Considering I was in the process of reviewing my team, coming off just 49 points and my sixth red arrow of the season it seems fitting I didn’t do a damn thing to my team ahead of GW8. While it was my intention to go into the break with a FT, it appears I will have that chance now, as the game is locked and my team is unchanged from last week. In all honesty, there wasn’t going to be any changes. I had thoughts of jumping back in on James Rodriguez, but talking to our resident Everton supporter and co-host of the FPL Roundtable, Casey, I decided to hold off bringing him in and holding Wilf Zaha for another week. Continue reading “2020/21 FPL GW8 Starting XI”
2020/21 Premier League: GW7 Tale of Two Teams
Thought it would make for an interesting comparison, as this is the first year I am taking to distinctively different approaches to the FPL game. The first team, is the one that is not eight seasons old with 31k as the best finish. It’s the team I put all the time and effort into. The other started during the 2018/19 season when I decided to participate in WGTA zombie league. Last year, I used it in a “red on defense” and “blue on attack,” in regards to Liverpool and Man City. This season, the team has evolved into a 5-man defense that I intended on playing all season long, barring a defender not included in their starting XI. Continue reading “2020/21 Premier League: GW7 Tale of Two Teams”
Think Different: GW7 5Man Defense Starting XI
Thinking different last week didn’t really help my overall performance. It was a late roll of the dice, because Sheffield United defense is so bad this year, I decided to activate the triple captain chip. We know how that worked out. A whopping six points. Thanks Mo. However, one week doesn’t make a season and honestly it’s no worse than playing one of two games in a double game week and picking up an assist. So while it was a massive fail, I tried to make it look not so bad. This week, after my first red arrow, I do think this team will rebound. Continue reading “Think Different: GW7 5Man Defense Starting XI”
2020/21 FPL GW7 Starting XI
This week has been a blur, for the most part I’ve not followed a damn thing as it relates to FPL. That’s not always a bad thing, especially coming off my worst ever score of 22 points on the back of a -8 point hit because of injuries, suspensions and ineffectiveness. Lesson learned, but continuing to participate in this game, I have no doubt it could potentially happen again. This week, I missed the transfer article, so I’ll include my team changes and thought behind my starting XI, as GW7 kicks off today as Crystal Palace visits Molineux. Continue reading “2020/21 FPL GW7 Starting XI”
VAPM Update: GW6
Guess I can take solace in knowing that the key metric, VAPM numbers have been updated for GW6. Most notably this week has been in the increase in defenders above the baseline VAPM of 0.35. By the conclusion of the game week, 74 players are above the threshold and based solely on this metric are targets for transfers and wild cards. VAPM numbers are slowly decreasing overall, which is the expectation, as players put in more minutes and don’t have the returns to keep their VAPM over the median. As a reminder, this key metric uses 180 minutes and 4 points as the minimum qualifications to make this list. Players in bold are highlighted by position are currently at or above 0.35 VAPM. The GW6 list includes: 25 defenders, 26 midfielders, 13 forwards and 10 goalkeepers. Continue reading “VAPM Update: GW6”
Think Different: 5-Man Defense GW6 Retrospect
One of the positive aspects of FPL is being able to have multiple teams. Can you tell I never plan on actually winning the game? Okay, so it’s “my son’s team” that I manage, just to make sure I am playing fair and by the rules. While my 6thGoal failed miserably, I did take consolation in having a second team. Unfortunately, when it rains, its a fucking typhoon! While I pride this team on the 5-man defense, it was the first week that saw Sergio Reguilon not putting my team into a 4-4-2. I knew at some point this would happen, but didn’t think it would come from Reguilon, especially after his performance the week before against West Ham. Continue reading “Think Different: 5-Man Defense GW6 Retrospect”
2020/21 Premier League: GW6 Retrospect
I vowed I would not look at at ANY fantasy related items this week because I knew my score was going to be bad. However, thanks to Paddy (@TheFantasyKing2), I was lucky enough to have the biggest fall and fewest points in his mini league. Thankfully it wasn’t Monday and this news was much better received on Tuesday morning. To be completely honest, after that poor officiating in the Liverpool game, rewarding Sheffield United a penalty kick, I watched no more Premier League the rest of the weekend. That combined with a 15-hour volunteer project on Sunday and it pushed FPL to the back of my mind. Continue reading “2020/21 Premier League: GW6 Retrospect”
2020/21 FPL GW6 Starting XI
This week I’ve used my free transfers and two additional, sitting on a -8 points to start the game week. Not how I really wanted to start out or was that end last week. Both hits were done and dusted before the conclusion of the Merseyside Derby. Knee jerk? Oh yeah! No other way to describe it, but Virgil van Dijk, who was “pickforded” is lost for months, while Richarlison was awarded a red card for dangerous play and will miss the next three games. Both players needed to be sorted out ahead of GW6 and I wasted no time resolving the problems. That was before the rumored injury to James Rodriguez, which may have been to deflect the negative attention from his teammate. Maybe this week they have taught Pickford how to slide tackle better. Continue reading “2020/21 FPL GW6 Starting XI”
Think Different: GW6 5Man Defense Starting XI
Oddly comforting is how I describe this 5-man defensive adventure I have set out on this season. As I’ve mentioned all week on the Pitch & Pint Podcast, as well in numerous articles on 6thGoal, this team is playing well. Honestly, can you ask anymore from a week to week than green arrows? Four of them! Count them, four with very little thought or effort, one would think this game was easy. Okay, I won’t go that far. While OR is the indicator FPL managers base their team success on, one could argue this team isn’t successful because of their 1.5M rank. Honestly, that’s one week of good football and remember we’ve been without Kevin De Bruyne, who missed GW5 and who’s two prior games were both no returns. This team isn’t that far off from where my expectations lie. Continue reading “Think Different: GW6 5Man Defense Starting XI”
Think Different: GW6 Transfers
Unlike my 6thGoal squad, where the transfers came fast and furious, while the Merseyside Derby was still going on, I have decided to take my 5-man defensive team and approach it a bit more rationally. There was no knee jerk transfer for Virgil van Dijk during the week. Add to that the news that James Rodriguez won’t play and I decided to hold Kevin De Bruyne last week instead of transferring in Heung-min Son. This team is not without its share of problems, with a FT in my pocket and just 0.3 ITB. This team is also on a run of green arrows to start the season and who thought you couldn’t be successful with an all premium, 5-man defensive team? Continue reading “Think Different: GW6 Transfers”
VAPM Update: GW5
It will probably require much of the season to see if crunching the numbers in order to generate a baseline figure for VAPM will provide any advantage during the FPL season. This year, more than the previous two seasons, I’ve started using the ‘value added per million’ (VAPM) of 0.35 as a baseline for players in my squad. By no means will it guarantee a successful season, but it’s my hope that using this data in order to get a number to base player decisions around could improve the “total immediate points gained from transfers” as tracked using FPL Statistico. Continue reading “VAPM Update: GW5”
Think Different: 5-Man Defense GW5 Retrospect
It feels as if I am living in DC Comics, fictional, Bizarro World (Htrae), which in popular culture has come to represent a situation or setting which is weirdly inverted or opposite to expectations. Take my first ever attempt to field a 5-man defense, over a 38 weeks Premier League schedule in a season where clean sheets are down and goals are up. Right there, it’s got the making for something that resembles a horror movie, fitting as we are nearing the end of October and Halloween is right around the corner. Who knows, maybe a “Freddie” or “Jason” could potentially carved up some points for my starting I. Continue reading “Think Different: 5-Man Defense GW5 Retrospect”