How to Change Formation in FPL: Quick & Simple Guide for Beginners

FPL has become extremely popular in the past few years and will continue to grow. Almost every die-hard Premier League fan plays FPL, hence it is important to understand the game and its rules. Every FPL manager not only plays the game for fun but also wants to end the season with a good overall rank.

For this, you need to understand the rules of the game and in particular to understand the rules behind the formation of your team and how to change formation in FPL every week to start your best possible XI. Our guide will help you understand everything about FPL formations which in turn will help you get the best out of your squad.

Understanding FPL Formation Rules

After you create your team of 15 players that includes 2 goalkeepers, 5 defenders, 5 midfielders, and 3 forwards, with a budget of 100m, you need to decide your first XI and start the best 11 players for that week. Those 11 players must be started in a formation. There are certain rules about the formation, some basic requirements for a valid FPL formation that any starting XI must include

• Only 1 Goalkeeper
• Minimum 3 Defenders
• Minimum 2 Midfielders
• Minimum 1 Forward

Based on this, the possible formations that meet these criteria are as follows:

• 3-4-3
• 3-5-2
• 4-3-3
• 4-4-2
• 4-5-1
• 5-2-3
• 5-3-2
• 5-4-1

You must pick out of the available formations and start your first XI accordingly. The remaining 4 players, which include 1 Goalkeeper and 3 other players, remain on the bench as substitutes. 

Also Read: FPL Fixture Difficulty Rating Explained: Plan Your Transfers

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Change Formation

You can also change your formation or play someone from your substitute bench while keeping the same formation in a few simple steps. In FPL, there is no drop-down box where you can select your preferred formation. Instead, you just have to start your preferred 11 players keeping the basic valid formation requirement and there are two ways through which you can change formation in FPL.

1. You can just click on any player in your starting XI or in your bench that you want to change and simply click on the switch button when the pop-up window opens. Then choose the next player that you want to switch and sub off/sub in and click on the switch button and that’s it. The two players will be interchanged. Just remember to save the team after you do it.
2. Another way is to click on the player that you want to change and hold it. Then simply drag that player to the position of the other player that you want to interchange and it will be done. Once again, don’t forget to save your team.

Strategic Considerations When Changing Formations

While you should start your preferred formation, there are certain strategies that fellow FPL managers use to accumulate the highest points and gain rank. This is usually done by using a few popular formations that are mostly used.

• 3-4-3:

This is the most widely used formation amongst FPL managers and the reason is quite simple. You play the least number of defenders, which is 3, and the highest number of attackers, which provides you with the highest probability of scoring points, as attackers are always expected to give some attacking return in the form of goals scored or assists given.

• 3-5-2:

Another popular FPL formation wherein you play the least number of defenders and the highest number of attackers. The only difference is you play an extra midfielder in place of 3 forwards. This way the scoring chances are even higher as the midfielders score more points for goals scored than forwards and also register clean sheet points.

There are other usable formations but the least popular ones are formations with 5 defenders. This is because defenders are not usually expected to score or assist like attackers and the only expectation of points from them are clean sheet points. Mostly even these points are not guaranteed because even if they concede just 1 goal, they lose the clean sheet points and the possibility of any other bonus points as well.

So keep in mind that having 7 to 6 attackers in your starting XI is the way to go. Although sometimes you have to use the 5 defender formations due to fixture swings, but you have to understand each gameweek and proceed accordingly in order to grab FPL winning prizes.

Common mistakes to avoid

While it is important to know about the formations and your team structure, it is also equally important to avoid some very common mistakes that even veteran FPL managers often make.

• Do not forget to save your team after you make changes to your current formation and team.
• Remember that when a player in your starting XI does not play in a gameweek then he is automatically substituted and the first player in your bench comes into the starting XI. So make sure to also line up your bench in the best possible order in case the need arises.
• Do keep an eye on the fixtures and schedules. Sometimes managers tend to forget that there might be midweek games and they miss the deadline to change their team and formation, and also forget to make their transfers.

Also Read: How to Change FPL Team Name: A Simple Walkthrough

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