Getting Started in FPL – Advice for Absolute Beginners

Fantasy sport is a global phenomenon that is well on its way to becoming a billion dollar industry. While you can participate in fantasy leagues for all sorts of sports, fantasy football is bigger than all the rest put together, and of all the fantasy football leagues out there, Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is the one that everyone seems to be talking about. That’s hardly surprising given that there are more than eight million registered players.

If you feel as if you missed a page somewhere in life and have never quite got your head around FPL, don’t worry. Despite appearances, you’re really not the only one. Here, we cover the answers to those questions you’ve been dying to ask.

Getting started

Once you’ve signed up for FPL the first thing you’ll need is a squad of players. There are 15 in a squad and you have an overall salary cap of £100 million. You’ll need three forwards, five midfielders, three defenders and two goalkeepers. The other rule to keep in mind is that you can have no more than three players from any one Premier League side.

Preparing for gameweek

In FPL, your fantasy football team’s fortunes are dictated by what happens in the real Premier League. You have until 90 minutes before the first match of the gameweek kicks off to lock in your 11-man team. You must include one goalkeeper, three or more defenders, two or more midfielders and one or more forwards. Beyond that, the formation is up to you.

Scoring

So far so good. It is when we get to the scoring system that people start to get nervous, but it’s really nothing complicated. Points are scored by your starting XI, and while the list of actions that can either win or lose you points is quite lengthy, there’s no need to memorise them all, your points will automatically be awarded.

Join a league

There are dozens of public leagues and you can compete in up to five different ones. Alternatively, you can join a private one with family and friends. Of course, the Premier League season is reaching its final weeks, but that actually makes it an ideal time to start. Use the rest of this season to get a feel for FPL, and you’ll be fully equipped to start in earnest when the new season gets underway in August.