Pro Pundits

Should Fantasy managers ever ‘triple up’ on a team?

The 2014/15 FPL champion, Simon March, asks if owning three players from the same Premier League club is advisable.


Fantasy Premier League has seen plenty of iconic duos: Carroll and Barton, Drogba and Lampard, Vardy and Mahrez, the list goes on. These are players who, while playing in the same team, both managed to score substantial points and frequently combined to score those points by assisting each other’s goals. If you had both in your FPL team at their peak, chances are you were doing well. Everyone loves a good double-up.

But what about triple-ups? They’re popular, too, but is it really a good idea to select three players from the same team? That’s the question I’ll be discussing this week.

Among the few firm rules that I rigidly observe in FPL is this: ‘Never triple up on a team who are likely to finish mid-table or below’. I learned this lesson in the 2015/16 season when my title defence was upended early on by my now-curious decision to Wildcard in three Swansea players (though, in my defence, this was a popular move at the time) just before they went from surprise early-season title candidates to winning just two games in their next 17. In my opinion, mid-to-lower table teams will rarely, if ever, sustain the form required to justify owning three (non-bench fodder) players or, indeed, they would not be mid-to-lower table teams.

While I’m unlikely to be talked out of this position personally, the question of whether tripling-up on any team is a good idea is more controversial.

On one hand, you have the philosophy that, if a team tends to score more goals than anybody else, and/or keeps more clean sheets, as per Liverpool or Manchester City in the past few seasons, it’s a good idea to have as many players from that team as possible. There is no doubt that, at times, this is a good move and, those who do time it correctly will no doubt profit as a result. Where such a team has a Double Gameweek, there’s even more reason to believe in the potential of a triple-up.

There are, however, a few problems associated with tripling up with players from the top teams. Firstly, it tends to be expensive. Man City may, for example, score more goals than most teams this season and they might also keep more clean sheets, but to triple up on them could cost 25-30%+ of your overall budget. At that point, the question is no longer just: ‘Will they score me enough points?’ It becomes: ‘Will the rest of my team be good enough to compensate if they don’t?’ There’s usually a good chance that a savvy FPL manager can find similar returns for less if they shop around.

The big exception to all of this is when a team who were expected to be mid-to-lower table end up performing really well throughout the whole season. The most obvious example of this phenomenon is 2015/16 title-winners Leicester from which you could purchase three of the highest-scoring players in the game that season for roughly the price of a McDonald’s Happy Meal. Of course, such teams are most notable by their rarity.

Why else could tripling up be ill-advised? One suggestion lies in the mechanics of how scoring occurs in football generally. A player scoring is always the product of their own ability to score, their team’s ability to provide them with opportunities to score and their opposition’s ability (or inability) to stop them from scoring. However, there is also a temporal aspect to this equation. A match only has 90 minutes (or sometimes 100 minutes if you’re a certain Manchester-based club…) and, thus, your triple-ups are sharing that time between them. They cannot all score points at once even if two combine for a goal and, therefore, their ability to score is naturally limited. This might not be a problem if the team they play for scores loads of goals every match, but history tells us that this is not sustainable over time, even for the very best teams. Players and teams go in and out of form, fixtures become more difficult and, when you triple up, all three of your players are affected by these same conditions.

This issue may be less true of defenders as clean sheet points are attributed equally across a defensive line. However, as a result of this, their point-scoring potential is interdependent, one goal conceded affects them all. Over a long enough period of time, this might not matter in terms of points scored (i.e. Liverpool defenders may keep the most clean sheets in total over a season) but, again, this raises the question of value for money and, particularly, whether the funds tied up in expensive defenders could benefit your team more if invested elsewhere, or by being more liquid.

How Liverpool's defensive assets compare after their FPL price changes

Finally, while some believe that having multiple players from a single team means they are likely to get some points whatever happens, the opposite could actually be true. Because they share many of the same conditions, teammates may be more prone to rotation at the same time (e.g. ahead of a big Champions League match), illness (think Spurs and ‘Lasagna-Gate’), expected or unexpected match cancellations (…sigh), tough fixtures or even just teams losing form, as even the best ones will sometimes do. Tripling up will always compound these kinds of risks.

