<p>The race to be crowned Fantasy Premier League champion 2022/23 is hotting up &#8211; and among those hoping to become world number one by the end of Gameweek 38 is  <a href="https://twitter.com/JonBallantyne3">Jon Ballantyne</a>.</p>
<p>Jon is arguably one of the best FPL managers around, with three top 1k finishes &#8211; and he is currently on track for a fourth.</p>
<p>Having reached a high of 24th in Gameweek 28, Jon is 176th overall heading into Gameweek 32.</p>
<p>Here, we find out more about about Jon&#8217;s season and strategy. Read our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-world-number-one-top-tips">article with Ali Jahangirov</a> &#8211; who is battling for the number one spot &#8211; for more top tips for FPL success.</p>
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<li><a href="https://discord.com/channels/1054759699897139250/1054760077753589813"><b><strong>Chat all things FPL in our Discord group</strong></b></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/my-team"><strong>AI recommended transfers for your FPL team</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/best-fpl-free-hit-team-for-blank-gameweek-32"><strong>The best Free Hit team for FPL Gameweek 32</strong></a></li>
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<h2>Jon Ballantyne FPL Q&amp;A</h2>
<div id="attachment_54003" style="width: 1439px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-54003" class="size-full wp-image-54003" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Ballantyne-2.jpg" alt="" width="1429" height="1197" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Ballantyne-2.jpg 1429w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Ballantyne-2-300x251.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Ballantyne-2-1024x858.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Ballantyne-2-768x643.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Ballantyne-2-610x511.jpg 610w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Ballantyne-2-1080x905.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 1429px) 100vw, 1429px" /><p id="caption-attachment-54003" class="wp-caption-text">Jon Ballantyne</p></div>
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<p>From key decisions this season to tips on general FPL strategy, here&#8217;s what Jon had to say in answer to our questions:</p>
<h3><b>You describe yourself as a ‘lifelong fantasy sports addict’. When did your interest in fantasy football begin and what got you hooked? </b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I played the Schools Fantasy League 18 years ago, which was a pen and paper format in UK schools. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the time, I knew nothing about football but the idea of getting the most points out of a limited budget and cheering my team on each week was a format I instantly fell in love with.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I try to keep it fairly simple now and keep the focus on FPL but I also play NFL fantasy, which I&#8217;m terrible at, and the big international tournaments.</span></p>
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<h3><b>Looking at your FPL rank history, it seems like you quickly got the hang of achieving excellent results. How did you approach the game in those initial seasons?</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I focused on understanding the rules of the game, browsed forums to learn from experienced managers and used betting odds to interpret goalscorer and clean sheet odds &#8211; which I still use. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was also fun to track to try learn from legendary managers like Ville Ronka, who achieved exceptional results with few available resources.</span></p>
<div id="attachment_53976" style="width: 998px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-53976" class="size-full wp-image-53976" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Jon-Ballantyne-rank-history.jpg" alt="" width="988" height="474" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Jon-Ballantyne-rank-history.jpg 988w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Jon-Ballantyne-rank-history-300x144.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Jon-Ballantyne-rank-history-768x368.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Jon-Ballantyne-rank-history-610x293.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 988px) 100vw, 988px" /><p id="caption-attachment-53976" class="wp-caption-text">Jon Ballantyne&#8217;s rank history</p></div>
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<h3><b>You secured three top 1k finishes in succession between 2018 and 2021. What was the secret to your consistent performance?</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This was a freakishly lucky period for me. I played the game with dedication, discovered and utilised what I believed to be the best available resources at the time, but the prevalent factor was luck.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">I would add, I absolutely love the game, which is easy to say when everything you touch turns to gold! </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I enjoy putting the work in, planning ahead and interrogating every decision; this has all certainly helped.  </span></p>
<h3><b>How heavily do analytics influence your thinking versus the traditional ‘eye test’ and what sort of data do you look at to decide your transfers?</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">My current approach largely remains the same &#8211; strive to make optimal decisions and maximise expected value (EV). </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There&#8217;s managers that are much better at this than me, and I&#8217;ll aim to remain open-minded on the topic.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I enjoy watching football but I&#8217;ll be making a conscious effort to ignore any &#8216;eye test&#8217; based conclusions for FPL; there&#8217;s a far higher risk of adding a level of bias which negatively effects my decision making. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I will likely read about any noticeable details (like a positional change) which haven&#8217;t already been captured by the data and I</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> use models, betting odds and any available information in regards to a players&#8217; expected minutes.  </span></p>
