The Burning Question: How do we plan for blanks and double Gameweeks?

The next three set of fixtures is among the trickiest periods Fantasy managers have ever had to navigate.

As we know, over this weekend EFL Cup finalists Manchester United and Southampton miss out, as well as their respective league opponents Manchester City and Arsenal.

Then in Gameweek 28, just eight teams are currently guaranteed to play: Bournemouth, Burnley, Everton, Hull City, Liverpool, Swansea City, West Brom, West Ham.

Sandwiched between these two sets of reduced fixtures sits the possibility of a double Gameweek 27 for Manchester City and Stoke City, should Pep Guardiola’s men see off Huddersfield in their FA Cup replay on Wednesday.

With the pressure on to field a full XI during the blanks and maximise the potential of this period, we pose the “Burning Question”: how do we plan for the blanks and double Gameweeks?

Simon March (2014/15 FPL Champion) says…

Having jettisoned Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku back in Gameweek 24, my only blank concern going into Gameweek 26 is what to do with Arsenal’s top scorer Alexis Sanchez.

The big worry in holding on to the Gunners asset is his missing games in Gameweeks 26 and 28. With Liverpool in between and a trip to West Brom in Gameweek 29, arguably he lacks appeal in the short-term.

The standout candidate to replace the Chilean is clearly Sadio Mane.

The Liverpool winger has the fixtures and form to do some real damage in the coming weeks. With the remaining Gameweeks dwindling, maximising every score is becoming ever more important and, logic would dictate, this means getting as much money as possible off the bench and onto the pitch.

As it stands, I should be able to get 10 players out for Gameweek 28 without hits. I’ll make a late call on whether to go beyond that nearer the time. But even among the eight teams likely to play that week, there are still plenty of good options available, including several players such as Everton full-back Seamus Coleman and West Brom’s Chris Brunt, both of whom I’ve wanted to bring in for a while as long-term options.

This is a key point, in exploiting the upcoming blanks. Wherever possible, I’ll still be looking to build for the long-term. If that means going a player short in Gameweek 28, I’ll take that over wasting points or transfers on a short-term option I’ll want to get rid of just as quickly.

Of course, a Gameweek 27 double for Man City curveball could change a lot, not least in elevating Sergio Aguero to captain, possibly even triple captain, status.

If I had City players, I’d certainly try and hold, and I’d definitely be looking to get the Argentine striker in, but I don’t think I’ll be going all in beyond that.

City will still face a blank in Gameweek 28 and, as we’ve learned all too well this season, Pep loves some rotation.

Jonty says…

I was prepared for these three Gameweeks, with two free transfers allowing me to field 11 players in each of the blanks, even with Andy Carroll’s constant injury concerns.

But then Manchester City came along to ruin my best-laid plans.

Now I have to factor in City and Stoke’s expected double Gameweek, as well as an enticing Manchester United home clash with Bournemouth, which is also inconveniently sandwiched between these two reduced weekends.

In order to keep my blanks and free transfers advantage, as well as hold onto Ibrahimovic for that enticing Cherries’ visit, I’m sticking to my original transfer this week and ditching Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez for Sadio Mane.

A trip to Leicester, a guaranteed Gameweek 28 fixture, as well as a home tie in Gameweek 27 with an out of sorts Arsenal side still looks enticing for the Liverpool winger. With just that Anfield clash for Sanchez over the next three, he has become expendable.

That leaves me with two frees in Gameweek 27 to remove Romelu Lukaku and Dele Alli, who face each other in a hard to call tie at White Hart Lane, for double Gameweek City duo Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling.

The Sky Blues winger is super reliable of late, with attacking returns in eight of his last ten league matches, while their Argentine striker’s stock has risen given the long-term injury to his rival Gabriel Jesus.

I am also considering spending a hit to get a third double Gameweek player, but I’m keeping my options open there.

Jordan Pickford of Sunderland to Stoke stopper Lee Grant is a possibility. Cheap goalkeepers, even with tough fixtures, can be goldmines during a double Gameweek. Plus with many mini league rivals already with Stoke defenders, I think he’ll be worth the hit, especially with Middlesbrough at home as his other fixture.

In Gameweek 28, all being well, I’ll still have 10 players and will then use my free transfer that week to ditch Aguero for Lukaku to bring this tally up to a full XI.

It’s a blank-busting, double Gameweek-dueling, Lukaku hokey-cokeying strategy that I hope will salvage my careful planning so far.

Applebonkers says…

I’m going to go straight to the little Argentine elephant in the room.

They often say a struggling striker just needs a scruffy goal to get them going again. Segio Aguero got exactly that on Tuesday, a Taibi-esque helping hand, or foot, to perk him up enough to add a genuinely impressive second then a late assist.

But has he turned the corner? Can a season of underwhelming performances be ignored due to one haul in a mad game?

I’m not sure and feel fear is the biggest driving factor behind thoughts as it stands.

His team-mates Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane possess stronger, more prolonged form for a fraction of the price. They also don’t require selling a ponytailed striker from the other side of Manchester , who could wreak havoc against Bournemouth’s post-Ake impression of a defence.

The one definite in my mind for that probable double Gameweek is actually John Stones. Then I’ll likely throw in a Man City attacking asset to have a captain choice, Sterling as it stands.

I’ve also been looking for an excuse to get Stoke winger Marko Arnautovic all season, but it would cost two transfers so this probably isn’t it.

It feels odd taking hits to get players in who blank the Gameweek after, so my thinking is to go for long-term options to better justify the hits.

