11 things you MUST read before choosing your 2022-23 FPL team

You said you wouldn't mind this year. It's too much effort to stay on top. Yet you spend hours tinkering with your fantasy Premier League squad for the new season.

The best intentions at the start of a season to stay on top of transfers and substitutions throughout the campaign have almost always been forgotten in October, and in May you're absolutely adamant you won't bother the next time.

But then the transfer market kicks in, and before you know it, you're scouring the squads of newly promoted teams for the most beneficial replacements. Before doing so, you might as well read these 11 tips…

1. Rotate your goalkeepers and defenders

It is common for fantasy players to choose a starting goalkeeper from one of the big clubs and the cheapest possible replacement to keep on the bench. Don't.

Instead, choose two £4.5m/£5m goalkeepers to rotate, depending on who and where they play. At home against a struggling team? Let him in. In Manchester City? Put it on the bench.

Doing so should give you a higher chance of getting clean sheet bonuses throughout the season. Even the top clubs have plenty of games against their rivals where you wouldn't necessarily back them to keep a clean sheet, but if you pick the right two keepers in the bottom half or mid-table you'll almost always go in a week. -end by imagining at least one of them to keep things under lock and key.

All of the above also applies to defenders. You're going to need cheaper squad fillers, but rather than filling your bench with duds, spend on a couple of cheap defenders that you can rotate to maximize your chances of getting over 6 points.

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If you're really keen, check each club's fixture lists to find the best rotation options; there are many FPL dating difficulty sites.

Ideally you want to choose from two clubs that are at home on different weekends and don't play too many difficult matches at the same time.

2. Don't pick your backline from seven different clubs

Another common practice is to choose your two goalkeepers and five defenders from seven different clubs, on the assumption that you increase your chances of getting at least one clean sheet bonus.

However, by doing this you are also reducing your chances of getting really big scores, as it is unlikely that all the clubs of your choice will knock out opponents on the same weekend.

Instead, consider picking a few of your fullbacks from the same (defensively strong) teams, meaning you rely on fewer of them to score a few 0s.

3. Spend your money on defense

Many people build their defenses with several cheap options in order to afford more expensive midfielders and forwards, but the right defender in the £5m/£5.5m range will accumulate many more points than a midfielder of the same value.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was the FPL's top defender in 2021-22, finishing with 208 points. The best midfielder in the same price range was £7million Bernardo Silva, who scored 53 (fifty-three!) points behind with 155.

Joao Cancelo (£7m, 201 points), Andrew Robertson (£7m, 186 points), Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m, 183 points), Joel Matip (6m sterling, 170 points) and Aymeric Laporte (£6 million, 183 points). , 160 points) all scored more than that.

Generally, spending an extra million on a defender rather than a midfielder will get you a lot more.

4. Pay attention to poorly listed players

Any player used in a more forward position than listed by the FPL deserves consideration. This is what makes Mohamed Salah an expensive but essential choice: he has won three of the last five Premier League Golden Boots.

He himself insists he's a winger, which is pretty much true, but he plays in a top three and consistently racks up more points than the listed forwards in the game. There is a big difference between Salah and Fabinho, but in terms of FPL they are the same.

Also, to reinforce the above point about the value of defenders, look for teams that are likely to play with full-backs. Ivan Perisic at £5.5m looks like a bargain.

5. Choose your marquee signatures carefully

Often, fantasy leagues are decided by who picked the right big-money signings. There are usually a handful of players that everyone chooses (Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, etc.), but you have to be absolutely sure that they will start.

The best fantasy players are those who have the courage to avoid following what the crowd is doing - and, of course, to make the right differential choice, so think carefully about who you spend your big money on...