Fantasy Premier League
The virtual game that's become a very real cultural phenomenon
FPL Origins
Fantasy sports games did not begin with football, baseball, or American football, but with golf.
In the 1950s, Californian businessman Wilfred Winkenbach dreamt up a fantasy game where people could choose a team of golfers before a tournament, and the team with the lowest combined shots won.
Winkenbach also devised the first fantasy American football league while he was minority owner of the Oakland Raiders. In August 1962, the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League (GOPPPL) was created, with players scoring points through touchdowns and field goals. By the 70s, baseball and football leagues were thriving in the States, with the "Rotisserie League" considered the benchmark for fantasy sports games.
The Italians were the first to draw inspiration from across the pond, and several journalists had eventually created "Fantacalcio", in the early 90s. But when the Telegraph set up their own fantasy league in 1994, the English version of the game began its path to prominence.
The game moved on from a newspaper to a fully fledged website when the official FPL site was born in 2002. As the game grew in popularity, Reddit, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok exploded with FPL content.
Relentless Growth
The Premier League's strategy for global growth has traditionally involved pre-season tournaments, broadcasting deals and matchday experiences. However, the league has put plenty of time into expanding the game ever since its inception. The result? The number of FPL players, known as managers, has grown 15,000% since 2002, and the game has grown in 20 of its 22 seasons.
With all these new managers looking for tips and tricks, FPL content creation has boomed. One such creator is Sam Bonfield. Not only does Bonfield run FPL YouTube channel 'FPL Family' with her husband Lee, but she is also general manager for the website Fantasy Football Scout.
Bonfield said: "Lee and I basically spent our Friday evenings talking about FPL, and trying to beat each other in our mini leagues. One day he said 'why don't we record it and stick it on YouTube.' It took off in a way that we really didn't expect. I was a stay-at-home mum for a while, and I 'ummed and ahhed' about going full-time, but I have loved making FPL my job."
Lee and Sam, as well as fighting to keep the loser's wooden spoon trophy out of their respective home offices, also appear on Sky Sports' fantasy shows.
She said: "I can't see why this growth can't continue, and with the growing demand for our podcasts and videos, and I think the new generation is coming in. Just look at my 11-year-old son, even he's played for a couple seasons now.
Bonfield also hosts the Premier League's FPL Pod, and she credits the league for creating a game which balances the casual and the dedicated FPL fan. "It has become easily accessible for lots of people," she added.
"They've done a fantastic job in adding new content for people, and it's easier to engage in FPL than ever before. Work leagues have been a big thing, especially during Covid when everyone wanted to start their own mini-leagues. The assistant manager chip has been quite complex and difficult for the casual, but it adds an element of fun, otherwise the game would get pretty stale."
It's not been easy for Bonfield in the social media sphere. Football twitter can be a toxic place, especially for a woman in a male-dominated area.
She said: "Some people take the game really seriously, and when things don't go their way, it can be difficult. The expert label comes with lots of pressure, and when our channel first started, I used to gets lots of comments around my gender. They said that I didn't know what I was talking about because I was a woman, but you have to be prepared for that, and I try stay out of the comments whenever I can."
With so much advice out there, Bonfield stressed the importance for her in playing the game how she wanted to. She said: "Some of the FPL community think people are being spoon-fed too much, but I don't think that's the case. I think it's helping to grow the game that we love and as seasoned fantasy players, we have the ability to go out and add a level of depth ourselves. I like making a decision and knowing when it goes well that I made a good call."
A New Way to Play
Sam Harwood is the founder and CEO of KnightManagers, a subscription where you can run your FPL team through an algorithm, which then recommends an optimal strategy of captaincy, chips, and transfers.
The algorithm takes into account a wide range of variables to give a predicted points value for every player. This value is based on expected goal models, set piece takers, and positional changes before the algorithm becomes a solver for issues such as fixture difficulty, budget constraints, selling prices, and rolling transfers. He even managed to incorporate the brand new assistant manager chip into the algorithm in just six weeks.
Having studied economics at Exeter University, Harwood has always been adept when it comes to numbers and formulas. His use of statistics and analytics has produced an algorithm that finished the 2023/24 FPL season in the top 5,000 of all players, a powerful tool indeed.
Harwood said: “Four or five years ago, I started getting really into FPL, but I wasn't particularly good, and I would often get beaten by my friends. It became a bit more competitive for me, and I wanted to find a bit of an edge.
“The algorithm started out as my own personal project for me, but it took me by surprise by how well it performed. I started advertising on TikTok, and after a few viral videos, our subscriber count grew quite quickly.”
Data’s influence has grown in football rapidly, with statistics dominating coverage online and in the media, and FPL has followed this trend closely. You can analyse players using threat, influence and creativity indicators, but this AI tool does all the hard work for you.
Despite this automation, Harwood takes great pride in helping his subscribers. He added: “It's almost like coaching. I'll track people's teams to see how they're getting on, and I get quite invested in it. It's really satisfying to know that you're helping people with their hobby.”
However, there has been some pushback online, with complaints that the tool takes away the enjoyment and creative aspects of the game.
Harwood said: “I understand the viewpoint, but I think the most important thing for me in FPL is which part of it brings you enjoyment? And for me, it's not poring over the data manually and slaving over statistical models like xG, and people often just copy content creators."
He added: “What I really enjoy is watching football at the weekend and cheering on the players that I have while hate-watching the players that I don't have. With the algorithm, I cheer on better players and celebrate more goals."
Mini-leagues between work or friends often have cash prizes for the victors, or terrible forfeits for the losers. This algorithm might be the secret to avoiding embarrassment, or gaining notoriety in the office.
