sports contentmonetizationniche writing

Turning Fantasy Football into a Freelance Niche: Building FPL Content Products

UUnknown

2026-02-22

10 min read

Turn your FPL knowledge into steady income: package stats sheets, captains guides, and waiver lists into paid newsletters, microservices, and outlet gigs.

Turn inconsistent freelance income into steady, sports-season cash: package your FPL expertise

If you write about football, love digging into metrics and answer friends’ captain questions every week, you already have a product other people will pay for. The gap most creators face is packaging that knowledge into repeatable, sellable formats — paid newsletters, microservices and one‑off gigs for outlets. This guide shows you how to turn Fantasy Premier League (FPL) insights — stats sheets, captains guides, waiver lists and more — into reliable income in 2026.

Why the FPL niche is commercially attractive in 2026

Fantasy sports remain a growth vertical for publishers and independent creators. Late 2025 through early 2026 saw publishers doubling down on weekly FPL coverage, and major outlets continue to publish gameweek roundups and live Q&A features (see BBC’s regular Friday Q&A). Fans crave timely, actionable gameweek content — that’s where you step in as a specialist.

Market signals:

Weekly traffic spikes around fixtures and transfer deadlines create predictable demand windows.
Publishers outsource short, data-driven pieces (captainials, waiver lists) to freelancers to maintain cadence without bloated payrolls.
Consumers increasingly prefer micro‑payments and micro‑subscriptions for focused, recurring value (single‑topic newsletters, per‑gameweek products).

What FPL content products sell — and which audiences buy them

Start by mapping each product to a buyer. Below are proven formats that convert.

1. Weekly stats sheets (paid PDF or Google Sheet)

Who buys: serious managers, mini‑league organisers, podcasters and sports desks. What to include: expected minutes, fixture difficulty, underlying xG/xA trends, expected ownership changes, and quick filters (cheap defenders with attacking returns).

Delivery formats: Google Sheet (live), downloadable PDF for quick reading, CSV for data journalists.

2. Captain’s guide (top 3 + differentials)

Who buys: casual managers and subscribers who want simple, fast guidance. Structure: a lead pick (why, backed by stats), one safe alternative, one differential pick, and a one‑line ‘iffy’ suggestion. Add ownership percentage and quick why/not notes.

3. Waiver and transfer lists

Who buys: managers with limited transfer bandwidth, content aggregators. Provide: shortlists by budget, urgency (transfer now/hold), and a one‑sentence justification plus expected ownership change.

4. microservices: 24‑hour FPL briefs, captain consults, and lineup checks

These are gigs on marketplaces or your site: “24hr captain brief” — £2–£5/$3–$7; “Lineup review + 3 transfers” — £15–£40. Quick, low‑friction products with high repeat potential.

5. One‑off features for sports outlets

Longer gameweek previews, data features, or explainer pieces sell to outlets. Pricing varies: local outlets may pay £75–£250; national publishers £250–£1,200 depending on data and exclusivity.

6. Subscription bundles and season packages

Combine weekly newsletters, a midweek waiver list and a quarterly stats dashboard into a season subscription. Typical price points: $5–$15/month or a season pass at $49–$99.

Packaging strategies: how to position each product

Packaging is the difference between casual content and a commercial product. Use clear deliverables, SLAs and formats.

Format: One short free weekly preview + paid deep dive on Friday with stats, captains and waiver list.
Pricing tiers: Free / $5/month / $12/month. Offer per‑gameweek micro‑purchase ($1.50) for buyers who won’t commit.
Deliverables: 600–1,200 words, one stats sheet (CSV/Google Sheet), three captain options, top five waiver targets.
Distribution: Substack/Ghost for subscriptions, Gumroad for one‑offs, and email (ConvertKit/Flodesk) for segmented sends.

Microservices (gig marketplace listings)

Play to the platform: concise titles, deliverable bullets, turnaround time, samples. Use marketplaces (Fiverr, Upwork, freelances.site) and your newsletter for cross‑sells.

