We're Fantasy Football addicts here at Balls.ie, so we're happy to announce that our annual league is back up and running, which you can join by using the code: 619279-154574 to enter, or it should renew automatically if you played last year.
The pre-season excitement, easily the most exciting time for any fantasy manager, is rampant and players are picking their teams and changing them again within the hour.
This year, fantasy.premierleague.com have introduced a new feature, called "Chips" and many people aren't too sure of all the ins and outs that this potentially game-changing variant will add to the experience, so we are here to clear it all up.
What are the Chips and what do they do?
Chips are essentially modifiers that allow you to do things you normally can't, such as play two defenders or get triple points for your captain. Each one has the following benefits:
All Out Attack: This chip allows you to play a 2-5-3 formation, which means you can play all your midfielders and strikers and only play two defenders. This will come in handy if your defenders are facing tricky matchups in a particular week, or if all your strikers are on form and have promising matchups coming up.
Triple Captain: Fairly simple, the triple captain chip allows you to award triple points to your captain instead of the standard double points.
Bench Boost: This chip includes all the points scored by the players left on your bench in a given gameweek. This will come in handy if you can't decide which players to leave out.
How often can I play these chips?
You can only play each chip once. When picking your team for the upcoming gameweek you will have the opportunity to play each chip and you can cancel it right up until the deadline.
Can I play more than one chip in a gameweek?
No, you can't.
How does this affect the wildcard?
The wildcard, one of the most devisive topics in fantasy management, is now known as the "wildcard chip", but it changes in almost no way. You still have two wildcards to play; one in the first half of the season (before December 28th), and one in the second half.
What is the best time to use my chips?
That's your call, but here are some friendly suggestions for you to take into account.
All Out Attack: When your defenders are facing high-scoring teams or all three of your strikers are in good goalscoring form.
Triple Captain: You pretty much have to save this for a double-gameweek, keep it till around Christmas time and use it on a banker to get you points in both matches.
Bench Boost: When you can't decide which players to leave on the bench or start, play them all!
Embrace your new fantasy football chips and use them to dominate your leagues, or use them to catch up after an awful start which is far more likely to happen, at least for us anyway.
