Introduction to Fantasy Premier League

Fantasy Premier League (FPL) has captured the hearts of millions of football fans worldwide, offering an engaging way to test your football knowledge and managerial skills throughout the English Premier League season. As the 2024/25 season continues, this comprehensive FPL guide provides everything you need to build, manage, and optimize your team for maximum points and mini-league success.

Whether you’re a complete beginner taking your first steps into the world of Fantasy Premier League or a seasoned manager looking to refine your strategy, this guide covers everything from team setup and points scoring to advanced chip strategies and the newly introduced Assistant Manager feature.

Key Takeaways:

• Fantasy Premier League requires balancing premium, mid-priced, and budget players within a £100M budget
• Understanding the scoring system is crucial for making informed player selections
• Strategic use of chips (Wildcard, Free Hit, Bench Boost, Triple Captain, Assistant Manager) can dramatically boost your season performance
• Planning for Blank and Double Gameweeks is essential for long-term success
• Regular team management, including transfers and captaincy selections, requires both planning and flexibility
• Utilizing FPL tools and resources can provide a competitive advantage over casual managers
• Avoiding common mistakes separates successful managers from the rest

Getting Started with Fantasy Premier League

Fantasy Premier League allows you to step into the shoes of a football manager, creating your dream team of real Premier League players who earn points based on their actual match performances. The objective is simple: score more points than your rivals through shrewd player selection, timely transfers, optimal chip usage, and selecting the right captain each gameweek.

How to Set Up Your FPL Account

Getting started with Fantasy Premier League is straightforward:

1. Visit the official FPL website or download the FPL app
2. Create your account with an email address and password
3. Select a team name that represents your managerial identity
4. Join the global competition automatically and add any private leagues using the provided codes
5. Build your initial squad following the budget and position requirements

The FPL platform offers an intuitive interface where you can manage all aspects of your team, from selecting your starting lineup to making transfers and using your chips at strategic moments throughout the season.

Building Your Initial Squad

When constructing your first Fantasy Premier League team, you’ll need to work within these parameters:

• £100 million total budget
• 15 players total in your squad:
  • 2 Goalkeepers
  • 5 Defenders
  • 5 Midfielders
  • 3 Forwards
• Maximum of 3 players from any single Premier League team
• 11 starting players each gameweek (arranged in a valid formation)
• 4 substitute players on your bench

Creating a balanced squad is essential, as you’ll need to allocate your budget effectively between premium assets (typically £8.0M+), mid-range players (£5.5M-£7.9M), and budget enablers (under £5.5M). Most successful FPL managers opt for a squad structure that includes:

• 2-3 premium players who provide consistent captaincy options
• 5-7 mid-priced players with good value and reliability
• 5-8 budget players who start regularly for their clubs

Check our Sports Betting guide for more expert fantasy sports insights

Understanding FPL Points Scoring System

The Fantasy Premier League scoring system rewards different actions based on player positions, making position selection a crucial strategic element. Understanding how points are awarded helps inform your player selection process.

Base Points Scoring

All players can earn these fundamental points:

• Appearance points:
  • Playing up to 60 minutes: 1 point
  • Playing 60 minutes or more: 2 points
• Goals scored:
  • Forwards: 4 points
  • Midfielders: 5 points
  • Defenders and Goalkeepers: 6 points
• Assists: 3 points (all positions)
• Clean sheets:
  • Goalkeepers/Defenders: 4 points
  • Midfielders: 1 point
  • Forwards: 0 points
• Saves: Goalkeepers earn 1 point for every 3 saves made

Bonus Points System (BPS)

The Bonus Points System adds an extra layer of scoring that rewards the top-performing players in each match:

• 3 bonus points to the highest-performing player
• 2 bonus points to the second-highest performer
• 1 bonus point to the third-highest performer

The BPS calculates performance using over 30 different statistics, including passes completed, tackles, clearances, and key passes. Understanding which players tend to accumulate bonus points (often creative midfielders and attacking defenders) can give you an edge in player selection.