Example gig packaging:

Bronze — £3 / $4: 24hr Captain Pick (one pick + 1 reasoning sentence + ownership %)
Silver — £15 / $20: Gameweek Lineup Review (2 transfer suggestions, captain pick, waiver list)
Gold — £60 / $80: Season Strategy Pack (monthly check‑ins, personalised stats sheet)

One‑off outlets & syndication

Package as a plug‑and‑play product for editors: headline options, 700–1,200 word copy, one data table, suggested imagery and embed code for Google Sheets. Editors pay a premium for turnkey content.

Pitch angle examples: “Three differential midfielders to own this gameweek”, “Why expected goals favor these captain picks”, or “How injuries reshape transfer priorities”.

Build a repeatable data + editorial workflow

Repeatable systems layer your time and scale revenue. Develop a weekly checklist and automate where possible.

Core data sources (2026 update)

Official FPL API: free, good for ownership, prices and basic fixture data.
Understat / FBref / WhoScored: deeper xG, pressing, shot maps. Many outlets still rely on these public sources.
Provider alerts and club sites: for last‑minute injury news and press conference notes (as BBC does with live updates).
Pro feeds: Opta/StatsBomb — best for advanced clients but check licensing costs.

Legal note: always verify if the client requires licensed data. Use public APIs or properly licensed feeds for commercial redistribution.

Automation tools that save hours

Google Sheets + Apps Script for live ownership and price change trackers.
Airtable or Notion for editorial calendar and pitch tracking.
Zapier / Make to push updated sheets to email drafts and Slack notifications.
Small AI scripts to draft captain reasoning — always human-edit (2026 audiences detect AI generic takes quickly).

Weekly editorial checklist (repeat every Thursday–Friday)

Pull official fixture and minutes data from FPL API.
Update xG/xA trends across last 4–6 matches (Understat/FBref).
Scan club press conferences and injury reports (last 24 hours).
Generate captain shortlist (lead + safe + differential) and attach ownership stats.
Build waiver/transfer list by budget and urgency (top 5 per tier).
Export stats sheet, compile newsletter draft, create lead magnets for signups.
Proofread, check for licensing issues, schedule send.

Sample microservice listings and pitch templates

Use these exact phrases in gig titles and email subject lines — they are concise and conversion‑focused.

Gig titles that sell

“FPL Captain Pick — Data‑Backed Choice in 24 Hours”
“Gameweek Lineup & Transfers — 48hr Review (2 Transfers)”
“Weekly FPL Waiver Sheet — Top 10 Picks by Budget”

Email pitch template to sports editors

Subject: Quick gameweek feature: ‘3 captain differentials to beat your mini‑league’ (700–900w turnkey)

Body: Short intro, one‑line credentials (months/years covering FPL, sample link), what you propose (deliverables), turnaround and price. Attach a sample stats table and 2–3 headline options. Editors respond well to “publish tomorrow” deliverables in-season.

Monetization blueprint — pricing examples & revenue mix

Freelancers often mix revenue across channels. Here’s a sample monthly projection for a solo creator active on weekends.

Paid newsletter subscribers (300 paid @ $6/month) = $1,800
Microservices (30 gigs @ average $12) = $360
One‑off article commissions (4 features @ average $150) = $600
Total monthly: $2,760 (gross)

This is an achievable mid‑tier freelance income if you build consistent deliverables and modest marketing. Adjust pricing by geography and client type — outlets pay more for exclusive rights.

Case study (practical example)

Sam — a freelance sports writer in Manchester — turned FPL expertise into a steady income stream in one season:

Started a weekly paid newsletter priced at £5/month. Used a free captain cheat sheet as a lead magnet.
Listed three microservices on two marketplaces (24hr captain, 48hr lineup, season consultation).
Pitched and sold four turnkey gameweek previews to local digital outlets at £120 each.
Automated data pulls into Google Sheets, reducing prep time from 6 hours to 2 hours weekly.
By month three, Sam hit £2,100/month gross and scaled subscribers with guest posts and Twitter threads that showed sample stats tables.

