn-
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    A) Sterling + Tielemans + King
    B) KDB + Lucas/Fraser + Wilson

    Rest of the team:

    Pope
    Robbo, VVD, Digne, Dunk
    Salah (C), ***, Siggy, ***
    Vardy, ***

    Button, Kelly, Dendoncker, Greenwood

    1. The Yorkshire Pirlo
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      I see what you mean, it’s just whether to go Sterling or KDB.

      I’m on B at the moment, hard one to choose mate.

      1. Super John McGinn-
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Yeah definitely is hard, would be comfortable captaining Sterling where as not as sure on KDB so

  9. Snevitz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Was there any reason that Anderson went from scoring well in FPL terms to getting 2 points nearly every game later on in the season?

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Yeah - I transferred him in 🙁

    2. Tommyg
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      He's massively lazy from what I could tell. Always gonna be patchy cos he has that little bit of magic where it works or is doesn't.

    3. Netley Lucas
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      He's streaky, shoots a lot from distance and a lot were going in that tbh could have been saved.

    4. kime67
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      plays very wide and rarely gets in the box

    5. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Lazy player. And he was lazy even when scoring well. Just didnt seem to bother except when a good chance to score emerged

    6. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      WH mates said he started to become the main outlet from the back and received the ball deeper and wider.

    7. Swanremainsthesame
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Once the Sulk settled on saving himself for China there wasnt much left upfront for him to play off/with.
      Yarmolenko,Lanzini,Fornals, Haller recovered/bought in should be back on track- tho whether early doors or more towards Xmas remains to be seen.

  10. Wheato182
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Which one should i go for?

    A) Brooks/Vardy
    B) Perez/Wilson

    1. Chelsea91
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      B

    2. Tommyg
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      A

    3. Steiger
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      B

  11. SADIO SANÉ
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Could do with a 4.5 defender to play in GW2, not really bothered about the other fixtures, thoughts on any of these promoted ones?

    Sheff Utd vs CPL
    CHRIS BASHAM - Starts: 39 | Substitute appearances: 2 | Goals: 4 | Assists: 1
    JACK O’CONNELL - Starts: 41 | Goals: 3 | Assists: 3

    Norwich vs NEW
    MAX AARONS - Starts: 41 | Substitute appearances: 0 | Goals: 2 | Assists: 6
    JAMAL LEWIS - Starts: 42 | Substitute appearances: 0 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 4
    BEN GODFREY - Starts: 26 | Substitute appearances: 5 | Goals: 4 | Assists: 2
    TIMM KLOSE - Starts: 23 | Substitute appearances: 8 | Goals: 4 | Assists: 1

    1. SADIO SANÉ
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      any reason that Klose and Godfrey are goal scoring machines?

    2. The Yorkshire Pirlo
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      O’Connell impressed last season.

      Can’t go wrong with an overlapping centre back who’s also a threat from set pieces.

      1. *sigh*
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        This is true but if he needs a 4.5 purely for gw2 it has to be one of the Norwich full backs v Toon Shirley?

        1. The Yorkshire Pirlo
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          Fair point, for that one fixture Aarons is probably best shout then.

          1. SADIO SANÉ
            • 8 Years
            4 years, 8 months ago

            cheers both

  12. Chelsea91
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Set to go mate, any comment would be appreciate thanks
    Ederson
    Robbo,VVD,Laporte,Coleman
    Salah,Fraser,Sterling,Perez
    Deu,Jota

    Appreciate on the comment mate.

  13. Tommyg
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Totally get the dilemma of every other RMT and so I think it basically boils down to this for me.

    Sterling and vardy

    Vs

    KBD and Kane.

    Which pair scored the most over the season?

    1. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Question answered 1 billion times

      1. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        A probably

        1. Tommyg
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          1 billion and 1

    2. The Mighty Hippo
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      I'd say A

    3. Swanremainsthesame
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      So you already used your Wild Card?

  14. anish10
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Anyone going Mane over Salah?

    1. goriuanx
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Unless Salah switches sport, no.

      1. arndff_
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Do you want to switch IDs? Heard you got a really cool one. 😛

        1. goriuanx
          • 13 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          😉 😉

          1. arndff_
            • 12 Years
            4 years, 8 months ago

            Not surprised you sent me TWO emojis... 😉

            Good luck!

            1. goriuanx
              • 13 Years
              4 years, 8 months ago

              And yourself pal!