Negative Points

Players can also lose points for:

• Cards:
  • Yellow card: -1 point
  • Red card: -3 points
• Goals conceded (applies to goalkeepers and defenders):
  • -1 point for every 2 goals conceded
• Penalties:
  • Missing a penalty: -2 points
  • Own goal: -2 points

Knowledge of these scoring mechanisms helps you identify valuable FPL assets across different positions and price points. For example, defenders who regularly contribute to attacks while maintaining clean sheets offer exceptional value due to their potential for both defensive and attacking returns.

Player Selection Strategy for FPL

Selecting the right players for your Fantasy Premier League team requires balancing multiple factors and understanding both football and FPL dynamics.

Premium vs. Budget Player Balance

Creating a successful FPL team requires finding the right balance between expensive star players and budget options:

• Premium players (£8.0M+): These are usually consistent point-scorers like Erling Haaland or Mohamed Salah who provide reliable captaincy options. However, they consume a significant portion of your budget, so typically you can only afford 2-3 premium assets.
• Mid-range players (£5.5M-£7.9M): These players often offer the best value in terms of points per million. Look for midfielders who play advanced roles or defenders from teams with strong defensive records.
• Budget enablers (under £5.5M): These players allow you to afford premium assets elsewhere. The key is finding budget players who start regularly for their teams, even if their point returns are modest.

When structuring your squad, avoid spreading your budget too evenly, as this typically results in a team without standout captaincy options. Instead, target a few premium assets complemented by carefully selected budget options.

Form vs. Fixtures Assessment

When selecting players for your Fantasy Premier League team, you’ll need to weigh these two crucial factors:

• Form: A player’s recent performances and point-scoring tendency
• Fixtures: The difficulty of upcoming matches for a player’s team

The ideal FPL asset combines good form with favorable fixtures, but you’ll often face tradeoffs. As a general rule:

• Fixtures tend to be more predictable for defensive returns, making fixture difficulty more important when selecting defenders and goalkeepers
• Form often trumps fixtures for attacking players, especially elite performers who can score against any opposition

A practical approach is using a fixture difficulty rating system, where you color-code upcoming matches based on difficulty (green for easy, yellow for moderate, red for difficult) to identify players with promising runs of fixtures.

Team Structure and Formation

Your FPL team structure should be flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances throughout the season. Consider these aspects:

• Formation flexibility: Build a squad that allows you to switch between common formations like 3-4-3, 3-5-2, or 4-4-2 without requiring multiple transfers
• Bench quality: Ensure your substitute players start regularly for their teams, especially during congested fixture periods
• Team coverage: While you can only have three players per club, try to have representation from teams with favorable fixtures or strong form

The most efficient approach is often to have a strong starting eleven with one or two reliable bench options, rather than spreading your budget across all 15 squad players equally.

Get more player selection insights in our Football Latest section

Captain and Vice-Captain Strategy

The captaincy decision is arguably the single most important weekly choice in Fantasy Premier League, as your captain earns double points for that gameweek.

How to Choose Your Captain Effectively

When selecting your captain, consider these factors:

• Home advantage: Players typically perform better in home matches
• Opposition weakness: Target players facing defensively vulnerable teams
• Form: Players in a scoring streak tend to continue performing
• Penalty/set-piece takers: These players have additional routes to points
• Consistency: Premium players who regularly return points make safer captaincy choices

Many successful FPL managers follow the “captain the premium player with the best fixture” approach, which often means rotating captaincy between 2-3 premium assets based on their fixture difficulty each gameweek.

Vice-Captain Selection

Your vice-captain serves as insurance if your captain doesn’t play in the gameweek. To maximize this safety net:

• Avoid selecting a captain and vice-captain from the same team, as team-wide issues (postponements, tactical changes) could affect both
• Choose a vice-captain who plays on a different day than your captain when possible, giving you a backup if late team news rules out your captain
• Select a vice-captain with a high floor (minimum expected points) rather than a boom-or-bust player

Historical data shows that captaincy points often contribute 15-20% of a manager’s total score across a season, highlighting the importance of getting these decisions right consistently.

Transfer Management in FPL

Managing transfers effectively is a key skill in Fantasy Premier League that separates successful managers from the rest.

