Welcome back for another article! 📖
Blank Gameweek 34 up next, it's a crucial week, if you're not using a chip you want to get the right players in and they need to make sense beyond this gameweek ideally, or if you're on a free hit then who are the best players to have?
So everyone that has had the Double Gameweek 34 doesn't play this week, Man City, Bournemouth, Brighton, Leeds, Chelsea, Burnley. Therefore we're down to just 7 fixtures this week.
🧤 Goalkeepers
Goalkeepers up first the favourite fixture for clean sheet potential is Arsenal vs Newcastle, and Liverpool vs Crystal Palace. Raya tops the keepers table with 3.8 points and likely to be the most popular pick for free hitters in goal, though if you've got scope to add him with a free transfers and you're not on a chip then he's fantastic for the run in, Arsenal have more projected clean sheets than any team. 🛡️
With Liverpool, Mamardashvili was stretchered off in Liverpool's win over Everton, which saw third choice GK Woodman come on. Don't get clever with Woodman on a free hit, just go Van Dijk if you want Liverpool defence. It was apparently a bad cut so perhaps he makes the next match as well.
Sunderland have been a force in home games which has made Roefs a strong alternative keeper on a free hit, 3.5 projected points is just .3 behind Raya. 🧤
One name to mention not on the table is Kinsky, if Vicario is still sidelined then he's the perfect backup keeper, or even startable if you're in a position where you're keeperless and not using a free hit, then for 3.9m he's fine for this week and with a projected start he's actually on 3.7 points just behind Raya in 2nd place. Spurs face Wolves in a match that is an absolute must win, over the last 6 gameweeks Wolves have registered a grand total of 3.79 xG which ranks comfortably worst in the league. Second worst is actually Palace on 5.4 xG, then Burnley 5.63 xG. So as poor as Spurs have been all season this fixture in isolation could be worth targeting.
🛡️ Defenders
On that note let's look at defenders because there's a few Spurs defenders in the mix here. Gabriel and Van Dijk are joint top this week, but very close behind is Pedro Porro who is the one Spurs defender worth taking a look at. ⚡️ A goal and bonus last match for a 10 pointer. Passed the eye test as well with his late runs into the box, 2 shots in the box.
(Screenshot via FFScout)
Taking corners on the left side, and some free kicks even. Over the last 6 gameweeks 8 shots ranks third best among all defenders. He's the perfect free hit pick because it's the sort of game you could spike a big return off him, and you don't want him longer than this gameweek. Realistic expectations probably ends up on 2 points but the potential is there and he's a lock in my free hit draft. If you haven't watched the transfer plans article from Sunday evening that's got my team in, will put that on screen at the end of the article to watch after.
Danso at fault for Brighton's late equaliser and no reason to go for him really, just get Van de Ven if you can't afford Porro.
Tarkowski has averaged 10.31 defcons per 90 this season, ranking third best among defenders after Senesi and Lacroix. Everton are away vs West Ham, Moyes against his old side and if you want to target the blend of defcon and clean sheet potential Tarkowski's great too. Tarkowski's 19.8 projected points for the final 5 gameweeks ranks fourth best. Gabriel, O'Reilly and Saliba are the 3 ahead of him for the run in. You can squeeze even more points out of owning Tarkowski by simply benching him vs Man City as well because whoever you start instead will obviously have a higher ceiling that week. 📈
If you need a cheap defender for both this week and the rest of the season then instead of Van de Ven look at Andersen from Fulham. 3.9 projected points this week just misses out on inclusion here, 18.4 points for the final 5 gameweeks, 10.22 defcons per 90.
⚽ Midfielders
Midfielders up next and Bruno is the favourite for captaincy this week, top of all players with 6.6 projected points on Review. 🪄 If you haven't got Bruno he's a priority buy for the final 5 gameweeks.