In conclusion, while I am not personally a big fan of tripling up on players from a single team, I can see that there are instances when it can pay off, if timed correctly. There are also exceptional circumstances where it can be a practically essential, no-brainer, value move (e.g. Leicester 15/16) to have three players from the same team. Tripling up in a Double Gameweek or Blank Gameweek may also be well worthwhile and, finally, some of the limitations that apply to attacking players in a triple-up may not apply as much to defenders, making a defensive double or triple-up arguably more of a viable move. 

However, by virtue of the players all sharing the same conditions and constraints on scoring and the typically high cost of tripling up on the best teams, the practice of tripling up in FPL will almost always be a higher-risk strategy that, as a result, is less likely to pay off over time than a broader and more flexible strategy.

In my eyes triple-ups are a lot like buying an expensive goalkeeper; it makes sense at the time, they’ll probably score you some points, but give it a few weeks and you’ll always start to think whether you could be doing something better with the money.


Simon is a former FPL world champion, claiming the coveted price in 2014/15. But there is more to this man than one season of good fortune. Since 2009, Simon has finished in the top 7k four times, only ending up outside the world’s top 60k once in an 11-campaign career.

2,478 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Hits from the Bong
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Anything worth a hit here? Steer to Johnstone? KDB?

    Martinez
    Chilwell Bellerin Coufal
    Salah Bruno Son Jota Grealish
    Kane DCL

    Steer Brewster Neco Kilman

  2. Muscout
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Would you rather have Son or Sterling this week?

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Without hindsight, the one I know is going to start.

    2. sully29
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Son, simply because I know he'll play. Obviously if Sterling plays he's the one you'd want.

  3. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    How many angry Son & Ziyech sellers are there going to be come GW end?

    1. Tired and weary
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Keeping both, can see 15-20 points out of the pair

      1. Teahupo'o
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Same. And, salud to your prediction.

  4. Kasper the ghost keeper
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Lamptey in over James (have chilwell) if it means Adams over Welbeck next week ?

    1. Poison Apple
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Wouldnt mind welbeck for the next few tbh

  5. mash
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    McCarthy
    Chilwell Justin KWP
    Fernandes Son Grealish* Jota
    Kane Vardy(c) DCL

    Steer Bissouma Davies Taylor

    1FT, 0.2 in the bank

    Want to keep Grealish and Fernandes. Will still captain Vardy this week even if I get in a Man City player. And reluctant, but not totally against losing Kane and/or Son ahead of a NLD.

    Had planned to have KDB and Salah in at this point and rotate the captaincy between them, but diverged from that when Salah had his positive test... lack of Man City coverage this week scares me!

    A) Roll transfer and hide behind the sofa Saturday afternoon
    B) Son to Mahrez
    C) Kane and Son to Banford and KDB (-4)
    D) Something else

    Think it's between A and B at the moment, what do you think?

    1. Ange Ball
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      b

  6. Ange Ball
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Who do I play

    A) Dallas
    B) Podence

    Even tho just done minus 4 to bring in Dallas see him 4.8m by GW14

    1. mash
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Tricky one - Podence edges it for me, but it's close.

  7. HVT
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Bench order correct?

    Mitch (wba), Burke (Lei), C Kilman (pool)

    Thanks

    1. PastaFasul
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Not much in it, 0, 1, 1

  8. Vasshin
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Is Steer to McCarthy worth for -4 hit when you have Martinez as well so that you can rotate from next week

  9. sully29
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Current team:

    Martinez
    Dias, Coufal, Lamptey
    KDB(c), Fernandes, Son, Ziyech
    DCL, Bamford, Brewster

    4.0gk, Kilman, Grealish, Targett.

    3.1m ITB.

    Anything worth taking a hit for? Currently inclined just to leave it and keep the money to bring in Salah next week.

    1. BERGKOP
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      I've save and stick to your plan.

      1. sully29
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Figured, thanks!

    2. Kay317
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Out of interest who are you bringing Salah in for? We have the same midfield and attack and I'm planning to bring him in too, just can't decide who to ditch for him.

