26 red hot fantasy football tips from old winners and experts

Want to boss the work Fantasy Football league this season? Read on. Heed advice from people who have taken home the trophy on playing through the season, which players to go for and how to use theFantasy Premier League features best.Player tipsPaul McKinnon, editor ofFantasy Football Scout,passes on his best advice...GK 1: Ben Foster (West Brom)At £4.5m, Foster is easier on the budget than the rest of Tony Pulis’s defensive regulars. The Baggies’ stopper should improve on last season’s six clean sheets and also offers the potential of save points – he placed fifth for saves (116) last time around.GK 2: Tom Heaton (Burnley)Don’t let a price hike to £5.0 deter you from considering the Clarets’ No.1. Last season’s top-scoring shot-stopper offers far more than just clean sheet potential – Heaton was ranked first for saves (149) and produced 21 bonus points, an FPL record for goalkeepers.DEF 1: Cedric Soares (Southampton)Kindly valued at £5.0m, the right-back faces just one of last season’s top nine in the first 11 gameweeks. Soares was among the top four FPL defenders for chances created (39) and successful crosses (43) last term, while new manager Mauricio Pellegrini should boost the Saints’ clean sheet prospects.DEF 2: Kieran Trippier (Tottenham)Kyle Walker’s switch to Manchester City allows Trippier to command a regular spot on the Spurs teamsheet. Though limited to just 12 outings in the league’s tightest defence last season, he still supplied five assists in a raiding wing-back role. At £5.5m he looks a snip. DEF 3: Lewis Dunk (Brighton)A commanding presence at the heart of a Brighton backline that claimed 21 clean sheets in the Championship last term. Available for just £4.5m, Dunk also offers bonus point potential and has an eye for goal – he fired 38 attempts and scored twice in 2016/17.MID 1: Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool)The Brazilian was involved in – scored or assisted – more goals than any Liverpool player last season. Coutinho also ranked No.1 for shots on goal for the Merseysiders, and the £9.0m-priced schemer can justify his lofty 33% ownership and continue as their go-to midfield option.MID 2: Paul Pogba (Manchester United)The Frenchman will surely improve on last year's disappointing five goals and four assists. A secure pick under Jose Mourinho, Pogba placed seventh in midfield for shots on goal and created more chances than any United player in 2016/17. An £8.0m price tag could prove good value if he ups his output.MID 3: Matt Ritchie (Newcastle)With 12 goals and seven assists last season, the promoted playmaker ticks a number of boxes. Listed at just £6.0m, Ritchie is the Magpies’ go-to man for set-pieces and penalties, and has the opening schedule to profit from with five favourable matches in the first six gameweeks.FWD 1: Harry Kane (Tottenham)Winner of the Golden Boot in back-to-back seasons, the Spurs frontman averaged 7.5 points per match (ppm) last term – more than any player. He’s far from cheap at £12.5m but few, if any, can match Kane’s captaincy credentials as a consistent provider of goals.FWD 2: Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City)The Brazilian can topple Sergio Aguero as the key target in Manchester City’s attack. Jesus bagged a goal or assist in seven of his eight league starts last term and, at £10.5m, is easier on the budget that the Argentine. Only Kane surpassed his 6.7ppm among forwards in 2016/17.FWD 3: Wayne Rooney (Everton)Back at former club Everton, the summer signing has made an immediate impact as Romelu Lukaku’s replacement. Rooney has netted in both of his summer starts and could also be handed penalties. Priced at £7.5m and boasting a 21% ownership, he’s the fourth-most-popular pick among forwards. 10 key tips for successThe expertFantasy Football Scoutspecialist site (whose membersinclude two previous FPL winners;in2016/17,four of the top 15 FPL managers used the site) have shared their top tips per position for the season ahead. Take a look at these and you won't go too far wrong...1. Did they play during the summer?Consider the summer internationals when constructing your initial squads. With the Confederations Cup andU21 Euros having taken place, a number of players will have been late back to first-team training. Keeping an eye on the teamsheets for recent friendlies should help steer your opening selections.2. Who are the best promoted players?Assess the main players from the promoted sides. These teams always tend to offer kindly priced options that help free up cash to spend elsewhere. Look for regular starters on set-piece or penalty duties and pinpoint defenders who perform well for clearances, blocks and interceptions, which helps their bonus point potential.3. Who will be this season's bolters?Analyse the player