FPL Optimized

Which episode should someone start with?

Episode 1 could be good to start with, as we introduced ourselves and talked a bit about applying analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to sports (in general). In fact, most of the earlier episodes (1 until 10) were more about analytics & the FPL game in general, as we recorded these shows before the new Premier League season started. After the start, we've been following a weekly routine, each time specifically looking at and talking about the next upcoming gameweek.

Which have been your favourite episodes so far?

There's not really a favourite one to be honest. It's just a fun moment each week to connect with Sertalp and record the pod. We enjoy talking about analytics and sports, so the podcast gives us that great opportunity to get together (virtually, as Sertalp lives in the US) each week and have a conversation about it. We also had a few shows in which we invited guests, those also were fun to do.

Which episode are you most proud of?

Let's say in general we're just proud that (so far) we kept going and have been recording a new show each week. It's not so easy to combine it with our jobs and other engagements, but we have both committed to doing this for at least one season, and so far we've been pulling it off.

What is your vision for your show?

As mentioned, at least we want to complete the 2022-23 season which runs until the end of May. After that I'm sure we'll enjoy a nice summer break and we'll have to decide then if we keep going or not. It's fun to record it, but at the same time it's quite a commitment as well. We'll see, time will tell.

What is your favourite other podcast that isn't yours?

There are many good FPL related podcasts out there: The first one I started listening to was the one by the FPL General (his podcast is now called The Athletic FPL Podcast) and I'm still listening to it now. He came up with a good, crisp 30 minutes concept which is easy to follow. There is also the official FPL podcast (FPL Pod) which I also enjoy listening to. And then there are so many others... Let me just mention Planet FPL as a final one.

How did you come up with the name for your podcast?

Our podcast is about using data and analytics in FPL, or more specifically using a technique called optimization. You analyze the data to find the optimal team selection (in other words, the team selection that will give you most points). We didn't want to make it too complicated and wanted to focus on what we're talking about: Hence, FPL Optimized.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I'm a Dutch guy, living in Belgium, working for SAS software (analytics) as marketing manager. I've always been into sports, at young age (and until today) as football player, but also playing tennis, running, going to the gym, etc. At SAS I can combine my job in analytics with my passion for sports, as I'm involved in various #sportsanalytics projects. I produce the podcast together with my colleague / friend Sertalp, who is from Turkey but is living in the US and also works at SAS.