Explained: How bonus points system works in FPL

The particular feature has confused players time and again.

The devil is in the details. An intriguing yet complicate feature in the intensely played Fantasy Premier League-FPL is the Bonus Points System(BPS).  When every single point can push you further up the ladder, knowing when and where bonuses come from can be quite handy, as the BPS can boost a player in FPL by as little as 1 point or as high as 9 points(If you have a triple captain on maximum bonus, that is). 

Let’s examine two main talking points that are discussed when BPS is brought into the table. A- How exactly is BPS calculated and B- How exactly can understanding something so random and fluctuating like BPS helps a Fantasy team.

Bonus Point System accounts for every complicated stat that FPL deems too vexing for simple calculations, packaging it into one single entity. The players could end up getting upto three points based on their performance throughout a single match. Appearance time which is already given points in the normal points system is accounted for Bonus Point evaluation.

Goals are also accounted with strikers(24) getting more points than midfielders(18) who get more than defenders and goalkeepers(12) for a goal scored, reverse of normal FPL point division. Assists get 9 points. Clean sheets get points for defenders and goalkeepers(12) while a penalty save gives the goalkeeper points(15) and so does a normal save(2).

But here is where things get slightly out of sight and out of mind. Pass completion rate gives players points, 70% gives two points, 80% gives four points and 90% gives six points for a minimum of 30 passes attempted. Successful open play cross gives a point while three big chances created can give the same number of points as an assist(did the math and figured that one out).

A key pass, three recoveries, two clearances or blocks or interceptions, a successful dribble all give one point each. To reimprint in our heads that timing is crucial, a winning goal gives three important points. A successful tackle gives the player two points while an unsuccessful tackle takes away two.

Yes, just like FPL points, Bonus points also come with negatives. Yellow card takes three points while a red card takes nine. An own goal gives a penalty of six points similar to missing a penalty. Being the cause for giving away a penalty and missing a big chance incurs three penalty points.

Being tackled and fouling both incur one penalty point each. Even an attempt that goes off target gets a penalty point similar to giving away the ball cheaply which leads up to an attempt on goal. It the attempt gets converted into a goal, the damage is tripled. Last but not the least, even being caught offside gives the player a negative point.

The theory behind BPS is simple, the stuff a player does to help his team win, gets you points. Everything that counters a victory, gets you a penalty point.

To answer B is simple. If you can see past the randomness that is BPS, it can provide with valuable output regarding your choices for a specific position. For example, you have one slot left in your team to choose one defender and you are particularly choosy about picking a Burnley defender because you are a big preacher of Sean Dyche’s philosophy and his ability to eke out wins with the help of solid unforgiving defenses.

Plus, they have a very peaceful set of fixtures, with difficult fixtures spread out evenly over the course of the season. But who amongst Tarkowski or Mee or Pieters or Lowton is the better choice?

Although form might suggest Pieters(owing to his penchant for assists) but a careful analysis of last season would deem Tarkowski the best choice amongst the four. The center-back was more influential in terms of being an all-around presence and is likely to get more bonus points if his team sticks to the core philosophy of steadfast defending.

Such small differences can either pave your way ahead or push you to the bottom of the pile. But again such differences might hold irrelevance if any of these players had a magical day on the field, dishing out assists or scoring screamers. Relying on that would be relying on luck.

Understanding BPS would be to look for a solution to the puzzle that is FPL without reliance on fortune. Football is a cruel and unpredictable affair but being prepared can help a long way in diminishing such inadvertent mishaps. Again, we reiterate. The devil is in the details.

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