Second is an interesting one and I know there will be a mixed reception, Salah with 6.0 points. I wouldn't rush to buy Salah with a free transfer, but on a free hit he's a fun option, was chatting about him more in the transfer plans article. It's an opportunity to own Salah for final game, sentiment doesn't get you extra points but it could be a fairytale ending if he does score in your last ever week owning him, it is a game after all and that would be a lot of fun. 👑
Szoboszlai is such a strong pick as well though, 9.9 defcons per 90 and 1 in 3 games he's hit defcon plus the corners and free kicks. Did play RB last match but again that didn't stop him coming away with a return, assisting Van Dijk's late winner. I prefer him to Wirtz but both are great and actually dead even on Review at least. Wilson, Ndiaye and Cunha the other 3 names.
Ndiaye really unlucky to have his goal chalked off vs Liverpool, it's never a bad idea to chuck a pen taker on a free hit. West Ham are absolutely fighting for their lives though so will there be many opportunities in that game?
It's worth me mentioning to you that Muniz has started the last 3 for Fulham, 81, 79 and 66 minutes, he's never taken penalties so while Jimenez is off the pitch there's actually a strong chance Wilson is on pens, on top of set piece duties so he's a fantastic option whether on a chip or not this week. 🎯
Newcastle have conceded 12.98 xG over the last 6 gameweeks which ranks worst in the league, Rice therefore looks great this week with a free transfer or with a free hit or wildcard.
Cunha's emerged as the favourite second Man Utd mid, 2 goals 2 assists, 2 blanks in his last 6. Mbeumo on the other hand no returns in 6. Casemiro actually snuck in to team of the season last gameweek and he's still right on the cusp, he's gone under the radar all season, and this might blow your mind. 8 goals 4 assists, 12 goal involvements. That's exactly the same as Cunha's output 8 goals 4 assists, and he's averaging 11.97 defcons per 90 with a 40% hit rate. It does generally speaking seem Cunha should be the higher ceiling pick though.
Some other honourable mentions:
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Gibbs-White is on 4.6 points off the back of a 20 pointer, hat trick vs Wolves. 🎩
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Gakpo 4.3 points
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Anderson 4.2
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Xavi 4.2
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Rogers 4.1
🎯 Forwards
On to the forwards and really like Salah you'll get a different answer depending on who you ask when it comes to Isak who is actually the top name this week, just barely ahead of Bowen. He's not fit enough to play 90 and not long back after months out. However the forwards list isn't the most exciting, certainly not spoiled for choice on a free hit. Isak, Bowen, Solanke, Thiago, Watkins, Brobbey. 🏟️
So if you like the sound of it for a one week free hit punt, why not. As a free transfer I'd avoid. Wolves are certainly a team to target which does make Solanke a potential free hit pick, again using a free transfer on him is wasteful but this week in isolation he could be great facing Wolves and after playing 4x 90s in a row.
It's fixture vs form, Thiago has 21 goals this season and plays Man Utd away who will be missing Martinez, De Ligt still out. Maguire will be back after his 1 match suspension, it's at Old Trafford though. But form is on his side and such a stellar season to this point. 🔥
So based on all the projected points what's the optimal free hit? 📋
Screenshot from the team of the week page on my app. It's Raya, Danso, Gabriel, Porro, Virgil, Bruno, Salah, Rice, Szoboszlai, Wilson and Bowen.
A back 3 on a blank gameweek free hit always strikes me as more upside, because you can have a Thiago, Solanke, Watkins etc over Danso budget permitting. The team is always limited to 100m by the way so you might be able to squeeze more out depending on your team value.
How many players have you got from the team?
Worth mentioning it does update itself hourly based on any news, injuries, or stuff like changes to a player's expected minutes or even pen share. It's all factored in and automatically updates so check it out on the app menu, available straight after deadline and runs through the entire season.
If you're wildcarding this week then it's a very different team, I'd line up like Raya, O'Reilly, Gabriel, Porro, Bruno, Rice, Szoboszlai, Sarr, Wilson, Haaland, Thiago, Bowen. And some cheap bench players like Struijk could stay and start him vs Burnley. Porro to Lacroix or Munoz in 36 gets you double Palace assuming that's when City and Palace double, that would give you 5 doublers. We'll no doubt have lots of wildcards active in the Thursday experts article so will make sure we cover that for any of you on that chip strat.
What are your transfer plans? Thanks for watching and see you soon for the next one! 👋