Welcome back for another article! 📝
Who are the best players to buy for GW30? We're into the 30s now, 9 gameweeks to go. The business end of the season coming in a few weeks, blank gameweek 31, double gameweek 33, blank gameweek 34 etc. The FA Cup weekend has started to give us a better idea of who will have a double and gameweek in a few weeks. Whatever strategy you're on we'll cover it all in this one. Basically whether you're wildcarding in GW32, wildcarding now or if you've used it already.
🧤 Goalkeepers
So goalkeepers first and the best fixtures defensively this week are Arsenal home to Everton, Brentford have got Wolves home, though that one's up for debate given Wolves form lately isn't it. Liverpool have Spurs home, Bournemouth have Burnley away though 31.9 expected goals conceded in away games is actually worst in the league by Bournemouth. You certainly still give the likes of Senesi, Hill, Petrovic a start though.
Raya is top for GW30 on 4.3 projected points, then Kelleher, Alisson, on 3.9 Verbruggen 3.7, Lammens 3.6. 🧤
The FA Cup quarter finals draw on Monday night will give us a very good idea of exactly who will blank and double in a few weeks, and that will be a core part of strategy for the final 9 gameweeks. It's easier for those planning to wildcard just before the double, but if you're in a situation where you've used yours then it's all about working towards the doubles and blanks with free transfers. Arsenal, Palace, Newcastle and Man City are likeliest to have a double gameweek 33 which is great as there's plenty of good assets there. We're likeliest to have 8 teams doubling but it could be 6. On Wednesday's team selection article we'll have the double and blank gameweek odds following the draw.
The last thing I wanted to point out with goalkeepers is that if you have Raya and Dubravka it's not worth spending a transfer on a keeper. Raya in GW30 and Dubravka in GW31 gives you 7.2 projected points, for comparison Kelleher's next 2 gives you 7.3, Leno gives you 7.2. You could make a case for a keeper transfer in 31 if you've got a load of transfers and have that luxury but you'd need Dubravka to score badly and whoever you bring in, such as Leno to do well.
🛡️ Defenders
Let's move on to defenders. 🛡️
Gabriel and Timber the top two this week, Saliba missing from Arsenal's last 2 games including the FA Cup. Arteta said he was a massive doubt to make the squad against Mansfield and says his injury is to his other ankle as opposed the one he injured last time: “No, it's the other one. So, yeah, we saw the same after the game. He wasn’t comfortable to finish the game and after that straight away he didn't have a good feeling so let's see if he recovers quickly."
There's a nice gap to GW30 still so it's one to monitor if you have him, certainly not a buy. Van Dijk is the one to buy if you can afford him, he's top of all defenders for projected points in the next two games, if you're on a WC32 strategy but even if you're not the fixture run is really good for Liverpool over the next 5. Spurs, Brighton, Fulham, Everton, Palace. 🧱
Van den Berg makes the table this week, he's started 6 in a row and last game Ajer dropped to the bench in favour of Collins coming in and they kept a clean sheet. 7.7 projected points for the next two ranks fifth after Van Dijk, Andersen, Tete, Senesi.
Lacroix is on the table, and it's a big shame Munoz was forced off injured last match. Glasner said the following: "It is a shoulder injury. Right now, his arm is in a brace. Let's hope it's not too bad."
If you have him then hopefully he's back for Leeds home next match, otherwise look to sell if it makes sense in your team and you can improve your starting defence.
It's a slightly strange period of the season where it doesn't make sense to buy defenders from Arsenal and Man City in most cases and likewise attackers, but the second the GW31 deadline passes that's where we'll be looking again. The season basically enters a new chapter after that point, that's how I'm looking at it. It's all about GW31 optimisation then it's the business end of the season with the doubles and blanks in the run in.
So yeah a limited pool to pick from right now I guess is the underlying message and then in a few gameweeks we'll have more freedom with who to buy.