Cole Palmer (£11.0m) is the second-most selected player in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) at present.
However, six blanks in his last seven matches, plus a trip to Arsenal next, have led to a bit of a mass sale.
Already sold by over 174,000 managers this week, Palmer is the only player in the top 10 transfers out column who isn’t blanking or suspended in Gameweek 29.
In this article, we ask a handful of our regular contributors whether they will keep or sell Palmer.
We also look at the results of our on-site poll and round up what’s been said on site over the last few days.
KEEP OR SELL PALMER: CONTRIBUTOR OPINION
Zophar, Eight-time top 10k finisher
“Palmer’s last goal was all the way back in Gameweek 21. FPL managers have rightly kept hold of him given Chelsea’s last two fixtures against Southampton and Leicester, but it is now time to make a decision.
“A lot depends on your Wildcard horizon. If you are looking to Wildcard in Gameweek 30 or 31, it does make sense to invest the funds from Palmer into Haaland, who is a great captain pick for the next two.
“However, as we have seen last weekend, Arsenal are not the watertight defence they used to be so I think Chelsea could still score at the Emirates and then they host Tottenham in Gameweek 30.
“If you are set on buying and captaining Haaland for the next two Gameweeks, I think selling Palmer makes sense. I don’t think there is any other asset I would sell him for, however, and personally I plan to hold him as I will likely be captaining Chris Wood in Gameweek 29 and Mohamed Salah in Gameweek 30.”
Pras, Live Hall of Fame number 12
“I think Palmer in or out is very team dependent. Yes, it’s easier to take him out instead of Salah to fund Haaland in. However, it also means one less player or playing a weaker option in Gameweek 29, since Palmer has a fixture whilst Salah doesn’t.
“There is, of course, consideration around team value if selling Salah but I think it’s something people fixate on too much now that we are close to the final stretch. There are not many viable expensive players in the game (i.e. Salah or Haaland, not many midfielders between £8-12m that definitely make the Wildcard).
“I do think Palmer’s fixtures after the Blank Gameweek are also really good, regardless of Wildcard window. Spurs (h) will have goals followed by Brentford (a) and Ipswich (h).
“I just don’t see a reason to sell personally. But I am in a position where I can hold him and Salah and still get to Haaland. For others with lower team value or a different structure, I would encourage thinking about Salah v Palmer (and its implications on the 11th player) and then do you have to have Haaland or not.”
Hibbo, Captain Sensible author and four-time top 10k finisher
“Cole Palmer is on the chopping block for many, with the ignominy of his missed penalty against Leicester City being the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“Goalless in his last seven Premier League matches – with a single assist over that period – the output for Chelsea’s talisman is at an all-time low. But despite the downturn, I’m considering keeping the former Man City starlet.
“The season has reached the slalom of ‘blanks and doubles’, narrowing the viable pool of options, including those in our squads – although I’ve got 11 starters and three free transfers ahead of Gameweek 29.
“With Wildcard 31 in my sights, I’m considering transferring out the record-breaking Mohamed Salah as part of a double move that funds Watkins to Haaland – who I like for captaincy the next two Gameweeks.
“Selling Salah is fraught with risk, of course, but as a fixture play (blank, EVE) vs Palmer’s (ars, TOT), I’m very tempted to take the pre-Wildcard temporary plunge.”
Lateriser, Two-time Indian FPL champion
“Palmer has three playable fixtures in the next three Gameweeks against Arsenal (a), Tottenham (h) and Brentford (a).
“The important thing here is that the only tight match is the game against Arsenal in Gameweek 29, but after that, not only are the fixtures against two defensively obliging teams but important attackers like Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke are expected to be back. That should lead to an uptick in form for Palmer.
“I think form is temporary and class is permanent. Even though Palmer hasn’t delivered the points in a while, he still looks dangerous. I would therefore hesitate to sell as a wounded tiger is one of the most dangerous and potentially potent FPL assets.”
Tom Freeman, Five-time top 1k finisher and Deputy Editor of Fantasy Football Scout
“I plan to keep Palmer for the next three Gameweeks, at which point I’ll probably Wildcard.
“A lack of confidence is clearly impacting his finishing, but his shot count on a per 90 minutes basis has actually increased from 3.64 to 4.17 in Gameweeks 22-28, so it isn’t for want of trying. He’s had three or four really good opportunities to score during that run, too.
“There are other reasons to hold Palmer. The Tottenham and Brentford fixtures that follow Sunday’s trip to Arsenal are very good from an attacking perspective, with Nicolas Jackson, who Palmer has formed a strong on-field relationship with, expected to be available.
“Palmer should also be called up to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad later this week, so perhaps a short-term change of scenery and a couple of goals against Albania and Latvia can be the catalyst for improvement in FPL.”
FPL Milanista, Career Hall of Fame number 16
“The Cole Palmer dilemma is real this time. The English international has had four price drops over the last few weeks and is currently the most transferred out midfielder this round. With just a single assist in his last seven matches, the urge to sell and reinvest the hefty price tag elsewhere is quite strong.
“Yet, the other side of the mind would still look at the fact that Palmer is the second-top scorer in this year’s game and is still producing healthy xGI data to warrant some returns in the upcoming weeks.
“It’s undeniable that Palmer is currently out of form and low in confidence. The missed one-on-one’s v Southampton as well as the penalty against Leicester are perfect examples how he has been mentally affected by his current state. Add to that he is playing a very strong Arsenal defence away from home in Gameweek 29, which would encourage managers to sell, especially those who are eyeing up a certain Norwegian striker for the upcoming run.
“In my case, I will be Free-Hitting in Gameweek 29 and that will give me more time to think about this matter. However, Palmer’s fixtures during Gameweeks 30-34 look very nice on paper. Chelsea is one of the teams that is not expected to blank until the end of season, and again underlying data is still looking good to keep faith. So, for me, there is no set plan to lose Chelsea’s top asset for now.”
KEEP OR SELL PALMER: POLL RESULTS
WHAT YOU’VE BEEN SAYING
“People selling Palmer for a hit what is going on? If he scored the pen today completely different story. ars, TOT, bre, IPS. Happy to keep him as a differential.” – Slot it in
“I think Palmer gets two points v Arsenal. I think Bruno gets 10+ v Leicester, maybe 15. I can also easily sell Bruno afterwards for someone like Eze or Gordon who have a double, which solves another issue of not having a midfielder space for a doubler.” – have you seen cyan
“Thinking about hitting Palmer to Bruno. 17 points against Leicester last time out.” – Rupert The Horse
“Selling. Was set on selling him two weeks ago but told myself he’s got SOU/LEI to change my mind. Problem is it’s not just him rather the whole team.” – FantasyClub
“Think I’ll hold Neto and sell Palmer. Chelsea have decent fixtures after Arsenal and he is still getting decent chances.” – FPL Blow-In
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5 days, 18 hours agoDefinitely not selling the week he has a fixture during a BGW. Definitely going out on WC31 though.