He said: “People play FPL in lots of different ways and for many different reasons. This is just one way to play it, and it’s often popular among casuals. It might not be for you, but that’s okay.”
With so much generic advice available online, KnightManagers’ selling point remains their personal service to your team.
“Content creation is getting quite saturated, but we’re the only ones able to give you specific advice. It’s nice to be a disruptor in the market.”
Harwood taught himself Python to program the algorithm, and he is now looking to expand the business with a brand new automated website. Time will tell whether AI begins to influence FPL more in the future.
Image of the Emirates Stadium
Memory Lane
There are 22 overall victors in the FPL Hall of Fame who have won an assortment of prizes and eternal bragging rights. Some of these include VIP hospitality packages at games, laptops, phones, official Premier League merchandise, and watches.
The graph shows the winners and the points they achieved, showing how the game has added more ways to score points over time, leading to higher winning totals. The current leader needs 153 points in two game weeks to break Jamie Pigott's 2021/22 record.
As the Premier League grows, FPL grows with it. Both have become global sensations, as shown through the winners map. Victors have come from all over the world, and the latest winner could well be from another new country, with Croatian Lovro Budišin leading the way by 33 points.
Winners' home countries created on Canva
Winners' home countries created on Canva
Part of FPL's charm comes from its personal nature as managers battle through the ups and downs of their own squad. Sometimes they choose their favourite players, but sometimes they choose players who become their favourite, a 'cult hero', perhaps. Here is an XI of some of the most iconic and memorable players throughout the years.
Created via FotMob
Fabianski: Currently the league's oldest player, managers have turned to the Pole for over a decade for FPL support. Whether it was for his 151-point season in 2014/15 for Swansea, his league-leading 148 saves in 2018/19, or his backup heroics this year, it will be a sad day for FPL fans when his contract expires at West Ham in July.
Trent Alexander-Arnold: Another player who will be missed in the FPL community. Trent burst onto the scene as a 5.0m defender who racked up 13 assists and 16 clean sheets in 2018/19 for Liverpool before going on to become the most expensive defender in the game at 8.4m.
John Lundstram: 4.0m is the cheapest a defender can be at the start of a game, and usually these players don't play. Lundstrum, on the other hand, not only started but scored 5 times and assisted 4 more for Sheffield United. An infamous 21-point haul against Burnley in 2019/20 cemented his status as an FPL legend.
Gareth McAuley: Tony Pulis' West Brom were a set-piece and clean sheet machine, and the big Northern Irishman was a constant threat in the box. His best seasons came in 2011/12 and 2016/17.
Stuart Dallas: Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa were box office, and a marauding full-back who played often in midfield is the perfect recipe for FPL points. Dallas was the highest-scoring defender in 2020/21 and was priced at a lowly 4.5m!
Mohamed Salah: The Egyptian King might be the greatest FPL asset of all time. He holds too many records to list, but he holds the two best FPL seasons ever, including this years haul of 332 not out.
Adam Lallana: Southampton had a memorable year in 2013/14 that had FPL managers scrambling for South Coast assets. Lallana was the pick of the bunch as he managed 178 points despite only costing 6m.
Cole Palmer: 'Cold' Palmer was available for just 4.9m before his first start against Burnley, and he rewarded owners with 12 points on full debut. Soon the Chelsea talisman was an essential 2023/24 budget-enabler and the highest-scoring player all season.
Riyad Mahrez: Leicester City's title win in 2015/16 shook up the Premier League and FPL alike. The Algerian was priced at just 5.5m but ended the season almost 2m more, and as the game's highest points scorer. Points were harder to predict at Manchester City, but the winger was always worth a punt.
Sergio Agüero: 'If in doubt, captain Aguero' was a well-known motto in FPL for years. The City legend had 9 seasons with over 10 goals, including 5 consecutive 20-goal campaigns. Whenever he played, he bagged, and a 5-goal haul against Newcastle was an iconic moment for owners of the Argentinian.
Jamie Vardy: The Vardy and Mahrez link-up carried many teams in 2015/16, but the Englishman continued to light up the FPL charts throughout his time in the league. His 11 consecutive goals were an FPL dream, as he had the second most points that year with 211.
FPL in the News
FPL has found its way into mainstream media in a few different ways. News services like the Athletic and the BBC have begun their own FPL advice article series, and discussions of the game frequently feature in various live blogs. However, there was an infamous case when FPL made headlines for the wrong reasons.
In February 2021, Aston Villa were playing against Leicester City, a game Jack Grealish was expected to play. However, leaks came out before the game that the winger had picked up an injury. Villa manager Dean Smith was concerned how the private information was discovered, but it turned out FPL was to blame.
Several Villa players had teams featuring Grealish, but when Matt Targett, Conor Hourihane and Neil Taylor all inexplicably removed him from their squads, FPL Twitter accounts put two and two together. The leaks were put out on Friday night, and Smith was furious. Villa players and staff were banned from playing the game, and other clubs took inspiration and told their players to be careful with their transfers.
Despite this drama, lots of footballers still play the game, although many try to keep their teams private. However, have a look at this squad filled with some FPL enjoyers, according to FPL Focal.
Created via FotMob
Matt Targett still plays the game, despite his Villa controversy, while the Liverpool squad clearly enjoy their team league. Special mention must go to Diogo Jota, who sits just outside the top 100,000 managers, equivalent to the top 1% of all players. He is the best Premier League FPL player, and he frequently buys and sells himself from his team.
Text by Shorthand. Image of Stamford Bridge
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