In the latest article from our team of Hall of Famers and guest writers, Fantasy all-rounder Obay Eid/FPL Milanista – who has risen to 12th in our Live Hall of Fame – discusses his Gameweek 34 plans and chip strategy.
It’s finally time for Double Gameweek 34, one that we have all been planning and waiting for. With 60% of the five remaining rounds being a ‘double’, it’s time to start making some ground and push for a better overall Fantasy Premier League (FPL) rank.
Gameweek 33 was terrible for me, accumulating only 63 points and undoing the gains made in the previous one. Still sitting inside the top 5k and with a couple of chips remaining, I aim to put this behind me and focus deeply on the upcoming weeks.
First of all, I’m writing this article the day after Manchester City v Real Madrid. Pep Guardiola’s side failed to reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals and will now concentrate on keeping their Premier League title, boosted by last week’s Liverpool and Arsenal losses.
Speaking of the Gunners and the Reds, they’re also out of Europe now. For Gameweek 35 Wildcard users, these results are good news in that all the top contenders are now unlikely to rotate and rest players as they’re fighting until the very end for domestic glory.
DOUBLES FOR ARSENAL + LIVERPOOL
However, Wildcard plans can wait until next week. Our attention must instead go towards the big doubles of Gameweek 34. The majority of active FPL managers are either using a Free Hit here or taking one-week punts, knowing they’re about to make unlimited free transfers afterwards.
That makes things more interesting. Liverpool and Arsenal are the big sides to target but deciding which assets to jump onto is a big dilemma. For the north Londoners, a combination of Bukayo Saka (£9.0m) and two defensive assets was initially the popular route. Yet the explosive Kai Havertz (£7.4m) and consistent Martin Odegaard (£8.6m) may sway managers towards an attacking double-up instead.
As for Jurgen Klopp’s men, Darwin Nunez (£7.7m) has been hyped a lot over the last few weeks but recent performances have been poor and the Diogo Jota (£7.9m) comeback places a huge question mark over his game time.
Back from injury, Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.4m) has a strong chance of increased minutes now Conor Bradley (£4.3m) is absent. But we’ve seen Klopp use Joe Gomez (£4.6m) as a right-back, meaning such a move comes with its own risk.
Liverpool’s line-up at Atalanta may have offered some clues about who’ll start the next game and maximise their Double Gameweek minutes. Is it good news for Darwin or is his omission from the starting XI for a crunch European clash more of a worry?
Both title contenders failed to score at the weekend, which the Gunners repeated in Munich. Squad morale could be slightly down, possibly pushing FPL managers towards alternatives. Yet I still think their assets have so much Double Gameweek 34 potential – especially Arsenal attackers that seem less prone to rotation. It’s just a question of whether we prefer two players there or in their elite defence.
OTHER TEAMS WITH APPEAL
My third favourite Double Gameweek 34 team is Crystal Palace. Impressive in their last few outings, the return of Michael Olise (£5.6m) should further improve performances and results. Himself, Eberechi Eze (£6.0m), Jean-Philippe Mateta (£5.0m), Daniel Munoz (£4.5m) and Dean Henderson (£4.4m) are all picks that I expect to do well here.
Finally, before jumping into my team’s transfer plans, I’d like to mention Dominic Solanke (£7.2m). In my opinion, he’s the best forward pick for this Gameweek. Although I dislike Bournemouth’s fixtures from a defensive viewpoint, I expect them to score against Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers. When the Cherries do, Solanke is usually involved. Indeed, he found the net against both teams earlier in the season.
GAMEWEEK 34 TRANSFER PLANS
