Pro Pundits - Simon

When should Fantasy managers trust the stats or go with their gut?

Former Fantasy Premier League winner Simon March discusses one of the game’s age-old debates in his latest column…


Within the Fantasy Premier League community, the decisions we make and our reasons for making them represent an endless source of debate.

Yet one inarguable justification does exist, one that simply cannot provoke any other response than immediate, unqualified acceptance, perhaps even with a touch of admiration too. That justification? “I’ve just got a feeling about it.”

That such reasoning is so ubiquitous and so widely accepted does raise a couple of questions. Firstly why, in a game so overflowing with data, are we so ready to follow our feelings when making decisions and, secondly, is deferring to them a good or a bad idea? Addressing these questions will be the focus of this week’s article.

Why We Go With Our Gut

Injury updates on Gundogan, KDB and other Double Gameweek 25 team news

There’s an undeniable romanticism about going with your gut. Perhaps it is the sincerity that comes with making a decision entirely on your own terms, or maybe it’s the brave willingness to trust in forces that are not quite visible to us. Just as Obi-Wan Kenobi’s advice to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars to “Trust your feelings” played a vital role in the latter’s heroic journey, there is nothing more valorous in FPL than to make a choice based entirely on instinct.

However, following a feeling is not necessarily an irrational thing to do. Indeed, there is an evolutionary root to our tendency to do it. We develop these feelings as a shorthand method of processing large amounts of information quickly. In the early days of man, this method was a vital means of quickly identifying survival threats and, as the world became more complex, it also became an important way of making sense of our ever-changing environments.

Gut instinct also has a place in the modern world. It is the reason you hear stories of veteran firefighters saving their teams because they ‘just knew’ that the burning building was about to collapse and everybody needed to get out. You see it constantly on the football field too. Players often, in a split second, make a decision that pundits spend hours, days or sometimes decades trying to explain. Think Pele’s pass for Carlos Alberto’s goal in the 1970 World Cup Final or Olivier Giroud’s Puskas-winning scorpion-kick against Crystal Palace in 2017. These were not consciously-deliberated acts but, rather, they were glorious moments of human instinct incarnate.

Often, in such situations, the individuals in question cannot verbalise how they knew to do what they did, they just did it. Some refer to this as a sixth sense but, in reality, it is likely to be the manifestation of a person receiving enough exposure to certain situational or environmental factors that they no longer had to consciously process the information, their subconscious did it for them.

By this rationale, not only should we be able to trust our feelings when making decisions as Fantasy managers but the quality of those feelings as decision-making tools should increase the more experience we have of playing the game. I’ve no doubt that after a decade or so of playing FPL, I have better instincts than when I first started playing the game, forged, as they have been, in the flames of Shane Duffy Double Gameweek captaincy fails and benched Harry Kane hauls. I’ve seen enough shaky bandwagons in my time to no longer get sucked into them as often as I might have and, equally, there are times where I just know if a player is going to do well or not and I turn out to be right. Am I a better player for all of this experience though? That is definitely debatable.

The Dangers of Following your FPL Feelings 

Unfortunately, there are two sides to developing FPL instincts via experience. Just as we learn to avoid certain mistakes, we become prone to making new ones through the same psychological mechanism. Often, our subconscious decisions are driven by whatever we can draw on as our most easily-accessible comparable example. As a result, we put (sometimes too much) faith in a player because we recall them once scoring a hat-trick or because they remind us of another player who did well in similar circumstances. Over time, we build up these reference points against which we make our decisions, many of which will be unreliable. As a result, we sometimes make worse decisions the more experience we get.

For example, an FPL manager who did not experience or benefit from Michu, Swansea’s budget midfield goal-scoring phenomenon who exploded onto the FPL scene in 2012, will probably be less likely to take a chance on a similarly unproven asset than those of us with fond memories of the Michu era. As we’ve seen, particularly this season, trusting unproven assets (at least from the start) is a risky move that probably fails more often than it pays off.

