Fantasy Premier League TIPS

Firstly – apologies for not putting this post up before the season began. But we have a long season ahead of us…

Firstly, What is Fantasy Premier League?
Fantasy Premier League is a game by PremierLeague.com which lets you prove your managerial acumen and compete with more than a million people across the globe.

How to join Fantasy Premier League?
Click Here for details on that.

Do not forget to join the EPL08.com League:
League Code: 225874-47670

Now that the season has started here are some basic tips to help you through the season:

1) Do not lose interest or enthusiasm:
This is ‘the’ most important tip. Even I suffer from this almost each season. After a decent start – the points suddenly dry up and all your friends overtake you, you end up losing interest.

Avoid this. It takes just 1 good Gameweek to bounce right back.

2) Captaincy:
Do not just choose a static captain like say a Ronaldo or a Lampard. Go through your players, see the opposition and ask yourself – who is assured to score points this season?

If your star defender is playing at home and is up against a lower ranked team – then make him the captain. Defenders get a truck load of points for clean-sheets and his score would automatically double.

If you are keen on a Mid-fielder as a captain – go for someone who not only scores the occasional goal, but also serves up quite a few assists.

3) Defenders:
Do not stick with the same defenders right through the year. You are allowed one free substitution each week – make it count.

Look out for teams whom you think will definitely be able to secure a clean sheet in the weekend and draft in a player accordingly. Do not always go for big names…

Some players I’d recommend you keep an eye on:

Attacking defenders: Queudrue (Birmingham), Riise (Liverpool), Toure (Arsenal), Neville (Everton), Evra and Vidic (Manchester United), Chimbonda (Tottenham)

Solid Players: Richards (Manchester City), Terry (Chelsea), Mellberg (Aston Villa), Lescott (Everton), Carragher (Liverpool), Ferdinand (Manchester United)

4) Mid-Fielders:
The most important players in the Fantasy Premier League competition. A look at the last seasons top point scorers would show you that it’s the mid-fielders who steal the lime light.

It’s very essential to have at least 1 star mid-fielder and 2-3 solid mid-fielders in your squad. Look out for mid-fielders who have a lot of assists, take free-kicks, penalties etc.

Another thing you have to keep in mind is that you need players who play almost 90 minutes of each game. You don’t want bench-warmers in your mid-field.

Stars: Lampard (Chelsea), Ronaldo (Manchester United), Gerrard (Liverpool), Fabregas (Arsenal)

Solid Mid-fielders: Barry (Aston Villa), Nolan (Bolton), Pedersen (Blackburn), Essien (Chelsea), Cahill and Arteta (Everton), Carrick and Scholes (Man United), Parker (West Ham), Barton (Newcastle)

5) Strikers:
Rooney’s injured and I assume most of you would have had him in your squad. Well whom should you substitute him with?
My Picks: Berbatov, Drogba, Martins or Tevez

You need to be really lucky with your strikers. No one knows whose going to score and when. Having a dynamic striker like Rooney who makes his presence felt in each game is a must.

But never spend too much on strikers – as the Return on Investment they offer is not always much. Players can go into long ruts where they won’t score a single goal.

Keep shuffling strikers around. Go with your gutt-feeling.
I usually play with 5 solid mid-fielders and 1 striker - which usually ensures more points than 2 non-scoring strikers up ahead.

Players I’d suggest:

Costing above 8: Berbatov (9.5 – Tottenham), Van Persie (9 – Arsenal), Anelka (8.5 – Bolton), Pizarro (8 – Chelsea), Tevez (8.6 – Man United), Martins (9 – Newcastle)

Costing below 8: Young (7 – Aston Villa), Chopra (5.5 - Sunderland), Forssell (5 – Birmingham), Derbyshire (6 – Blackburn), Earnshaw (5.5 – Derby), Bianchi (7.5 – Man City), Ashton (7 – West Ham)

EPL08.com League Code: 225874-47670

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And do watch out for the next post on Fantasy Premier League Tips..