The new Fantasy Premier League season is almost upon us, and managers across the world are finalising their Gameweek 1 squads with high hopes.
Every season brings fresh optimism, but picking the wrong players from the very first gameweek can seriously damage your overall rank early on.
While much of the pre-season focus falls on who to buy, knowing who to avoid is just as important when building a competitive FPL squad.
Some players arrive in the new season carrying injury concerns that make them highly risky options for managers looking to start the campaign strongly.
Fixture difficulty is another major factor, with several high-profile names set to face tough opponents in the opening weeks of the Premier League season.
Rotation risk is a persistent concern in FPL, and certain players are unlikely to start consistently enough to justify their price tags in the early rounds.
Premium assets can be tempting when everyone seems to be picking them, but a poor run of fixtures or fitness doubts can make them liabilities from day one.
Differentials are a key part of any successful FPL strategy, but only when the underlying data supports their inclusion rather than blind optimism.
Set-piece involvement, expected goals, and expected assists data all play a crucial role in identifying which players are likely to underperform their ownership levels.
Managers who ignore the avoid list in Gameweek 1 often find themselves burning early transfers to fix mistakes that could have been avoided with careful pre-season planning.
Form from pre-season friendlies can offer some guidance, though it remains an imperfect science when projecting how players will perform once the competitive action begins.
The smartest FPL managers treat their initial squad selection as a foundation, avoiding unnecessary risks while keeping transfers in reserve for the weeks ahead.