We might also miss opportunities by allowing our decisions to be driven by our most easily-recalled comparisons. For example, after a superb goal-scoring start to this season by Leeds’ Patrick Bamford, many of us would have been drawing mental parallels with Norwich’s Teemu Pukki last season who, like Bamford, also played for a newly-promoted team and also started out banging in the goals like goals were about to be banned, but dropped off considerably after about a dozen matches. Many of us will have avoided Bamford for that exact reason or transferred him out as soon as a similar decline looked like a possibility. Instead, Bamford has continued to score fairly consistently all season so far. Thus, while the comparison to Pukki was easy to make, it was not ultimately an accurate one.

Bamford and Raphinha star in audition for Double Gameweek 25 2

Experience, therefore, is a double-edged sword. It has the potential to allow us to develop the equivalent of an FPL ‘spider-sense’ yet, at the same time, it can cause us to become too rigid, unadaptive and stuck in our ways, perhaps causing us to believe that what we’ve seen is actually all there is to see, or cause us to be too sceptical about the viability of emerging opportunities. 

How Can FPL Managers Learn to Trust Their Better Instincts?

So how can FPL managers learn to trust our good instincts and ignore our bad ones? Should we be acting on instinct at all? The key, perhaps, is to recognise what’s going on below the surface and that, just because you have a strong feeling about something, it isn’t necessarily a valid reason to go with it. While instinct and experience can, undeniably, be valuable assets for an FPL manager, these kinds of decision-making mechanisms were, perhaps, not designed to resolve complex decisions of this type, at least not on their own.

In such moments, it is important to question the source of that feeling and how reliable it is as an indicator of what might happen in the future. Instinct may help you see opportunities that other managers don’t, or avoid the traps that others will fall into, but it may also create such traps if followed without sufficient interrogation. This is why it is important to sense-check decisions with some form of objective data or a second-opinion. If you have a feeling about a player, have a look to see if the statistics back it up or how the idea plays with other managers. For all the tools now available to FPL managers to aid in their decision-making, the FPL community is still arguably the most effective resource there is for refining our ideas.

To Dare is To Do

It may also be important to acknowledge also that, while experience can be valuable for an FPL manager, it will likely be less important than adaptability. No two seasons are ever the same and recognising this fact, and recognising it quickly, will often be crucial to success.

What weighting you give to any of the sources of information you draw on will always be up to you, nobody should ever follow a source blindly. But, unless you are some sort of FPL savant, entirely independent or esoteric decision-making will likely end up serving your rivals more often than it serves you. In the arena of going with your gut, this kind of sense-checking process is the high-fibre diet or the probiotic supplement that allows you to trust your gut with greater confidence and to help avoid it doing something bloated, messy and embarrassing.

657 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Super John McGinn-
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Looking to bench boost so can go back to a cheaper bench when I wildcard in 31

    Martinez*,
    Cancelo*, Dias*, Lowton*
    Salah*, Bruno* (Grealish)*, Gundo* Raphinia,
    Kane (C)*, DCL*

    Pope*, Bamford, Dallas, Mitchell*

    1 FT 2.0 ITB (BB, WC, TC)

    A) Grealish + Mitchell > Barnes + Digne/Regulion/Pereira (-4) BB
    B) Grealish + Mitchell + Pope > Son + Rudiger/Konsa + Areola (-8) BB

    1. URMothersLover
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      A

    2. waltzingmatildas
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      A

    3. Super John McGinn-
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Cheers both Digne best option?

      1. waltzingmatildas
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Think so yeah. If Reguilon was definitely going to play I'd be tempted

  2. vincentwsho
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    On a WC and may bench boost in 27 or 28... which do you prefer below?

    A) Stones + Dias + Soyuncu + Salisu
    B) L.Thomas + Cancelo + Dias + Salisu
    C) Cancelo + Stones + Vestergaard + L.Thomas

  3. CroatianHammer
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Pep, y u do dis? Cancelo surely starts if he said that? or does he? argggghhhhh

    1. SADIO SANÉ
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      means bench

    2. URMothersLover
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      If u want save get the keeper all the others will rotate.

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

      For Pep I assume the worst when he comes out with a quote about a player.

