The new Premier League season is gradually creeping up and it is around this time when people begin to think about who the key pieces in their Fantasy Premier League team for the season will be. What strategy will you use, will you go all out attack with an electric front three, or will defence and clean sheets be the order of the day? Who will be the one big bargain buy, and can you find him quicker than those in your league to gain the upper hand on them early in the season?

What Position to Spend Money On?

Looking at the stats from last season, many players chose to spend their money on attacking players. The two most expensive goalkeepers from last season, Ederson and Alisson were used sparingly overall while five out of six teams contained at least one of the most expensive strikers in the game. Those who are looking at the big named striker can double up their chances by placing a wager on them to score in the game as well as having them in their fantasy team. There are many new account betting offers ahead of the new season that will get you started with a bookmaker if you want one.

As for formations, 3-4-3 was the most popular overall, while the three least popular formations were those containing five defenders, showing that fantasy managers preferred to score their points through goals and assists rather than solid defensive play and clean sheets.

Transfers

One of the key deciding factors in who wins your league will be transfers. With the ability to do these at various stages throughout the season you will not have to hold onto the players who are underperforming or injured, you can ship these out.

However, it is the players who you bring in that you need to think about the most. If a cheap player suddenly hits form just before the transfer window opens then you can expect a lot of your opponents to add in these players. If you are near the top of the table you can afford to follow the crowd, but those near the bottom need to think outside the box and pick someone else.

Assessing the Difficulty of a Fixture List

This is the one key skill that usually separates the winners from the losers in fantasy football. If your player is up against a top six club, do you drop him and wait for the easier games to come along? That is a tough decision, but many people do that.

The rough gems are players who have a nice, easy fixture list ahead of them and are known for scoring points against lower opposition. For example, if you can find a player who is at a mid-table team and he scored well against those near the bottom of the table, you are likely to be one of few players who has them in your team, as these are the kind of players who fly under the radar in fantasy football.

It is also worth noting when the European games are coming around. Your star Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero would be a good bet to score at home to Sheffield United, but if there is a big European game around the corner, will he be rested and not see the field of play at all?

All of these questions are what makes fantasy football so brilliant, and why many people are gearing up right now to play the new season.