Dugout Discussion

Saiss benched and Doherty returns as Santo continues to rotate Wolves starting XI

Wolverhampton Wanderers take on Crystal Palace in Monday’s late kick-off, with play getting underway at Molineux at 20:15 BST.

Nuno Espirito Santo continues to tinker with his starting XI and has made three changes from the side that drew 1-1 against Burnley.

Romain Saiss (£4.8m), Ruben Vinagre (£4.1m) and Diogo Jota (£6.0m) are the men to drop out, with regular wing-backs Matt Doherty (£6.5m) and Jonny (£5.5m) returning along with Leander Dendoncker (£4.4m).

Saiss’s benching is a notable one from a Fantasy perspective: the Moroccan sits in just over 6% of FPL teams overall and in 35.11% of the squads in the top 10,000.

Dendoncker appears to be playing at centre-half this evening as a result of Saiss’s omission.

Doherty sits in more than one in two of the teams within the top 10,000, with Raul Jimenez (£8.1m) – starting his 36th league game of the season – boasting an ‘effective ownership’ of 50.63% among this group of leading managers.

Crystal Palace have made two changes to the side that lost 2-0 against Manchester United in Gameweek 36+, both of which are enforced through injury.

Patrick van Aanholt (£5.6m) is replaced by budget FPL defender Tyrick Mitchell (£4.0m) at left-back, with Jeffrey Schlupp (£5.4m) coming in for Luka Milivojevic (£6.4m) in midfield.

Not one of Palace’s starting players has a double-digit ownership in FPL and there is negligible interest within the top 10,000.

Jordan Ayew (£5.1m) has the highest ‘effective ownership’ among these managers – and his ‘EO’ is only 0.19%.

The Eagles are on a six-game losing streak, a sequence of results that has seen them ship 15 goals and score just twice in reply.

Wolves have kept clean sheets in eight of their last 12 games, by contrast.


Wolves XI: Patricio, Doherty, Dendoncker, Coady, Boly, Jonny, Neves, Moutinho, Traore, Jimenez, Podence.

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Ward, Dann, Sakho, Mitchell, McArthur, McCarthy, Schlupp, Zaha, Ayew, Townsend.

1,538 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Selling Jimmy & Doc has ruined me these last few weeks.

    Ridicuois.

    1. moment
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I feel the same way about Kane, but at least I kept them.

    2. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Class (Jimenez) is permanent. Form (Greenwood) is temporary.

    3. FourLokoLeipzig
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Especially annoying when you downgrade one to “upgrade” the other!

  2. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Such a jammy Jimmy assist

    Goal - JONNY
    Assist - JIMENEZ

    Wolves 2-0 Crystal Palace (68 mins)

    #FPL #WOLCRY

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      There’s been much jammier...

      1. Sun Jihai
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Oh that's for sure

    2. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Those are the best after my son and ings debacle yesterday.

  3. Digital-Real
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    That's a clear Jimi assist

  4. MGD
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Assist Jimmy confirmed

  5. Drop Dead Tsimikas
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Doherty return - check. Jimi return - check. Now, if Saiss could stay on the bench and get me my Fernandez points, that would be just fine by me.

  6. Ógie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Podence has really impressed me in this game.

    0.0% owned oop @£4.9m btw if anyone is interested in a nice Wolves diff.

    1. DycheDycheBaby
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Yes, yet another Portuguese talent in the Wolves team

  7. Ady87
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Given! Woooo

  8. Threat Level Midnight
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Thats absolute shite that he gets an assist there. Wow

    1. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Welcome to FPL.

      1. Threat Level Midnight
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Yes I know. Just crazy to me.

  9. Bobby Digital
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    C'mon Raul, score some more!

  10. Lucy2019
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Surely no one serious has Jiminez? If you do, you have been falling more and more behind since 12 GWs ago!!

    1. Greek Freak
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Serious FPL managers don't have any players obviously.

    2. Threat Level Midnight
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Link your team. Otherwise you can't call anyone serious. Also he only had 3 poor weeks. You're utterly clueless

      1. Lucy2019
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        You don't even have him. Don't take your very poor rank out on me.