      Guardiola on Joao Cancelo: "He's playing really well. Sometimes in that position we have to control the risk. He is a player with huge quality and his physicality is overwhelming - he would be ready to play tomorrow and his two assists were brilliant."

      I'm just choosing to read it as" he would be ready to play tomorrow" [but] "in that position we have to control the risk".

      Therefore expecting to miss at least 1 of the 2. He stayed part of my team in my WC last week, I'll start him & won't captain, so no bother.

    4. grumpyman
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      He'll play just once in the DGW and that's fine by me.

    5. St Pauli Walnuts
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Said what?

  4. CheesyZoot
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Dallas > Keane this week to give me 14 DGW players on BB?

    Just worried to let Dallas go after his haul but keen to maximise the DGW

    1. URMothersLover
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      13 is enough and Leeds could put a couple past villa.

    2. FPLtfs
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Depends of you’re using FH in 29.

      1. CheesyZoot
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Reguillon the better shout then as he also plays in 29?

        1. FPLtfs
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          If you need players for 29 then I’d say so. Im not to sure about Spurs def though, so don’t have him in my WC draft atm.

          1. CheesyZoot
            • 4 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Yeh they aren't too solid at the back right now, but the fixtures seem good enough to punt

  5. FPLtfs
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    WC team. 0 itb. No BB or FH left. 7 players for Bgw29. Thoughts?

    Ederson
    Digne, Pereira, Konsa
    KdB, Bruno, Son, Gundo
    Kane, DCL, Watkins
    (Fabri, White, Struijk, Reed)

    1. URMothersLover
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Son to barns, give u extra 2 mil

      1. waltzingmatildas
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I'd be tempted by that move

      2. FPLtfs
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Interesting, cheers. Also gives me one less for gw29. Hmm

        1. waltzingmatildas
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Hmm good point.

    2. European Bob
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Excellent

  6. waltzingmatildas
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Interesting article, thanks.
    My gut told me to go ings last week, that didn't pay off.
    This week:
    Ings and mee to Watkins and digne (-4) - good move?!

    1. FPLtfs
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yes! Both in my WC draft.

      1. waltzingmatildas
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Worth a hit though? Ings does have a double next gw

    2. LeSof
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I’m on the same boat. Getting rid of Ings with hits. Good punt at first but in hindsight it backfired. Next double might as well be a single because of City and Saints have been awful.

      1. waltzingmatildas
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Yep, exactly. If grealish was fit I'd do it no worries, just slightly worried about that

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

    So the FPL Scout team is exactly the same as my WC last week, but Lookman over Stones.

    (Already got DCL, may get Digne)

    I'm in trouble...

    1. SADIO SANÉ
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      what is it?

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

        Their team is:

        Martinez
        Cancelo / Digne / Shaw
        Salah / Fernandes / Barnes / Gundogan / Lookman
        Kane / DCL

        Fernandes (C)
        Kane (VC)

  8. 03farmboy
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    What to do with this team 1ft?

    McCarthy, Meslier
    Digne, Stones, Shaw, Rudiger, alioski
    Salah, Bruno, Gundogan, Sterling, Saka
    DCL, Bamford, Antonio

    1. waltzingmatildas
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Money in the bank?

    2. Aurora
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Sort out the keepers

  9. Nice to Finally Michu
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Thoughts on a WC?

    A) Pereira Cancelo Son
    B) El Mohamady Dier De Bruyne

    1. Aurora
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      A is sensible + differential enough

    2. andres
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      A

    3. Nice to Finally Michu
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Cheers both

    4. ‘Tis the Season
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      like the El Mohamady pick

  10. andres
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Quick poll:

    If you are BB, how mamy non dgw players are you having?

    1. SADIO SANÉ
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      2

    2. Ian Davis
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      2 or 3

    3. A-L
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      1

    4. Willco97
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      3

    5. JohnnyRev7
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      3

    6. Pipermaru
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      2 ((Ings+Vestergaard) but also have two more players for DGW27, it was calculated when playing WC in GW25.

