Tips to help beginners or those struggling with their fantasy football team every year to know how to choose their lineup

• Choose the player not the club: It is very important to choose a player based on his position and importance in the team, not based on the club he plays for. For example, Enzo Fernandez at 5.0 might be one of the cheapest options in Chelsea’s lineup, but because he plays as a defensive midfielder (failed to score last season), whereas Josh Brownhill, a Burnley player, is exactly the same price but plays as an attacking midfielder, having scored seven goals and provided eight assists in the league last season.

• Follow the fixtures: Target players who have easy fixtures in the first 4-6 gameweeks. This is the most important factor when choosing your team players. This season, Brentford and Brighton have four home games out of six at the start of the season. Stoppiñan and Ben Mee (both priced at 5.0) are standout options in defense, along with midfielders Mbeumo and Trossard (priced at 6.5), alongside striker Ivan Toney (priced at 6.0).

• Don’t take unnecessary risks: If a player is possibly injured or uncertain to start, it is better to avoid them. Focus on more reliable options. The same goes for the captaincy choice each week, avoid risky choices. Currently, Erling Haaland is present in 87% of teams, and with an easy fixture against Burnley in the opening game, choosing a different captain than him would be an unnecessary risk at the start of the season.

• Don’t spend too much on the bench: Invest your money in the 11 starting players in your lineup. For goalkeepers, the bench goalkeeper should be priced at 4.0 if your starting goalkeeper is, for example, priced at 5.0 or 4.5. In defense, all newly promoted teams have players priced under 4.0. For example, Jordan Payeron from Burnley, George Baldock from Sheffield United, and Amari Bell from Luton Town. Since midfielders and forwards are more likely to earn points, you should spend more money on them.

• Research and discover: Follow the pre-season match results, who scored, who started, who didn’t, who kept clean sheets, who got injured, who returned from injury, who takes penalties and set-pieces. The more research you do and important things you discover to help you choose your lineup, the higher you will rank among your friends and competitors.