Common FPL mistakes beginners make (and how to avoid them)
The most common FPL mistakes are chasing last week's points, taking too many −4 hits, making knee-jerk transfers after a single bad Gameweek, ignoring upcoming fixtures, spreading the budget too evenly across fifteen similar players, and leaving team changes until minutes before the deadline. Nearly all of them come from reacting emotionally to the last set of results rather than deciding on purpose.
Most of the points you lose in FPL aren't lost to bad luck — they're lost to a handful of very avoidable habits. The good news is they're easy to spot once you know them. Here are the classic mistakes, and the simple fixes. (If you're starting from scratch, how to play Fantasy Premier League covers the rules first.)
Chasing last week's points
The biggest one. Someone scores a hat-trick, half the game rushes to buy them, and they blank the following week against a tougher opponent. Points don't carry over. Pick players for the matches coming up, not the one that just happened. A good player with kind fixtures beats last week's hero with a hard one. It's the same trap that ruins captain picks — see how to choose your captain.
Taking too many hits
Every −4 hit is four points you have to earn back before you've gained a thing. Beginners often take hit after hit trying to fix their team, quietly bleeding points all season. Treat hits as rare. Roll your transfer, make your one free move, and only pay the four points for a genuine upgrade or a real injury problem. Our transfers guide sets out when a −4 actually pays for itself.
Making knee-jerk transfers
One bad Gameweek and the temptation is to tear the team up. Usually the players you'd sell in a panic are fine — they just had an off week. Give good players time. The managers who calmly hold their strong picks through a quiet week almost always come out ahead of the ones who churn their squad every Monday morning.
Ignoring the fixtures
Buying players purely on last season's reputation, without a glance at who they actually play next, is a recipe for disappointment. Check the upcoming fixtures before you buy — a run of tough matches can quiet even a brilliant player, and a run of easy ones can make an ordinary one look great.
Spreading the budget too evenly
Fifteen decent, mid-priced players feels balanced but scores dully. Points cluster on a few elite performers. Spend big on a few genuine difference-makers and save elsewhere — especially on a cheap bench — rather than buying a squad of similar, forgettable names. How to pick your first FPL squad walks through a sensible split.
Judging cheap players on goals alone
A £4.0m defender will almost never score, so it's easy to assume one is as good as another and pick whoever's cheapest. That stopped being true when defensive contribution points arrived. A centre-back who racks up clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles now banks two extra points most weeks, while a quiet one at the same price banks none. Judge budget players on the work they do, not the goals they don't score.
Forgetting the deadline
Nothing hurts like a player picking up a knock in the warm-up and you missing the chance to move them because you left it too late. Set your team well before the deadline, not in the final five minutes. The Gameweek 1 deadline for 2026/27 is Friday 21 August at 18:30 UK time — treat every deadline with the same respect.
Overreacting to price changes
Rushing transfers to catch a tiny price rise, or panic-selling before a drop, leads to worse decisions than the fraction of a million it saves. Transfer for the player, not the price.
The habit that fixes most of these
Almost every mistake here comes from reacting emotionally to the last result. The single best habit in FPL is to slow down: look at the fixtures, make decisions on purpose, and don't let one bad weekend rewrite your season. Calm, deliberate managers beat frantic ones over thirty-eight Gameweeks nearly every time.
Frequently asked questions
What's the most common FPL mistake? Chasing last week's points — buying or captaining whoever just scored big, regardless of who they play next.
How many hits should I take in a season? As few as possible. Only take a −4 for a lasting upgrade or a real injury fix, not to chase points.
Should I change my team after one bad Gameweek? Usually not. Good players have quiet weeks. Knee-jerk transfers cost more points than they save.
How important are fixtures? Very. Always check who a player faces next before buying — fixtures shape returns more than reputation does.
Most of these mistakes come from deciding in a hurry. coachme is the calm second opinion before each deadline — it does the reading on fixtures, form and fitness and gives you a clear, unpanicked call for your team. You still decide. Try it free.
Questions
- What's the most common FPL mistake?
- Chasing last week's points — buying or captaining whoever just scored big, regardless of who they play next.
- How many hits should I take in a season?
- As few as possible. Only take a −4 for a lasting upgrade or a real injury fix, not to chase points.
- Should I change my team after one bad Gameweek?
- Usually not. Good players have quiet weeks. Knee-jerk transfers cost more points than they save.
- How important are fixtures?
- Very. Always check who a player faces next before buying — fixtures shape returns more than reputation does.