Fantasy Premier League: All You Need to Know Ahead of the Football Restart

Forget being excited to watch Premier League football again just for the 'quality' on display. That doesn't usually get the neutral through Burnley vs. Brighton, does it?

No. It's all about the excitement of watching Ashley Barnes or Chris Wood, or whoever your budget striker is, scramble in a goal in the most disgusting way possible. That's six points and probably some bonus extras, thank you very much!

So, with the Premier League set to return, here's what you need to know to make sure your fantasy team is ready to pick up bucketloads of points.

When Is the First Gameweek?

We've got a double gameweek to kick off the resumption of FPL.

Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United and Manchester City vs. Arsenal on 17 June are the Premier League's first games, and they will be included in the first gameweek.

So, if you somehow didn't have Kevin De Bruyne before the lockdown, it'd be a good idea to draft him in now - especially seeing as he's scored four goals and registered two assists in eight Premier League games against the Gunners.

FPL Transfers?

Here's some delicious news: managers can make unlimited transfers until the GW30+ deadline without using your wildcard option. So you've basically got free rein!

So if you want to ditch Diego Rico, Matteo Guendouzi or any other player who has been filling up a cheap spot on your bench, you can do so at no extra expense.

Can I Still Use My FPL Chips?

Heck yeah you can still use your chips, aka John McGinn's favourite food.

In a recent update, FPL revealed: "We would like to remind managers that any chips you retain at present (i.e. Triple Captain, Bench Boost, Free Hit and/or Wildcard) would remain available for you, in accordance with the Game Rules, for these Gameweeks."

So as long as you hadn't used those boosters before football's hiatus, they'll still be available.

How Can I Make Sure I Don't Forget the Deadlines Like I Always Do?

Yep, we've all woken up at 11:35 on a Saturday morning and immediately gotten angry at failing to update your team and captain. Or maybe you were stuck on the train before a game on a Friday night, frantically searching for a scrap of internet while the vehicle's halted in a tunnel due to delays. Classic.

Thankfully, you can now sync gameweek deadlines to your phone, meaning if you do miss a deadline, it won't be because you slept in too long or couldn't get home. It'll be because you simply didn't act on it when you were nudged.

No more excuses.

Any Good Fantasy Football Scout Tips?

The worldwide pause means some previously injured players will feature in the season's final few games.

So, if like me you decided to keep Harry Kane in your draft team even after he suffered a season-ruining injury back in January, you can now count on the England captain to boost your score until the end of the campaign. The same can be said for his Tottenham teammate Son Heung-min.

In fact, most of the stars at the Premier League's biggest clubs are fit and ready for action. Ricardo Pereira, the high-scoring Leicester full back, is one absentee with a knee problem, while Gerard Deulofeu, who loves the odd brief run of form before being quiet for another ten games, will also miss the first round of fixtures.

Click here for the game's full list on player availability.

What About Fantasy Price Changes?

Unsurprisingly, there's been very little movement on prices since football was halted.

Danny Ings has seen his price shoot up over the course of the season - owing mainly to a run of 13 goals in 16 appearances. The former Liverpool and Burnley striker started the campaign at £6.0 and is now up to £7.1.

Other big movers so far include De Bruyne, Sadio Mane, John Lundstram and Dean Henderson.

Crucially, there won't be any price changes until after the GW30+ deadline has passed.

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