I won FPL last season - here are my five best tips

Retold by Oddsrama · 19 August 2026

Erik Ibsen, a 23-year-old Danish medical student and Everton fan, pulled off something remarkable last season: he won Fantasy Premier League's overall title out of 11 million players despite never having played the game before. Now, the reigning champion has shared his blueprint for success, and it's worth paying attention if you're serious about dominating your mini-league this coming campaign.

Consistency is Ibsen's first commandment. He started poorly—ranked eight millionth after gameweek one—but refused to panic-transfer his way out of trouble. Instead, he kept his nerve and looked three to five gameweeks ahead at fixture schedules. With 38 gameweeks in a season, one bad week doesn't define your campaign. Rather than spreading resources too thin, Ibsen targeted value across his entire squad: he hunted for budget "enablers" like Pascal Gross (penalties, free-kicks, corners at £5.5m) and prioritized defensive contribution points, ensuring steady returns even in slower weeks. This approach meant he rarely had a dud gameweek.

Be ruthless about separating emotion from selection, even if it stings as a fan. Ibsen backs Thierno Barry but admits he shares minutes with Beto, making him unreliable for FPL purposes. That said, premium assets like Erling Haaland—the most expensive player ever at £15.5m—are exceptions worth the investment because his goal-scoring output is so dominant that it funds a strong team around him. Couple Haaland with emerging talents like Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Joao Pedro, and you've got flexibility elsewhere.

Finally, don't waste transfers. Ibsen would bank up to five transfers and deploy them as a mini-wildcard, allowing multi-player rotations when fixtures favored certain clubs. Patience with your chips and transfers beats impulsive tinkering every time. With nine Premier League clubs fielding new managers this season, unpredictability is higher than ever—but these principles should steadily push you toward the top of your league.

Based on original reporting by BBC Football. Read the original at bbc.co.uk →

#Fantasy Premier League#Erik Ibsen#Strategy

I won FPL last season - here are my five best tips

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