  10. Nightf0x
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    With 9.0, pick 1 gk & 1 def.?

    A) mesiler - mcarthy - johnstone
    B) dallas/alioski/cooper - clyne/dann - taylor - masuku/balbuena - furlong/bartley - fuchs

  11. ZimZalabim
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Just pulled the trigger on Grealish to Mahrez for -4. Going in with 10 players this week. No Keeper.

    Will get Grealish back in gw 13

    Now the question is do I captain Mahrez or Kdb ?

    1. FPL FAN
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      KDB

  12. Jam0sh
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    People holding onto Villa players. Are you playing them just in case the fixture gets rescheduled for this gw?

    1. FPL FAN
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Yes

    2. sully29
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Yeah, no reason not to really.

    3. ZimZalabim
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Currently its more likely that Newcastle will have another fixture postponed, they have to be able to train as a team before they can have their games back on.

    4. All about the galacticos
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      yes, even though unlikely

  13. FPL FAN
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Repost:

    Martinez and Grealish ---> Johnstone and Mahrez for free?

    This is a team:
    Martinez Steer
    Cancelo Chilwell Vestergaard Justin Coufal
    KDB Bruno Ziyech Jota Grealish
    Vardy Bamford Watkins

    1. ZimZalabim
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      yes

  14. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Hi all. Team is in a bit of a bad state!

    Martinez*
    James Cancelo* KWP
    Jota Son Fernandes Klich
    Kane Werner DCL

    Forster Grealish* Coufal Mitchell*

    1.8m ITB. How does Son + Cancelo => KDB + 4.4m DEF (-4) sound?

    I would captain KDB and that would leave enough cash to move KDB to Salah the following GW. 4.4m options seem to be Charlie Taylor, Alioski, Webster and Antonee Robinson. None are great, I was thinking Webster due to decent fixtures and solid xG stats.

  15. FCSB
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    First to 5 please, before price changes...

    No pressing issues and 1FT (1.5itb)

    Ziyech >>

    1. Mahrez
    2. Save

    Thanks

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      2

    2. FPL FAN
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      2

    3. Pariße
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      mahrez no show just around the corner (prob not this week) but Ziyech doesnt create enough to be a good pick. Whoever you think will do best tomorrow and switch to Grealish next week.

    4. Bojam
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      What's up? Had a change of heart?

      1. FCSB
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Haha no, I actually have 2 teams... this one is more differentials... I was going to hold but thinking maybe getting Mahrez in as I didn’t in the other one

        Sounds complicated I know

    5. All about the galacticos
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      1 if team is fully sorted
      2 - if you can use that transfer next week to bring in salah

    6. sully29
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      1 if you're happy to soon spend another ft getting rid of him again.

      If not 2 and sell Ziyech later for someone more secure.

  16. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    KDB looks to be rising in 20 minuets

    Sterling and Grealish ➡️ (K)DB and Jota -4?

    1. FPL FAN
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Go for it

    2. All about the galacticos
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      don't like hits, but that is definitely worthwhile, especially if you have plan to get back grealish in couple of gw

  17. Pariße
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Look at this filthy team, how am I still on 200k?

    McCarthy
    Robbie, Hector, Chill, Dias
    Insallah, Diogo, James, Heung-Min,
    with Harry and Dominic up front.

    1. Yank Revolution
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Midfield is weak - Get James and Son out.

      1. Pariße
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Yeah no, and not this weak. Probably James in the next one for Grealish, but Son is still top on points. Both have good underlying stats too. Much better than the likes od Mahrez, Jota etc.

  18. Kasper the ghost keeper
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    With Dunk back in the team can we expect more clean sheets for Brighton to boost Lampteys appeal?

  19. ball c
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Current team:

    Martinez
    James - Justin - Neco - Cancelo - PVA
    Grealish - KDB (c) - Sterling - Bruno - Jota
    Watkins - DCL - Brewster

    2.0m itb

    To keep it a bit different, for minus 4..
    Watkins to Werner and Cancelo to Nkounkou.

    Or instead of Werner do Watkins to Jesus?

  20. yanky
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    any news on newcastle west brom being postponed? im sure we dont know but wasnt sure if there was any chatter out there? wilson on my radar next week.