Long story short: Gameweek 26 Mane, Gameweek 27 Stones & Sterling, Gameweek 28 Lukaku. Arsenal duo Alexis Sanchez and Laurent Koscielny, Spur’s Dele Alli and Palace’s misfiring striker Christian Benteke will be making way as my squad gets a little London enema to bolster numbers for Gameweek 28.

Perchino says…

Before the announcement of a potential double Gameweek, I was planning on using my two free transfers this week to downgrade Alexis Sanchez to Sadio Mane and to upgrade Bournemouth’s out of favour winger Junior Stanislas to another Liverpool attacker, Roberto Firmino.

But then came the revelation of the potential double Gameweek 27, which is now convincing me to move Sanchez out to Firmino and bank my other transfer.

This patient approach should be rewarded, as it allows me to keep my options open heading into the likely double set of fixtures for Manchester City and Stoke.

By opting for Firmino over Mane, it leaves me enough cash in the bank to swap out Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe and Spurs schemer Christian Eriksen to City duo Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling.

I may yet decide to sell Ibrahimovic. Banking the free transfer gives me that option too.

Paul says…

If City progress past Huddersfield and confirm the double Gameweek, going without Aguero could prove potentially damaging.

He looks a strong armband favourite for Gameweek 27 and there’s also a convincing argument to back him with a triple captain chip.

With Stoke’s Lee Grant already on board, I may just limit my City interest to Aguero and go with two double players for Gameweek 27.

Yes, there’s a case for bringing in Raheem Sterling or even Leroy Sane, but that would only give me more transfer work down the line as I currently hold just seven players for Gameweek 28.

Striking that balance is key – there’s no point in loading up your squad to the detriment of long-term plans. I intend to keep one of my two Spurs midfielders through the blanks, for example, as their schedule from Gameweek 29 is one of the best around.

Similarly, I’ll want Alexis Sanchez back by then, having sold him for Sadio Mane earlier this week in order to double up on Liverpool’s midfield along with Roberto Firmino.

Selling Aguero by that point will allow me to do that – he’s no more than a short-term, explosive option for me.

Right now, aside from Romelu Lukaku, few of the Gameweek 28 sides boast viable, in-form forwards that I feel I cannot go without, although the likes of Firmino, Michail Antonio and even Josh King offer out-of-position prospects in midfield.

West Ham’s schedule from Gameweek 29 onwards is one of the best amongst those sides that will play in the previous round of fixtures, which means that Antonio and Robert Snodgrass could also play a part in my thinking.

Mark Says…

I might be on my own here, but I’m caring less and less about Gameweek 28.

While there’s a clamour to field a full XI over that weekend, the possibility of City’s double has altered my priorities.

Taking City out of Gameweek 28, I look at the remaining four fixtures and wonder whether we’re losing sight of the potential on offer.

Just how many points do we believe will actually be available?

It’s all very well fielding a full XI but, if the matches fail to produce goals, assists or predictable clean sheets, those with full squads will likely gain a 6-8 point advantage over those who go in with just 6-7 players. But they could then be saddled with mid-price players with more limited long-term potential and no double Gameweeks to come.

It’s surely got to be quality over quantity.

I look at my likely line-up for that weekend and see Seamus Coleman, Gareth McAuley in my backline – perhaps the two defenders who offer the most promise for double-figures. In midfield, I’ll have Gylfi Sigurdsson, and Sadio Mane, while up front, Romelu Lukaku will be my solution.

For me, those are the key men – if Gameweek 28 is to produce a “bonanza” of points, one of those will likely see me through. If another name comes in, he’s likely to be a big differential, with minimal impact on my rank.

I’ll probably add to my limited roster. I will have Tom Heaton in goal, and I’ll likely use the opportunity to remove both Jordi Amat and Victor Anichebe – handing me some extra cover of Gameweek 28, while also giving me a long-term benefit, having finally shed inactive bench fodder.

So I’ll probably go in with 7-8 players.

I’m fine with that, and it’s not going to stop me investing in City should their double Gameweek 27 drop in.

I’ll move for Aguero and possibly throw in the Triple Captain chip; I’ve also budgeted to bring Sterling into midfield. I may even go further and look at Sane.

While I hate to second guess Pep, I think the City mindset for these two fixtures is reassuringly predictable.

With the extra match on Chelsea, Guardiola’s men have the chance to close the gap – a minor psychological advantage but one we shouldn’t underestimate.

I also believe that City will also go on all out attack from here on in; they trail the leaders for goal difference, and I believe the Monaco performance is typical of what we will continue to see from City: fragile defence, cavalier attack. They have to win matches, and that means they have to score goals – lots of ’em.

Do I really want to temper investment in this scenario just to field an extra one or two players from Hull, Bournemouth or West Ham for Gameweek 28?

For me, the outcome of the City matches is somewhat predictable – two wins – 5-6 goals scored. Feasibly, looking at the two scenarios, City could score more goals and offer more points in two fixtures than eight teams in four over Gameweek 28.

Beyond this, I’ll likely prioritise a return for Sanchez – swapped this week for Mane. However, should I bench and retain Aguero and Sterling, I won’t have any concerns about fielding them a week later.

I’d rather have Aguero in an all-out attack clash against Liverpool in Gameweek 29 than watch Ibrahimovic get smothered by an unambitious Middlesbrough.

Meanwhile Sterling would be up against his former club, potentially in the middle of his best City spell of form. He’s delivered in eight of his last ten Gameweeks – why would I be concerned at home to Liverpool – another must-win scenario against an equally suspect defence.

My mind is made up. The aggressive, positive move is to attack Gameweek 27 should the double drop, and then try to ride out Gameweek 28, in the hope that the mediocrity fails to deliver points for those who do have 3-4 players more.