Four Tips FPL Managers Can Adopt from NFL Fantasy Football
When is football not just football? When we make a distinction between football and American football played on a gridiron.
Two very different sports. Players can’t use hands in the former. In the latter, only one or two specialty guys on a team actually kick the ball. Still, the fantasy version of both codes’ highest calling–the Premier League and NFL–share some similarities.
A player draft precedes every fantasy season. Managers set forth lineups each week to accumulate as many points as possible. Player transfers make a huge impact as the season rolls on. And then there’s a strategy. FPL managers stand to learn a few things from studying their NFL fantasy counterparts. We’ll start with these four tips.
Fill scoring positions first
Too many managers in FPL and fantasy NFL draft by marquee player instead of by position.
A better approach might be to fill your side by selecting the best option available for a targeted position rather than name chasing.
Drafting a solid forward or two with your initial picks is a sound strategy. These are the guys responsible for scoring. But just because you wanted Mohamed Salah and he’s already had, doesn’t mean it’s time to chase your preferred goalkeeper. Stick with the forwards and pick the best of the lot at your turn.
This is why a successful manager of NFL fantasy will pick a running back first. The position is a high-use, high-scoring function and frequent match decider.
Draft the best players from sides you dislike the most
Ok, there’s a bit of a psychological trick going on with this tip, and it’s an old tactic used by fantasy NFL managers.
Most of us were Premier League fans before we became FPL managers. We balance our love for our favorite clubs with the performance needs of our fantasy sides. It’s a tough act. We want our preferred club to win, but we may also need opposing players to rack up points in the fantasy context.
Drafting the best players from those nemesis Premier League sides you can’t stand is a fan’s insurance policy. If these players do well, you’re in line for a bang-up EPL year. If they blow it, you relish in their poor performances as they bring down rival clubs in real life.
Stack Your Lineup With a Do-or-Die Focus
The nature of determining a season champion differs between the Premier League and NFL.
Whereas the Premier League champion is the side with the most points in the table at season’s end, the NFL champion is decided in the Super Bowl, a single game played at the end of the NFL season when the winners of the AFC and NFC meet in a pre-established location.
FPL managers can benefit by shaping their squads with a single contest, must-win mentality from week-to-week.
In terms of the media impact, The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched television events of the year, commercials receive large media coverage, and different sites offer a wide range of exclusive wagering options on football’s biggest match. It’s a spectacle on the world sports stage.
Sure, your FPL side doesn’t receive that kind of attention. But you will find success when you put the sweat equity into managing your line-up as if playing a global championship each week.
Don’t Stick with Failing Players
There’s a saying among NFL fans that the league acronym stands for “Not For Long.” Pro gridiron football places a high value on “what have you done for me lately.” Save for a few superstars, squads are in the habit of benching or cutting players when they fail for too many consecutive games.
Flexibility is key for FPL managers. There’s no reason to hold onto Ben Chilwell because you like the guy if he’s in the midst of a bad run. It could be best for your side to send underperformers packing on transfer.
FPL gives us a free transfer every week. Managers should constantly evaluate their recent stats while keeping an eye on what’s available on the market.
This FPL guest post was written by Xavier.
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