    2. Tommyg
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Nope. Literally no one as it makes no sense to.

      1. Tommyg
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        That's a bit blanket so let me explain. Since the rise in mane and drop in salah price, mane would have to have an extremely special season to match Salah so that little extra now appears to be well worth it.

    3. mazzington☘
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      No. Salah's underlying stats are far superior as far as I'm aware and Mane went deeper int the African Nations Cup.

    4. AuFeld
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Mane was really reliable towards the end of last season when it came to home matches. I will consider him when he returns.

  15. Winter_is_coming
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    If make a straight comparison, better to start with 1 or 2?

    1) Sterling and 4,5 defender
    2) KDB and Laporte

    Salah perma-captain.

    1. arndff_
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      B

  16. Ci Siamo
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Choose one:

    a) Siggy

    b) Fraser

    1. Chelsea91
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Fraser

  17. kime67
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    People going without sterling are deluded. Kdb for example has never scored over 10 goals and isnt a vaptain option

    1. goriuanx
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      When you make outlandish claims, you should back them up with statistics.

    2. Ci Siamo
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Have you seen KDB's stats before last season?

    3. kime67
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Its history. Hes injury prone too

      1. Wally banter
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        And your example was from future?

    4. Moxon
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Salah perma cap

      1. avfc82
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Salah captain every week - people are really doing that?

        1. Moxon
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          It's a legit tactic. Or you can captain players like Vardy, Son, or KDB with the leftover Sterling funds

          1. avfc82
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 14 Years
            4 years, 8 months ago

            Does his away form at City, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal and Man Utd last season not worry you?

            He didn't return in any of them.

        2. jomikijiq
          • 8 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          I'm going for Salah & Sterling rotation, but perma Salah is completely viable and very good for spreading value around the team

          1. avfc82
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 14 Years
            4 years, 8 months ago

            I disagree it's a viable strategy when you look at his returns against City, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal and Man Utd last season. In those 10 games home and away, he scored 2.

    5. kime67
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      you cant captain salah every gw bro

      1. Moxon
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Sure you can

    6. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      People picking Sterling with Salah (C) in their team are deluded

      1. Karan14
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        GW3/4 Sterling non owners will be in panic mode.

        1. Brosstan
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          Sterling owners will have problems having Son. Im fine thanks

          1. Ask Yourself
            • 7 Years
            4 years, 8 months ago

            GW3WC will be sterling/Son as my captaincy rotation. Makes for such a sexy well rounded team

      2. jomikijiq
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        yes, picking both only really makes sense if you rotate the captaincy

      3. Wally banter
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        LOL!

    7. Valar(Keith)
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Haha. I hope he isn't a vaptain option.. Sounds like the king of the juuls. Speaking of.. What u been smoking with this random post and claim?

    8. DAZZ
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Depends how you look at it. Sterling got 234 points last season, and KDB got 209 the season before, that’s what he’s capable of. He’ll be fit this season with a point to prove. The extra 2.5 saved on KDB is the difference between a 4.0 bench fodder and Laporte/VVD or Greenwood and King/Deulofeu/Jota. KDB will hit 200 this season, im sure of it

  18. Salarrivederci
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    What do you think about this rotating 4.5 keepers and 5.0 mids?
    Got 1.0 ITB to help myself adapt to whatever hits us in the face in the first 1-2 GW's. Will ofc watch the keeper situation at Burnley.

    Pope - (Steer)
    TAA - VVD - Laporte - Digne - (Kelly)
    Salah (C) - KDB - Sigurdsson - Norwood - (Wilshere)
    Vardy - King - (Greenwood)

  19. Tabasco
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Hi guys,

    A) VVD, Pérez & Wilson
    B) 4.5, Fraser & Vardy

    1. Don Kloppeone
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      A for me

      1. Coys96
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        A defo

  20. Don Kloppeone
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Afternoon all

    Currently settled on a template 4-4-2 with Wilson and Deulo up top.
    However, having a tinker with Vardy options and I come up with this team:

    Pope
    TAA, VVD, Zinch, Digne
    Salah, Sterling, Perez, XXXX
    Vardy, Wilson
    (Button) (Dendo, Greenwood, Kelly)

    I have £5.5m for that last mid slot. If I went down this avenue, I'm not sure who I'd pick (Moutinho? Gomes?!). Alternative is to downgrade Digne to Coleman and have £6m for the mid slot which opens up Townsend, Grealish, JWP .etc

    The unappealing options are making me want to forget Vardy and just go with Deulo up top and then have Siggy in mid slot but keen to hear people's opinions

    Cheers

    1. Swanremainsthesame
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      TAA + 5.5mid or Gomez+7.0mid ?
      Im thinking the latter could be better & more agile for TF

      1. Don Kloppeone
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Cheers but I don’t think I can stomach the TAA to Gomez move. Too much risk!

