***GAMEWEEK 22 DEADLINE: TUESDAY - 18:00 GMT***
Finally! An FPL Gameweek has arrived. The winter break is not good for FPL obsessives, but we’ve got games thick and fast now. The Prem may have been rocked by the huge news of Klopp’s departure at the end of the season, but Planet FPL is far more desperate for injury news on the best players in the game. Haaland wasn’t involved in the FA Cup game in Friday. Salah remains injured. And update on what to do with both below. There’s also an interesting captaincy choice this week.
Do read last week’s edition, which is still completely relevant - some good info for midfield options and Brighton’s run.
Any good dilemmas? Have an idea for an item? Email me: fplislife@substack.com
We now have more fixture info
This point of the season is when the FPL planners really come into their own. The Double Gameweeks (teams play twice) and Blank Gameweeks (some teams have no game) really start to have an impact, so don’t get caught out. Luckily, there’s a legendary guy on Twitter who figures out the FPL calendar for us, we all owe Ben Crellin big time. Here is his latest update. Notice Man City and Liverpool will probably have Double Gameweeks in Gameweek 25. Liverpool then have no game the week after. So we’re probably all looking hard at these two top teams.
Haaland latest
There have been some great pictures of him in training, but he played no part in the FA Cup tie vs Spurs. So what to do with Haaland? Certainly, no one should be taking a -4 points hit for him this week. As you can see from the goalscoring odds this week, if he plays, he’s way out in front. Look out for Haaland updates on Tuesday. This guy tweets the press conference injury news.
If you still have Salah, should you keep him?
If you still have him at this point, there’ll be a temptation to keep hold of him now that Egypt are out of Afcon. But Salah was already home, getting treatment for a new hamstring injury. He’ll surely be out for at least a couple of Gameweeks. He has a big game vs *Burnley is Gameweek 24 and then a Double Gameweek in 25*, so that is fuelling a temptation to keep him. But really, that feels like a massive gambel with so many good alternatives about. AND Liverpool Blank (have no game) in Gameweek 26. For me, he is still a sell at this point. Both Jota and, I can’t believe I’m saying this, Darwin look better options.
Another big for City - if you get the line up right
They have the best clean sheet and goal scoring odds this week vs Burley. And they don’t have a Blank Gameweek in Gameweek 26, as Liverpool do. Foden will probably be a big transfer in - but given there’s so much money flying about with people selling Salah, expect KDB’s ownership to fly up this week, too.
These four are probably the best captains
Assuming Haaland is out, Foden (who is now very popular) and Alvarez will be in the captaincy conversation this week. They clearly have the best fixture vs Burnley at home. The mavericks might also consider bringing in and captaining KDB, but that seems an unnecessary risk given it is very unlikely he’ll play a full game.
Elsewhere, Richarlison owners will probably go for him - nailed to play, on penalties and in a very attacking side. In the last six Gameweeks, Spurs are 2nd to Arsenal for big chances created, and 2nd to Liverpool for Expected goal data. A great thread on captaincy this week here.
Gabriel and Saka owners were robbed…
So the Premier League have decided to award Gabriel a second goal vs Crystal Palace, rather than putting it down as an own goal by Dean Henderson. However, the points will not be changed for FPL. This is massive if you owned both and captained Saka. Not that I’m bitter. PS - Gabriel has a late fitness test this week.
A Wildcard draft
I still think there should be much better weeks to Wildcard - once we get to Gameweek 24 or so, we should have a lot of info to decide our chip strategy. But his draft gives you a proper run at Man City and has Haaland ready.
A comical red card
Hard to argue. I think this is what you call a “brain fade”. Kevin Mac Allister is the man - yes, he is the brother of Alexis, playing (rugby, apparently) for Union SG in Belgium.
Please get in touch with any FPL dilemmas or general football internet gold. PS - I’m on Twitter here. Please help me grow FPL Is Life by sharing… thanks! Typos entirely deliberate, but thanks for noticing.