The long-awaited transfer window in the Ultimate Fantasy Premier League (UFPL) game is now open, providing a chance to refresh your squad, get rid of your injury-riddled bench, and bring in some new blood who will score heavily for the remainder of the season. Here’s a guide on how to approach this transfer window.
The Rules
A manager can make three transfers in each of Gameweeks 20, 21, 22 and 23 up to a total of 12. The rules are not clear on whether the three transfers each Gameweek roll over, but until this is clarified I’d expect it to be the same as the August window in that they will roll over up to Gameweek 23 and after that they are lost if not used. Managers need to think about whether to make small changes to squads early, perhaps to maximize January points, or to wait until as late as possible and use all their 12 trades in February when teams are more settled. The window is from January 1 to February 6, and after that your team will be fixed for the remainder of the season with only the loans system to turn to for new players. With 25 players in your squad, this window gives you the chance to change up to half your players and hopefully surge up the rankings.
Players to Ditch
First lets take a look at some players you might consider getting rid of: some of the currently highest owned players who may not be performing as well as their early season promised.
Diego Costa, 10.5, 71% ownership
After his early-season ‘must-have’ status, Costa has scored only 5.0 points per game (PPG) over the last 10 Gameweeks. He’s consistent, but will he get enough big hauls to be worth his high price?
Wayne Rooney, 10.5, 48% ownership
Currently the fifth highest-scoring forward, Rooney does have his breakout weeks like the 19-pointer at home to Newcastle recently. Now he’s settled into a midfield role, is there better value to be had elsewhere? It looks that way.
Raheem Sterling, 8.5, 63% ownership
Eighth in the midfield standings, Sterling hasn’t hit double figures since Gameweek 3. His returns may improve as Liverpool are looking more like last season’s attacking force again, but so far he hasn’t lived up to Fantasy expectations. The return of Daniel Sturridge may revive him, but it’s a gamble.
Aaron Ramsey, 9.0, 54% ownership
A very expensive injured bench-warmer for his owners, now due to return on January 11. If he stays healthy he could recapture last year’s goalscoring form, but that’s a big if.
Dejan Lovren, 5.5, 42% ownership
Hopelessly out of form for Liverpool, and both dropped and injured in recent Gameweeks. His prospects don’t look good for the remainder of the season.
Tim Krul, 4.5, 42% ownership
Due back soon after a lengthy lay off but only scored 4.2 PPG when fit, 10th amongst keepers.
Eric Dier, 5.0, 34% ownership
Started in a blaze of glory, but lost his starting spot around Gameweek 9. Expect him to sit on the bench for the rest of the season barring injuries to Spurs defence.
Players to bring in
Now the fun part, who to bring in. There are some high-scoring players who boast an attractive price and have low ownership, but realistically most managers will bring these players in. The likes of Stuart Downing, Charlie Austin and Harry Kane will not be differentials after February. The key to rising in the rankings over the second half of the season will be selecting the players who are about to hit form, and are overlooked by most managers. Here are some considerations:
Forwards
Sergio Aguero has the highest PPG in the game at 7.5 (he also had the highest last season by some way). The question mark with him is always his durability because in a game like UFPL if a player is injured it’s a big crutch to your squad. If he stays healthy for the rest of the season he’s a must-have, but if the niggles persist he’ll be a very expensive red flag on your bench. Robin Van Persie is starting to find form again at Man Utd, and Daniel Sturridge is due to return for Liverpool. If either of these premium-priced strikers hits form they could be great differentials in your squad.
Midfielders
Five premium players have the highest PPGs amongst midfielders: Alexis Sanchez, Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas, Angel Di Maria and David Silva. Deciding how many of this ‘Big 5’ to have in your squad, and which ones, could make or break teams. Most managers will have two of these, with budgets stretching to a third if compromises are made elsewhere. Fabregas is perhaps the most consistent, with 13 assists and 11 big chances created to his name already. Sanchez has 10 goals, the most by far for midfielders, and a whopping four big chances missed on top of that. Hazard is starting to become Chelsea’s key attacking player, a sure captaincy bet at home. Di Maria had some big scores before the recent injury, and Silva has started to score highly in the support striker role for Man City.
Defenders
Ryan Bertrand at 5.0 PPG leads the way amongst defenders, and with the Saints defensive solidity plus his goal threat (2 goals, 2 assists, 16 key passes) he looks a good bet to continue raking in the points. The Chelsea defence has shored up over winter, perhaps as expected, making their backline full of options. John Terry has been the main recipient with a couple of recent goals, but the difference in stats between him and Gary Cahill are very similar regarding recoveries and clearances, blocks and interceptions. The Man City defence has seen much more rotation, making managers unsure of pitch time over the rest of the season. Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy and Aleks Kolarov all offer explosive returns for the bold manager. Looking at attacking stats over the first half of the season, a couple of players stand out. Leighton Baines of Everton has 40 key passes with seven assists, and Kieran Trippier of Burnley has 31 successful crosses (twice the number of any other defender) and 26 key passes but only one assist to show for it all. Both these teams have defensive problems but if this changes they could be high scorers over the second half of the campaign.
Goalkeepers
Of the regular starters, Costel Pantilimon leads the way for PPG at 5.5 , some way ahead of his next rival: Lucas Fabianski at 4.7. For total saves, budget keepers are heading the pack, making them interesting options if the clean sheets start to roll in over the season climax: Rob Green, Adrian, Brad Guzan and Tom Heaton are the top four in this category.
