| It's that time of year again. The British summer is | | | | Gerrard. Both players play every game when |
| drawing to a close and the majority of Premier | | | | they are fit, bother score bags of goals, take |
| League teams have spent their budget for the | | | | free kicks and corners, are the teams' preferred |
| season and most transfer business is over (well, | | | | penalty taker. |
| with the exception of Man City!). Now is the time | | | | Last season, Lampard shaved it with 243 points |
| to put together the fantasy football team, and | | | | to Gerrard's 202 although Gerrard was injured for |
| with the following strategy in, thoroughly thrash | | | | parts of the season. |
| your mates and work colleagues. | | | | Fantasy Football Info recommends: Gerrard |
| 1. Learnings from last season | | | | (Liverpool. £6.5m) |
| 2. Goalkeeper and defenders | | | | The Bargains |
| 3. The 'must haves' | | | | The true key to a winning Fantasy Football team |
| 4. The bargains | | | | is picking up the bargain players. The ability to |
| 5. Taking risks | | | | predict who from the newly promoted clubs will |
| 6. Transfers | | | | do well and which squad players from the rest of |
| Learnings from last season | | | | the Premier League will hold down a first team |
| In terms of top scoring players, last season threw | | | | place. Choose your bargains wisely. Had you |
| up few surprises. Ronaldo, Gerrard, Lampard and | | | | predicted the injury plagued season of Ricardo |
| Vidic all scored well. The big surprise last season | | | | Carvalho and selected Alex, this foresight would |
| though was the emergence of Dirk Kuyt. The | | | | have gained you 127 points for a player worth |
| Liverpool striker was always admired for his work | | | | just £3.8m. |
| rate but all too often posed no real goal threat. | | | | Fantasy Football Info recommends: Valencia (Man |
| However, last season he found a new lease of | | | | Utd. £3.5m) |
| life, reinvented by Rafa Benitez on the right side | | | | Taking Risks |
| of Liverpool's three pronged attack that saw | | | | As with picking out the bargain players for the |
| Steven Gerrard operating as a 2nd striker. In this | | | | season, it is also worth looking at taking a |
| role, Kuyt became a consistent provider of | | | | calculated risk on some of the lesser teams and |
| assists as well as scoring some important goal, | | | | the newly promoted teams. In most Premier |
| accumulating 177 points along the way. This is a | | | | League seasons there is always on surprise team |
| fantastic return for a striker who only cost | | | | who over achieve - Fulham last Season, Reading |
| £5.9m. | | | | in their first season. If you can predict which of |
| The other surprise star of last season came in | | | | these teams will be the surprise, you can pick |
| the form of Man City's free scoring midfielder | | | | yourself up some try bargain players. |
| Steven Ireland. There is a certain irony that the | | | | Fantasy Football Info recommends: Ebanks-Blake |
| richest club in the world's player of the season | | | | (Wolves. £4.9m) |
| was a player who came up through the youth | | | | Transfers |
| system and had mostly been playing second fiddle | | | | The 30 transfer the Daily Telegraph give to each |
| to Michael Johnson the year before. Steven | | | | manager can decide how you fair. Use too many, |
| Ireland contributed 131 points for a mere £3.4m. | | | | too soon and you risk being left with half a team |
| From this it would seem that the big learning from | | | | when the injuries and suspensions start to mount |
| last season is to look to the midfield for the most | | | | up at the end of the season. Soldier stubbornly on |
| points for your pound. Strikers converted to | | | | with your original team despite some unexpected |
| wingers playing in a 4-3-3 formation are a must. | | | | poor performers and you'll be a hundred points |
| Goalkeepers and defenders | | | | off the pace before you know it. The best advice |
| The performance of goalkeepers and defenders | | | | I can give for making transfers is don't panic! Give |
| more than any other position in Fantasy Football is | | | | the season some time to unfold, don't jump in |
| dictated by the team they play for rather than | | | | and change your strikers just because they |
| their own ability. Players such as Matthew Upson | | | | haven't score in the first week. Give it three or |
| and Jonathan Woodgate are good defenders in | | | | four games and see how the land lies. |
| their own right but if the team they play for leaks | | | | Make sure you also keep an eye on upcoming |
| goals, they will get you many points. | | | | fixtures. If one of your defenders next four |
| You shouldn't over spend in these areas as | | | | games is Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal |
| goalkeepers and defenders' main source of points | | | | then it may be worth taking in him out until after |
| is from clean sheets and therefore can only get | | | | that particular run of games is over. |
| you so many points. Where possible, go for | | | | Injuries also play a key role in the transfer |
| attack minded full back who can get you a few | | | | strategy of most Fantasy Football Managers. The |
| assists through the season. | | | | important thing with injuries is to monitor the |
| Fantasy Football Info recommends: Johnson | | | | anticipated return date of your injured player. If |
| (Liverpool. £4.0m) | | | | one of your star players is out for more than 2 |
| The 'must haves' | | | | weeks, make the change. If it's one of your |
| Until this summer, there was only one name in | | | | cheaper bargain players out for a couple of |
| this section. But with Ronaldo's departure to La | | | | weeks it's not worth wasting a transfer. In |
| Liga, the title of 'must have' player is up for grabs. | | | | general, any player out of action for 3 weeks or |
| For me, it boils down to one of two players - the | | | | more needs to be replaced. |
| consistent goal threat of Chelsea's Frank Lampard | | | | Making transfers at the right time is an art form. |
| or the pure inspiration of Liverpool's Steven | | | | Good luck - see you at the top of the league! |