FPL launch 2015/16 – New Rules and Player Pricelist
Finally, after weeks of waiting excitedly like a child on Christmas Eve, FPL has been launched for the 2015/16 season. With GW1 still the best part of a month away, there will be countless hours of tinkering ahead as managers try and ensure they get off to the best possible start in their pursuit of global domination. The price list will be carefully scrutinised to find this season’s Harry Kane, while many a club’s pre-season tours and friendlies will be monitored to see who is showing impressive form and which of the new transfers appears to be settling in the best. All of this is of course normal July and August behaviour for us frustrated FPL managers, especially those who didn’t get involved in Fantasy MLS and the U21’s Euro Championships and certainly for those that despise the cricket!
FPL have however given us some other innovative changes to get our heads around as we contemplate the season ahead – and it’s these changes which we will concentrate on first before we then take a quick glance at the first reaction to the price list.
Rumours were rife days before launch date that FPL were tinkering with the game and they haven’t disappointed. There are four new elements to the game, all of which we need to understand fully to maximise our FPL performance this season.
CHANGES
[clear]Wildcards
Managers will have two Wildcards to use during the season – however, Wildcard 1 can only be used in the first half of the season (before 28 December 14.00hrs). The second Wildcard can only be used in the second half of the season. If you fail to use your Wildcard in the first half of the season, you will lose it. The January Wildcard has been scrapped and does not exist anymore.
Chips
A new feature of the game is the “Chips” that FPL has introduced. There are three different kind of chips:
All Out Attack
Bench Boost
Triple Captain
All Out Attack
Allows you to play a 2-5-3 formation in the next gameweek.
Bench Boost
Points scored by your bench players in the nominated gameweek are included in your total score.
Triple Captain
Your nominated captain’s points are trebled. In the event of your captain not playing, your vice captain’s points will be trebled. If neither your captain or vice-captain feature then you will not benefit from playing your “Triple Captain” chip that week and it will not be reallocated to your team.
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The All Out Attack, Bench Boost and Triple Captain chips can each be used once a season and are played when saving your team on the “My Team” page. They can be cancelled at any time before the gameweek deadline.
However, please note that only one chip (including your wildcard) can be played in a single gameweek. For example – it would NOT be possible to play your wildcard in a big DGW and also utilise the Triple Captain chip.
What effect will these “chips” have on our selection?
Initially not a lot, unless you are planning to play one of the chips early on. However, we would advise caution and patience – as we know, early season can be very unpredicatable where it is not uncommon for promoted teams to gain surprise results, new transfers are still settling in and players who have represented their countries in summer tournaments will often be eased back into action slowly.
The Triple Captain feature seems the simplest chip to plan for – and the likelihood is that one will use it when one of your star names (Aguero, Hazard, Costa, Alexis etc) are either playing at home to a supposed weakened side or there is a DGW, which will likely only happen in the second half of the season.
Bench Boost will obviously require us to have a fully playing squad – the initial thoughts of this are that managers may avoid choosing two keepers from the same team (Foster, Myhill – West Brom etc) and will want to make sure that their fifth midfielder is likely to have a chance of contributing something more than a 2pt return (Gareth Barry fans be warned!).
The Gareth Barry example from above also applies to All Out Attack – managers will want five attacking midfielders and therefore it is recommended not to rush to use this feature to ensure that your fifth midfielder for that week (who is likely to be a cheapie), is not only a guaranteed starter, but that his attacking stats are good, as indeed are his fixture that week.
So those are the new features and at first glance they seem exciting innovations to keep us on our toes and will require us to concentrate our planning further.
Gone are the days of a simple RMT. It will now be, “Please RMT and I’ve activated my All Out Attack”!!
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Players Price List – initial reaction
Unsurprisingly, last season’s budget FPL gold, Harry Kane has shed his “cheap as chips” price tag and opens the season with a price of 9.5mln. So who is this season’s bargain basement striker? If you fancy a punt on newly promoted Watford or Bournemouth, then Troy Deeney and Callum Wilson start the bidding at 5.5mln. Among those priced at 6mln are Leicester’s Loenardo Ulloa & Jamie Vardy as is Liverpool’s new striker Divock Origi. If they don’t excite you then among the crowd at 6.5mln are Saido Berahino (WBA) and Daifra Sakho under the tutorship of Bilic at West Ham, who started the Europa League campaign with a brace. Bafetimbi Gomis of Swansea is priced at 7mln as is the fit again Jay Rodriguez at Southampton. If you’re still not enthused and if you can stretch to 7.5mln you have such names as Danny Ings at Liverpool and Falcao at Chelsea (what a bargain if Jose gets him firing).
New player prices – some of the new players to the Premiership or those who have changed teams that may interest you:
Petr Cech (Arsenal) – 5.5mln
Micah Richards (Villa) – 4.5mln
Gerard Deulofeu (Everton) – 6.5mln
Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool) – 5.5mln
Firmino (Liverpool) – 8.5mln
James Milner (Liverpool) – 7.0mln
Memphis Depay (Man Utd) – 8.5mln
Maarten Stekelenburg (Southampton) – 5.0mln
Andre Ayew (Swansea) – 7.0mln
Dimitri Payet (West Ham) – 7.5mln
And some selected old favourites:
Sergio Aguero – 13mln
Diego Costa – 11mln
Olivier Giroud – 9mln
Eden Hazard – 11.5mln
Cesc Fabregas – 9mln
Alexis Sanchez – 11mln
Theo Walcott – 9mln
David Silva – 10mln
Yaya Toure – 8.5mln
Angel Di Maria – 8.5mln
Wayne Rooney – 10.5mln
You will all have your own views and may spot the glaring bargain that I have missed. So please share your thoughts below on both the new changes to the game (the chips) and also your thoughts on the prices and maybe you’ve even begun to draft your initial squad.
