Fantasy Football Scout community writer Greyhead presents his series of The Great and the Good articles, analysing the transfers and strategies of some well-known Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers.
The Great and The Good this season are the BlackBox pair of Mark Sutherns and Az, Scouts Joe Lepper and Tom Freeman, Scoutcaster Andy North, Pro Pundits FPL General, Pras, Zophar, FPL Harry and Lateriser, FPL “celebrities” Ben Crellin, Luke Williams and FPL Fran, Hall of Famers Fabio Borges, Jan Kepski, Markku Olaja and Seb Wassell, plus last year’s mini-league winner Geraint Owen.
“A pessimist is never disappointed.”
This was the week where ranks would soar, benches would be boosted and captains would be tripled. Yet, in the end, the results proved disappointing for many.
Overall, there were 1.7 million FPL chips played in Double Gameweek 33, which probably gives you an indication of the number of engaged managers you’re up against.
The Great and The Good weren’t immune to chip fever, as 14 of them were lured in. We also had the bizarre case of an accidental Free Hit from Mark Sutherns – clearly missing Az’s sage wisdom to prevent such mishaps.
As always, we should have spent more time on the single Gameweek players. Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m) being a particular difference maker.
Before going any further, let’s admire the work of FPL Doodles, who has once again really captured the essence of The Great and The Good below.
OVERALL PERFORMANCE
Jan Kepski continues his late-season renaissance. 94 was the week’s highest score here, despite the failure of Triple Captain Omar Marmoush (£7.7m).
Instead, his success was down to a couple of nifty transfers on Mbeumo and Marcus Rashford (£6.7m), alongside his double-double on the Manchester City and Arsenal backlines.
Including Jan, four managers played their Triple Captain chip with less than sparkling results, as Marmoush, Marmoush forgot to fandango. These included Ben Crellin, proving that he is actually human after all.
Meanwhile, the best Free Hit score came from the accidental Mark, hitting the button after taking his train to FPL Towers. Although not amazing, his results were satisfactory, bettering the average by 27 points and getting a green arrow.
There were mixed fortunes amongst the Bench Boost Band, with Zophar the pick of the bunch, gaining 22 points from the sidelines. But poor old Tom Freeman could only muster five of them. It’s worth mentioning that FPL Harry is the only manager still waiting to play this chip.
TRANSFERS
The headline act for transfers was Lateriser, who went full metal jacket by spending 12 points on five moves. They gained 20 points, though he probably believed it would come from Kevin De Bruyne (£9.4m) and Bukayo Saka (£10.5m), rather than Jakub Kiwior (£4.8m).
Elsewhere, FPL General and Zophar were stirred into uncharacteristic hits but both of them paid off, as Kiwior was again the hero for Zophar and the General delivered knee slides to celebrate Mbeumo.
THE GREAT AND THE GOOD TEMPLATE
Double Gameweek 33 meant a few changes happened to the template. Saka and Morgan Rogers (£5.7m) came into the XI, as golden boy Kiwior entered via the bench. Unchanged is the front three.
THE NEXT GENERATION
Now, a look at who is in the race to join next season’s elite. You may recall that we have two leagues that feed into the major collection. One is open to all and the other is an invitational, based on previous history and prominence.
‘The Next Great and The Good’ has very high standards, with Huss E (not sure that’s the real name) leading the charge from inside the worldwide top 200. Although this manager’s Bench Boost was disappointing, mustering only nine points.
Just behind are James Martin and Rauqeeb Imtiaz. James still has his Bench Boost and Free Hit available, seemingly having an advantage, but Rauqeeb finished in last season’s top 10k.
Things already look over in ‘The Ville Ronka Invitational’ because Tom Dollimore – ranked second in Scout’s Live Hall of Fame – leads by 54 points. In his last five seasons, there have been a couple of top 500 finishes and four inside the top 5k.
These bridesmaids are Martin Baker and Frasier Crane. The former is having a decidedly above-average season and this week took tips off Teddy Sheringham, while the latter is Bruno’s number one fan.
CONCLUSION
After the anticlimax of Double Gameweek 33, we now move into Free Hit season. Please note that other chip strategies are available, with many showing a sudden interest in Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham.
- READ MORE: How ready are FPL managers for Blank Gameweek 34?
- READ MORE: FPL Q&A Free Hit special – Best Newcastle picks, Trent + more
Anyway, that’s all from me for now and remember: don’t have FPL nightmares.
Those affected by any of the topics raised in the above article can find me here on Twitter or BlueSky.
