Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is a game of discipline, timing, and emotional resilience. These are the FPL golden rules that actually matter, the ones that keep your season on track when the game inevitably tries to derail you. You can read every thread, watch every scout video and still end up staring at a woeful score wondering where it all went wrong. The truth is simple: FPL isn’t won by chasing chaos, it’s won by sticking to these FPL golden rules.
1. Minimise the number of transfers you make
Hits rarely pay off. A -4 only becomes positive if the player hauls, and a -8 basically needs a miracle. Most of the time, patience beats panic. The managers who climb late in the season are usually the ones who avoided unnecessary hits early on. Every transfer is a risk; every hit is a gamble. Save them for genuine opportunities, not emotional reactions to one bad week.
2. Build your squad with at least four gameweeks in mind
Short‑term thinking kills seasons. One good fixture can tempt you into a transfer that looks clever on paper but leaves you stuck the week after. FPL rewards managers who think in blocks, not bursts. Look ahead, plan ahead, and build a squad that can survive rotation, injuries, and fixture swings. The more future-proof your team is, the fewer fires you’ll have to put out.
3. Prioritise your chips properly
Probably the most important of all the FPL golden rules in our opinion. Triple Captain > Free Hit > Bench Boost. Every time. Chips are not toys, they’re season‑defining weapons. The biggest gains come in double gameweeks, especially in the final stretch of each half-season. Saving at least two chips for the last five gameweeks gives you a huge advantage over managers who panic‑use them early. Timing is everything.
4. Follow press conferences for injury news
Managers lie, but they don’t lie all the time. Press conferences remain the best source of last‑minute clarity. A single sentence can change your transfer plans, your captaincy, or your bench order. Ignore them at your peril. Even vague updates can help you avoid a landmine.
5. Check the fixtures and make transfers as close to the deadline as possible
Early transfers are a trap. Injuries, rotation, surprise benchings, all of it happens late. Avoiding price rises are tempting, but losing a player to a Friday training injury is far worse than missing a 0.1. Waiting gives you information, and information is the most valuable currency in FPL.
6. Centre‑backs are now more valuable than full‑backs
With defensive contribution points, the game has shifted. Full‑backs don’t dominate like they used to, and many are rotated more often. Centre‑backs quietly rack up returns through clean sheets, bonus points, and set‑piece threat, and they’re good value. It’s not glamorous, but it’s efficient
7. Don’t overthink the template
You’re not reinventing the wheel. Sometimes the obvious pick is obvious for a reason. The template exists because certain players are consistently good value. Stick close enough to avoid disaster, then find your edges elsewhere, captaincy, timing and smart differentials
8. Defensive midfielders aren’t the trap they used to be
The game has evolved. Bonus points, deeper creative roles, and increased involvement mean DMs can be smart, stable picks. They won’t explode, but they won’t disappear either. In a season of chaos, reliability is underrated.
9. Trust your instinct
You’ll hate yourself far more for ignoring your gut than for being wrong. If something feels right, back it. Football is emotional, unpredictable, and often irrational, and so is FPL. Your instinct is a tool, not a weakness.
10. Accept that these FPL golden rules will ruin at least one weekend a month
This is the only rule that never fails. Green arrows feel like enlightenment. Red arrows feel like betrayal. But that’s the game, the highs, the lows, the chaos, the hope. You’re here for all of it.
Welcome to the madness.
Do you follow these FPL golden rules? Join the For Foot Sake FPL League here.
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