Eight-time top 10k finisher Zophar hosts his weekly Q&A, giving his opinion on Arsenal’s defensive assets, the best sub-£6.0m midfielders and using a Gameweek 20 Wildcard.
You can read his Gameweek 20 team reveal and transfers here.
Q: I would like your input on squad structure, i.e. moving away from a 3-5-2 to perhaps 4-4-2 or 4-5-1.
(via IAWC (It’s a Wonderful Cruyff))
A: I moved to a 4-4-2 structure on my Gameweek 9 Wildcard and have not looked back since. Having three forwards has never really been a consideration as we are struggling to even find a consistent second forward alongside Erling Haaland (£15.1m), let alone two more.
The addition of defensive contribution (DefCon) points this season, along with teams focusing more on set-pieces and dead-balls, has just enhanced the appeal of defensive assets. They offer excellent value at their price and allow you get more high-quality picks in midfield and not have to search for bargain bins in the £6.0m-and-below bracket.
However, the injuries to Daniel Munoz (£5.8m), Michael Keane (£4.8m), and Nico O’Reilly’s (£5.3m) early withdrawal, mean the pool of explosive defensive assets is drying up a bit. To make the 4-4-2 work, your defenders need to be capable of a 15-pointer. Apart from Arsenal, I’m struggling to identify those at the moment.
Q: Is it worth swapping David Raya to Gabriel Magalhaes for a hit or is Jurrien Timber to Gabriel Magalhaes the sensible choice? I would prefer Gabriel over Timber long term but prefer Timber over Raya.
(via @FplFaiz)
A: This is a question that many FPL managers who are already tripled up on Arsenal are asking this week – which of the three makes way for Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.4m)?
I still think Jurrien Timber (£6.4m) is one of the best defensive assets in the game, so like I mentioned in the last article, I would only get Gabriel alongside Timber, not instead of.
So now the question is, assuming Bukayo Saka (£10.3m) is a given, how do you get Gabriel when you already have David Raya (£6.0m) and/or Declan Rice (£7.2m)?
Personally, I have never been a fan of the Raya pick. Yes, Arsenal have the most clean sheets in the league and are the best defence. But the fact is that all of their back four have significantly higher ceiling and point-scoring potential than the Spanish shotstopper. DefCon, goals and assists are all on the menu with Arsenal’s proficiency at set-pieces.
So, I would have no hesitation in taking the hit to move Raya to Gabriel. It is a move that might backfire in the short term but I think long-term, you will make up the points. Gabriel is the second-best FPL asset in the game, and irrespective of the fixture, is capable of a 15-17 pointer.
With Rice, it’s a bit trickier with so few midfielders delivering consistently. However, I think the injury gives you an opportunity to move the England international on. The points are in Arsenal’s defence more than their attack right now.
Q: Best sub-£6.0m midfielder picks as a Yankuba Minteh replacement?
(via @FPLTransferTips)
A: There isn’t honestly much in that price bracket that you would be comfortable playing every week. Somebody at Bournemouth could become a better option after Antoine Semenyo’s (£7.7m) exit – maybe Marcus Tavernier (£5.6m) – but it’s a shot in the dark.
Harry Wilson (£5.8m) is still good value. Any player that’s taking all free-kicks and corners from both sides of the pitch, and is under £6.0m, is decent value.
Lucas Paqueta (£5.9m) has a great run of fixtures coming up but is such a frustrating player to own at times. Given West Ham United’s upcoming run, he would probably be my pick.
James Garner’s (£5.0m) goal and assist against Forest puts him on the radar as well but that’s mostly if you need the money. I don’t trust Everton’s attack while two of their first-choice attackers, Kieran Dewsbury-Hall (£5.0m) and Iliman Ndiaye (£6.2m), are out.
Q: What would you recommend doing with Michael Keane? I went to Gabriel Magalhaes early.
(via @aurom1986)
A: When asked about the nature of Keane’s injury, David Moyes refused to provide any specific details or a return-to-play timeline. This is quite frustrating and an alarming trend we are seeing with many Premier League managers this season, perhaps following in Mikel Arteta’s footsteps.
Given the super-short turnaround, unless it was illness or Keane was very close to making the squad, I don’t think he will be back for the Brentford game.
At the time of writing, there isn’t any further update from Moyes, but if he does rule Keane out for the next two games, there is a case to move him on.
Q: Declan Rice or Joachim Andersen out, or roll a transfer?
(via @siddas_10)
A: Not much is known about Rice’s return timescale at the time of writing but it is safe to assume that he will not be risked for the Bournemouth fixture, with the Liverpool game a more likely target after.
As mentioned in the earlier question, if you need to free up an Arsenal spot, moving on the England international does make sense. If that’s not a priority, I would look to hold on to him as I don’t think he will miss more than one game.
Q: Is it fine to play a Wildcard in Gameweek 20 if your team is not injury-swamped but you don’t like your picks? I only have one free transfer available.
(via @CassaNovella_)
A: We are in an unpredictable period of the season with so many games in quick succession. What we are seeing right now is a large quantity of football that is largely devoid of quality. I would strongly advocate holding the Wildcard for later in the season unless your team is really, really ravaged by injuries.
Q: Riccardo Calafiori to Gabriel Magalhaes for a hit?
(via @RikFPLfan)
A: With Riccardo Calafiori’s (£5.7m) constant injury issues, I see him missing more games in the near future even if he is fit after the Bournemouth game (he’s ruled out of that one). Unlike Timber, I don’t like Calafiori as a long-term pick, so I would take the hit to move the Italian international on for Gabriel.
