WHAT IS A PLAYER'S FORM?
A player's form is how a player has been performing in the recent past which serves as a useful statistic for managers to define their incoming and outgoings.
The form of a player is usually understood on the basis of his average points per match, from all the matches his team has played in the last 30 days.
For example, Manchester City's forward Erling Haaland bashed two hattricks in August and two in March. Now his form in both months would be touching the peak because he must have garnered a massive number of points in those specific months.
Form serves as a great indicator for users to make their transfers and understand which player needs to be signed and which player can be avoided. If a user needs a budgeted striker, he could compare the form of different players hovering in his price range and sign the forward according to his recent form which could see him garner points in the future.
HOW IS FORM CALCULATED ON FPL?
According to the Fantasy Premier League's official site, the form of a player is the average of points he has accumulated per match, calculated on the basis of every game his team has played in the last 30 days.
The player who tends to score more and more points will have the best form and the player on the opposite side of the scale will have the worst form. If Chelsea's Raheem Sterling goes on a goalscoring spree in the initial matchdays, he will be in great form in the game because of the points he would make.
While if Manchester United's Casemiro receives a red card in Gameweek 1 and returns after his suspension and receives another suspension, his points would drop meaning he's in poor form and managers would be reluctant to get him in their squad.
IS FORM USEFUL FOR USERS TO MAKE TRANSFERS IN FPL?
Form serves as a pretty important indicator for users to make transfers in the game. Choosing players based on form means picking up the players who have been on a scoring spree or have been maintaining clean sheets.
While football is a very unpredictable game, the in-form players tend to give you more points than other players or out-of-form players. The big names or the renowned names in the league are usually players on a red-hot streak and the chances of them disappointing are very rare.
If Liverpool's Alisson keeps a clean sheet in all of his first five games, that means he's in fine form and is enjoying a successful spell. And placing your odds against the Brazilian in the next game would be a daunting choice, therefore going on form is crucial for users.
Despite that, the set of fixtures a team has to play could also play a massive role which could put form secondary in the conversation.
For example, Newcastle United turned out to be a surprise package last season as they earned themselves a UEFA Champions League spot. Now managers would be itching to acquire some of the in-form players from the Magpies who either have a scintillating preseason or are tipped to be in-form in the initial matchdays.
While some managers could get the likes of Alexander Isak or Kieran Trippier to their side, others would be reluctant to get any player from Eddie Howe's squad owing to their set of fixtures once they kick-off the new campaign.
The English side lock horns with Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Brighton in the first 30 days of the start of the league, and could face massive difficulties garnering 12 points out of the four fixtures making the manager think about getting a Newcastle player in their squad.
Therefore it's crucial to strike a balance between the player's form and the set of fixtures his team are scheduled to play because both things could give contrasting results.