So, now we know the rules for the Fantasy World Cup in Qatar, but how do we play the game? We need a strategy, of course, and that’s what this piece is all about.
If you know the rules, keep reading. If you haven’t read our piece on the rules yet, give it a quick skim: here.
Here is our list of five key strategies for Fantasy World Cup:
- Pick 15 players who start and play 60 minutes
- Pick players who play on different matchdays
- Don’t be too concerned with formation
- Chip use
- Over-powered picks
1 – Pick 15 players who start and play 60 minutes
All 15 of your team should play at least 60 minutes (70 minutes for goalkeepers). Otherwise, it’s a waste.
The reason is, you can make subs during the gameweek. So, if you pick a goalkeeper that plays on the first day and he scores a low amount of points, then you can sub him out for another one that plays on a later day.
2 – Pick players who play on different matchdays
Closely linked to the above, you want to pick players that play on different matchdays.
If all your players play in the first matchday, then you won’t be able to make subs or move your captaincy. That would be a waste.
It will be hugely valuable to move your captaincy but you can only do it once per matchday.
3 – Don’t be too concerned with formation
The above two things mean that you don’t need a firm starting XI in advance, nor any idea of your formation. Your formation will likely change depending upon who plays well.
So, don’t stress about it!
4 – Chip use
As noted in our Fantasy World Cup 2022 rules explained article, chips are called ‘boosters’ in Fantasy World Cup. There are three of them in total, and here are a few tips about using each effectively.
Wildcard
The rules mean that the optimal time to wildcard is before the quarter finals. This is based on the number of transfers you get.
As a reminder:
| Tournament Stage | Transfer Allocation |
| Pre-tournament | Unlimited |
| Before start of Matchday 2 | 2 transfers |
| Before start of Matchday 3 | 2 transfers |
| Before start of Round of 16 | Unlimited |
| Before start of Quarter-Finals | 4 transfers |
| Before start of Semi-Finals | 5 transfers |
| Before the Final | 6 transfers |
After the round of 16, 8 teams will get knocked out and you will only have 4 free transfers to fix your team. One upset could cause you to lose three players. You will also be able to increase the number of players you have from one nation after the group stages:
| Tournament Stage | Restriction |
| Group Stage | Max 3 players per nation |
| Round of 16 | Max 4 players per nation |
| Quarter Final | Max 5 players per nation |
| Semi-Final | Max 6 players per nation |
| Final | Max 8 players per nation |
So, in theory, you could back the best team in the tournament and use your wildcard aggressively to target the better teams for the knockout stage after the round of 16.
The alternative strategy is to aggressively target a fixture swing in the group stages. I’ve not fully reviewed the fixtures yet, but you could see a good set of fixtures for teams you wouldn’t normally pick in gameweek two. Or, you could use the wildcard to drop those players in risk of rotation for gameweek 3 (some teams will have automatically qualified by then.
In terms of preference, I prefer to hold my wildcard for the quarter final stage. I don’t like the idea of going deep into the tournament without having this flexibility.
12th Man
This chip is a bit like bench boost but you only get one extra player.
This is probably best used in the group stages, as the fixtures will be better with worse teams playing.
Power Captain
This chip auto-assigns the captaincy to your highest-scoring player.
The opposite of 12th man, this is probably better used when there are fewer fixtures, so later in the knockout stages.
5 – Over-powered picks
In FPL, the system is set up so that midfielders are overpowered, particularly those who shoot and score. I don’t think that is true in Fantasy World Cup. Forwards get the same number of points for goals, and – whilst they don’t get points for clean sheets and tackles – they do get points for shots on target.
Instead, the most overpowered type of asset in this game seems to be defenders. Seven points for a goal is huge, plus five for a clean sheet and 60 minutes played would be 13 points. The only trouble is the -1s for every additional goal conceded after the first could rack up. So, picking attacking defenders on excellent defences could be big.
I still don’t think the point for every three tackles makes defensive midfielders worth a punt.
Fantasy World Cup 2022 Strategy – Final Thoughts
Obviously if you’ve played Fantasy Premier League before – which you probably have – you won’t exactly be lost with Fantasy World Cup. That said, the different rules, points, and general format does make a big difference, so your Fantasy World Cup strategy will have to be a bit different.
As you can see in this article, however, all these differences actually give us plenty of opportunities for exploitation! Bear our Fantasy World Cup 2022 strategy tips in mind as you build and manage your team, and follow us on Twitter (and keep checking the site) for all our latest Fantasy World Cup advice.