It only seems like a few weeks since Fantasy Premier League (FPL) finished––it is only a few weeks since FPL finished––but it is back!  There hasn’t even been time for some award ceremonies to be completed from the previous season––certainly, I am yet to receive my cash prize for highest individual score in a single gameweek in my office league––before it is possible to select a new team to battle out the 20/21 season.

Will the new season be as disrupted as the last one?  Quite possibly, given both local, and potentially national, lockdowns.

So, what is new and what is the same in FPL 20/21?

Well, the new game appears to have retained the same chips as last time: Triple Captain; Bench Boost; and Free Hit.

And with a shorter and, so far, quieter transfer window, there are fewer new arrivals to whet jaded appetites, although Timo Werner at Chelsea provides some fresh interest.

However, one big change seems to be the redistribution of players across different positions.  Is it just me, or does everyone seem to be a midfielder now?  Aubameyang; Rashford; Greenford: all have been re-designated as midfielders.  For some teams, there are very few attacking options to choose from.  It is going to mean a change of tactics for some FPL managers.

An additional curveball is the fact that Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Burnley don’t play in Gameweek 1.  So, do you bring in players from these teams using the unlimited transfer option, which is available before Gameweek 1, only to see them sitting on the bench; or do you wait to bring them in until Gameweek 2, and then cost yourself valuable transfer points?  Decisions, decisions.

For myself, I am just looking forward to trying to recover the workplace FPL trophy that I lost last season.

Roll on 12 September and the start of Gameweek 1.

© Donnie Blake

Donnie Blake is already feeling competitive.

Donnie Blake is author of the World Cup Detective series of novels.