<h3><b>You made it as high as 24th this season &#8211; have you ever been this close to the number-one spot? What have been some of the key decisions of 2022/23?</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This was definitely my peak career moment. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This season has been complete obscenity &#8211; there&#8217;s a long list of decisions which have turned out extremely fortunate. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To name one, selecting <strong>Martin Odegaard</strong> at his bargain price straight after Christmas was particularly enjoyable to watch. </span></p>
<div id="attachment_47906" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-47906" class="size-full wp-image-47906" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Martin-Odegaard.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Martin-Odegaard.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Martin-Odegaard-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Martin-Odegaard-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Martin-Odegaard-610x407.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-47906" class="wp-caption-text">Martin Odegaard. Picture by Getty Images</p></div>
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<h3><b>You played your Bench Boost in Gameweek 27. Why not in Double Gameweek 29, the biggest of the season?</b></h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-blank-double-gameweek-guide"><strong>FPL Blank and Double Gameweek Guide</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I was concerned about the added uncertainty (by Wildcarding three to four weeks in advance) for an only slightly improved gain when compared to Gameweek 29. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The proceeding line also looked a bit less flexible with a stronger commitment to Free Hit 32. This was all far less quantifiable and I was happy to follow intuition here.</span></p>
<h3>This season has been full of 50/50 decisions, like choosing the right Brighton and Arsenal players. Do you think Mitoma can carry on his form long-term? What attracted you to him over the other Brighton midfielders?</h3>
<p>Mitoma was the preferred pick for me based on betting odds, models and minutes security.</p>
<p>But things can change, so it&#8217;s always worth monitoring. I&#8217;m more than content to hold on to him at his bargain price.</p>
<div id="attachment_52155" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-52155" class="size-full wp-image-52155" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-1440351679.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-1440351679.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-1440351679-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-1440351679-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/GettyImages-1440351679-610x407.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-52155" class="wp-caption-text">Kaoru Mitoma. Picture by Getty Images.</p></div>
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<h3>How do you view taking hits? When are they justified?</h3>
<p>Essentially I&#8217;m looking for a net gain on the deficit, which is always circumstantial.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s far more likely to be applicable during fixture congestion or justified through player injuries, which I&#8217;ve been lucky enough to avoid to an extent this season.</p>
<h3>How are you feeling ahead of the season run-in? Are you enjoying being in your position and how are you handling the pressure?</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I&#8217;m trying to remain somewhat switched off from it in between gameweeks to maintain a healthy balance. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I&#8217;m definitely an overthinker and things like FPL can have a negative impact but I manage this well now. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To answer your question, I&#8217;m loving it. I don&#8217;t feel too much pressure as it&#8217;s mostly out of my control. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">I just click a few buttons and hope for the best. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And yes, I will tentatively check on how things are going, I wouldn&#8217;t stand a chance on lasting until Match of the Day!</span></p>
<div id="attachment_53977" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-53977" class="size-full wp-image-53977" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Micah-Richards-1.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Micah-Richards-1.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Micah-Richards-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Micah-Richards-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Micah-Richards-1-610x407.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-53977" class="wp-caption-text">Jon doesn&#8217;t stand a chance of lasting until Match of the Day for analysis from the likes of Hub ambassador Micah Richards. Picture by Getty Images</p></div>
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<h3>If it was offered to you now, what overall rank would you take?</h3>
<p>Number one! I&#8217;ll never be in this position again, so it&#8217;s all or nothing!</p>
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FPL Q&A: Three-time top 1k finisher Jon Ballantyne aiming for world number one

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