  11. Aurora
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Haven't posted on here for a while but could use your guys' help.
    Assuming Maddison is out this weekend, would you rather have...

    Salah and Bamford
    OR
    Kane and Barnes (-4).

    1. richarlison2348
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I feel like Kane and Barnes is very likely to exceed the 4 point hit. You'll have to be fine with taking out Salah, but that's what I would do.

    2. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      B

    3. The Seagulls and the Trawle…
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Kan and barnes

  12. Deulofail
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Play one:

    A) Mee (tot, LEI)
    B) Ings (eve)
    C) Minamino (eve)
    D) ESR (lei)

    1. Aurora
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Mee

    2. waltzingmatildas
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      A

    3. SADIO SANÉ
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Burnley defenders are a great hedge this week, Mee up

      1. Deulofail
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I would think that 4 points from Mee is most likely, then maybe 3, then a bit of a jump to 8, 7, 9, 10. Whereas Ings is mostly likely to get 2, then 5, 8, 6, 9 ish is only a little less likely, and 10+ is probably more likely from him than Mee. Not really convinced of anything though.

    4. Garlicbread
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Mee

  13. JJeyy
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Reguillon a good pick also playing in the blank or minutes too risky this week?

    1. CheesyZoot
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Wondering the exact same thing... rested in Europa at least

      Makes me feel better doing Dallas > Reguillon as Reguillon also plays in 29

    2. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Spurs are kak
      Not worth the tag

    3. Karan14
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Wondering the same. I'm weighing him up against Digne or Pereira.

      A bit worried about rotation as I don't expect him to start all 3 games between GW26-27 but the fixtures are good.

  14. aleksios
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    What to do here? 1ft 7.2itb

    --Martinez
    --Digne--Mee--Dias
    --Salah--Bruno--Gundo--Soucek
    --Bam--DCL--Watkins

    --Johnstone--Raphinia--Dallas--Cresswell.

    a) Soucek+Raphinia to Barnes+Son for a hit,TC Son.
    b) a+Cresswell to Maguire for -8, BB with 13 dgws.

    Thanks guys. 

    1. The Seagulls and the Trawle…
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Soucek Bam out barnes kane In? TC kane?

  15. Ser Davos
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Lost on what do with Rashford and/or Son...

    for potentially Kane or Vardy

    1. ‘Tis the Season
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I would bring in Kane purely based on his huge EO this week, Son better than Rash due to fixtures.

      1. Ser Davos
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        A concise and rational conclusion I'm struggling to escape from, thank you.

  16. SuperG
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Cavani and Digne

    or

    Vardy and El Mahamady

    to hold over the next few game weeks but especially this DGW. I’m unsure if cavani is/will be fit.

    1. JabariParkersEyelid
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Don't love either. Wouldn't want Cavani, equally wouldn't want Elmo.

  17. 1966
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Is Dias definitely nailed or has he got a chance of being rotated along with Stones, Cancelo and Laporte? Have Stones at the moment but with double game week coming up, it would be worth a minus 4 to transfer Stones out for Diaz?

    Thanks for anyone’s reply 🙂

    1. Coaly
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      No one is nailed under Pep when the two games are so close together

      1. 1966
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        That’s almost true apart from Ederson who’s nailed. Dias plays centre back to is unlikely to get tired whereas all other positions require a lot more running. Think I remember Laporte playing every game when he was fit in 2018/19 even with a heavy schedule.

    2. JabariParkersEyelid
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I think you just ride with the horses you backed with City at this point. Rotation will be rife, hits unlikely to pay off.

      1. 1966
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Yea, as long as you think Dias is also a rotation risk, I’ll just stick with Stones:

      2. 1966
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Yea, think I’ll keep Stones if Dias isn’t nailed, cheers.

    3. WE GO FOR IT
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      My rule with City players ever since Pep roulette became a thing is just stick with whoever you've got. Over a period of 3-4 GWs, almost everyone will do well. Yes, yuo can do upside chasing by second guessing Pep. But it's not worth it for a defender tbh. It makes more sense if you're going for explosive assets like KdB/Sterling/Kun.

