If you’re in a rush and need some last-minute Fantasy Premier League (FPL) advice, here’s a quick round-up of what you need to know about Gameweek 8.
WHEN’S THE FPL GAMEWEEK 8 DEADLINE?
All transfers and team selections need to be done by 11:00 BST on Saturday 19 October.
INTERNATIONAL INJURIES
Every international break involves a late, pre-deadline assessment of tiredness and new injuries – some of which are just tactical withdrawals.
This time, popular pick Ezri Konsa (£4.5m) was hurt in Gameweek 7 and withdrew from the England squad – but he and six other Villa players have been passed fit!
Spurs duo Son Heung-min (£9.8m) and Brennan Johnson (£6.6m) are also seemingly available.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson‘s (£5.5m) hamstring problem will keep him sidelined for around six weeks, however.
Yet the biggest concerns for FPL managers likely revolve around Arsenal pair Bukayo Saka (£10.1m) and Kai Havertz (£8.3m). Check out Friday’s press conference round-up for Mikel Arteta’s quotes – and get your specs out to pore over footage of the Gunners arriving on the south coast…
ANY LATE RETURNEES?
Scout’s comprehensive record of each player’s international minutes and match dates tends to be particularly useful for South American stars.
For example, this time Luis Diaz‘s (£8.0m) final CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier was a tiny bit earlier (9pm BST kick-off on Tuesday) and he now has until Sunday to recover.
Could he, or others, end up being benched? We went back to Gameweek 4 to recall what happened after September’s break.
WHEN TO BUY + SELL PREMIUMS
FPL Family’s Sam has asked whether managers are perhaps overthinking when compared to the past.
Part of that is the current debate over when is the best time to buy and sell big-name assets, even though they’re often fixture-proof. FPL’s tough pricing means you can’t own them all.
Tom Freeman looks at Erling Haaland (£15.4m), Mohamed Salah (£12.6m), Cole Palmer (£10.8m) and Saka one by one, plus Lateriser has brought out his ‘Kolarov, Lescott and Bramble’ table to see how each does versus strong, average and poor opponents.
For example, while we’ve celebrated Palmer’s full FPL year – his first 2023/24 start didn’t come until Gameweek 7 – this Sunday’s clash with Liverpool pits him against one of only two sides he’s yet to deliver against.
And those pondering a Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.1m) sale to raise funds may want to see his underlying attacking stats. Although he’s mostly been about clean sheets so far – something about to be threatened by tricky fixtures and the Alisson injury.
BEST FPL GAMEWEEK 8 CAPTAIN
Despite letting down captainers over the previous two Gameweeks, Erling Haaland is the recommended armband recipient of both Captain Sensible and our Rate My Team (RMT) algorithm.
The Norwegian faces last-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers, a team he scored four times past in May.
Both opt for Mohamed Salah in second place, with Dominic Solanke (£7.6m) third.
MORE GUEST ARTICLES + TEAM REVEALS
- FPL General’s Gameweek 8 team reveal + transfer plans
- Tom Freeman’s FPL Gameweek 8 team reveal + transfer plans
- Ex-champ Simon March: How present bias hinders – and sometimes helps – FPL managers
- Zophar’s FPL Q&A: Foden punt, keep or sell Diaz + when to buy Palmer?
SCOUT PICKS + DIFFERENTIALS
Our weekly selection – which is essentially a Free Hit in all but name – opts for a 4-3-3 formation that squeezes in both Haaland and Salah.
Meanwhile, two goals and an assist have arrived in Georginio Rutter‘s (£5.5m) last two outings. He’s one of three differential picks tipped to succeed this weekend.
PREDICTED LINE-UPS
We’ve predicted the starting XIs of all 20 Premier League teams.
Whatever you decide to do, good luck with FPL Gameweek 8!
