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 18 October.
INTERNATIONAL FALLOUT
Scout’s beloved tracker of international game time is ready to digest, with a few events worth noting.
Enzo Fernandez (£6.7m) was released by Argentina due to inflammation in his right knee. Reports say the plan was always for him to sit out their Puerto Rico friendly but his absence from training later in the week is causing Fantasy headaches.
Ollie Watkins (£8.7m) should be ok, but Gameweek 8 Bench Boost users may be concerned about Omar Alderete (£4.1m) and Lyle Foster‘s (£5.0m) knocks. Chris Wood (£7.3m) as well.
- READ MORE: Thursday’s press conferences – Injury updates and team news
- READ MORE: Friday’s press conferences – Injury updates and team news
Meanwhile, in-form Erling Haaland (£14.6m) was granted an early exit and is fine. A new Members Area statistic shows that he’s (shock, horror) taking a huge share of Manchester City’s shots. Scarily, this hasn’t even been his best FPL start.
CHIP AWAY
Bench Boosting makes sense because cheap Burnley, Leeds United and Sunderland enablers all have an appealing match. The promoted trio are coping well in the top-flight.
Yet many FPL managers like to Wildcard during international fortnights. Our drafts jump onto nice-looking fixture runs, where West Ham United get a thumbs-up, making Jarrod Bowen (£7.8m) a unanimous Scout Squad choice and part of Zophar’s hypothetical long-term team.
He’s actually saving his Wildcard for later, but fellow ‘The Great and The Good’ boss Lateriser isn’t waiting any longer, taking on board his friend’s Q&A recommendation of Enzo. A quick glance at ‘Big Numbers’ confirms that he’s the best midfielder for expected goals (xG).
Other Chelsea picks include Trevoh Chalobah (£5.1m), now back from suspension, and Joao Pedro (£7.6m), someone worth keeping faith in.
- READ MORE: How I plan to ‘future-proof’ my Wildcard
Lateriser intends to have Gameweek 13’s fixture swing in mind too. Covering Newcastle United’s attack from that point seems wise, but should it be Nick Woltemade (£7.3m) or Anthony Gordon (£7.4m)?
Our revised set-piece table takes the German’s recent penalty into account, but Gordon wasn’t around. Yet, at Arsenal, Bukayo Saka (£9.9m) scored his spot kick as Viktor Gyokeres (£9.1m) watched.
A TIME TO REFLECT
Additionally, these two weeks allow managers to assess what’s happened so far and plan ahead.
Reasons have been suggested for Mohamed Salah‘s (£14.4m) underwhelming start, and why Liverpool’s backline is struggling. Plus, new arrival Florian Wirtz (£8.1m) is one of several high-profile letdowns, alongside Nottingham Forest assets and Watkins.
Those needing a forward could buy Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m). He’s due for a bit of success, according to ‘Goals Imminent’. In fact, Crystal Palace are the best team for accumulating defensive contribution (DefCon) actions.
This should continue at home to Bournemouth, as the Cherries’ opponents tend to collect lots of them.
BEST FPL GAMEWEEK 8 CAPTAIN
Despite being below his usual standards, Mohamed Salah is the favoured captain of our Rate My Team (RMT) algorithm because he loves facing Manchester United. 12 goals and six assists from the last nine encounters. We’ve even squeezed the Egyptian into our Free Hit line-up.
Whereas Captain Sensible prefers Erling Haaland for the armband. Both pick the other one in second place, as the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Jarrod Bowen and Jaidon Anthony (£5.7m) get some consideration.
TEAM REVEALS
SCOUT PICKS + DIFFERENTIALS
Our weekly selection – essentially a Free Hit in all but name – is laid out in a 3-4-3 formation.
The leading defender for assists, El Hadji Malick Diouf (£4.4m), is identified as one of three high-potential differentials.
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!