        1. Threat Level Midnight
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 9 months ago

          At least my team is linked? LOL

          Imagine coming on here insulting people and not even showing your own team. You're a joke. Lol

          1. Lucy2019
            • 4 Years
            3 years, 9 months ago

            No, your rank is a joke 🙂 You are easily triggered. Love it.

    3. Drop Dead Tsimikas
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      How so? Returns five out of the past eight GWs.

      1. Threat Level Midnight
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        He's clueless. Has no business on this forum.

    4. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      22 points in the last 3GW’s can’t complain

    5. Atom&Humber
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Up to top 15k as it stands and very close to top 10k but I’m not serious

    6. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Show us your rank and we'll compare.

      1. Threat Level Midnight
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        This X 100000

    7. One More Hit
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Think I'm doing alright with Jimenez and an OR of 4,442 according to livefpl

  11. Dr Dream
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    It’d be interesting to ask premier league defender which forward they absolutely do not want to play against the most...I bet Traore would be picked by quite a few....

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Aguero and Auba have to be up there though?

      If you include Traore, then what about ASM?

    2. goriuanx
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Absolutely the toughest attacker to defend against.

      Giroud and Firmino would be next IMO.

      1. Threat Level Midnight
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Nice attempted wind up. No way you are serious about Firmino. LOL

        1. goriuanx
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 9 months ago

          He drags a lot of defenders OOP, meaning Salah and Mane have space to run into.

          1. Threat Level Midnight
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 9 months ago

            That's true but he's not much of a threat on his own. Think that was more of the question. Hes technically gifted but thats really it.

        2. Rover
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 9 months ago

          Tough to defend against is not based on likelihood of FPL returns

    3. Licky
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I would think Mané, i think anyone with a combination of speed, physicality as well as good technique is a nightmare to deal with.

      1. Threat Level Midnight
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        This. Martial when he is in the mood.

    4. joeydordon
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      He's a beast

  12. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Was never not going to be given 😀

  13. Chucky
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Rightfully given

  14. FPL Emu
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Job done. Should give Jimi a rest now and secure score with Saiss

  15. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    A very happy Jonny and Jimmy owner 🙂

  16. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Jonny doing what we want from Doc!

    Also, thank you to everyone who replied to my non-football related post a few pages back. She’s texted, we’re trying to sort it out. I really don’t know what’s gonna happen.

    COVID hasn’t helped one bit obviously or I’d have seen her this summer. As it is she goes to uni in America and I in England. So no idea when I’d see her

  17. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    FPL loves Jimenez

  18. Chucky
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Jimmy grab a goal please my son.. my forwards a big fail this season....

  19. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Jimmy stunningly continues to punish those who sold to Vardy.

    1. Greek Freak
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I am indeed stunned. Went Jimenez to Vardy to Kane to Ings. They've done ok (other than Kane) but of course I took hits for each move.

  20. The Senate
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Right Jimi now assist the other wing back please

  21. TomSaints
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Greedy to hope for another Doherty return?

    1. SuperMane Returns
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Nope.

  22. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    In dreamland as a Doherty boly jimi owner hold on!

  23. SuperMane Returns
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Doc looking loose and unmarked at the far post for this FK. Come on Doc!

  24. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Are we surprised Jiminy Cricket got the assist? Looks like the def got a small toe in in between

  25. One More Hit
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Traore is an absolute joy to watch

    1. Threat Level Midnight
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      He truly is. His physical assets are obviously amazing, but you can see him thinking two steps ahead every time he touches the ball. He's class

  26. Party time
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Come on Wolves. Feast on them!

    • Camzy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Come on Palace you useless numpties. Just one goal!

    • umerlfc
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Ah rival Jimenez and Doherty owner and Im here with Saiss

    • Ange Ball
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      my rival put in two my strikers this week to block me to not over take him. one them being Ings. Should I do TAA Ings to Pieters Auba or Kane -4 I think he will do Vardy to Kane next week

    • Tcheco
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Traore is good at football