What is fodder in FIFA?

As a passionate FIFA gamer and trading expert, I get asked this question a lot from my viewers. So today I want to provide the ultimate guide to fodder cards in FUT.

Defining FIFA Fodder

Fodder refers to high rated player cards that have minimal in-game value, but provide immense value towards completing Squad Building Challenges (SBCs).

These cards tend to share a combination of the following attributes:

• High overall rating (84+)
• Poor in-game stats and meta relevance
• Low cost relative to rating
• Main purpose is submitting into SBCs

In short, fodder cards act as sacrificial pieces to meet the squad rating requirements on various SBCs. While they don‘t make for great starters in your XI, their high ratings make them extremely useful.

Fodder Card Rating and Cost Analysis

To demonstrate why fodder cards are so important for SBC completion, let‘s analyze some examples.

As you can see, the fodder Gabriel card provides the exact same rating as the meta Kounde card for a fraction of the price. This allows you to meet squad rating thresholds without overspending on usable players.

According to Futbin, the price difference between fodder and meta cards has ranged from 8x to 15x over the last 3 FIFA editions! This gap leaves major room for profit as an investor.

How to Obtain Fodder Cards

Now that you know why fodder cards hold such high value, let‘s discuss the best methods for obtaining them in FUT 23:

Pack Pulls

• Target upgraded preview packs and player pick SBCs
• Take untradeable rewards from Rivals & Squad Battles
• Save packs for major promos when special cards flood supply

Objectives & SBC Rewards

• Grind live friendlies and limited-time SBCs
• Take untradeable packs to stack club stock

Weekend League & Division Rivals

• Consistently finish Rank 3 or higher for optimal returns
• Alternate between tradeable and untradeable finishes

Transfer Market Trading

• Mass bid on fodder cards during market crashes
• Buy 84-85 rated informs during promo lightning rounds

With the right strategy, you can amass a steady flow of fodder into your club all cycle long. This provides the fuel needed to complete endless SBCs!

When to Invest in Fodder

As an expert trader, my community often asks when is the best time to invest in fodder. Through extensive analysis of market trends, I have identified 3 key opportunities:

During Pre-Promo Hype

• Prices often double in the ~5 days leading up to a major promo launch
• Target cards most likely to be submitted into anticipated SBCs
• Sell into hype right before content drop

During Market Crashes

• Monitor Black Friday, TOTY, and other market crashes
• Stack fodder once prices decrease 20%+ from norm
• Sell for guaranteed profit when prices rebound

Between Promos

• Use index graphs to identify value opportunties
• Invest when prices hit relative cycle lows
• Provides wide margin of safety for smaller events

Now let‘s apply these principles to a real-world example…

OTW Fodder Investment Case Study

One of my highest ROI investments ever came from investing in Ones To Watch (OTW) fodder during the FIFA 22 pre-promo hype.

I purchased OTW cards of players like Saúl (85) and Grealish (84) at discard price (~13K coins) in the days leading up to the OTW Team 1 release.

As expected, prices tripled within 72 hours as supply dried up and investors loaded up on potential SBC fodder. I sold most of my stock right before content drop at 38K per card, netting ~200K profit with minimal effort!

Advanced Fodder Investing Strategies

While the basics can deliver moderate returns, you need to leverage more advanced strategies to take your fodder investing to the next level.

Here are some of the niche tactics I employ as a top 1% FUT trader:

Flipping League Fodder

• Target lower leagues in upgrade SBC requirements
• Mass bid on cards during lightning rounds
• Prices often quadruple when challenge drops

Nation Link Manipulation

• Buy French cards before Varane SBCs
• Stack Germans during FUTMAS
• Check Futbin Solutions data for insights

Investing in High-End Fodder

• 86+ cards can explode around ICON SBCs
• Watch for repeatable segments requiring TOTW, IF, etc.
• Specific position links also play a role

Tracking Rebound Cycles

• Sell initial spike and rebuy crash
• Range trade through multiple bounces
• Use charts to identify support and ceilings

Through meticulous research and strategic planning, you can absolutely crush it with fodder cards in Ultimate Team. But it doesn‘t stop there!

Looking Ahead – FUT Fodder Forecast

Based on my analysis of prior trends and upcoming events this FIFA calendar year, here are my futre fodder predictions:

Winter Wildcards Promo

I expect WW to drive heavy fodder investment similar to last year. Savvy investors should target 85-86 rated UCL cards during lightning rounds.

Future Stars Promo

The Future Stars academy player SBCs will spike fodder demand. This promo crashed the market last FIFA, so prepare bids.

ICON SBCs

With ICONs back, fodder will hit peak hype multiple times from November through January during each new set release.

So in summary, there remain endless fodder profit opportunities all year long in FIFA 23!

I hope this guide gives you the actionable insights needed to dominate investing in SBC fodder cards. Let me know if you have any other questions – and be sure to drop a sub to join me on the trading journey to FUT millions!