Keep it simple!
Hello! A busy week at work means a late post. But hope it reaches you in time to help with some last-minute decisions. Note that there will not be a post next week due to the short turnaround between game weeks.
This week’s visualization is inspired by -
“The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.” - Pele
This post brings you FPL advice from this week’s free podcasts:
Topics Covered
🎙️ Team/Players Talk
✨ Differentials
👑 Captaincy
🎙️ Team/Players Talk
Below are some of the brief reviews of a handful of teams.
🎒 West Bromwich Albion
After Fulham’s recent four losses and their bid to escape relegation seemingly falling short, West Brom is the team trying to emulate Rocky Balboa and beat their way safety.
With decent performances in the recent games, West Brom is not as easy of a fixture as it was just a few weeks ago.
Pereira is playing really well and got hauls in the last two games. However, he is massively overperforming his stats and you should be wary of getting him.
Despite their resurgence, it would be wise to stay away from West Brom. If you really want to get someone, you should look at Townsend, who at 4.4m is 9th among defenders for chances created.
👹 Manchester United
To Bruno or not to Bruno is the question. The bulls say that he has high effective ownership (which means any points he scores will impact your rank greatly if you don’t have him), he is still on penalties, and always just one moment away from having a return. While bears point to his recent underwhelming FPL returns. Depending on your team, either choice is not a bad decision.
Greenwood is the one to get if you fancy a cheeky punt. More on that in the ‘Differential’ section.
🏙️ Manchester City
It’s becoming increasingly clear that Pep is prioritizing the Champions League over EPL, which means rest galore for Cancelo, KDB, Gundo, and even the undroppable Dias.
This, combined with the upcoming blank fixture in GW33, means that buying City assets at this point is not advisable.
Moving them out for players that you think will do well is also well worth considering.
It’s worth noting that holding Dias and Gundogan is still feasible. Dias just had his rest and may continue to play most, if not all, remaining PL fixtures. And Gundo, at his price, can easily be covered by bench players.
🐔 Tottenham Hotspurs
The famous third-season meltdown in Mourinho’s teams seems to have arrived one season early in Spurs. They have been in abysmal form lately.
Kane is the only saving grace in the team who continues to deliver FPL points while carrying the entire team on his back.
Son is the other player you can consider, especially given the double game next week. While WGTA seems to think he is a viable option, The Wire folks didn’t think he is worth buying.
If you really really want to capitalize on the double next week, the only other player to consider would be Reguilon. He tends to get forward, creates some chances, and seems nailed for the rest of the season.
🦚 Leeds United
What’s more surprising than *GoT Spoiler Alert* Daenerys turning evil? Leeds defending well!
Not only did they beat the Man City juggernaut, they did that in a defensively solid performance. It just gives you one more reason to hold Dallas, just in case his consistent hauls were not enough for you.
Raphinha played well as usual and is a fine hold.
It’s worth noting that their attacking numbers like shots in the box and big chances have significantly declined in the last 4 matches. So keep an eye on their attacking performance going forward, especially if you own both, Bamford and Raphinha.
🔴 Liverpool
After their recent downward spiral, Liverpool has seemed to found some sense of form in the Premier League.
They played really well. Salah especially seems to be posting really good underlying numbers again and is looking as sharp as ever. He is also playing much more centrally and further far forward. If you moved him out, this is the time to get him back else he may punish you. You have been warned!
TAA has also been playing well. In the last 4 games, he is top for chances created among defenders. While he comes at a premium, his form and fixtures warrant closer consideration.
🔵 Chelsea
Up until now, we have been discussing Chelsea's defense. It’s finally time, to turn our attention towards their attack which seemed to have found its stride.
Both the pods discussed that Pulisic is a good option as he has been playing really well, seems to be starting regularly, and has the highest xG and shots in the box amongst all Chelsea players in the last four games.
Kai Havertz is also a decent option who is starting upfront and is a phenomenal player, despite being just 21.
Mount is also worth consideration. He may not be as explosive as the other two but should trickle in points consistently.
⚒️ Lingard
Buy him. Don’t overthink it. Everyone agrees. ‘nuff said!
✨ Differentials
Are you looking to beat your mini-league rival? Are you hoping to mount a late attack to improve your overall rank? Well, The FPL Wire discussed some differentials that can help you achieve these objectives, just as much as they can take you further down. This section is not for the faint-hearted.
Lacazette seems to be the first-choice striker and is in scintillating form. He is a good differential. One word of caution: Arsenal may prioritize Europa league over PL, so he may get rotated.
Martinelli and Holding are the ones to monitor.
With backing from both the pods, Greenwood is the most touted differential. He has the highest shots in the box amongst all ManU players and his finishing is exceptionally good. He may even be a better pick than Bruno.
Cavani is also worth seriously considering. He is doing really well on the eye test and can be a good pick for the season run-in.
Lucas Moura is a decent punt for next game week to capitalize on the double game week, especially if you plan to wild card after that.
👑 Captaincy
Keep it simple. Kane is the overwhelming choice across both the pods. If you have Tripple Captain left, just put it on him as there doesn’t seem to be a better opportunity coming up.
If you want a differential captain or don’t own Kane, then you can go for poor-man’s-Kane i.e. Son.
If you don’t own either, I shall pray for you.
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