Most rounds, you'll back a team half the league backed too. Then there are the weeks you're out on your own — the only player who fancied that team. In FPG, that's worth points. It's called the lonely pick, and used well it's one of the cheapest ways to climb the table.

FPG is simple: pick one Premier League team each round. If they win, you score points.

What a lonely pick actually is

A lonely pick is when you're the only player in a round to back a particular team. If that team wins, you get a +1 bonus on top of your normal win point. (In FPG a win is worth +1 to start with — the lonely bonus stacks on top of it.)

Here's the detail most players miss: there's no downside. If your lonely team draws or loses, you don't lose anything extra for being out on your own. The bonus only fires on a win. That makes the lonely pick pure upside — a free point waiting to be claimed if you're brave enough to go off-script.

Why it matters more than it looks

+1 doesn't sound like much. But FPG is a season-long game decided by small margins, and the lonely bonus compounds in two ways.

First, it's a differential. When everyone backs the same banker and they win, nobody gains ground on anybody. The lonely pick is one of the only levers that moves you relative to the field — not just up the table, but past the people next to you.

Second, it multiplies. On a Double Points round your whole score for the round is doubled. A lonely win in a normal round is worth +2 (basic +1, lonely +1). In a double round that same pick is worth +4 — and if it was also a derby you won, you're looking at one of the biggest single-round hauls in the game.

How to actually use it

  • Look for the gap. The lonely bonus rewards picking a team nobody else wants. The less obvious, less fashionable winner is where it lives.
  • Save it for the right week. Because there's no penalty, you can chase a lonely pick whenever you spot a strong-but-unloved team — but the payoff is biggest on Double Points rounds, when going contrarian is worth the most.
  • Mind the twice-per-season rule. Each Premier League team can only be picked twice all season. Don't burn a big team on a lonely punt you didn't need — spend your lonely picks on teams you weren't going to use anyway.

Worked example (hypothetical): It's a Double Points round. Everyone in your mini-league piles onto the obvious home favourite. You're the only one who backs a mid-table side at home to a struggling team — and they win. Your round: basic +1, lonely +1 = +2, doubled to +4. The players on the popular pick who also won? Just +2 each. You've taken two points out of the entire field in a single round, from one brave call.

FAQ

What is a lonely pick in FPG? It's when you're the only player in a round to pick a particular team. If they win, you earn a +1 bonus on top of your win point.

Is there a penalty for a lonely pick that loses? No. The bonus only applies on a win — a lonely draw or loss costs you nothing extra. It's pure upside.

When is the best time to use a lonely pick? On a Double Points round, when the bonus is doubled along with the rest of your score — ideally on a team you weren't planning to spend one of your two season picks on anyway.

Ready to go your own way this week? Download FPG, make your pick, and see if you're the only one brave enough to back them.