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Beginner Strategies for Picking the Ultimate Fantasy Football Team

Published 2025-10-30 by Rolf H

The Premier League is one of the biggest competitions in sport with billions of fans tuning in every week. With giant clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal doing battle, enthusiasts are enthralled by the action. Another element of this growing fandom is the soaring popularity of Fantasy Football.

If you are keen to explore this classic game but not sure where to start, this article will provide tips and guidance so that you can make smart choices when it comes to selecting your starting XI. It's great fun and a brilliant way to take on friends, family and even other supporters around the world.

Beginner Strategies for Picking the Ultimate Fantasy Football Team

Become a Premier League Nerd

When it comes to picking a Fantasy Football team, it is imperative you build an expert knowledge so that you can smart choices from a place of authority, knowing and learning. Taking the time to conduct thorough research will help you to boost your understand around every team and player in the Premier League, meaning you will be able to make educated selections based on details as opposed to merely taking a punt in the dark.

It's similar to online wagering on the English top-flight. Assessing a range of casino sport options allows you to explore different markets and pick out offers and promotions which can enhance your overall betting experience. That's also the case with Fantasy Football - if you put the hours in, you will discover a range of elements which can help you to make direct choices and leave no need for guessing on which players to select for your side.

Get a Grip of the Basics

It's important to get a solid grip on the basics around the aim of the game before diving in. Playing Fantasy Football revolves around selecting a team of Premier League players who will score points for your team based on what they achieve on the pitch in the real world. So, for example, if you select Jordan Pickford and the Everton goalkeeper keeps a clean sheet at Hill Dickinson Stadium, your side's tally will go up. 

In Fantasy Football, you can play in leagues and tournaments and the pursuit really enhances your personal interest in every team and engagement into each game. The rules state you can not select more than three players from one club meaning you'll be across a number of teams throughout the campaign.

Assess Matchday Odds

When looking to pick players to score for your Fantasy Football team, it's a wise move to look at which clubs have favourable fixtures. A smart way to identify these runs is to assess sports betting odds as this will alert you to which teams are being backed to win and who is seen as an underdog. 

From there, you can start to look at the sides with the easiest run on paper and make selections from these clubs. However, it's important to note that even the teams at the bottom of the league table can boast players who score points every week. Take Brentford last season who may have finished in the lower half of the standings but had Bryan Mbeumo and Yoann Wissa recording a giant tally of goals and assists for Fantasy managers across the world as popular picks.

Look at Every Player's Stats

When deciding which players to select in your team, you should always look at the stats and the numbers linked to each individual in the Premier League. The key figures to look at are goals, assists and clean sheets as it's these metrics which are used to reward players with points in your starting line-up. There are countless resources online to find this information, from the Premier League app to official club accounts.

Also look out for Man of the Match awards and specific player ratings by local press as this can also indicate which players are thriving and impressing during the season. As a Fantasy Football player you should always be on the lookout for media and content which can point out to you the top performing players.

Gain Insight on Social Media

Social media is home to huge football communities and are great places to boost your knowledge and gain fresh insight. Platforms include X, Facebook and Bluesky feature football fans who will share their specific teams and offer their opinions on who to sign and triple captain picks. Here, you can share your own viewpoints and queries and gather thoughts on which moves to make.

These sites are also used by Fantasy Football gaming experts, former pros and pundits which means you can also boost your perspective by people in the know; either those who study Fantasy Football or ex-players who have been there and done it on the pitch and can offer insight on specific scenarios on the pitch. By reading the takes of others, you can start to consider alternate opinions to your own to ensure your decisions are well-rounded and based on more than one viewpoint.

Overall, it's crucial you conduct thorough research into the Premier League and become an expert on clubs and players to ensure you have plenty of information to hand when selecting your team. By using online resources to check out stats and taking into account betting odds, you can continually track the top performing players for your side.