    2. Karan14
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      King/Deulofeu & Siggy/Rich/Fraser/Moura over Vardy & 5.5m mid imo.

      1. Don Kloppeone
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Yeh that’s what I’m on atm as it just feels much more rounded. It’s just Vardy always entices and you wonder if this will be the season he becomes explosive rather than just steady points delivery as normal

    3. Whazza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Go 5 at the back, you can have decent defender for 5.5 but no mids

      1. Don Kloppeone
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        The main issue with that is the limitations on the mid. I’d have to play only 3 mids and I just think that is risky and that is the player bracket with the most upside (assists plus CS points to add to any goals)

    4. Marjie
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      I had a very similar team to yours, but made the decision to get KdB instead of Sterling, thus enabling me to get Laporte and Fraser. Coleman over Digne. Team looks better but I may still switch back to Sterling!

  21. Maddi Son
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Is it not a fallacy to say that because Cairney was a fail least season, it means Norwood will be this season? I'm sure people would've said the same thing about Camarasa last season, and he ended up being decent value.

    1. Valar(Keith)
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Norwood will actually start, has penos and most set pieces in his locker. Worth a punt imo.. However, don't expect a higher than 120 poiny season(which is very satisfactory for his price) but also keep a contingency plan if he begins to have a Joe ralls season

    2. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      What about 0.5 more for Robinson?

      1. Maddi Son
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        He's defo on my radar since you brought him up. Although 5.0 for someone who takes pen's and free kicks seems ideal for fantasy. You're not expecting much at all to justify the price.

        1. Andy_Social
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          I've got him pencilled in due to chat on here. I'm really waiting for Mason Mount, but if he's too expensive I'll stick with Norwood. I just remember him as a kid at United - long time ago now. If he's on pens, why did he only score 3 goals last season?

          1. Maddi Son
            • 6 Years
            4 years, 8 months ago

            That's a fair point. 3 goals in the championship for someone on pens is pretty poor actually. 8 assists aint bad although it's obvs a different level. Hmmm

          2. Maddi Son
            • 6 Years
            4 years, 8 months ago

            Just had a look and I think Sharp was on pens last season. So were those 3 goals from open play?

          3. Valar(Keith)
            • 14 Years
            4 years, 8 months ago

            The pen order was sharp(until he missed) , mcgoldricks(until Norwood scored one when wasn't on the pitch) and finally Norwood(hasn't missed yet).. They seem to ve following a rotation policy with pens and it's Norwoods turn now until he misses.

            1. Andy_Social
              • 11 Years
              4 years, 8 months ago

              Okay, well I have a 5-3-2 with my intention to have Norwood and Donkers as benchies, so I can take the punt.

    3. *sigh*
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Just think I can’t trust him as a 4th mid and Dendonker is perfect as a 4.5m fifth. Also Sheffs fixtures aren’t too kind first 10 weeks or so.

  22. Coys96
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    1. Sterling + Deulofeu
    2. Siggy + Kane

    1. dunas_dog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      1

  23. Dybala10
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Team looks far nicer swapping Sterling to KDB and you can upgrade Deulofeu to Rashford (0.5 to spare) but the issue is, do you want to perma captain Salah?

    The rotation between Salah and Sterling with captaincy works great for the opening few months and as we saw last season, Salah is human and can blank against easy teams.

    1. Karan14
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Cant look past Sterling(c) for GW 3&4 (bou & BHA).

      1. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Prefer Kane in GW3 personally. Last season Bournemouth bus parked and it was 0-1.

        1. Whazza
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          This and Brighton at home was 2-0

          1. Karan14
            • 7 Years
            4 years, 8 months ago

            Sterling got double digits in that game and Brighton had a manager who parked the bus in all away games.

        2. Karan14
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          That was March this year when City needed wins more than goals.

          City always go for it at the start of the season.

