The 23/24 Fantasy Premier League season was a wild ride, but I managed to finish in the top 0.05% of all players. The secret? A powerful tool I like to call The Algorithm. This blog post will walk you through the strategies I used, backed by The Algorithm, to secure a top-tier finish. Whether you're looking to dominate your mini-leagues or climb the overall rankings, these tips are for you.
1. The Power of Rolling Free Transfers
One of the biggest mistakes I see from lower-ranked players is the overuse of free transfers and unnecessary hits. That is not how to win FPL. This season, FPL allows you to roll up to 5 free transfers, and this can be a game-changer (https://www.premierleague.com/news/4059225)
Rolling transfers gives you flexibility and the ability to react to unexpected developments, such as injuries or form dips. It’s crucial to think of every transfer as a -4 point hit and only make a move when you’re confident it will benefit your team. The Algorithm values restraint, often advising to roll a transfer unless there’s a clear and immediate gain. This conservative approach helped me maintain a strong squad throughout the season, ready to capitalize when opportunities arose.
2. Striking the Balance with Differentials
Differentials can make or break your FPL season. However, going too differential is a common pitfall. There’s a reason the template exists—it’s usually full of players who are delivering consistently.
The key is to pick the right differentials at the right time, and this is where The Algorithm truly shines. It identifies players with big potential before they become mainstream picks. For example, we brought in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Pascal Gross weeks before their ownership surged, reaping the rewards when they delivered. The lesson here is not to stray too far from the template but to carefully choose a few differentials who can give you the edge.
3. Ignoring EO for Captaincy Decisions
Captaincy is arguably the most critical decision in FPL each week. A common trap is getting caught up in EO (Effective Ownership) and letting it influence your captaincy choice. My advice? Ignore it.
Every week, I captained the player I thought would score the most points, regardless of their EO. This strategy is particularly important when chasing rank or trying to win a mini-league. The Algorithm’s expected points model guided my captaincy picks all season, and I didn’t look at EO once. It worked out brilliantly, proving that going with your gut and solid data is often better than following the crowd. Check out this post for the 24/25 season expected points: https://www.knightmanagers.com/post/introducing-the-algorithm-s-expected-points-optimizing-player-transfers-with-precision
4. The Importance of Rotations and a Strong Bench
One area where The Algorithm excelled was in optimizing player rotations. Having a strong bench is essential, especially with the fixture congestion we often see in the Premier League. If your bench consists of 4-4.5m players who rarely start, you’re limiting your potential.
This is especially true for defenders. Clean sheets are highly fixture-dependent, more so than attacking returns for premium attackers. I made sure to have 5 solid defenders who could rotate based on fixtures, giving me the flexibility to target clean sheets and maximize points from my backline.
5. Prioritizing Defender Transfers
Defender transfers often don’t get the attention they deserve, but they were crucial to my success. Premium attackers can return points in almost any game, but defenders’ potential is tightly linked to fixtures. Nearly half of my transfers last season were on defenders, taking advantage of favourable fixture swings to secure clean sheets.
By focusing on defenders, I was able to accumulate points steadily throughout the season, even when my attackers had tough matchups. It’s not the most exciting strategy, but it’s highly effective and one that many managers overlook.
6. Leveraging The Algorithm
Finally, the secret sauce: The KnightManagers’ Algorithm. This tool is the most powerful resource in FPL right now. Last season, 85% of users who joined improved their rank. The Algorithm provides insights that go beyond the surface, using advanced metrics and statistical analysis to predict player performance.
I used The Algorithm throughout the entire season and finished in the top 5k. If you’re serious about improving your rank or winning your mini-leagues, I can’t recommend it enough. You can check it out at KnightManagers.com.
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