***GAMEWEEK 33 DEADLINE: SATURDAY - 11:00 GMT***
So for once, the FPL Gods were pretty kind this week. There was a four-way split over the captain’s armband at the weekend, with Palmer (5 points), Son (5), Salah (8) and Haaland (8) all looking decent options. But no one was really punished for getting it “wrong”. Those Arsenal defenders also looked great again vs Brighton. That was an unlikely cleansheet. They’ve been points machines recently.
Apologies I’m a day late - partly down to a return from holiday and partly to try to wait for info coming out of the Champions League games. But the wait has allowed us to include a newly announced Double Gameweek - and it’s a good one.
Got a transfer dilemma? Desperate for the FPL end? Email me: fplislife@substack.com
Gameweek 37: Double Gameweek confirmed
It’s here! The last big Double Gameweek - it’s Gameweek 37 (the one before the final week). Anyone using their Wildcard in Gameweek 35 will be studying this closely. Man City, Newcastle and Chelsea will all look very tempting. The main issue will be how much you can safely reduce your exposure to Liverpool and Arsenal - they don’t Double, but have good fixtures at the end of the season. One we’ll come back to.
Man City look great - if you can pick the side
You have to say, Man City at home to Luton is the stand out fixture this weekend. They’re top this week in terms of cleansheet and expected goals data. But as ever, there’s Pep Roulette to deal with. In fact, it’s harder than normal, as the game comes between the two Real Madrid ties. Gvardiol has been a good pick, but as they’re short at the back, he or Stones could drop out of the side vs Luton for Lewis as that Madrid game is huge. Even Ederson isn’t back in the team yet, despite being fit. I really couldn’t pick a safe City defender. I’d expect KDB to play given he didn’t start in the Champions League thanks to illness. Then there’s Foden…
Foden limped off - buy, sell or hold?
Foden has obviously been awesome this season and got that recent hattrick. He was rested last time out in the Prem, but got a knock very late on in the Madrid game and was subbed off. There’s real mixed opinions about what to do here. If you’re Wildcarding in Gameweek 35, there will be a real temptation to take him out for a Double Gameweek 34 player this week… All things being equal, he’s a long-term hold for someone with no chips left. Here’s some inputs for your decision. Pep seemed quite positive about his condition after the game:
“It’s a knock, I think it’s not… he was grumpy with me, why I make a substitution. That means he’s okay!”
But @FPLMaineRoad, who gets a lot of team leaks, said it was his personal opinion that Foden may not be risked ahead of such a big mid-week game. Reduced minutes, at least, must be a big risk. It’s the hardest decision this week.
Crystal Palace are useful for the Double
It’s hard to find good transfers in this week because most people will be planning ahead for the Double Gameweek next time out - and useful players for that week (eg Everton, Crystal Palace) don’t have great games this week. But Crystal Palace are cheap and useful - Eze and Olise will be popular and you could bring them in a week early to help you make other moves (and bench them this week). It makes sense to be thinking ahead. As for a Crystal Palace defender - it’s probably Muñoz. But if he’s fit and available, Ait Nouri at Wolves looks the best pick of the cheap guys (he’s often been playing as a winger). A good graphic on Double Gameweek 34 picks below.
If you have no chips left, Chelsea look good
As the great Venn diagram below shows, Chelsea are the only side with two Doubles to come - and unlike Spurs, they don’t have a Blank Gameweek next week. So what are the FPL options in this bizarre billion pound team? Well, we all have Palmer. Then Gusto looks a great pick. He was rested against Sheffield Utd after a bout of illness, but should be ok - you go for Disasi if you’re worried about minutes. You won’t believe this, but Nico Jackson is about to get very popular again in Gameweeek 35 - despite his questionable finishing. He’s picked up a few FPL returns in recent weeks and he’s right up there in terms of Expected Goal Involvement data. He’s fifth for xGi (non-penalty) per 90 minutes, behind Haaland, Salah, Nuñez and… Brennan Johnson.
Advice from the FPL World No1
A nice thread on Twitter from the guy who’s No1 in the game right now - and also, apparently, a Wigan fan. These things are never quite as enlightening as you hope because if you’re No1 in the world, pretty much everything has gone right - but it is good for demystifying the idea of doing well. There are just a lot of sensible decisions here. In hindsight, going for Mbuemo playing up front early on was huge - and he also stuck with Douglas Luiz as he scooped up penalties and points, and got Gordon hauls.
There’s a chance for differentials this week
Most people will be preparing for the Double Gameweek with their moves this week, but if you don’t have to (ie, you still have a Free Hit to use next week and are then Wildcarding), then you can really go for great differential options. There’s Spurs vs Newcastle, who are still struggling with injury. A good few people will be removing Son this week, so going the other way could work. Then there’s Brentford. Reguilon is the top defender for predicted points. Mbeumo looks nice, too, in midfield. Chris Wood vs Wolves is the gambler’s option - he’s been great lately.
Trent, Jota, Alisson are all back in training
Warning owners of Kelleher and Bradley - Liverpool have some key players back in training. Alisson and Trent are back with the squad. It seems unlikely they go straight back into the starting line up, but owners need to take special notice of any info coming out of the club. Van Dijk is the only one you’d put your money on starting twice in the Double Gameweek next week - so there’s a bigger case for keeping Bradley over Kelleher. Jota is also back, which could impact the minutes of Diaz/Darwin - but I wouldn’t say enough to be getting rid of them. Basically, it’s unlikely you’re getting 180 minutes out of any FPL Liverpool player next week, perhaps other than Alisson.
You have to see this throw in
Rory Delap, eat your heart out. This is crazy. It’s definitely a better option to give this Ireland side a corner instead of a throw in… otherwise, Megan Campbell will send an exocet into the box.
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.