      2. yakirh
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        I think Salah vs ARS better captain choice than Sterling vs bou
        Last match was 5-1 pool

      3. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Son/Kane is just as good in gw 3 and Burnley away is hardly a challenge for Liverpool

    2. LSK
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Both Salah and Sterling can blank against easy teams, and score against difficult ones, you’re just as likely to miss a haul as you are to catch one by rotating captains.

  24. Crazygopher
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Any thoughts
    Ryan button
    Balb boly vvd rob kelly
    Zaha jorg sterling salah noble
    Kun king green

    1. Crazygopher
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Idea is I can downgrade one of the big hitters. And up grade in defence or midfield after the first few gws

  25. Crayon Shinchan
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Rmt thanks (5-4-1)

    Fab

    TAA, VVD, Robbo, Laporte , Digne

    Siggy, KDB, B Silva, Richarlison

    Kane

    Sub Norris, dendonker , greenwood, nketiah

    1. LangerznMash
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Not seen a team with 3 x £8.0m mids before. Makes me feel uneasy. Surely better ways to distribute the £33.5m you have in the middle.

    2. Holteenderinthesky
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      No Salah or Sterling will leave you chasing before you've even started

    3. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Ooh, I like that. good value in those midfielders. I prob wouldn't have both Toffees mind - if I went Rich>Maddison I could turn Nketiah into something useful. Prob with that bench is you have no flexibility to change the system without taking hits.

  26. MysticMac17
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Anyone else going without Salah and going for Pool triple defence instead? Rotating captaincy between Sterling and Kane looks good to me.

    My current draft:

    Pope
    Coleman Zinchenko TAA VVD Robbo
    Sterling Siggi Fraser
    Kane Wilson

    Subs: Button, Dendoncker, Greenwood, Hayden

    1. Holteenderinthesky
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Just think of your horror when Salah bags two or three against Norwich with everyone captaining him. Whilst Pukki scores a pointless goal to make it 3-1

      1. Rostah
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Imagine other people's horror when it's Origi that bags those goals with a TAA assist thrown in there and Pukki doesn't score. Hypotheticals like this are a bit pointless really.

        1. Holteenderinthesky
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          Not really, will come down to effective Ownership. Salah will be ridiculously high. So if he even scores one your left chasing most weeks. Three defenders from one team is overkill who ever it is. 1 goal and you lose 3 players defensive returns.

          1. Rostah
            • 9 Years
            4 years, 8 months ago

            Nah don't get me wrong, I've got draft teams with Salah in and Salah out. I'm undecided on the matter atm. I just don't like hypotheticals such as Salah getting 2 or 3 goals and Liverpool conceding. This is a longterm game so the more apt hypothetical is will Liverpool get as many CSs as last season or not, will Salah perform like last season or his breakthrough season, etc etc. Judging the validity of 3atb from Liverpool on 1 single gameweek is pointless.

            1. MysticMac17
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 5 Years
              4 years, 8 months ago

              Yes exactly, that hypothesis is only valid if you have weak knees, panic and bring in Salah the week after

            2. Holteenderinthesky
              • 5 Years
              4 years, 8 months ago

              I hear what your saying but high priced attacking players are slightly different. There in your team for an obvious captain choice. Salah In particular is going to be highly captained, if you have some other alternatives for each GW fair enough. When these players do well your rank will suffer massively. It's a long-term game yes but you need to look at how to maximize your points each GW. For example would you really want 3 Liverpool defenders when they play the other top 6?

              1. MysticMac17
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 5 Years
                4 years, 8 months ago

                Wouldn't worry about Arsenal, United and Chelsea this season but maybe Id be worried for the City and Spurs games yes. That's four games in the whole season though.

                In those weeks where people will be captaining Salah, Ill be captaining Kane or Sterling. Kane has just as good a chance of hauling at home to Villa as Salah does at home to Norwich imo

              2. Rostah
                • 9 Years
                4 years, 8 months ago

                Agreed on everything you've said to varying degree's. As I said Ive not made up my mind on the matter yet but if I did go with 3atb I've no doubt a combo of Sterling & Kane on captain duty can keep up with a perma Salah cap all season. Barring injuries they should all score 200+ points easily. The attractiveness of a Liverpool 3atb is there aren't really any other defenders that are as likely to score 200+ in the season.

