I've played FPL for 7 seasons and finished in the top 10% four times.

1. Holding transfers "just in case."

Rolling a transfer sounds smart until you realise you're leaving 4-8 points on the table every week. The best managers are proactive, not reactive. If there's a clear upgrade, make it.

2. Captaining based on gut, not fixtures

Your favourite player vs. a top-6 side is not the move. The data is clear — fixture difficulty matters more than "form" for captaincy. A mediocre pick with a great fixture beats a great pick with a terrible fixture most weeks.

3. Chasing last week's points

By the time a player hauls and everyone rushes to buy them, the value is already priced in. The edge is identifying who's about to haul based on underlying stats (xG, xA, shot volume), not who already did.

If you want simple weekly tips that handle all of this for you — captain picks, transfer targets, and deadline reminders — that's exactly what we do at FPL Lab.

No spreadsheets required. Just better decisions.