Latest news with #GameweekOne
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Fantasy Premier League live Q&A: FPL Gameweek One advice from Ben Dinnery
At long last, here we are again. Neither an expanded energy-sapping post-season tournament in the United States nor mountains of endless transfer tittle-tattle could replicate the feeling of preparing to kick off a new season in Fantasy Premier League — and Gameweek One is about to get under way today (deadline 6.30pm UK time/1.30pm ET). Want to steer clear of any injury doubts? Or agonising over some last-minute decisions? Well, as he will be throughout the season, Ben Dinnery of will be on hand today to talk you through the players to target, who to avoid, and the injury doubts you need to be aware of to give you the best chance of success. Send your questions below, and Ben will be online to offer his expert insight at 3pm-4pm UK time (10am-11am ET). Want to compete against your fellow subscribers? Join The Athletic FC mini-league with the code 30j0f7 . You'll also be able to test your mettle against Phil Hay, the lead writer of The Athletic FC newsletter. Click here to sign up to receive it directly to your inbox . Ben Dinnery Aug. 15, 2025 2:30 am EDT
New York Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Fantasy Premier League: How to get off to a good start in FPL – seven rules for success
The opening weeks of the Fantasy Premier League season can be really important. A good start can set the tone for the entire campaign, giving you an advantage over your mini-league rivals and putting you on the way to attaining a good overall rank. On the other hand, beginning poorly can lead to rushed transfers, wasted chips and early wildcards. Advertisement So, how do we ensure our Gameweek One team sets the foundation for success? Here I will share my thoughts on some of the best ways to get off to a flyer in FPL. At the start of every FPL season, a 'template' always forms — and for fair reason. These players are fine picks and are highly owned because of good underlying numbers, favourable fixtures, and/or because they represent good value. While it can be tempting to pick a team full of differentials, these opening weeks are not the time to gamble on too many risky picks. The likes of Erling Haaland (£14.0m) or Mohamed Salah (£14.5m) are perma-captain options who can deliver double-digit hauls regularly. Choosing to avoid these players early can be detrimental if they then deliver in those weeks. We saw what Haaland and Salah did at the beginning of last season and the real beneficiaries were those FPL managers who started off owning both of them. A balanced approach is wise, building your core team around the popular, high-ownership assets, and then sprinkling in one or two smart differentials who have good fixtures and high upside if you really fancy them. Don't just go for differentials for the sake of it. A common mistake early in the season is to ignore the fixtures. Teams often start the season with different schedules, and FPL points tend to flow from teams with more favourable early runs. This may mean foregoing big-hitters and proven players who we know will do well over the season as a whole. For example, we will all probably own two Arsenal defenders and one of their attackers at least, eventually. However, with Liverpool (A), Manchester City (H) and Newcastle (A) in their first six games, is it wise to start with three of Mikel Arteta's players? Teams such as Tottenham and Everton have great fixtures in the opening weeks and I can see a template forming with at least two players from each of those — I think this is a good idea, as we can target them for the good early run and just transfer them out later. With the new rules of double chips and an extra five free transfers given to us in Gameweek 16, we can afford to be a bit more flexible. Targeting good fixtures means a higher chance of goals, clean sheets and points, in theory. Plus, the extra bonus of your team increasing in value if those players do well is always welcome. In the early weeks, picking nailed-on starters is crucial. Teams are still settling at the start of a new season, managers are rotating new signings, and squad depth can create uncertainty. Selecting players who are guaranteed to play 90 minutes for their club every game can prevent frustration and lost points due to benchings. Advertisement Similarly, avoid gambling too heavily on new transfers into the Premier League. Even the best players can take weeks or months to adapt after coming to the league. It's hard to not get swayed by glamorous new signings but remember, it's all about FPL points and more minutes on the pitch often equals more of those. As an example, I have Florian Wirtz (£8.5m) in the current draft of my team but, honestly, I don't think I will start the season with him. He is clearly a great player and has had a promising pre-season with Liverpool, but he isn't on penalties for them and is new to English football. I have no doubt he will come good in the Premier League but will that happen in these first few weeks? Going for someone such as Eberechi Eze (£7.5m) instead, and saving £1million of your budget, sounds boring but, quite frankly, is sensible. The Crystal Palace man is sure to start if fit, and is on both