After a turbulent return from the international break in GW8, we found that premium FPL forwards are still blanking, premium defenders are still being rotated, and points from mid-price midfielders are harder than ever to predict. In this week's episode, we seek to answer these key questions with a fun game of "Fill in the Blank." We talk Ronaldo and Lukaku, Chelsea fullbacks, and Mbeumo's prolific woodwork record. Plus, there's consideration given to under-the-radar premium assets like Mané, Kane, and De Bruyne. Stick around for our GW9 transfer targets and captaincy favorites. Hail Cheaters! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Always Cheating FPL Podcast

FPL Fill-in-the-Blank Ahead of GW9

This international break has given us some time to think ahead and in this episode we're planning not just for the upcoming GW8, but for the next four week through GW11. Whether you're on a wildcard or not, we help listeners identify both teams and players who look primed to benefit from the upcoming month's fixtures—and some who you might want to avoid. We also discuss news from around the Premier League, including injury news, Claudio Ranieri's appointment at Watford, and the new ownership at Newcastle United. Hail Cheaters! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thinking Ahead: Planning for GW8–GW11 in FPL

After seven weeks of Fantasy Premier League madness, we try to construct a cohesive narrative that accounts for what we've seen so far. We take a closer look at this season's top fantasy scores in all positions, from goalkeeper to defender, midfielder to forward. What are the trends that appear? Are certain patterns real, imagined, or simply the product of kind fixtures? As we head into another international break, many managers still with their wildcard in hand, it's a good time to look for the story that FPL is telling us. Hail Cheaters! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What’s the Story of the FPL Season So Far? (GW1–7 Review)

Players like Jamie Vardy and Abdoulaye Doucouré have started this Premier League season in great form, yet they still haven't emerged as popular fantasy picks. Should they emerge, though? In this week's episode, we debate the merits of these rogue selections and predict whether their form might continue. We also consider the likes of Ederson, Neal Maupay, Emile Smith Rowe, and . . . Gabriel Jesus. Seriously. Stick around for our GW7 preview of key fixtures, transfer targets, and captain favorites. We consider what impact the Liverpool-Manchester City match will have on the weekend—and on wildcarders—and also attempt to pick the better armband option between Ronaldo, Lukaku, Antonio, and more. Hail Cheaters! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The FPL Assets We Aren’t Talking About

A wild GW5 taught many FPL managers about the importance of bench depth. But, hey, didn't we all know Tino Livramento would save the day? This weekend was also a useful mile-marker in assessing popular fantasy assets—players who we can now say with confidence that we should either buy, sell, or hold. We debate the pros and cons of playing hokey cokey with Ronaldo and Lukaku, assess the urgency of getting Michail Antonio back into our lineups, and give a stress test to under-performers like Diogo Jota and Mason Greenwood. We also evaluate defensive options at Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City before looking ahead to our transfers and captain picks for GW6. Hail Cheaters! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who Are We Buying, Selling, and Holding in FPL?

Ronaldo's explosive GW4 debut was matched by a brace from Lukaku, making the choice of premium forwards that much more challenging for FPL managers. Josh enters this week's episode with an active wildcard and this question of Ronaldo vs Lukaku is key to his strategy as he and Brandon debate the merits of fitting both into one fantasy squad. Will it work? Or does it strain the budget too much? We also discuss standout mid-price forwards and look at the current crop of budget forwards that might help free up some cash before we preview the fixtures and captaincy options for GW5. Hail Cheaters! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh's Wildcard Is Active & GW5 FPL Preview

This international break has offered drama and intrigue of all sorts, but we at Always Cheating won't allow ourselves to be too distracted from the GW4 deadline that's quickly approaching. So, has any of the news from World Cup qualifying changed our views on what to do with our FPL teams? We dig into the listener mailbag to answer major concerns over Ronaldo hype, Bruno doubt, Lukaku thigh scans, and the relevance of the still-delivering mid-price forwards like Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Michail Antonio, and Patrick Bamford. And what do we make of the impending Champions League schedule and its impact on Premier League squad rotation? Plus, we rank the current midfield options and take a long look at obvious and not-so-obvious captaincy choices for the weekend. Hail Cheaters! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mailbag Time: Your FPL Questions Answered & GW4 Preview

With GW3 behind us, and an international break ahead, is now the right time to play a wildcard and reset your FPL fortunes? Josh and Brandon look at the pros and cons of triggering the powerful wildcard button, debating whether it's too early in the season or conversely the perfect opportunity to get out ahead of the competition by bringing in exciting new options in Lukaku and Ronaldo. Manchester United looms large with Bruno coming off of two drab performances, while Mason Greenwood shows he could be a season-keeper. Will their fortunes—along with ours—change with the arrival of the Portuguese superstar? Thanks for tuning in, enjoy the break, and we'll return next week with a proper GW4 preview. Hail Cheaters! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wildcard Time?

