For many of us, the last four Gameweeks of Fantasy Premier League have been comical, to say the least.
It’s certainly been that way for me. You couldn’t write it. Let’s go back to Gameweek 22.
Aboubakar Kamara (£4.5m) is transferred in just days before he decides to fight Aleksandar Mitrovic (£6.5m) in a yoga class. The first person in the history of yoga classes to start a fight in a yoga class. Kamara is loaned out to Yeni Malatyaspor as punishment and gets red-flagged.
In Gameweek 23, Marcos Alonso (£6.5m) was shipped out for Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.2m) on the Sunday night after the Spaniard managed just two points in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Newcastle.
Tuesday rolls around and Trent is ruled out for four weeks due to injury. Burned by moving early. Another red flag.
On to Gameweek 24. The injured Alexander-Arnold makes may for Everton’s Lucas Digne (£5.3m). Digne is benched by Marko Silva, comes on for Leighton Baines (£5.0m) after 55 minutes and gets himself sent off shortly afterwards. A painful -2. Yes, you’ve guessed it, yet another red flag.
Next up, double Gameweek 25 and visions of 100+ points. “Leroy Sané (£9.7m) has the best chance of starting both games.” Captain
Pep Guardiola decides to bring his FPL trolling to a new level, not playing the German at all against Arsenal then substituting him in the 59th minute against Everton. One point over the two games. ONE! Despair for triple captainers.
Naming my podcast ‘The 59th Minute’ came back to bite me in spectacular fashion. One can only laugh (otherwise I’d cry).
With Chelsea up next then a Blank in Gameweek 27 coupled with the pain he’s caused, Sane is the most transferred-out player this week.
It’s no surprise to see that Son Heung-min (£8.7m) is the most popular replacement. The South Korean has scored in back-to-back games since returning from the Asian Cup and faces Leicester (home) and Burnley (away) in his next two.
He’s got seventeen attacking returns (10 goals, 7 assists) in just nineteen appearances this season. A points machine.
Paul Pogba (£8.6m) and Sadio Mané (£9.5m) are two others to consider for those looking to jump off a Man City midfielder this week.
Pogba has six goals and three assists in his last seven appearances while Mane has outshone his more expensive teammate Mohamed Salah (£13.6m) in recent Gameweeks scoring in each of the last three matches. Mo points for less Mane?
Richarlison (£6.8m) is another player who has to go soon. The curse of ‘keeping a player because he has a double Gameweek’ strikes again. One attacking return in seven just isn’t good enough.
There are plenty of replacement options with the likes of Diogo Jota (£6.0m), Pascal Gross (£6.7m) and James Ward-Prowse (£5.1m) finding form in recent weeks. Early season favourites Ryan Fraser (£6.1m) and Felipe Anderson (£7.1m) shouldn’t be ignored either.
Eden Hazard (£10.9m) and Gonzalo Higuain (£9.5m) linked up well versus Huddersfield and posted good scores but it’s important to remember that it was Huddersfield, a team preparing for life back in the Championship.
The Blues face Man City (away) then have a blank in Gameweek 27 followed by Spurs (home). A tricky run. Higuain is on the Watchlist for now while Hazard will be making way this week to make space for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.2m).
The Gabonese international should do damage over the next three Gameweeks as his Arsenal side come up against Huddersfield (away), Southampton (home) and Bournemouth (home).
Captaincy for Gameweek 26 isn’t straightforward. Salah faces Bournemouth at home but he has blanked in the last two Gameweeks.
Aubameyang has 15 goals to his name but just six of those have come away from the Emirates, and he has had an illness in the week too.
The likes of Pogba and Rashford should be considered as they travel to face a struggling Fulham side.
Son is another candidate this week with Spurs welcoming Leicester to Wembley. Lots of options.
Having captained Mo for his hat trick against Bournemouth earlier in the season, I think that’s where my armband will be, come deadline on Saturday.
