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Here, seven-time top 10k finisher Zophar answers some of the week’s most-asked questions ahead of Gameweek 24.
Q: When it comes to owning Liverpool assets, is Joe Gomez (£4.3m) an option? (@Joshdavey86)
A: There’s a lot to talk about with regard to Liverpool, so let’s start in defence. Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.3m) is back to a more attacking role, after having his forward tendencies restricted because his defensive frailties were getting exposed.
He is Liverpool’s top chance creator and takes a ton of their set pieces, including free kicks. So, despite them leaking goals, there is some upside to chase with both Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers struggling for goals.
Andrew Robertson (£6.8m) is also a decent pick but I would favour Alexander-Arnold, given the underlying numbers. Returning to the side soon, Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m) can be considered but I’d still put the full-backs significantly ahead.
To answer your question, I wouldn’t bother with either Joe Gomez or Joel Matip (£5.9m) due to rotation risks around Champions League fixtures.
In midfield, only Mohamed Salah (£12.6m) is an option now that Cody Gakpo (£7.7m) has competition from Roberto Firmino (£8.0m) and Diogo Jota (£8.8m). The Dutchman does not appear to be an out-an-out goal scorer, instead more of a link-up man like Firmino, so there is limited appeal there.
Up top, Jota is still a risk in terms of fitness levels and consistent starts so I do like punting on Darwin Nunez (£8.7m). Even if he does get benched in a game, we have seen what he can do in a cameo appearance and he has arguably the highest ceiling of all Liverpool attackers. You have to put yourself in a position to get lucky.
Q: Is Gabriel Martinelli (£6.6m) to Bukayo Saka (£8.3m) still a recommended move for those of us with triple Arsenal coverage? For those of us with both Martinelli and Ben White (£4.7m), who should be the priority sale? (@FPLessons)
A: Martinelli has struggled to form an effective partnership with Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.1m) on Arsenal’s left side and he misses having Gabriel Jesus (£7.9m) around, who often drifted out wide to allow Martinelli to come inside and operate centrally.
After another ineffective game in midweek, alongside the short turnaround, I am expecting Leandro Trossard (£6.6m) to get his first league start for the Gunners against Aston Villa. With Saka now confirmed on penalties, I would make the move to him this week.
I still think White is a hold, though, as Takehiro Tomiyasu (£4.2m) was at fault for Manchester City’s opener and did little to show that he can usurp the England international’s place long-term. I think White comes back into the side.
Q: Is it better to replace Callum Wilson (£7.1m) with someone like Joao Felix (£7.6m) – who has no upcoming doubles or blanks – or Darwin Nunez, who has a double and possibly a blank?
A: I think Joao Felix is a good shout this week, with Chelsea being one of the few teams who won’t blank in Gameweeks 25 or 28 but I don’t think he has the ceiling that Darwin does over the next few weeks.
If the latter does have a blank, it’ll be several weeks away and there are plenty of points to be gained until then. Given the choice, I would definitely go for the Uruguayan.
Q: Given that Kevin De Bruyne (£12.4m) played almost the full game on Wednesday, should we move him to Mohamed Salah now instead of next week, as Julian Alvarez (£6.0m) could start at Nottingham Forest? (@yala_leopard)
A: Newcastle’s excellent home form, especially in defence, has been well documented and their numbers are absolutely elite. They are a tad more open without Bruno Guimaraes (£5.6m) around but I still expect them to offer a stoic rearguard. It feels like a low-scoring game for me, possibly 1-0 or 1-1.
Man City have been galvanized by the recent financial sanctions and there has been a visible upturn in performances, whilst Forest are without several key players in defence. Despite their excellent numbers at home this season, I think they will struggle against a buoyant City.
If De Bruyne does play, his points potential is very high so I would hold off on making the move this week and look to do it for Double Gameweek 25.
Q: Who to keep – Hugo Bueno (£3.9m) or Nathan Patterson (£3.9m)? (@AnikMajumder25)
A: I think Bueno gets back into the Wolves line-up after his impressive cameo against Southampton. Meanwhile, Patterson is building his way towards fitness and is expected to play with the under-21s this week – he may be in the squad for Double Gameweek 25.
However, after an extended period out, the chances of him starting both of Everton’s games appear slim. I would definitely keep Bueno.
Q: For Double Gameweek 25, is it better to buy Max Kilman (£4.3m) now or get a Liverpool defender next week? (@yephta)
A: I am not keen on Wolves’ defensive prospects as both their games will be away to attacking sides Fulham and Liverpool. They also have difficult fixtures in Gameweeks 26 and 27 so, despite the good immediate entry point against Bournemouth, I would just ride it out and get on Liverpool next week.
My Gameweek 24 team
We were joined by Fantasy Football Scout’s Deputy Editor Tom Freeman on this week’s episode of the FPL Wire. We discussed a lot of the above topics and more, so I highly recommend checking it out here:
See you next week!