    1. ZimZalabim
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Its still a wait and see for now, they will probably have some news out tomorrow or Monday that will give us a clue.
      But as far as most isolation periods have gone in terms of people coming in direct contact with positive players etc, like with armstrong and coady it is a 14 day self isolation so if the full squad and staff have to do that after 5 positive cases I dont think the game can go on unless they decide to have some special rule alterations or there are multiple tests done that come back negative in succession.

      Tl/dr - its a wait and see.

    2. All about the galacticos
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      can't imagine another game is postponed, there'll be a huge fixture pile up. they'd have to extend the league.
      Just a guess, is they'll be forced to play those games with anyone covid clear and youth team.

      1. Now I'm Panicking
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        8 free midweeks next year for teams not in Europe.

  21. Teahupo'o
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    G2G?

    James Justin Lamptey
    KDB Bruno Son Ziyech Mahrez
    Vardy DCL

    (Martinez Steer, Brewster Dallas Mitchell)
    0FT 0.4ITB

    1. LSK
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Gtg.

      1. Teahupo'o
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Cheers

    2. yanky
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      whats ur plans next week with kdb mahrez bruno all playing in a tough game?

      1. Teahupo'o
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Planning on holding the first 2. United are hardly tight at the back. Might move Bruno to Salah.

        1. yanky
          • 14 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          got it, yeah im trying to get kdb salah bruno together, utd have good fixtures after city and bruno lock to play— its a tough sell for me. currently have mahrez and was gonna bring in kdb for a hit (from son) this week but i may very well wait for gwk13 due to the united fixture

  22. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Bought Grealish for 7.0 if he falls tonight do I lose money ? 7.3 value right now

    1. Cookie Kid
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Nope

      1. Champions League Varane
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Ty

  23. Cookie Kid
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    What time are price changes currently?

    1. Teahupo'o
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      In 14 minutes.

  24. Woy_is_back
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Martinez Street
    Should I transfer Martinez or Steer? 0.7 itb

    1. Woy_is_back
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      *steer

      1. Pariße
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Steer

    2. Teahupo'o
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Hold. Difficult for a gk hit to pay off short term, and Villa have good fixture coming up including a dgw.

      1. Teahupo'o
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        *fixtures

      2. Woy_is_back
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        I have a free transfer though

        1. Teahupo'o
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 3 months ago

          Personally, I'd only use it if happy with the replacement long term.

  25. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    How’s she looking?

    Martinez*
    Zouma Lamptey Justin
    Son Ziyech Bruno Mahrez(c)
    Kane Vardy DCL

    Forster Dallas Coufal Burke

    1. Pariße
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Won’t risk it on the goalie?

      1. La Roja
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 3 months ago

        Already on -4 lol

    2. Teahupo'o
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Fit

  26. Ray In Bruges.
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    McCarthy (Nyland)
    Chilwell Zouma Justin KWP (Kilman)
    Fernandes(VC) KDB(C) Son Jota (Grealish)
    Werner DCL (Brewster)

    0FT, 0.6ITB

    Am I G2G here?, any feedback appreciated!

    1. Szczajuszka
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 3 months ago

      Looks great. Good luck.

  27. boroie
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Is this worth a -8?

    Sterling -> KDB
    Watkins -> Adams
    Cancelo -> Dias

  28. DycheDycheBaby
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Martinez*
    Cresswell, Chilwell, Konsa*
    Bruno, Son, Jota , Grealish*
    Adams, Vardy, DCL
    Forster, Kilman, Saiss, Bissouma

    Help please!! Choose one or suggest something else?
    a) Grealish/Son --> Mahrez/KDB -4
    b) Saiss/Grealish --> James/KDB -4
    c) Bissouma --> Mahrez
    d) Grealish --> KDB

  29. Ronny Sandstone
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    Thinking Grealish to Jota (prevents me having to play Brewster) Grealish should drop tonight right? of so I'll only be 0.2 worse off should I buy him back again, i'll pair Jota up with Salah for Fulham next week - overkill?

  30. Crouch Potato
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 3 months ago

    After lots of FH juggling I have arrived at this, does it look ok?

    McCarthy,
    Walker, Furlong, James,
    KDB(c) , Mahrez, Jota, Son, Fernandes
    Kane. Abraham.

    Forster, Kilman, Williams, Davis .