penalty and set-piece duties. This season, FPL has introduced points for players' 'defensive contributions'. These include clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles (CBIT). Once a defender reaches 10 defensive contributions in a match, they get an extra two points. For midfielders and forwards, it's two points for 12 contributions, but the term also counts recoveries for those positions. This makes nailed-on, 90-minute players even more important across the board, but especially in defence. It also shifts the power towards centre-backs when, over the past few years, full-backs were the go-to guys on clubs' back lines. Full-backs tend to get subbed off earlier in games, and centre-backs typically make more of those actions that count towards earning defensive-contribution points. Also, make sure you have a defence which you will be happy with, long term and barring injuries, so you don't need to use a transfer on them. Look at two-way or three-way rotational pairs and 'set-and-forget' buys. I know we have extra transfers coming midway through the season, but you want to be using those on your attacking players. Player prices fluctuate greatly at the start of the season as millions of FPL managers jump on early bandwagons. It's easy to get caught in the rush of price rises and waste early transfers chasing points from one-week wonders. The key is patience. Trust the players you've chosen for their fixtures and ability. Unless there's a significant injury or a clear upgrade, waiting a few gameweeks before making changes often pays off. Advertisement If you've picked players with long-term fixtures in mind, hold your nerve and see where else you can upgrade. While we have two sets of all the chips this season, it's still a good idea to plan when you are going to use them… at least roughly. Using the first wildcard to target fixture swings and having a gameweek in mind where you will use the Free Hit and Bench Boost is still optimal. Let others make the mistake of thinking no more planning is needed. Although admittedly, with the new rules, long-term planning has less of an advantage, the edge will always be there. For this season, the planning will just be in smaller blocks. In the second half of the season, the same rules apply: use your chips around blanks and double gameweeks. Clubs' warm-up friendlies are goldmines of information. They can reveal which players are sharp and who's taking the set pieces, and are especially good for getting an idea about those budget gems. The next John Lundstram, Michu or Matt Doherty (the Wolves defender was a brilliant asset in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons) could be around the corner. I tend to ignore 'form' in pre-season as it's not the best indicator, due to the quality of opposition, often from lower divisions or other leagues, and intensity of the matches. However, these games are great to get a gauge on formations, expected minutes and general fitness levels or availability. The first few gameweeks of the season are not about winning FPL. They're about setting a strong foundation, steady points, consistent captaincy picks, and a balanced squad that doesn't force you to make transfers or burn an unplanned wildcard. It's also about not getting left behind the rest of the pack. Having a poor start can mean an uphill struggle for the majority of your season. Advertisement I myself have begun slowly in the past two years and although, in the second half, I luckily managed to pull things back, it was a slog. With better returns early on, I could have easily got back-to-back top-10k finishes. Instead, I ranked 70k and 48k. By focusing on fixtures, proven players and nailed picks, you can build momentum without the need for an early wildcard. A calm, well-structured approach almost always beats knee-jerk reactions in the opening weeks of the season. Want to compete against your fellow subscribers? Join The Athletic FC mini-league with the code 30j0f7. You'll also be able to test your mettle against Phil Hay, the lead writer of The Athletic FC newsletter. Click here to sign up to receive it directly to your inbox. (Top photo of Eze: Severin Aichbauer/ /Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
New York Times
08-08-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Fantasy Premier League 2025-26 pre-season mailbag: Send in your questions now
Here at The Athletic , we're trying our best to give you all of the advice you'll need to leave your friends and family eating your dust in your Fantasy Premier League mini-leagues when the 2025-26 season kicks off. You've already been able to read about the players to avoid selecting for Gameweek One, chip strategies for the new season, or even a deep dive into the psychology of picking fun new additions to the Premier League. There will be more columns from our FPL experts next week, but we know that we're unlikely to answer every single question you might have as you weigh up how to construct the perfect squad. To that end, Abdul Rehman will be publishing a special pre-season mailbag next Thursday, answering the very best of your questions ahead of the start of the new season Send them in now and Abdul will answer the most intriguing ones in next week's mailbag. Abdul Rehman Aug. 8, 2025 11:30 am EDT
