Our team of Hall of Famers and guest writers are writing about all things Fantasy Premier League (FPL) in 2023/24. Next up, seven-time top 10k finisher Zophar takes his usual weekly FPL Q&A ahead of Gameweek 35.
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READ MORE: FPL Gameweek 35 team news: Friday’s live injury updates
Q: What’s the best combination of six Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur assets for the doubles?
(via @FPL_RoadRunner)
A: At the time of writing, we are yet to have press conferences from either side. If rumours are to be believed, Cole Palmer (£6.2m) is expected to make the weekend while Malo Gusto (£4.3m) is not training alongside the team but should be back for Gameweek 36. Similarly, Pedro Porro (£5.8m) and Richarlison (£6.8m) are also rumoured to be back in training and available for selection.
Taking Chelsea first, with just six clean sheets all season it makes more sense to invest in attack than defence. Palmer is an easy auto-pick and this week’s most popular captaincy option while there is no investible second attacker besides Nicolas Jackson (£6.8m).
There may be some gametime threat to the Senegalese international now that Christopher Nkunku (£7.2m) back in training. Even then, we should see Jackson on the wing rather than omitted altogether. He can be very frustrating to own but the underlying numbers are good and Chelsea are still fifth for expected goals (xG) this season despite playing two fewer games than most others.
At the back, apart from Gusto, there is no real option besides Djordje Petrovic (£4.6m). The other defenders have little upside and could randomly miss out in any game. I think there are better names at other teams and owning a Chelsea defender is not a necessity, even with six games in four Gameweeks.
As for Spurs, similarly to Palmer, Son Heung-min (£9.8m) picks himself. Porro is their best defensive option now that Destiny Udogie (£5.0m) is out for the season. Cheaper than the Spaniard, I think Cristian Romero (£5.1m) possesses goal threat but is also a red card risk.
Guglielmo Vicario (£5.3m) should be good for saves but only two of the six outings, against Burnley and Sheffield United, look to have any real clean sheet prospects. Even then, both promoted sides have been scoring goals of late.
The second attacker spot is interesting. James Maddison (£7.8m) seems the most secure for minutes but has experienced some limited big chance involvement. Brennan Johnson (£5.8m) and Timo Werner (£6.3m) have been creating and found themselves some big chances but Richarlison’s return likely brings rotation besides Son.
I think there are better options from other teams for these attacking places, someone like Anthony Gordon (£6.2m) could outscore these in just one game. However, if forced to pick one, it would be Johnson with his high xG shots and less right-sided competition.
To summarise, I don’t think we should obsess about maxing out the six Spurs and Chelsea slots. Just focus on the leading options of Palmer, Jackson, Son and Porro. Maybe a goalkeeper, depending on your budget and if Bench Boost is soon happening.
Q: Would you move Mohamed Salah (£13.6m) to either Anthony Gordon, Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m) or any midfielder for a four-point hit?
(via @speller_joshua)
A: I’m a Gameweek 30 Wildcarder who benefited hugely from the Free Hit in Gameweek 34 and this is the debate for myself. The original plan, assuming that Liverpool had won both games in the double, was to keep Salah for the run-in and possibly even captain him in Gameweek 36 against Spurs. But with Liverpool’s title challenge dented and the Egyptian looking off the pace, he’ll likely be leaving my team.
If you don’t already have Phil Foden (£8.2m), I strongly suggest prioritising him over either Gordon or Fernandes. After that, it’s a difficult decision, with Gordon blanking just once in this season’s home games. That said, only two of Newcastle United’s final five fixtures are at St. James Park.
There’s also a small chance that Gordon could be shifted to the right to accommodate Callum Wilson (£7.8m) at centre-forward and Alexander Isak (£8.1m) on the left. Although this is likely nearer the end of matches rather than from the start.
In four matches, Fernandes has six goals and a whopping 50 points. Manchester United’s fixtures are a bit mixed – Burnley at home looks great but Crystal Palace away less so. Then there are two tricky hostings of Arsenal and Newcastle.
Despite the Red Devils’ struggles at keeping teams out, they still score for themselves. Only Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea exceed their 11 goals in these four Gameweeks. Yet they’re down in eighth for xG (7.38).
There’s a case to say that both Gordon and Fernandes should be bought this week, at home to promoted sides. But this week’s entry point for Gordon looks better, as Sheffield United gave up plenty of chances in midweek.
On the other hand, Fernandes is a streaky player and has more routes to points with set pieces and penalties. At a push, I’d go for Gordon in but, for my own team, I’m also taking a hit to upgrade Alejandro Garnacho (£5.0m) to Fernandes.
Q: Which players should non-Wildcard managers target and is it a good idea to spend some of the Free Hit points gains on some hits? Like a mini Wildcard to ensure we can compete.
(via @yala_leopard)
A: This is a very relevant question for already-Wildcarded squads, as most will still have the likes of Salah, Bukayo Saka (£9.0m) and Darwin Nunez (£7.8m).
Meanwhile, this new Wildcard template attack looks optimal for Gameweek 37. Foden, Palmer, Son, Fernandes and Gordon look like the chosen midfield, behind Jackson, Isak and Erling Haaland (£14.1m) as the preferred trio up front.
A case can be made for persisting with Saka or Salah and going against the crowd but I think it makes sense to get at least a couple of players that play twice in Gameweek 37.
Chelsea and Spurs are the obvious ones but many recent Wildcard squads have already tripled up on the former. Therefore, I think Foden, Gordon, Fernandes and Kevin De Bruyne (£10.4m) are the main targets, maybe Jackson if there’s a Chelsea slot free.
Q: Josko Gvardiol (£4.9m) or Kyle Walker (£5.3m)?
(via @NiksicRoma)
A: Walker registered two assists last night against Brighton and Hove Albion and should start all the remaining games. Whilst Gvardiol appears to be the first-choice left-back for now, we know Nathan Ake (£5.0m) can play there.
With all the defence now fit, it’s a bit of a minefield. But if I were to invest in one, it would be Walker.
Q: Kevin De Bruyne or Bruno Fernandes?
(via N14MUL)
A: This is a tough one. Man City were utterly dominant against Brighton and obviously have a better attack than their local rivals but it cannot be disputed that Fernandes is more of a talisman than De Bruyne.
He’s on set-pieces, penalties and is nailed to play every minute. Although De Bruyne should see consistent game time now there’s just the league to focus on, there’ll always be a lingering fitness worry. It’s very close but I’ll commit to Fernandes.
Q: Who are the teams and players to target now if you’re doing a Gameweek 37 Free Hit? I don’t see many people talking about this.
(via ASAAM)
A: The trickiness here is that the top Double Gameweek 37 players also have superb fixtures beforehand. I think the play is to keep the Arsenal assets and maybe get Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.4m) as well – but Liverpool’s faltering makes that difficult to recommend.
You can probably skip Man United names for now. Apart from Gameweek 37, it’s only this weekend’s outing that looks attractive. Finally, Chelsea and Spurs should be aimed for this week.