So early into a new FPL season, it's very difficult to say what any of us know for sure. What we can identify, though, are things that we think—or at least think we think—about certain clubs, players, and fantasy strategies. This week, we're debating the options among cheap defenders and Tsimikas replacements. We also wax lyrical about Chelsea's deep squad and the awe-inducing reintroduction of Romelu Lukaku to the Premier League. How quickly will we be ripping up our teams to squeeze the Belgian striker in? Plus, we break down Manchester City's predictable hammering of Norwich City, the renewed influence of home supporters on numerous recent results, and the curious choice of an FPL captain ahead of GW3. Hail Cheaters! Receive a 25% discount on your Fantasy Football Hub membership: fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/always Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Things We Think We Think Ahead of GW3

This season's opening fantasy gameweek saw some standout performances and big scores, especially from popular picks Mohamed Salah and Bruno Fernandes. What does this mean for those maverick FPL managers who attempted to go against the grain? Looking ahead to our GW2 squad selections and captaincy picks, we review last weekend's notable over-performers, under-performers, and players and clubs that simply left us scratching our heads. Were Aston Villa and Arsenal really that bad? Were Spurs and Everton really that good? Is it already time to consider dumping Jack Grealish or Ivan Toney? Plus, we debate the bandwagons now building around Paul Pogba, Saïd Benrahma, and Watford stars Ismaïla Sarr and Emmanuel Dennis. Hail Cheaters! Receive a 25% discount on your Fantasy Football Hub membership: fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/always Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FPL GW2 Preview: Overperformers, Underperformers, and Head-Scratchers

There's less than one week to prepare for the start of the new FPL season and we still have a number of unanswered questions. Join Josh and Brandon as they discuss their final team selection dilemmas—which positions and players are locks and where will there be some last-minute GW1 deadline decisions? We also look at how recent transfers—like Grealish to Manchester City, Ings to Aston Villa, and Lukaku to Chelsea—impact our fantasy drafts and if we've pinpointed any assets flying under the radar. Thank you for joining Always Cheating during our pre-season coverage and we're wishing all of our listeners the best of luck for the 2021/22 campaign. Hail Cheaters! Receive a 25% discount on your Fantasy Football Hub membership: fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/always Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FPL Is Back - Building Your Final Squad for GW1

The trickiest position to fill at the start of this FPL season could very well be the forwards, mostly due to the large pool of very qualified candidates. So, before a ball is kicked, what's the best way for us to determine which strikers have the best potential? This week, Josh and Brandon break all of the options into three categories, based on price, and then compare the data and statistics for each player against various intangible qualities. Will we go big with the premium-priced Harry Kane? Or is it more appealing to field three forwards in the lower price brackets? Regardless of the approach, we have some serious decisions to make. Hail Cheaters! Receive a 25% discount on your Fantasy Football Hub membership: fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/always Join Always Cheating at the Wynn Las Vegas for Fútbolfest 2021 happening August 20–22. This three-day event will include live football content in the Wynn's podcast studio, club quizzes, cocktail hours, FIFA tournaments, watch parties for the weekend's GW2 fixtures, and a whole lot more. For information visit: futbolfest2021.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FPL Forwards: Everything You Need to Know

Instead of the usual team-by-team previews in alphabetical order, this season we're trying something new by predicting the Premier League table and discussing each team's FPL prospects as we go. Which clubs have we predicted to finish in the Champions League positions? And which ones have those "must own" fantasy assets? In part two of two, we look at who we believe will comprise the top half of the table, spots 10 to 1. Hail Cheaters! Receive a 25% discount on your Fantasy Football Hub membership: fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/always Join Always Cheating at the Wynn Las Vegas for Fútbolfest 2021 happening August 20–22. This three-day event will include live football content in the Wynn's podcast studio, club quizzes, cocktail hours, FIFA tournaments, watch parties for the weekend's GW2 fixtures, and a whole lot more. For information visit: futbolfest2021.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FPL Team Previews, Part 3: Predicting the Premier League Table - Teams 10 to 1

Instead of the usual team-by-team previews in alphabetical order, this season we're trying something new by predicting the Premier League table and discussing each team's FPL prospects as we go. Which clubs have we predicted to go down? And which ones might surprise us with marginal fantasy value? In part one of two, we look at who we believe will comprise the bottom half of the table, spots 20 to 11. Tune in next week for part two and spots 10 to the champions. Hail Cheaters! Receive a 25% discount on your Fantasy Football Hub membership: fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/always Join Always Cheating at the Wynn Las Vegas for Fútbolfest 2021 happening August 20–22. This three-day event will include live football content in the Wynn's podcast studio, club quizzes, cocktail hours, FIFA tournaments, watch parties for the weekend's GW2 fixtures, and a whole lot more. For information visit: futbolfest2021.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FPL Team Previews, Part 2: Predicting the Premier League Table - Teams 20 to 11

What will it take to win the Fantasy Premier League this season? How can you more easily hit your goals or beat your mini league rivals? And, perhaps most importantly, what does it mean to simply enjoy the upcoming 38 gameweeks? In this pre-season episode, we welcome friend-of-the-podcast Eric Freeman to outline our best tips for FPL success and making the fantasy experience more fun and rewarding. We recognize that doing well in the fantasy game can mean different things to different people, often depending on your style of play and level of competitiveness, so these 31 key principles offer something for every type of manager at every level of engagement. Hail Cheaters! Receive a 25% discount on your Fantasy Football Hub membership: fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/always Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

31 Tips for Winning FPL and Making Fantasy Fun Again

2 Fantasy Premier League managers. 38 weeks. 1 weekly podcast. 0 clean sheets. #FPL Public League: 513-448