                Even Alonso at his height was only a 177pt player and listed at 7m the following year. Defenders getting 200+ and being listen at or below that price is madness. Say you go for even Laporte over a 3rd Liv defender and they all return similar to last season your getting 30pts less for the same price. Sterling & Kane will likely be within 30 pts of Salah all said and done and if the captain rotation goes your way you can score more points from them as C than perma Salah.

                Again worth saying, I'm just positing the potential upsides of going without Salah. Not fully sold on this method yet myself but seriously considering it.

      2. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        This was the point I made yesterday after Kane's goal

        I've no problem taking it in the chin if Kane hattricks v Villa

        But I'd be absolutely kicking myself if Salah braces v Norwich

        1. Holteenderinthesky
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          If Salah does well his effective ownership will leave you massively chasing. Where as with Kane if he does well it won't hurt you as much.

    2. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Yes, that's me. V similar team but with Jota as my 2nd striker, I can get Ederson in goal.
      Obvs will be bricking it if Salah's on fire, but a few 1-0s with Salah blanking will wipe the smirk off a good few faces!

      1. Whazza
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        You're forgetting most people have two pool defs, so basically you're 3 points up when that happens, as Salah gets a CS point. Not worth risking going without Salah for that I'm afraid.

        1. Andy_Social
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          Fair point. I'm sure my draft will change a few (hundred) times.

    3. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Salah destroyed one season for me when betting against him so personally no...

    4. LangerznMash
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      I've found myself in this situation. I'm not happy with gambling so heavily on Liverpool clean sheets. Will transfer one out on GW3.

    5. SB8
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Have exatly the same squad right now. But looking at Pool`s fixtures can`t find a lot of 100% CSs. So trying to find a better value than VVD.

      1. MysticMac17
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Great minds. You wont be able to find a better 6.5 player than VVD. Trust the process. Most people will be going double Pool defence so triple shouldn't worry you as much as you think

  27. Holteenderinthesky
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Thoughts on these two teams please, What's everyone prefer and want changes you'd make?

    A) Ryan
    TAA, VVD, Coleman, Dunk
    Salah, Sterling, Perez, 6.0
    Kane, King

    Button, Targett, Dendonker, Greenwood

    B) Ryan
    TAA, VVD, Coleman, Dunk
    Salah, Sterling, KDB, Siggy
    King, Jota

    Button, Kelly, Dendonker, Greenwood.

  28. ‘Tis the Season
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Who are the highest scorning watford defenders?
    Cathcart
    Holebas
    Kiko

    1. Holteenderinthesky
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Holebas, just have enough cover for when he gets banned a few times throughout the year

    2. Klein
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Holebas

  29. Rains of Castamere
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Been on a 2-month FPL break having got close to burn out towards the back end of last season.

    Can people explain why Pope and Kelly are in most teams - aside from the fact they're cheap? Has pre-season shown them to be nailed on?

    1. AuFeld
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Not nailed. Speculation at best. We still don't know who the first choice keeper is at Burnely.

    2. Klein
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Hard to find anyone else in the price bracket. Only ryan, gunn and promoted teams have 4.5 Gk. And no 4.0 sure starter def. Kelly looks like starting but nothing is sure.

    3. Rains of Castamere
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      OK cheers both.

  30. MysticMac17
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Posted this over a week ago but will post again as a reminder and maybe spark some debate.

    This time last season on here, nearly everyone was afraid to go without Salah and were saying how essential he was. It turned out those who went without Salah up until the Bournemouth game did better generally speaking. The Salah no-owners were only burnt by not having him for a 2 month period over Xmas time onwards. And yet one season on, history repeats itself and 99% of the teams in here have Salah. Triple Pool defence is the answer! Preach!

    1. Klein
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Problem is Salah was still getting tons of chances then. He failed to finish on most of them. If he finds his feet and others captain him you could see yourself on million rank immediately. Mane was cheaper then. Now i think salah is a must have.

      1. MysticMac17
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        And Kane is now cheaper this season along with VVD, Robbo and TAA (the three best value players in the game) being priced nicer than most expected

        1. Skalla
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 8 months ago

          Salah is also cheaper though , was keen on going without until he was knocked out early in Afcon. My punt will prob be to captain Kane over Salah for GW1.

    2. Whazza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      😀

    3. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      I've got the Pool Big 3 at the back and risking going without Salah. I don't think you're reasoning makes any sense mind - I'm just taking a gamble.