Weekly Transfer Strategy

Each gameweek presents transfer decisions that require careful consideration:

• You receive one free transfer per gameweek
• Unused transfers roll over, but you can only accumulate a maximum of two free transfers
• Additional transfers cost 4 points each (known as a “hit”)

Before making transfers, consider:

• Upcoming fixtures: Plan transfers several weeks ahead when possible
• Price changes: Players rising in price can affect your team value and buying power
• Team news: Wait for press conferences when possible to avoid transferring in injured players
• Long-term value: Avoid reactive transfers based on single performances

As a general rule, taking hits (-4 points) is only worthwhile if you expect the incoming player to outscore the outgoing player by at least 4 points in the immediate gameweek, or if the move is part of a longer-term strategy.

Planning for Blank and Double Gameweeks

The Premier League schedule includes periods where teams play twice in a single gameweek (Double Gameweeks) or not at all (Blank Gameweeks) due to cup competitions and postponements. Planning for these is crucial:

• Blank Gameweeks (BGWs): Occur when teams don’t play in a particular gameweek, usually due to cup competitions
• Double Gameweeks (DGWs): Happen when teams play twice in a single gameweek, typically to accommodate rescheduled fixtures

Strategies for handling these schedule anomalies include:

• Planning transfers weeks in advance to gradually build a team that can navigate Blank Gameweeks
• Saving chips (particularly Free Hit and Bench Boost) to maximize points during Double Gameweeks
• Looking at historical patterns—Double Gameweeks typically occur in the second half of the season

The most successful FPL managers often plan their entire chip strategy around these fixture swings, as they provide opportunities for significant point hauls when approached correctly.

Understanding FPL Chips

Fantasy Premier League provides five special chips that can substantially boost your points in specific gameweeks when used strategically.

Wildcard Strategy

The Wildcard chip allows unlimited transfers without point penalties, essentially letting you rebuild your entire squad. You receive two Wildcards per season:

• First Wildcard: Available from the start of the season until the December deadline
• Second Wildcard: Available from January until the end of the season

Optimal Wildcard timing typically coincides with:

• Significant shifts in team form or player performance
• After international breaks with multiple injuries
• Before a favorable run of fixtures for certain teams
• To prepare for upcoming Double Gameweeks

Most experienced managers avoid using the Wildcard reactively after a single bad gameweek, instead waiting for strategic moments when multiple transfers are necessary.

Free Hit Chip Usage

The Free Hit chip allows you to make unlimited transfers for a single gameweek, with your team reverting to its previous state afterward. This chip is particularly valuable for:

• Navigating challenging Blank Gameweeks when many teams don’t play
• Capitalizing on smaller Double Gameweeks
• Targeting exceptionally favorable fixtures for specific teams

For example, during the 2023/24 season, many managers successfully used their Free Hit in Gameweek 29 when only four matches were played due to cup competitions, allowing them to field a full team without making permanent transfers to players with limited long-term value.

Bench Boost and Triple Captain Timing

The Bench Boost and Triple Captain chips both offer significant point potential when used optimally:

• Bench Boost: Activates your bench players, adding their points to your total for one gameweek. Best used during large Double Gameweeks when you can have up to 15 players playing twice.
• Triple Captain: Triples (rather than doubles) your captain’s points for one gameweek. Most effective when used on a premium player with two favorable fixtures in a Double Gameweek.

Historical data shows that using these chips during Double Gameweeks typically yields substantially higher returns than using them in single gameweeks, especially when combined with careful player selection targeting teams with favorable matchups.

The New Assistant Manager Chip

Introduced in January 2025, the Assistant Manager chip is the newest addition to Fantasy Premier League. This innovative chip allows you to:

• Earn additional points based on real Premier League managers’ results in a single gameweek
• Select one Premier League manager whose team’s performance will contribute to your FPL points
• Gain points for wins, goals scored, and clean sheets achieved by that manager’s team

Early data from the 2024/25 season suggests the Assistant Manager chip is most effective when:

• Used on managers of teams playing weaker opposition
• Timed during a gameweek when traditional captaincy options face difficult fixtures
• Deployed during a team’s strong home fixture run

This new chip adds another strategic layer to FPL and requires careful planning alongside your other chips for maximum benefit.

Learn about other fantasy sports chip strategies in our Betting Guide

Advanced FPL Strategies for Higher Ranks

Moving beyond the basics, these advanced strategies can help elevate your Fantasy Premier League performance from casual player to serious contender.

