Expert Insight: What can we learn from Sam?
We had a chat with Sam from FPL Family – to get some expert insight, to find out what her strategy has been so far this season and what her plans are for the coming Gameweeks.
FPL Family’s Sam is a pundit on the FPLShow and Official FPL Podcast. She also live streams with Husband Lee on the FPL Family YouTube channel as well as working at Fantasy Football Scout.
Sam has been having a challenging season and her Overall Rank currently sits at 120k.
Expert Insight: The 2021/22 Season so far
How often are you taking hits this season? Is that more than you would normally take?
Last season I actively avoided taking hits. Indeed it was part of my strategy for playing the game not to take hits. As a result I took just two hits last season and they were in exceptional circumstances due to injuries to key players.
At the end of the season I looked back on whether taking the hits would have made a different. The reality was that I would probably have come out a little bit high in terms of Overall Rank had I taken hits. Whilst the difference would have been very small it did prove that hits often won’t harm Overall Rank.
This season I have taken multiple -4s. Mostly these have come as a result of Covid positive tests or postponed matches. Taking the hit this season has become a key part of my gameplay and for the most part they have paid off.
How are you deciding who wears the captain’s armband? Form/Fixtures/Historic record against opposition etc
Up until AFCON the armband was permanently attached to Salah. In the couple of Gameweek’s he was away it moved between Bowen, Ronaldo and Josh King.
For me choosing a captain is a combination of playing the fixtures and handing it to a player who is in good form. In the coming weeks I will captain players who have a Double Gameweek as they come about and picking a player in good form who I trust in the weeks where we only have single fixtures.
How many chips have you played and do you have a plan for when you think you will look to play your remaining ones?
So far I have only used my first Free Hit chip.
Who has been your best transfer in so far this season?
There have been a few good ones. Brining in Bernaldo Silva ahead of his purple match was a particularly good move. Along with the ever popular Jarrod Bowen.
What is your preferred system at the moment? (3-4-3, 4-4-2, 3-5-2 etc)
For most of the season I have been playing three at the back. Doing this has allowed me to play either four or five of my midfielders. However we are coming in to a part of the season where there are a number of fantastic wingback options and the forwards in the game continue to be uninspiring. As a result I am looking to more to a 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 formation.
Expert Insight: FPL Plans for the coming Gameweeks
Which player(s) are you looking to target ahead of the Gameweek 26 deadline?
Having Salah back in your team for this Double Gameweek will be key if you don’t already own him. He will be an incredibly popular Triple Captain option this week. For me having a Spurs attacker either Son or Kane could also be a great option and I will likely move Ronaldo to Kane ahead of this deadline.
How many Double Gameweek players should we aim for?
Every single Double Gameweek there are multiple single Gameweek players who out perform those with a double. This means that there are certain players who it feels important to play in Gameweek even though they only have a single fixture such as Joao Cancelo.
For managers who have seven or eight doubling players that looks like a good number. Just be mindful of the blank Gameweek that follows if you are targeting the doubles of Arsenal and Liverpool.
Which PL teams should FPL managers be looking to target/double up on over the next 4-5 Gameweeks?
We are starting to see lots of fixtures which have previously been postponed slotting back into the schedule. With 14 fixtures still to be rescheduled managers should be looking to target teams with potential for Double Gameweeks, but also those teams with something to push for between now and the end of the season.
The likes of Spurs, Aston Villa and Arsenal have games in hand to be rearranged and have motivation to push potential European spots between now and the end of the season. At the other end of the table Burnley have the most games to be rearranged and have the potential for a double double. With Cornet back from AFCON and Weghorst signing they could be great cheap differentials.
Of course stay invested and increase investment on the likes of Liverpool and Man City in their push to win the Premier League.
What is your target for the end of the season?
Top 10k is always may target for an FPL season. This season has been challenging. On many occasions I have gained momentum only to then have games postponed or key players ruled out and that has cost me rank again. There are currently 80 points between me and the top 10k which with currently played chips is still within reach, although it will require a certain amount of luck in the next few weeks.
Expert Insight: The Final Word
One piece of advice for FPL managers….
Play your own game. Don’t get caught up in what other managers are doing. Use your chips on the weeks that suit your team (even if that is different to what everyone else is doing) and trust your gut when it comes to transfers in.
You can read more about Sam’s life as a content creator here.