      1. 1966
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Yea I think if sterling is rested in one of the double games in 26 he might play both in 27 so could be worth getting then.

  18. 7_Dan_7
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Thoughts on the below appreciated!

    2FT, 2.3itb
    Martinez
    Cancelo, Dias, Dallas
    Salah, Bruno, Gundogan, Son
    Watkins, Bamford, Antonio
    (Pope, James, Raphinha, Coufal)

    A) Antonio + Son > Kane + Barnes
    B) Antonio + Son + James > Kane + Barnes + Keane/Shaw (-4)
    C) Antonio + Son + James + Pope > Kane + Barnes + Digne + Fabri (-8)

    1. Mesh
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Wouldn't be too keen on getting rid of Son for a hit.
      How about Antonio & Raphinha to DCL and Barne?

      1. 7_Dan_7
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Yeah that’s a good shout. Just nervous about not having Kane - would prob TC

  19. Werner Bremen
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Son and Bamford to Barnes and DCL for a hit?

    1. JabariParkersEyelid
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Eurgh that's really tough. If you have Kane I think it could work but I wouldn't be confident.

    2. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yes

  20. JabariParkersEyelid
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Best defender to bring in for Mitchell up to 4.8 to bench boost?

    Been set on Konsa all week but now I'm second guessing myself with the Leeds game.

    Any other good options to consider?

    1. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Just play Mitchell?

      1. JabariParkersEyelid
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Don't trust him to start both, or keep a clean sheet if he does...

    2. Easy Cheesy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Konsa is the right answer. Cheap, could score a header v leeds and might have 5 fixtures in the next 3 weeks

      1. JabariParkersEyelid
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Thanks

    3. Vlekz
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Holgate?

    4. dshv
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Play mitchell
      Or
      Dallas ?

      1. JabariParkersEyelid
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Dallas for me, could always bag and Mitchell still a question mark.

        I have Dallas and looking at removing Mitchell though so I'm biased.

      2. Chief Break-Everything
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I have both, playing Dallas.

    5. Weak Become Heros
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      What do you think of my WC guys? I still have FH in hand to play in 29.

      Martinez
      Shaw Dias Stones
      Salah Bruno Gundo Barnes
      Kane DCL Vardy

      Forster Raphina Rudiger Mitchell.

      0.4 ITB

      1. JabariParkersEyelid
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        You have 3 city, rotation could hit at any point.

        With that in mind I would want a slightly more nailed 5th defender, you may need him.

        Burn maybe?

        1. JabariParkersEyelid
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          I really like it other than that btw

      2. pingissimus
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Go Ederson Targett for security of starts and get money to upgrade Mitchell. You'll be happier to bench Targett than have Martinez post 30.

        Love it otherwise.

        1. JabariParkersEyelid
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          This is quality advice, hadn't considered it.

          1. FPL_BUCCANEER
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 4 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Problem is, Ederson is capped at 7. Martinez has got hauls a fair few times.

        2. Weak Become Heros
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Thanks mate. Ideally I’d want to keep Dias out of the double City def and that means im blocked on price if I go for Ederson/Targett.

          I like the logic though, thanks lads, will have another think.

    6. Steinburg FC
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Lowton to Pereira for -4 yay or nay?

      1. Garlicbread
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Yay. Will pay off in a few weeks.

    7. FPL Brains
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I've wildcarded, hear me out this is a bit of a long post. Thoughts would be appreciated. I'm trying to hunt down a 90 point gap to the leader. He's used his Free Hit and 2nd Wildcard so I think my opportunity to close this gap is in the next few weeks. I need to also differentiate my team from his.

      His team:

      Martinez - Forster
      Stones - Shaw - Cancelo - Mee - Coufal
      Salah - Son - Rafinha - Fernandes - Grealish
      Antonio - Bamford - Wood

      I don't personally think he's well equipped for this week, so it's my time to strike. I've gone for:

      Martinez
      Cancelo - Regulion - Digne - Pereira
      Gundogan - Fernandes - Sterling - Maddison (will go for Barnes last minute if needed)
      Kane - DCL

      Bench: Steer, Bamford, Lookman, Dallas

      I've got my free hit, so I'm not worried about GW29, although I might just play with a reduced subset of players and maximise another DW later down the line.

