Pre-Season Tutorials 3: The Art of Transfer

For Pre-Season Tutorials 1: Creating Your Squad, click HERE.

For Pre-Season Tutorials 2: Picking Your Players, Captain and Substitution Order, click HERE.

And now I will present to you the last part of my pre-season tutorials which teaches you how and why should you make transfers. In fact, your efficiency in transfer is the key that differentiates you from the best to the best in the best! There are only two reasons to transfer which end up with one ultimate reason: to get more points, and; to increase your bank value so that you can get players who can score more points!

Basics

So, when should you make a transfer?

1. Your player is injured/suspended;
2. your player is performing badly recently;
3. the upcoming fixtures make it almost impossible for your player to perform;
4. there is another player who can gain a lot of scores and value in forthcoming gameweeks; or
5. there is another player who score much better and is in the similar price range,

provided that that player is your regular starter. For those 4 pounders who sit on your bench for more than 80% of the season, you shouldn't bother them at all unless you are using your wildcard.

Also bear in mind that starting from the second transfer of the gameweek, there will be a four points deduction for every transfer you made. So, buy and sell wisely.

Accumulated Free Transfers

You may sometimes want to exchange two £8m players for one of £10m and another of £6m but change your mind because of four points deduction. But thanks to free transfer accumulation, you can now do it without points reduction. Simply make no transfers in one gameweek and you can make two for free next gameweek!

The great thing about this season is that the accumulated free transfers can now be taken forward infinitely - you can now save your unused free transfers and used it at any week you want! 

Still, the free transfers cap is only two, so never hope to save a several gameweeks of free transfers for the sake of making one mini wildcard.

Wildcards

What is a wildcard? The concept is the same like the one in Uno card game, but this one is even better - you can make infinite number of transfers in the gameweek that you use it! A good timing of wildcard can make a big tidal change, bringing you to a better ranking and also boosting your team value!

There is only one wildcard per season in the past, but now there is an additional one! This extra wildcard can only be used on winter transfer period (Gw 23-27) though. Still, it makes the game much more exciting don't you think?

So, when should we use the wildcard? You should used it when you whole team is performing badly, or you can use it in as early as Gw 2/3. Simply changed out your whole team to those who are in-form and your team value can easily boost for about £1m! This will definitely provide a strong foundation for your future team build. Furthermore, you will still have another winter wildcard to make things right should they go wrong.

General Tactics

Since budget does determine success or failure, you should give more focus on team value for the beginning of the season with minimal sacrifices on points. Once your budget reaches a preferable value, you can then give full sprint on points scoring.

Price Changes

I have talked much about raising your team value, but how should we determine will the player's price rise or fall? Well, there are two indicators: performance of last gameweek and net transfers of current gameweek. Players who get a nice score on last gameweek and a massive net transfers on this gameweek will have a rise on value and vice versa. However, the FPL admin will give price freeze for certain players, so it is not definite for price increase/decrease.

Money Team

This is a special play of FPL - playing for pure motive of increasing team value. There is a table for highest team value, so if you think that it is worth playing in this direction for fame, then go for it.

Stay Alert

Last but not least, always check for fixtures, player forms and injuries/suspensions when making your transfers. Stay sharp and have fun!