The 2018/19 season is just two weeks away and Fantasy Premier League managers are stepping up their preparations.
In a new series of articles, The Scout explains how to cover all of the FPL fundamentals.
Building a 15-man squad
There is no need to plan for the long term. You should pick your opening squad based around the fixtures of the first three to four Gameweeks.
If you want to make changes for further down the line, bear in mind that you have one free transfer each Gameweek and a Wildcard chip to use before 30 December.
Risk limitation
Try to limit any risk when picking your players.
For example, a promoted player or a new signing can be appealing. But history has shown that they can be less reliable while adjusting to the league.
Therefore, it is best to limit your selection to one or two of these "gambles" and instead rely on proven FPL performers.
Don't waste a pick
Avoid being wasteful and leaving expensive players on the bench.
Select nine or 10 regular starters for your XI and fill the remaining slots with cut-price players who can be swapped out according to fixtures.
Monitoring pre-season teamsheets can help you find some of those value options.
For example, Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.0m) has started three of Crystal Palace’s four summer friendlies at right-back.
Maximise your money
Rotating players helps maximise the value they offer.
Seek out two cut-price defenders who can be swapped in and out of the XI and use the Fixture Difficulty Ranking (FDR) to find a suitable pairing.
Ben Mee (£5.0m) of Burnley and Cedric Soares (£4.5m) of Southampton are a pair of defenders whose fixtures combine well in the opening Gameweeks.
Allocate wisely
You can only select three players from any Premier League club, so do not waste a slot on low-scoring players.
N'Golo Kante (£5.0m) is the seventh-most popular midfielder in the game with 14.8 per cent ownership.
But he has scored only one goal in each of his three FPL seasons with Chelsea and, before that, Leicester City.
By owning Kante, you would be restricted to picking only two other Chelsea players.
Should the Blues start the season strongly under new head coach Maurizio Sarri, you may regret owning the Frenchman.
Instead, opt for cut-price players from teams unlikely to take up your three-player allocation.
Also in this series
Part 2: FPL secrets: Finding the right formation
Part 3: FPL secrets: Selecting the perfect captain
Part 4: FPL secrets: Take your time with transfers
Part 5: FPL secrets: The best time to use your chips
Part 6: FPL secrets: Bonus-point kings offer critical edge