Key repeatable wins: consistent Friday delivery, a free sample that demonstrated data rigor, and quick microservices that required minimal edits.

Growth & distribution tactics (how to get paying users in 2026)

Use short, visual Twitter/X threads (or platform of your audience) to share one stat and a free captain pick — link to the paid deep dive.
Run micro‑ads (small budget) targeted around Thursday–Friday to capture late decision makers.
Partner with podcasters for 2–3 minute segments; they need short, data‑backed hooks.
Offer a free per‑gameweek PDF one time to email signups to convert casuals into paid subs.
Repurpose content for SEO: publish a public version with less data and gate the spreadsheet behind a paywall.

Rights, disclosure and compliance

Clear, short policies increase trust. Include:

Data source attribution (e.g., FPL API, Understat) and note whether feeds are proprietary.
Affiliate disclosure for any referral links (e.g., affiliate brokers for betting or betting stats).
Privacy/GDPR basics for EU/UK subscribers — collect minimum data, provide unsubscribe link, and store receipts through Stripe/Gumroad.
Accuracy disclaimer: FPL outcomes aren't guaranteed; include a short, consumer‑facing note to limit liability.

Advanced strategies & 2026 predictions for serious creators

Looking ahead, the creators who scale will use personalization, automation and bundling.

Personalized micro‑advice: Offer automated captain suggestions per user based on roster opt‑ins — a premium add‑on in 2026.
Data visualizations: Interactive charts embedded in newsletters perform better and increase open → conversion rates.
Live gameweek updates: Offer real‑time alerts (injury changes, late captain pivots) via paid Discord channels or SMS for a premium tier.
White‑label stats products: Sell branded stats sheets to podcasters and small outlets who want credibility without the work.

Major trend note: publishers in late 2025 started buying modular content (short data packages) instead of full staff expansions. That creates recurring demand for creators who can deliver reliable gameweek content.

Quick truth: Your edge is speed and trust. Fast, accurate, clearly‑packaged FPL advice monetizes better than long, generic analysis.

Practical templates to start selling this week

Use these minimal deliverables to ship products quickly:

Captain brief (one pager): Pick + 2 alternatives, ownership %, 3‑line rationale — deliver as PDF in 24 hours.
Waiver list (top 10): Budget tiers, urgency, one sentence justification — deliver as Google Sheet link.
Gameweek newsletter: Headline, 3 short sections (captain, top transfer, differential), one stats table — 600–900 words.

Actionable checklist — first 7 days

Set up a sample gameweek PDF and Google Sheet using FPL API + Understat data.
Create one microservice listing and one newsletter landing page (Substack/Ghost/Gumroad).
Promote sample content on social with a call to join the mailing list.
Pitch three local outlets with a turnkey gameweek preview; offer a low introductory rate.
Automate the data pull and schedule a Friday send for the first paid edition.

Final thoughts — start small, iterate fast

The sweet spot is a mix of high‑frequency, low‑price microservices and a smaller number of higher‑value one‑off commissions. In 2026, audience monetization favors creators who ship weekly, automate core tasks and maintain data integrity. If you can deliver a trustworthy captain pick or a clean waiver list every gameweek, you’ve got a marketable repeatable product.

Ready to package your FPL work?

Start today: create one downloadable stats sheet, list a ¥/£/$5 microservice, and pitch a local outlet with a Friday‑ready gameweek preview. Use the templates and workflows above, keep the output tight, and scale by reuse — the same data powers a newsletter, a microservice and a syndication pitch.

Want templates, pricing checklists and a 7‑day launch pack? Join our creator mailing list or list your first gig on freelances.site to reach editors who buy weekly FPL content.

Unknown

Contributor

Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.