Regular players of the iconic Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game will know that it has the ability to delight and frustrate in equal measure.
The opening couple of weeks can be extremely tricky to navigate, particularly if your FPL team fails to deliver a sizeable points return.
The temptation to make knee-jerk decisions can be overwhelming, and often results in disastrous mistakes being made.
For example, fixed odds experts Spreadex predicted that Chelsea star Cole Palmer would be the second-highest points scorer in FPL this season.
However, he tallied just three points in the season opener against Crystal Palace as the Blues were held to a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge.
Despite this, dropping Palmer after one underwhelming performance is fraught with danger.
With that in mind, here are some useful tips to follow during the early part of the season which will help you recover from a bad start in FPL.
Don’t waste your Wildcard
‘Think before you act’ is mantra which can sensibly be applied to many elements of daily life. It also has plenty of merit where FPL is concerned.
If you have spent time researching your picks in FPL, it is highly unlikely that every one of them will fail to deliver the goods over the course of a season.
One bad weekend at the start of the should not result in you taking an axe to your team and blowing your Wildcard chip in a fit of pique.
A more advisable course of action would be to take a four or eight-point hit on transfers to bring in assets from a team with favourable upcoming fixtures.
The deduction will likely be repaid fairly quickly and will allow you to keep a valuable chip you can use further down the line.
Overrate players at your peril
Transferring in a player who performs well in one game may seem like a good idea in FPL, but it is a tactic which is a risky tactic.
For instance, several Sunderland players delivered a healthy points return after performing well in their opening game against West Ham United.
The newly-promoted side rode the wave of expectation at the Stadium of Light to leave the Hammers trailing in their wake.
However, there is no guarantee they will maintain that level of performance over the next few weeks, and it would be foolish to overrate the result.
Sunderland visit Burnley in their next game, before embarking on a run of fixtures which each have the potential to be tricky.
Play the long game
Perseverance is the name of the game in FPL. In simple terms, even if you make a bad start to the game, keep plugging away.
Let’s say you are in a league where the leader has surged 50 points ahead of you after two weeks. There are still 36 weeks to rectify the matter.
You will hopefully have all your chips in place which can make a massive difference. A few shrewd transfers could also aid your cause as the game progresses.
The beauty of FPL is its unpredictability. For example, Jeremie Frimpong was a popular pick with many players, but suffered a hamstring injury in his first game for Liverpool.
His absence could potentially have a negative impact on your FPL rivals, giving you the chance to make up ground if they fail to adequately replace him.
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