Secret Fantasy Football Hacks Are Starting to Realize They Can Give You a Big Advantage in FPL

Premier League Fantasy Football is back, but did you know there's a clever trick that can help you get the edge over your fellow players? Gameweek one of the FPL is here, with the deadline to confirm your first round squad just 90 minutes away before Manchester United take on Fulham on Friday night (August 16).

However, not having a team ready in time for the opening day might not be the worst thing in the world. Sure, you risk losing points by not having a team ready for the opening weekend of the Premier League, but there are a number of advantages to be gained by waiting until every team has played their first set of games.

Plus, it saves you the stress of doing research that could still lead you to choose the wrong team. After all, these things take time. But what's to be gained by sacrificing GW1 points and signing up later? Here, Express Sport breaks down all the secret FPL bonuses that latecomers can make the most of.

Unlimited Free Transfers

Yes, you read that right. If you have already signed up and registered before the GW1 deadline, your team is set in stone, except for the one free transfer you get per game week. Those who sign up after can get unlimited free transfers until the second game week deadline.

This means you'll have plenty more time to study the form of the opening Premier League games, before deciding who will make your squad. Those who featured in the first matchweek will have to use their free transfer, wildcard bonus or accept points deductions to make changes.

This could negatively impact your Fantasy League seasonal score if team members suffer injuries early on, forcing you to lose points accumulated by making premature season changes.

Looking back is always easier

With the first gameweek behind us, we should be able to determine which players will start and which players will be on the bench. Players earn one point for every 60 minutes played and two points for appearances of more than 60 minutes per game. This is just the beginning of the points accumulation.

The more time players spend on the pitch, the more likely they are to score a goal or provide an assist, which can quickly increase your weekly points. You'll want to select a team with a strong starting roster to maximise your chances of earning the most points. After the first week of play, you'll have a better idea of ​​who's likely to become a mainstay.

Price fluctuations

FPL player prices fluctuate throughout the season. If you fill your squad with the best FPL players from the first week of play, you'll likely see price increases before the GW2 deadline.

If you initially have £100m to build your starting team and back-ups, that quickly changes once you've picked a few star players. That extra £0.5m could prove extremely valuable in the future when selecting transfers.

Avoiding difficult opening matches

Fulham, Chelsea, Leicester and Ipswich are all set to face incredibly tough opening games this weekend. While high-priced players like Cole Palmer (£10.5m), Emile Smith-Rowe (£5.5m), Nicolas Jackson (£7.5m) and Bernd Leno (£5m) could prove beneficial in the long run, they could potentially dent your opening day points tally if the bookies' predictions are correct.

Understanding the real positions of the players

While waiting for the second round, you will have the opportunity to analyse in depth the actual position of the players on the pitch. For example, while Trent Alexander-Arnold is mainly used as a full-back, he started to move towards midfield towards the end of last season.

If this continues and his main position is right-back this season, then technically you will be able to include an extra midfielder in your team. As we all know, midfielders, given their greater freedom, have a higher chance of scoring goals than defenders.

It is still possible to join the mini-leagues that started in GW1

According to the FPL website: “You can still join any mini-leagues that started scoring in Gameweek 1. You'll quickly catch up. You can also invite friends and colleagues to join a league that starts scoring in Gameweek 2. A win-win situation!” The deadline for GW2 is Saturday 24th August at 11am, with Brighton and Manchester United kicking off at the Amex at 12.30pm.