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Greetings everyone
Aguero or no Aguero
The squad could be really strong without aguero with money spent elsewhere but Aguero is still a 20 goal per season striker so could really use some help here
cheers
The Aguero Squad
failed to upload last time
m7mdb1997 – For me, once he’s fit he’s a must have player. I posted a budget-balance guide a couple of pages back (could be in the last article actually). It included Aguero and Hazard and the rest were just figures. If you’re struggling to fit him in, have a look at it and see what you think. Your squad will definitely be balanced so it’s just a matter of then tweaking it to your liking.
Agree 100% but feel that on a the long run switching strikers according to form and fixtures + a overall stronger squad would be smarter. A player can have a bad day but then you will have a better squad to cover for it. it is really tough this year especially with midfielders like Sanchez and hazard running the show each week last year but strikers still being essential for huge points week in week out.
Go with whatever route you feel most comfortable with mate. Chopping and changing has it’s pro’s and con’s, same as just splurging on a beast and rolling with him. For me, he’s in my team, 100%. I’m playing by strict rules this season so he’s a must have for me, as is Hazard. Probably swap the captaincy between those two based on fixtures for most of the season as they are the most consistent players.
Thanks for the advice
side note I think deeney is such great value for a striker this year probably most used player in the first gameweek after hazard
No problem mate. Deeney will be very popular and should really be in everyone’s thoughts for a cheap striker.
NIN I actually took a snap of it this morning. Wasn’t a very good one but the gist is there! And welcome to the site m7mdb1997.
Nice one init, on the ball as ever mate. I think it’s a good platform to start from.
My team following Nins advice (almost)
That’s the idea Wafflez mate. The guide is there to help balance it out, then you tweak it around :thumbup: Strong all round set up there, i like it.
To me the team core is a choice of Haz/Cazorla/Aguero or Haz/Sanchez/Kane.
IF Kane keeps firing and the rest of the league havent worked out how to make him another flash in the pan the second gives better points based on last year.
Initially Im thinking its Cazorla/Aguero but hopefully its a one week swap if it goes the other way.
With adjusted prices theres a drop of 35 points between 5m goalie to a 4.5m. That’s massive points to give up. Im def looking at a 5m first line goalie on that.
New Seasons Greetings to all and i have my second draft already! God i’ve missed this!
Thoughts?
Evening all!
Nin, sounds good mate. Not had a doubles ever so let me know how you want to work it…thought I really don’t like the sound of the name Web’s NINs not NINStars ha.
What’re people’s thoughts on Stoke signings? Johnson, Given, van Ginkel?
Good stuff Webstar. I’ve never played a doubles league either so it’s all new to me too. I suppose we can give it a week or so and then set up a new account. There’s not a lot to be doing now really what with preseason not off yet and transfers to be made. Email is the handiest way to discuss the team etc i think. What say you buddy?
Hearing schweinsteiger to Utd is done,announcement in the next few days.should be interesting in fpl.
Gimme gimme gimme!!!!! Bastian is such a good player. He’d make it a lot easier for the forwards to get going too, what with his domination of midfield and solid passing. Here’s hoping!
NIN – is he the same player he was though?
Probably not mate, but he’s still class and a lot better than what we’ve got. He’s the type you want in the dressing room at least.
hi everyone – its been a while. Hows the summer going for you? Surprised the fpl is out so early
Evening Dreamers. All is quiet in camp NIN. How have you been? Season start is under a month away so FPL is here already. Had a look at the new rules yet? Interesting stuff.
Been good NIN. Did the Ring of Kerry for the first time last weekend which was an experience.
Had a look at the rules from the article from the guys – seems interesting. Should be fun
Excellent, sounds like fun. Yeah it’s going to be harder to plan ahead but hey, that’s what we play for, a challenge! And fun of course
Seems Schweini is on his way to Old Trafford. You think United still need Schneiderlin if they got him? And do you reckon he is still better than Schneiderlin?
Yeah I doubt they’d both the both of them, I think they’d both have similar returns anyway.
Schneiderlin is 25 whereas Schweinsteiger is 30. Schweini has seen it all though. And if one comes, the entire Bayern colony might come, Schweini is popular.
Never understood why van Gaal had his aim on Di Maria/Falcao, he has a bad past with Southern AMerican players and works much better with German type players, disciplined hard workers.
Woodward want a star player.
Hey peeps, heard a whisper Citeh will offer £40mill plus 4mill in add ons for Sterling but Luverpool are to turn it down and keep hold of him and put him in the reserves till Januarys transfer window after he has attacked the manager and club verbally.
Really don’t get why City would want Sterling. He has shown nothing in the past season, he was terrible. If I was Pool I’d sell him though, get rid of the poison. They already brought in 1 player that is way better than he will ever be, Firmino.
I wouldn’t write the kid off yet. He has bundles of talent, maybe he needs the move. We shall see. Aguero, Silva, Sterling is a pretty hefty attack in fairness.
I JUST DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :dance:
Who you reckon is better for United? Schneiderlin or Schweinsteiger? Or both? Looks like interest has swapped to Schweini.
Schweinsteiger confirm to united
The more people are piled into uniteds midfield the more appealing Rooney looks!!
Don’t forget Depay. 😉
Squeeze every penny mate. They’ll get to £50m eventually and that will be that.