      I feel like this team is well equipped for the coming weeks as well as this one, are there any key players I'm missing?

      Advice will of course be appreciated!

      1. Easy Cheesy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Looks a good strategy. Leicester are key if you can FH29. If no BB i’d downgrade your bench

    8. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Any news on Grealish?

      Going to be priced out so have to move tonight I think

      1. Weak Become Heros
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Not seen anything yet mate. Even in the presser tomorrow im sure Smith will be tight lipped.

    9. FPL_BUCCANEER
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      RMWCT (Still got FH)

      Martinez
      Stones Cancelo Digne
      Gundo Bruno Salah Son Barnes
      Kane DCL

      Fabri Konsa Struijk Brewster

      1. TheDragon
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Amazing for this week

        Free hitting 29?

        You are screwed for 33 though

        1. FPL_BUCCANEER
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Haha cheers mate! Yeah FH in 29, and I'll navigate GW33 with 9 or 10 if I have to..

      2. Free Hat
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Looks great

    10. Daily-Hunter
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      1 hour, 24 mins ago
      Hello folks, finally I decided to use my WC now ( playing at Fanteam.com). It was tough decision but it was made. Current team looks like this:

      Martinez ( Steer inactive 4.0 )
      Digne Konsa Soyuncu Stones ( Dallas )
      Barnes Fernandes Salah Sterling ( Lookman )
      Calvert Kane (C) ( Hirst inactive 4.0 )

      My thoughts are that in BG29 its contraproductive to have defender from LEE vs midfielder FUL. Other thing are two useless picks like Steer and Hirst. Third 0 ITB.

      I wondered and came with two solutions.
      First: Soyuncu, Steer, Hirst Sterling to Pereira, Sanchez, Dunk and Gundogan

      I didnt want to sacrifice Sterling but if I did it looks more balanced. Nothing contraproductive and more players for BG29. Upgraded Soyuncu to Pereira ( more threat I hope ) and 1.4 ITB.

      Second:
      Dunk, Barnes, Bamford vs Burn, Vardy, Raphina

      Here is another variant. 0 ITB but same number but different players for BG29. I cant decide who is more nailed Stones vs Dias/Cancelo ( both played in UCL ) and Vardy/Raphina vs Barnes/Bamford combo. There is posibility to take Mane instead of Salah and get most expensive defenders from MCI, BHA and LEI.

      Thanks for any opinion. GL HF

      1. HashAttack
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Think you have just convinced me on my FH strategy for gw29

    11. Tcheco
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      On FH:

      A. Areola + B. Traore

      B. Ederson + Lookman

      I don’t have a Villa attacker

      1. Weeb Kakashi
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        B. Whats your team? I am on FH too.

    12. FC Hakkebøf
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      RMWCT

      Martinez
      Cancelo Kabas Dier
      Salah KDB Son Gundogan
      Kane DCL Bamford
      ___
      McCarthy Dallas Salisu Romeu

      Plan is to BB in 27. Weak BB, but I think its fine as I don't want too much cash on the bench

    13. Sid123
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Any potential moves you see? Going bb probably and already made my 1 transfer of ings to dcl. 0 in the bank- anything worth a hit?

      Mccarthy martinez
      Cancelo dallas shaw white castagne
      Raphinha salah bruno Barnes gundogan
      Kane DCL bamford

      1. Ian Davis
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Almost identical to my BB team. I’m contemplating replacing McCarthy and/or Bamford > Watkins

        1. Sid123
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Yeah I have considered the villa lads and not overly sure on a -4 for a keeper. Lots to mull over. I actually have 0.8 in the bank. Would you consider white to Keane?

          1. Ian Davis
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Probably a good move as Everton are due another double soon. Keane starting both games could be the only issue.

            1. Sid123
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 4 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              Yeah that's it isn't it. When you take a hit you want guarantees! I hope he would.be nailed with mina out