Effective Bench Management

Your bench players are not merely afterthoughts but strategic assets that require careful consideration:

• Bench order matters: Arrange substitutes in priority order, as they’ll replace non-playing starters in that sequence
• Rotation pairs: Consider creating “rotation pairs” of budget defenders or goalkeepers who alternate favorable home fixtures
• First substitute quality: Ensure your first bench player regularly starts for their team, especially during congested fixture periods
• Budget allocation: Typically allocate 5-10% of your total budget to your bench, with more during double gameweeks and less during regular periods

The most effective bench structure typically features one reliable playing substitute (often a defender) and budget options elsewhere, allowing maximum investment in your starting eleven.

Value Hunting and Price Changes

Understanding the FPL price change system can provide a significant advantage:

• Player prices change based on transfer activity, rising when many managers buy and falling when many sell
• Price changes occur once per day, usually around 2:00-3:00 AM UK time
• Players can rise or fall by a maximum of £0.3M per gameweek
• You only gain half the value (rounded down) of price increases when selling a player

Strategic approaches to price changes include:

• Making early transfers to catch price rises for players you already planned to buy
• Avoiding players likely to fall in price just before selling them
• Building team value early in the season to gain greater flexibility later

However, always balance price change considerations against the benefit of waiting for more team news, as a bad early transfer can cost more points than a price change saves.

Statistical Analysis for FPL Decision-Making

Data-driven decision making separates elite Fantasy Premier League managers from the rest:

• Expected Goals (xG) and Expected Assists (xA): These metrics predict future performance better than actual goals and assists
• Chances Created: Helps identify midfielders and forwards with attacking potential
• Penalty Area Touches: Strong indicator of attacking threat for midfielders
• Baseline Bonus Points System (BPS): Helps identify players likely to earn bonus points even without goals/assists
• Minutes Played and Rotation Risk: Essential for identifying secure starters

Tools like Fantasy Football Fix and FPL Review provide advanced statistics that can inform more sophisticated decision-making beyond simply looking at recent points scored.

Common FPL Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced Fantasy Premier League managers regularly make these mistakes that can derail their seasons:

Chasing Last Week’s Points

One of the most common FPL errors is reactively transferring in players who scored heavily in the previous gameweek without analyzing the sustainability of their performance:

• The problem: Recent high scorers often see price rises but may have benefited from unsustainable factors like penalties, deflected goals, or unusually high conversion rates
• The solution: Focus on underlying statistics like xG, shots, and chances created rather than just points scored

For example, a defender who scores from their only shot of the season is much less likely to repeat that performance than a midfielder who consistently registers multiple shots in the box but hasn’t converted yet.

Ignoring Fixture Difficulty

Many managers select players based solely on recent form without considering upcoming opponents:

• The problem: Even quality players typically score fewer points against top teams
• The solution: Use fixture difficulty ratings to plan transfers several weeks ahead, targeting players with favorable runs

Historical data shows that defense-dependent assets (goalkeepers and defenders) are particularly affected by fixture difficulty, while elite attackers can often deliver returns regardless of opposition.

Poor Chip Management

Wasting chips at suboptimal times is a season-defining mistake:

• The problem: Using chips reactively or too early in the season
• The solution: Plan chip usage around Blank and Double Gameweeks for maximum impact

The difference between optimal and poor chip usage can amount to 50+ points over a season, often determining mini-league outcomes.

Neglecting Team Structure

Focusing only on individual players without considering overall team structure creates long-term problems:

• The problem: Creating an unbalanced team requiring multiple hits to restructure
• The solution: Maintain a balanced team structure with 2-3 premium assets and playing bench options

A flexible team structure allows you to adapt to form changes and injuries without requiring multiple transfers or hits.

Essential FPL Tools and Resources

The Fantasy Premier League community has developed numerous tools to help managers gain an edge. These resources can significantly enhance your decision-making process.

FPL Team Planning Tools

Several valuable tools help with team planning and optimization:

• FPLFocal: Provides fixture difficulty ratings, expected points projections, and transfer planning tools
• Fantasy Football Hub: Offers team optimization algorithms and player comparison tools
• LiveFPL: Shows live gameweek data and rank predictions during ongoing matches

These planning tools are particularly useful for mapping out transfers several weeks in advance and identifying optimal chip usage opportunities.

