In our latest community article, FPL_Runpharm looks at how different types of Fantasy managers will handle five free transfers in Gameweek 16.
It feels relevant to write about the five free transfers from a different angle, because that’s what everyone is talking about this Gameweek.
Fantasy Premier League (FPL) essentially announced: “Congratulations everyone. No matter how poorly you’ve played… here are five free transfers. Enjoy.” Never in the history of FPL has this happened – unless you count the unlimited transfers handed to us after the 2022 World Cup.
It’s a global reset. Five buckets of water were handed over to each manager from rank one to rank 11 million. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, veteran or casual, black or white, gay or straight, from Malaysia or Mars – five is five. And suddenly the screen became a personality test. A psychological experiment. A look into who we really are as managers.
The fireman
Some managers didn’t even blink an eye. They saw their team and said, “Brother, my whole house is on fire. Give me the five buckets.” now.” Because honestly, if you hold on Cody Agat (£7.5m), Mark Senesi (£5.0 million), Daniel Munoz (£6.1 million), Nick Pope (£5.1 million), Moses Caicedo (£5.8m)… that’s not a team, that’s a hospital – or a sin bin, in Caicedo’s case.
Then there are players who are so out of shape that you can’t bear to hold them for even a second longer: Antoine Semenyo (£7.6 million), Virgil van Dijk (£6.0 million), Muhammad Salah (£14.0 million), João Pedro (£7.3 million), Jean-Philippe Mateta (£8.0m)… the list goes on.
And of course, the AFCON guys, Bryan Mbeumo (£8.4 million), Dango Ouattara (£6.0 million), Indian education (£6.4 million). The original, inevitable fire. These managers do not store transfers; they don’t think twice. Their rank drops like an elevator with broken cables, so of course they’re going to use it.
The Upward Chaser
These guys look at their team and think, “Fine… but we can do better.” Their house is not lit, not even warm. But free money is free money. If someone in the stock market says, “Yo, you can switch stocks without losing any fees,” you’ll see them logging in faster than you can say, “Erling Braut Haaland.” These people don’t fix fires, they chase missiles.
Phil Foden (£8.6m)? In. Bruno Guimaraes (£6.9m)? Why not. Declan Rice (£7.1m)? More, please. Players who could be good soon, like Cole Palmer (£10.3 million) or Matheus Cunha (£7.9m)? Get in now, worry later.
The calculated snake
This is the scariest species in FPL. They ended on Gameweek 15 on purpose. They knew this reset was coming. For them, Game Week 16 is an extra mini Wildcard.
When many others have used up their second Wildcard by Gameweek 25, they will likely still have theirs. They walk into Gameweek 16 with spreadsheets, color-coded fixtures and a plan. Remove players whose furnishings are poor, install five long-term gems, and walk away feeling like they just bought a new apartment that’s below market price. One step ahead of everyone, but they’re not loud; they don’t brag.
The patient killer
Frankly, they shouldn’t be allowed near normal people. Everyone else no longer has a Wildcard, Free Hit or any other chip. They still have the Free Hit and/or Wildcard. They use a chip in Gameweek 16, play like they’re building a dream team in sandbox mode, and then, after others eat their five free transfers, they walk into Gameweek 17 with a bazooka: there are five free transfers left.
The gambler
Now we come to the last type. The legendary, the Malaysian classic. This type of manager is the main reason I wrote this article.
They didn’t plan it; they didn’t need it. Their team is fine. But when they see that number five on the transfer page, their fingers start to tremble. Their heart rate increases. These people can’t keep RM50 in their wallet in normal life without trying Toto, Magnum, DaMaCai (it means any kind of betting, for non-Malaysians). They spend because it feels wrong not to spend. There is not even a check on the fixtures. They just click around, see the highest scoring players from the last Gameweek and press confirm like they’re buying bubble tea. If things go wrong later, they will try to borrow money from others and squeeze out every penny.
If they all fail, blame the system, the bad luck, the FPL gods, the community, anyone but themselves. “The brain is programmed to seek rewards, not consequences.” The brain desires the act of spending more than the result of spending. ‘Impulsive reward-seeking behavior’ is the correct term. If you gave them five transfers each Gameweek they would still use all five. Every time.
That’s the great thing about this crazy Gameweek. Five free transfers, an equal reset. However, FPL didn’t just give us five transfers. It gave us a mirror. And next Tuesday, when the dust settles, the mirror will tell us exactly who we are. Choose wisely. Because five buckets of water can save your house… or drown it.
#Free #FPL #Transfers #Mindsets #Reality