The Scout explains the selection process behind the starting line-up for the first ever Gameweek of FPL Challenge.
Take an early chance on Trippier
The opening match of FPL Challenge immediately allows you to take advantage of the late deadlines.
The first deadline to submit an opening squad for Gameweek 30 is at 12:30 GMT on Saturday 30 March, when Newcastle United v West Ham United kicks off.
The Magpies’ Kieran Trippier (£6.7m) is the top-scoring defender in home matches this season in Fantasy, amassing 67 points thanks to a goal, four assists and five clean sheets.
Trippier is currently an injury doubt, but with the Newcastle team news set to be revealed at 11:30 GMT, you will have an hour to bring in a replacement.
If Trippier is out and you don’t want to invest in any other players from that match, you can simply wait until the second deadline at 15:00 GMT before submitting a squad instead.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Porro (£5.9m) is another great option at home to Luton Town - again, you’ll be armed with the official Spurs line-up an hour before the deadline.
Why 15:00 on Saturday is the deadline to target
All three promoted clubs have a match at 15:00 GMT on Saturday, which means you won’t want to miss the opportunity of picking the key attacking players from each of their opponents.
Spurs duo Son Heung-min (£10.1m) and Richarlison (£6.9m) have each produced 40+ points in their last six home outings ahead of a visit from Luton.
Cole Palmer (£5.8m), meanwhile, has delivered double-figure hauls in each of his three appearances against promoted clubs for Chelsea. The Blues’ home meeting with Burnley also lends weight to a double up, with right-back Malo Gusto (£4.2m) having five assists to his name this season.
Although managers have unlimited funds for their first ever FPL Challenge, Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz (£4.6m) should not be overlooked at Sheffield United.
Since securing a starting role in Gameweek 23, Muniz is the second top-scoring player in Fantasy, earning 57 points thanks to seven goals and an assist.
Cottagers’ No 1 Bernd Leno (£4.8m), meanwhile, is the joint top-scoring goalkeeper in Fantasy on 105 points, and is worth the double up.
Load up on Liverpool
Liverpool’s home encounter with Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday gives managers the chance to go big on the Reds.
You can pick up to five players from one side in FPL Challenge, as opposed to three in Fantasy Premier League.
Jurgen Klopp’s front three, Mohamed Salah (£13.1m), Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz (both £7.5m), can all deliver huge scores against the Seagulls, who have conceded an average of two goals per away match this season.
Both Darwin and Andrew Robertson (£6.4m) head into the weekend as doubts but, as in the case with Trippier, you can afford to have them in place and transfer them out should they not be named in the starting XI.
The Reds’ back-up left-back, Konstantinos Tsimikas (£4.5m), is also likely to take up Robertson’s share of corners, offering a like-for-like replacement in your line-up.
In Darwin’s case, the unlimited funds challenge also gives you the option of transferring him out before Liverpool's match starts and bringing in Erling Haaland (£14.3m) for the final match of the Gameweek, when Manchester City host Arsenal at 16:30 BST on Sunday 31 March.
