I am not an especially good Fantasy Football manager. I made the top 7,000 this season past which, whilst hardly putting me amongst the top managers, was considerably better than I’ve done before, having never previously breached the top 100k. Like I said, not great.
I do, however, believe strongly in not over-complicating things. So, amidst the inevitable glut of good Fantasy Football advice that usually springs up pre-season I’ve tried to distil the essence of what worked for me into five rules for what I’ll call ‘simple Fantasy Football’.
Tip 1: Decisions are the enemy
The more decisions you have to make, the more chance you’ll make a bad one. I find this particularly true with goalkeepers. I started last season with a rotation pair of Newcastle man Tim Krul and West Brom’s Ben Foster and found that the choice of keeper too often presented with a decision that went wrong. Later in the season I decided to switch strategy to a more simple approach of having both the main and back-up keeper from the same team. This gave me a guaranteed starting goalkeeper, was cheaper and crucially for my simple approach meant I had one decision fewer that could go wrong.
This approach also works well for outfield players. Make your life more simple by reducing the choices you have to make regarding your bench by picking at least two defenders, three midfielders and two strikers that you will play week in, week out regardless of opposition. This leaves you having to make only three squad selection choices each week amongst outfield players.
Tip 2: Have a benchwarmer
Have a cheap, nailed-on defender on your bench that you will never put into your starting XI but can be relied on if injuries or rotation unexpectedly strike your team. As with tip 1 this also reduces the decisions you have to make, with just two other players on the bench to worry about regarding your starting XI.
Tip 3: Be Thrifty
A nailed-on player that is integral to a small side can be a real bonus to a team. You can play them each week, therefore reducing another decision that needs to be made, plus they are often budget friendly. This frees up more money to be able to afford more heavy hitters, who can also reduce decision making by being played every week.
Tip 4: Out of position is king
Another type of budget-friendly player that can be played each week are those who are out of position. Keep a close eye on team formations, with full-backs used as wingers in a 3-5-2 formation particularly attractive to Fantasy managers that like to keep things simple. Midfielders playing as strikers are another hot property for the simple Fantasy manager, with Theo Walcott amongst those to keep a close eye on. Drafting in such players offers a simple way to maximise points, with out-of-position defenders in with an equal chance of clean sheet and assist points, while midfielders benefit from an extra point for a goal over forwards.
Tip 5: Do not Wildcard early
Wildcards are the arch nemesis of the simple Fantasy manager. There is simply too much choice to make. The best thing a Fantasy manager who wants to keep the game simple needs to do is preserve their Wildcard for as long as possible. Early on in the season can be a wholly unproductive time to Wildcard, with more international games taking place, more injuries and more tinkering by Premier League managers to formation and personnel. A far better time to use the Wildcard is when double Gameweeks appear around Easter. This narrows down the choice of players to get in, with those with two games in a week the obvious candidates. In addition, during the second half of the season squads are far more settled and there are, in the main, fewer unknowns to worry Fantasy managers.
I know not everyone will agree with them, but I’m planning on sticking to these guidelines throughout this season and I guess we’ll see how it turns out.
8 years, 11 months ago
Great article. So often Fantasy managers over complicate matters. In reality keeping it simple, narrowing down the odds and reducing the risk of bad decisions is what is really needed.