As the 2019/20 season draws ever closer and Fantasy Premier League managers step up their preparations, The Scout explains the FPL fundamentals.
Additional earners
Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) is a prime example of how bonus points can make all the difference between a good Gameweek and a great one.
The Liverpool defender finished top-scorer in FPL's Bonus Points System (BPS) last season, with 932.
BPS is based on player-performance stats supplied by Opta throughout each campaign.
In defence, factors such as clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBI) are key.
If players also have a good pass completion rate, win tackles and avoid fouls, they have a greater chance of earning bonus points whenever their team records a clean sheet.
Van Dijk's all-round style of play paid off handsomely in 2018/19.
All-round approach
He was the only ever-present in a Liverpool defence that kept 20 clean sheets and his 257 CBIs were more than double of any team-mate.
Van Dijk also placed second for completed passes among all defenders, with 2,724.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£5.5m) impressed with his defensive work in his final season for Crystal Palace.
Manchester United’s new right-back won 90 tackles in the previous campaign, more than any other player in FPL.
Wan-Bissaka claimed 18 bonus points, a total bettered by only seven other defenders.
Enhanced chances
Understanding the BPS can help shape transfer targets and improve a manager’s chances of earning additional points.
Apart from clean sheets, goalkeepers mainly earn BPS points through saves and recoveries.
Those who play in teams with low possession figures have a greater chance of bonus because their defensive team-mates often fail to reach 30 attempted passes in a match, the required mark to score in the BPS.
Pope potential
Burnley are a case in point.
They supplied the top-scoring goalkeeper for bonus points in both 2016/17 and 2017/18.
The Clarets' No 1, Nick Pope (£4.5m), missed last season through injury, allowing both Tom Heaton (£4.5m) and Joe Hart (£4.5m) to start 19 Gameweeks.
If Pope can reclaim a starting role, he could be a big success as a cut-price stopper this term.
Further upfield attacking players can prove valuable, but, on occasion, costly too.
Penalty poser
Mohamed Salah (£12.5m), the top-scoring player in FPL, earned 18 bonus points.
Despite firing 22 goals and providing 12 assists, he was punished by the BPS for a number of reasons.
The Liverpool midfielder missed 16 big chances, or opportunities he was expected to score.
A player loses three points in the BPS for missing a big chance, the same deduction for conceding a penalty.
Salah also fired 40 shots off target and lost possession a number of times, either by being tackled or dispossessed.
These actions also result in a loss of points in the BPS.
Big opportunities
On the flip side, Raul Jimenez’s (£7.5m) style of play for Wolverhampton Wanderers was a major factor towards his total of 31 bonus points.
He produced 13 goals and 10 assists, one of only four forwards to claim double-digits for both statistics.
Jimenez's ability to supply key passes is backed in numbers.
No forward bettered his total of 13 big chances created.
Whether it is a single Gameweek or the season as a whole, finding players with that kind of bonus point potential could prove decisive.
Also in this series
Part 1: Building a successful squad
Part 2: Finding the right formation
Part 3: Picking the perfect captain
Part 4: Save up to use mini Wildcards
Part 5: Make tactical use of your chips