list. As both Josh Kingand Gylfi Sigurdsson proved last season, there are typically one or two players who emerge from the budget bracket to cement a role in our starting XIs. Pinpointing any players who are wrongly classified and playing in a more advanced role can also give us the edge – the 3-5-2 trend could allow certain full-backs to be pushed up into midfield, for example.4. Which big club players to go for?Utilise your three-player allocation for the top clubs wisely. N’Golo Kante is a popular pickdue to his budget-friendly price tagbut generally offers little attacking threat from the centre of midfield.Focusing on the goal-getters or raiding defenders should reap greater rewards.5. Forget the new signingsDon’t go overboard on new arrivals. It’s easy to succumb to the allure of a big-name signing but there’s a definite risk in overloading your squad with players unproven in the Premier League. Give them time to acclimatise then reconsider if they show signs of settling.6. Which games to target?Always keep an eye on the fixtures. Those teams with favourable upcoming schedules are more likely to bring in the points, so it’s wise to be aware of runs of easy or tough fixtures and plan your transfers accordingly.7. Always check the injury newsA long-term lay-off can suddenly promote players from the fringes and has the potential to offer us a cheap option with the security of starts.8. You'll need a strong benchKeep your squad well stocked for Christmas. The threat of rest and rotation is rife over the festive period and strong benches are essential as top-flight managers shuffle their options to cope with the hectic fixture list.9. When to cash in your 'chips'Be patient with your three Chips. Both the 'Triple Captain' and 'Bench Boost'chips are particularly effective when wielded during double gameweeks. These are best played when explosive options such as Harry Kane or Alexis Sanchez are handed a pair of fixtures in a Gameweek to maximise their points potential.10. Watch out for influential playersWatch the matches. Studying the statistics can help to an extent but there’s nothing quite like scouting your targets in action to help guide those vital transfer decisions.General tips from an ex-winner...Pick loads of left-backs, says Greg Wright, who previously won theTelegraph’s £40k prize. Oh, and don’t make changes after being at the pub... 1. Have a solid pre-seasonYou need to do your research, starting in the summer. A few weeks before the season starts I’ll look at injury news, transfers and so on, trying to find those unknown players that other people miss. Then in the last week of pre-season, when it’s still unlimited transfers, I’ll just start throwing players in, tossing teams around – you’re looking for that good combination to start with. Once you’re happy with your team, unless someone’s injured, then it kind of manages itself.2. Don’t be afraid to gamble...It’s no good having the same team as everyone else. In defence, a lot of people go for five players from different teams, playing it safe. I’ll go for three from one, two from another. I’m only relying on two teams to keep a clean sheet then. You have to gamble a bit, especially at the end of the season. Don't be afraid to take form players out when they've gone cold –especially if you knowmost people around you havethem in their teams.3. But be mean in the marketThink like a real manager. A player might have a goal spurt, but is he actually any good? Would you normally want to buy him? Don’t waste transfers: if I’ve got 30 overall, I’d want to still have 20 left by New Year. You want the maximum games out of potential signings, so look at their upcoming fixtures, possible suspensions – no matter how desperately I want someone, I won’t buy them if they’re on four bookings. And, most importantly, don’t make drunken decisions at 1am. I’ve done that before.4. Ignore reputationsThe best players don’t always make the best team. I used to fall for the flashy, skilful players, but they weren’t earning enough points, and in most games defensive midfielders never win any. Attacking full-backs are always good, because you might get points at both ends – I played three left-backsin some games last year. And this is something I got over a long time ago: don’t ignore players just because you don’t like them.5. Recharge the batteriesPeople’s teams usually go wrong when they forget about them, so I have a regular routine. Thursday and Friday, I’ll follow the managers’ press conferencesand check the predicted line-ups. There are also some good Fantasy Football websites now. But as soon as the weekend games are finished, unless there are midweek fixtures, I switch off until Thursday again – you get too into it otherwise. And I stop altogether in June. It’s a long season. You need a life as well.Newfeatures you'd loveon FourFourTwo.com