Goalkeepers

Don’t splurge out a load of money for two competing goalkeepers. There’s a reason Boaz Myhill has been picked so often this year. It’s because he is the cheapest keeper going that actually got some points on the board last season (thank Ben Foster’s foot for that). It may only be a million or so out of your budget but when that million is the different between Jordan Henderson and permacrock Abou Diaby, you can see it is much better spent in other areas of the pitch. In the team pictured, we plumped for David De Gea. Louis Van Gaal knows when and how to play defensively, and United have also looked very good in pre season. Beyond this, De Gea can pull of a few flashy saves, which might give him the odd performance bonus point too.

Defenders

There are a number of ways to go with defenders, and it’s hard to tell which the best tactic is. Seamus Coleman (the top scoring defender last year) scored 17 fewer points than the top forward available (Daniel Sturridge) and a huge 61 fewer than midfielders, so perhaps it is best to budget on defenders and save your cash for attackers.

Certainly, buying 5 top level defenders is silly, as it’s rare they’ll all make it on the pitch. Geoff Cameron is a risk purchase in our side. Stoke have brought in competition at right back this year, but this might mean he moves to centre back or even centre mid (as he plays for the US). Having a player who could play further up the pitch is a great way to score more points. Examples of this are Alexis Sanchez (who will play as a centre forward/inside forward, but is listed as a midfielder) and QPR new boy Mauricio Isla, who is a very talented player in midfield as well as at wing back. This can represent real value in a purchase.

However, there are tips to maximise your defenders points. For value, try slipping in a defender who will get regular minutes at a top club that won’t cost as much as the stars (such as Mangala and Azpilicueta in the pictured team). Also, attacking full backs and goal scoring centre backs are a great addition, as they provide at both ends of the pitch. But the best way to get points out of a defender is to buy a set piece/penalty taker like Leighton Baines, who consistently gets great returns, even if his performances are poor.

Midfielders

As mentioned before, there are plenty of wingers and forwards who are labelled as midfielders who can be great value in fantasy football. Alexis Sanchez is an expensive £10.5m, but may well pay off if he starts regularly in centre forward, but Andre Schurrle is another great example of such a player. Because fantasy football was born in the days of a classic 442, the system can be beaten a bit by teams who play 4231s and 433s. This side pictured might be a bit too defensive (with Henderson and Matic), as defensive midfielders don’t get much in the way of reward, but they’re guaranteed to start every game and get safe points every week. Arnautovic of Stoke looks great value for £6.5m, and if you’re a gambling man then Erik Lamela of Tottenham at £8m could pay dividends after a solid pre season.

Forwards

Here, you can splash out big, or take a gamble. The side above has gone rather big, and banks on Giroud maintaining his central spot in Arsenal’s side. I toyed with Wilfried Bony (£8.5m) for this line up, but I think Swansea will do poorly this season and he won’t get the service he had last year. Dzeko, for me, is a classic fantasy must have. He can be the most frustrating player in the world to watch, but he has a knack for goals, and that’s what gets you points in this game. With Aguero and Jovetic constantly struggling with injury and Negredo’s huge dip in form at the end of last year (and current injury), he’s the second cheapest City forward but almost guaranteed to lead the line for the first few weeks. Looking at their easy first few fixtures, he’s nothing but great value.

Sometimes, new forwards can come to the Premier League and start off with a great run of form. Imagine being the guy who picked out Michu from weak one, or transferring Papiss Cisse as soon as he arrived in Newcastle. Sure, they may get figured out eventually, but there’s always one who can come in from abroad or up from the Championship and cause a ruckus. This year, we think that’ll be Bokan Krkic, the ex Barcelona Stoke City signing. He’s only £5.5m and Stoke are lacking up front without him (are you going to start Cameron Jerome over someone who beat Messi’s youth records at Barcelona?) and when you realise he’s the same price as Glenn Murray, you might just be onto a winner.

Other general tips

Don’t let your fandom get in the way. So what if you’re a Spurs fan? Arsenal players will still get you points, and if you have to watch the Gunners win every now and then you may as well make it worth your while by getting a few points on the board.

Don’t be afraid to admit you were wrong. All the strikers in the side above are streaky strikers. They’ll hit a run of form and grab 7 goals in as many games, then go 5 games doing nothing. If they’re doing nothing, use your transfers and get them out ASAP. They are the prized assets of this team, so wasting the money they cost is a good way to put yourself in for the end of season forfeit. 

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