Where were we? Picking your new FPL squad
Stay for Martinez having a moment on the biggest stage
***GAMEWEEK 17 DEADLINE: MONDAY - BOXING DAY - 11:00 GMT***
A few things have happened since the last email. For one thing, Aston Villa’s goalkeeper is a World Cup winner. So is a Brighton midfielder (Mac Allister was great throughout the tournament - a case of what could’ve been for Northern Ireland there). That dull pain deep in my heart assures me England missed a penalty and went out, so the natural order of things remains very much in place. Let’s get back to FPL.
There is quite a bit to catch up on, so I’m hoping to do a bonus email (an Extra Life) later in the week for last minute info. This week: Double Gameweeks announced, the new template, my Gameweek 17 Watchlist, a focus on Arsenal and Chelsea, the Salah dilemma, formations, non-template players to think about… and Emi Martinez being Emi Martinez.
Transfer dilemma? Can’t remember what FPL is? Email me: fplislife@substack.com
Double Gameweeks are here - Merry Christmas!
An early Christmas present from FPL Towers - they have announced our first Double Gameweeks. They fall in Gameweeks 19, 20 and 23. Basically, their two Doubles make Man City even more tempting - we just have to work out which three. Also, Mitrovic and Andreas seem decent picks given Fulham’s Double. Look how good Chelsea’s first few fixtures are - and they have Bournemouth this week. You need to decide if they’re actually any good. In my opinion, we should be thinking Triple Man City.
Here are the Top 8 teams for fixtures over the next seven Gameweeks - which include all the Double Gameweeks that have been announced*… it’s all about the top teams for now. Home games in capitals. (*some Doubles are contingent on cup results).
Early formation thoughts… money out of defence
It’s a while since we all started the season shelling out a ton of cash on attacking defenders. The lack of success of that strategy means most FPL obsessives will now be playing a 3-4-3, or even a 3-5-2. There are SO many good attackers now - at all price points.
My post-World Cup Watchlist
So this isn’t exhaustive, but from everything I’ve seen and considered, this is a decent starting point of players to be looking at. There is a bias towards Double Gameweek sides here. Loads of people will have Almiron. I’m still reluctant to go there - maybe just stubbornness at this point - but his ownership will be very high come Boxing Day. Not many FPL obsessives are going for Trent or Robertson, so if you fancy them, you’ll have an interesting differential.
Jesus is out… what to do with Arsenal
Jesus has been important to Arsenal’s success. He’s out now for a good few weeks after surgery. So this either means they become a worse FPL team, or there are some good options. Nketiah should play, but players like Saka (who just seems to get better) and Martinelli could be drawn in more centrally. The Arsenal player with the best Expected Goal Involvement data (expected goals and assists, per 90 minutes) is actually… Odegaard at 0.56. He’s one to keep an eye on.
This is basically the new template squad
We’ll get into more detail below, but this is the basic template… no Reece James here, or KDB - the two big omissions. But you can’t have them all.
You need to think about Chelsea… & Reece James
Chelsea is the Big Unknown for me. They play Bournemouth, Forest, Fulham - and have an extra game vs Man City. But we still aren’t certain on how Graham Potter will set up. James and Chilwell could be back, but a back four makes both much less attractive. The James points ceiling is high, so whether or not you go for him is one of the main decisions for Gameweek 17. Kepa Arrizabalaga will be the go-to keeper now at just £4.5m, but we need to check his fitness closer to Boxing Day. Mount could be a short-term fixtures play. The below, from the Let’s Talk FPL YouTube channel, is the “bullish on Chelsea” draft.
Other names to think about…
Bruno Fernandes has to be in our thoughts again. Ronaldo has gone, Man Utd have been looking better and Bruno had a decent World Cup. He was, at one time, the best FPL asset in the game. At £9.8m, he could really mix things up. A Gameweek 17 pick for the brave, but definitely one for the Watchlist.
Kyle Walker is now back and at £4.8m, is a big saving on Cancelo if you want to move even more cash out of defence. But you’ll be playing Pep Roulette with every game.
Harry Kane has been super consistent all season, only overshadowed by the RoboBeast Norwegian. Expensive, but there are cheap enough options around to get him, Haaland and a Premium Midfielder in the team if you fancy it.
The Salah choice (again)
Yes, this again. Salah’s had a massive rest - and it’s worth noting that Liverpool’s first game is against Aston Villa - who could well be without Emi Martinez. A tasty fixture vs a back-up keeper. Things to remember with Liverpool: Diaz and Jota are still out, so Salah and Nuñez look nailed. Ultimately, you’re probably making a choice between Salah and KDB - a choice made harder with Man City’s extra games. Salah has always been up there on stats, but his goal threat is down. Here is the Top10 players for Expected Goal Involvement so far this season.
For anyone who disgraced themselves at the office Christmas Party…
Martinez decided to do this during the biggest event on earth. Whatever daft thing you said to your boss, it’s really not that bad.
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