Fantasy Football: Milliman’s Ian Penfold Q&A

Gameweek 30 begins next Tuesday with a selection of evening fixtures, including Arsenal versus Fulham and champions league chasers Nottingham Forest versus Manchester United. 

After GW29 being disrupted by cup competitions, this GW now presents opportunities for managers to target good fixtures, with bottom-placed Southampton coming up against Crystal Palace and in-form Bournemouth facing off against Ipswich. 

Before GW30 starts, however, we wanted to speak to Ian Penfold, the manager in second position in the Insurance Times Fantasy Football League’s.

Penfold sits just three points behind Hiscox’s league leader Bernardo Gomes and 21 points ahead of third placed Alex Vasey. 

1. Congratulations on being in second for GW29, how do you rate your chances of achieving first in the league?

It is very tight at the top, with only 50 points separating the leading eight players, so competition is fierce and everything is still to play for.

I will try my best to take advantage of the remaining double gameweeks, avoiding too many transfer point deductions in the process and hope that will be enough to move up to top spot by the end of the season.

One bad week though, and you could drop several places.

2. What are the key decisions to make ahead of GW30?

I have played all of my chips except for the second wildcard and the bench boost, so I need to think about when and how I will use these.

The double gameweeks will be crucial for the remaining chips. I used my free hit chip last week, so I have reverted back to the squad I had before, which does need a little tinkering.

The big gap until the next gameweek doesn’t help, as this could lead to a lot of overthinking and potentially more injured players in my squad.

3. Who would you call out as an under-rated player for everyone’s Fantasy squad?

One player who I have brought in over the past month is Munoz from Crystal Palace.

With his attacking returns, Palace’s good form and the double gameweek on the horizon, I think he is a good asset to have in your squad.

After Newcastle’s cup win at the weekend, their push for Champions League football and a double gameweek to come, I may be tempted to invest in another Newcastle asset alongside Gordon and Isak – maybe Burn, Livramento or Murphy.

4. Who or what would you like to call out in the insurance industry?

I would like to give a shout out to my colleagues at Milliman who volunteer their time each week at a London primary school as part of the Number Partners programme.

They participate in maths games with six and seven-year-olds, helping the children practice their skills. It is important to help children with maths at schools and to give them the foundations they need for later in life.