Statistical Resources for Research

Data-driven decision making requires reliable statistical resources:

• FBRef: Provides comprehensive football statistics including detailed shooting, passing, and defensive metrics
• Understat: Offers expected goals (xG) data and shot maps for Premier League matches
• Fantasy Football Fix: Features price change predictions and underlying player statistics

Using these statistics rather than relying on the eye test alone helps identify players whose performances suggest future returns, even if they haven’t scored heavily yet.

FPL Community and Expert Advice

The collective wisdom of the FPL community provides valuable insights:

• Reddit’s r/FantasyPL: A forum with nearly 500,000 members discussing strategies, team reveals, and breaking news
• FPL Twitter: Follow accounts like @FPLGeneral, @BigManBakar, and @ffscout for expert analysis
• Fantasy Football Scout: Provides detailed articles, team reveals from top managers, and member-only tools

While expert opinions are valuable, the best managers use them as one input among many rather than following any single source exclusively.

Check our Betting Site Review for more fantasy sports resources

Final Gameweeks Strategy for 2024/25 Season

As of April 2025, we’re approaching the final gameweeks of the season, requiring specific strategic adjustments to maximize your points and final rank.

End-of-Season Differentials

With mini-leagues often decided by narrow margins, differential picks become increasingly valuable:

• Target motivated teams: Focus on teams still competing for European places or avoiding relegation
• Identify rotation-proof players: With many teams rotating as the season concludes, target nailed-on starters
• Consider fixture swings: Some teams’ fixtures improve dramatically in the final weeks, creating opportunity

Players like Alexander Isak (Newcastle), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), and Cole Palmer (Chelsea) have historically performed strongly in season run-ins and could be valuable differentials for the 2024/25 conclusion.

Mini-League Tactics

Your approach should differ based on your position in mini-leagues:

• If leading: Make safer choices that mirror your closest competitors’ teams to protect your advantage
• If chasing: Take calculated risks with differentials and captaincy to make up ground
• If in the middle: Target the manager directly above you rather than trying to catch the leader

The final 5-6 gameweeks often feature more unpredictable team selections from Premier League managers, making reliable starters even more valuable than usual.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fantasy Premier League

What is a Double Gameweek in FPL?

A Double Gameweek occurs when teams play twice within a single FPL gameweek, typically due to rescheduled fixtures. These gameweeks offer valuable opportunities to score extra points, especially when using chips like Bench Boost or Triple Captain. Double Gameweeks usually happen in the second half of the season, with the largest ones often occurring between Gameweeks 30-37.

How does the Bench Boost chip work?

The Bench Boost chip activates your entire bench for one gameweek, adding their points to your total instead of just counting your starting eleven. This chip is most effective during Double Gameweeks when you can have up to 15 players playing twice, potentially doubling your points. To maximize Bench Boost value, ensure all 15 squad players are regular starters before activating it.

What’s the best way to use the new Assistant Manager chip?

The Assistant Manager chip, introduced in January 2025, lets you earn points based on a Premier League manager’s team performance for one gameweek. To use it effectively, select managers of teams with favorable home fixtures against weaker opposition, as this maximizes the chance of wins and clean sheets. Early data suggests pairing this chip with a strong traditional captain choice provides the highest ceiling for points.

How important is team value in FPL?

Team value affects your buying power throughout the season. While building value is helpful (especially early in the season), it should never be prioritized over points. A general rule is to make early transfers for team value only when you’re confident in the move regardless of price changes. By mid-season, a good team value would be around £104-105M, providing flexibility for premium player acquisitions.

What’s the optimal bench structure in FPL?

An effective bench typically consists of one reliable first substitute (usually a £4.5M-£5.0M defender who starts regularly) and minimum-priced players elsewhere. This structure maximizes investment in your starting eleven while providing insurance against non-appearances. During fixture congestion periods (December and double gameweeks), strengthening your bench becomes more important as rotation increases.

Should I take hits (-4 points) for transfers?

Taking a 4-point hit is mathematically justified when the incoming player will outscore the outgoing player by at least 4 points in the immediate gameweek, or when the move enables a stronger team structure long-term. Research shows successful managers typically take between 4-8 hits per season. Avoiding multiple consecutive hits and planning transfers to minimize necessary hits are best practices.