Bournemouth’s Dango Ouattara (£5.2m) dropped to the bench in Gameweek 28, with the fit-again Evanilson (£5.6m) preferred up front.
You’d still expect minutes of some variety in Gameweek 29, but for those Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers looking to move him on, here are the best candidates to replace him.
In this piece, we’ll focus on players roughly in Ouattara’s price bracket, i.e. £6.5m and below.
It goes without saying, of course, that an upgrade to Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m) would probably be the most desirable option if the funds can be sourced.
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JUSTIN KLUIVERT
Justin Kluivert (£6.2m) took his time to find his feet at Bournemouth but has been in superb form this season.
His assist against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday was his 18th attacking return in 23 starts and a handful of sub appearances.
It continued a trend for Kluivert, with 77% of his attacking returns this season coming away from home. That said, there is little wrong with the underlying stats.
Above: Justin Kluivert’s shot map in home (left) and away (right) matches
Only five of Kluivert’s 12 goals have come from open play, with six from the penalty spot, but set plays are a key part of his appeal.
The Dutchman has taken 19 of Bournemouth’s 33 corners in the last six Gameweeks, which supplements his open play assist potential. Indeed, he’s created 15 chances in that same period, the fourth-most of any FPL midfielder. He’s topped that off with 13 shots of his own.
Passing the eye test at present, it’s easy to see why Kluivert is attracting so much attention, with his all-round potential for goals and assists arguably giving him the edge over teammate Antoine Semenyo (£5.6m), even if the latter remains the best bet for 90 minutes.
As for Bournemouth, the upcoming fixtures appeal, with each of the next three matches against sides sitting 13th or below in the expected goals conceded (xGC) table.
The Cherries schedule in/around Gameweek 30 is a slight concern, however, so we might see a small reduction in minutes for Kluivert.
- Sunday 30 March (16:30): Manchester City (h), FA Cup quarter-finals
- Wednesday 2 April (19:45): Ipswich Town (h), Gameweek 30
- Saturday 5 April (15:00): West Ham United (a), Gameweek 31
MORGAN GIBBS-WHITE / ANTHONY ELANGA
A couple of Nottingham Forest midfielders are also in the mix.
Delivering four goals and nine assists across his last 14 appearances, Morgan Gibbs-White (£6.5m) is in superlative form.
He has had 14 shots in the last six Gameweeks, the most of any Forest player, and has also supplied nine key passes for his teammates.
Anthony Elanga (£5.4m), however, is level for shots and key passes combined over the same period but carries a superior expected goals (xG) contribution. He’s also on corners and free-kicks, another string to his bow.
Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5.2m) deserves a mention on current form, too. The winger has scored two goals in his last three matches despite having the lowest shot volume and big chance involvement.
For FPL managers trying to navigate Gameweek 29 without a Free Hit, Forest have a plum-looking away fixture against relegation-threatened Ipswich Town.
Then it’s Manchester United and Aston Villa, who both sit in the bottom five for xGC since the turn of the year.
KAORU MITOMA
Karou Mitoma (£6.5m) has stepped up his Fantasy output in recent times.
The Japan winger has scored four goals and provided one assist in his last eight matches, claiming double-digit hauls on three occasions.
In addition, only two midfielders under £7.0m have a better non-penalty expected goals (NPxG) tally than Mitoma since the turn of the year.
Brighton and Hove Albion have a tricky test to come against Manchester City, but Fabian Hurzeler’s side can counter effectively, so quick transitions could potentially hurt the champions on Saturday.
Above: Teams sorted by counter-attack shots conceded in 2025
Albion also have some good home fixtures on the horizon, with Aston Villa and Leicester City both set to visit the Amex Stadium in the next four Gameweeks. They’ve combined for just two away clean sheets all season.
If you are looking to free up further funds, Yankuba Minteh (£5.0m) also carries appeal. He isn’t 100% nailed but has started six of Brighton’s last seven games, producing three goals and two assists.
CANDIDATES WITH CAVEATS
Savinho (£6.2m) is a minute’s risk but has now started five matches in a row for Manchester City, a period which has seen him provide two assists.
He’s had 13 shots and created eight chances for his teammates in that time, both of which are team-leading totals.
Leicester City await in Gameweek 30, but Savinho’s appeal largely depends on your risk appetite, with the likes of Phil Foden (£9.2m), Jeremy Doku (£6.2m), Jack Grealish (£6.4m) and Omar Marmoush (£7.2m) lurking.
The same caveats apply to Alejandro Garnacho (£5.9m). He’s delivered just one assist in his last 13 appearances for Manchester United but produced one of his best performances of the season in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal, drawing the foul that allowed Fernandes to step and score a superb free-kick.
He’s recently been starting as the right-sided No 10, a position which could get the best out of him. It’s difficult to fully recommend someone with fixtures against Nottingham Forest, Man City and Newcastle United after Gameweek 29, however.
“We have some good players for the transition like Garnacho. I think with Garnacho, and we’re always talking about Garnacho, he defended really well and attacked really well. I think it was the best game of Garnacho since I’ve been here. He’s improving and we understood the plan quite well.” – Ruben Amorim speaking after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal
Gabriel Martinelli (£6.5m) made his comeback from a hamstring injury in Gameweek 28, coming off the bench for the last half hour at Old Trafford. Presented with two big chances, he made an instant impact, but there is an obvious minute’s risk, at least in the short-term, having only recently returned from injury.
That said, a lack of attacking options available to Mikel Arteta could force his hand. Arsenal travel to Chelsea in Gameweek 29 but follow it up with clashes against Fulham, Everton and Brentford.
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