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 28.
WHEN’S THE FPL GAMEWEEK 28 DEADLINE?
All transfers and team selections need to be done by 11:00 GMT on Saturday 8 March.
WHAT WE NOW KNOW
FA Cup fifth-round results mean we now have four confirmed league matches for Blank Gameweek 34, including popular FPL sides Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton.
While Aston Villa v Manchester City looks likely to be rearranged, we’ll know all of the blanks before Gameweek 30 – though not necessarily the doubles they’ll form. Those announcements may take a few more days, so Lateriser advises not using a Wildcard until Gameweek 31.
Fellow Pro Pundit Pras plans to activate at that same moment, with the rest of his chip strategy determined by the Fulham v Crystal Palace quarter-final.
A BUNCH OF INJURIES + BANS
Then again, some may opt for a Gameweek 28 Wildcard if they’re unlucky enough to own Matheus Cunha (£7.0m), Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m), Anthony Gordon (£7.4m) and Lewis Hall (£5.0m). Each gave managers a problem during cup weekend.
Gameweek 27’s most-bought player, another Cunha moment of madness means he’s banned for at least three matches – there’s a good chance it’ll get extended. The next day, petulant Gordon received his own multi-game suspension.
Newcastle team-mate Hall’s season is over because of a foot injury. As for Mateta, he was attacked by Millwall’s goalkeeper but could be back by Gameweek 30.
- READ MORE: Best FPL forward replacements for Cunha + Mateta
- READ MORE: Lewis Hall – Injury latest + best FPL replacements
We’ve therefore profiled some of the best forwards and best defenders to succeed this lot. In his Q&A, Zophar picks out Chris Wood (£7.2m) and Daniel Munoz (£5.0m) as his favourites.
ISAK SHOULD BE “FINE”
Part of over 6.5 million squads, at least Alexander Isak (£9.4m) seems to have avoided injury.
His shock Gameweek 27 absence led to almost all active squads needing an autosub to step in. The Swedish star proceeded to play in the FA Cup but limped off and – in a week where an overwhelming number of negative Tyneside rumours are disrupting EFL Cup final plans – fans feared the absolute worst.
“Yeah, he’s fine. Sunday he came off, he was just feeling a bit fatigued I think towards the end of the game, a bit tight in his body, so we withdrew him. Just trying to think back to this week but I think he’s trained every day. Yeah, he’s good.” – Eddie Howe
However, those Eddie Howe words sound positive for Monday’s trip to West Ham United.
BEST FPL GAMEWEEK 28 CAPTAIN
Last time, 15 of The Great and the Good’s 18 managers opted to captain the Cole Palmer (£11.1m) fixture over Mohamed Salah‘s (£13.8m) incredible form.
Yet, despite his seven shots and 1.30 expected goals (xG), the Chelsea attacker blanked in their 4-0 win over Southampton. Using statistics and the eye test, is Palmer in decline or simply unlucky?
Regardless, it’s Salah’s turn to host the last-placed Saints, making him the recommended armband recipient of our Rate My Team (RMT) algorithm.
The Egyptian is about to break the all-time FPL points record and we’re only in early March. Some may be nervous about possible rotation in between Paris Saint-Germain clashes but, alternatively, the fearless may consider him for the Triple Captain this week.
TEAM REVEALS
SCOUT PICKS + DIFFERENTIALS
Our weekly selection – which is essentially a Free Hit in all but name – triples up on Chelsea and Crystal Palace.
Having rewarded Lateriser’s aggressive transfer policy with an immediate 12-point haul, Christopher Nkunku (£5.7m) makes our trio of differential picks.
PREDICTED LINE-UPS
We’ve predicted the starting XIs of all 20 Premier League teams.
Make sure to check out our new team previews, too.
Whatever you decide to do, good luck with FPL Gameweek 28!
