The 2018/19 season is less than two weeks away and Fantasy Premier League managers are stepping up their preparations.
Here The Scout explains how to cover all of the FPL fundamentals.
Choosing a formation
Managers should always be adaptable when assembling a 15-man squad.
While it is sensible to build a squad with a starting XI and formation in mind, managers must be flexible as the season progresses.
The 3-4-3 is the most popular among managers.
In that formation, your fifth midfielder and two benched defenders should be back-up options for the first three to four Gameweeks.
Change with value
The value available to FPL managers can influence a change in plans.
Last season, nine midfielders scored 170 or more points, compared with only three forwards.
It is in midfield where cut-price gems tend to emerge, forcing a change in formation.
Pascal Gross (£7.0m) and Luka Milivojevic (£6.5m) both started last season at a cost of less than £6.0m. They went on to score 164 points and 144 points respectively.
So be prepared to change to a five-man midfield when such opportunities arise.
If you have confidence in midfield bargains from the start, go for a 3-5-2 and have a cut-price forward, along with two budget defenders, on the bench.
A three-man defence is the most popular, as it allows managers to field seven attacking players.
Goalscoring defenders
But the goals and assists offered by wing-backs or attacking full-backs can alter that approach.
Defenders score six points for each goal in FPL, with midfielders earning five and forwards four.
Finding those players who offer a big attacking threat from the back can again lead to a change in tactics.
Marcos Alonso (£6.5m) and Andrew Robertson (£6.0m) both averaged five points per match in 2017/18. Only three forwards could better that.
That kind of output can merit more investment in defence with a switch to 4-4-2 or 4-3-3.
Stay alert and react
Reacting to on-pitch changes is also vital.
Alonso excelled as a wing-back in Antonio Conte's 3-4-2-1 set-up for Chelsea.
He scored seven and six goals in each of the last two seasons and is the fourth-most popular defender in the game, owned by 16.8 per cent.
But new head coach Maurizio Sarri prefers a 4-3-3 formation.
This means that Alonso is expected to play as a full-back this season, which could limit his attacking potential.
Monitoring such changes, as well as player form, will help shape and dictate your formation accordingly.
Also in this series
Part 1: FPL secrets: How to build a champion's squad
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
