Eight-time top 10k finisher Zophar hosts his weekly Q&A, giving his opinion on the best ‘third’ Arsenal player for their double, a Gameweek 26 Bench Boost and more.
You can see his Gameweek 26 team reveal here.
Q: Is Bench Boost a good option for Double Gameweek 26 if you have Jose Sa and Matheus Mane on your bench?
(via Jigger & Pony)
A: I think the answer to this depends on whether you have your Wildcard in hand. Traditionally, I favour using the Bench Boost as close to the Wildcard as possible, as that’s when you are the least likely to have injuries to your squad and a full playing 15. So, if you have already used your Wildcard, then getting the Bench Boost out of the way now makes sense. It means, in future weeks, you don’t have to concentrate on the ‘peripheral’ players on your squad and can focus more on fixture/form swings.
If you still have your Wildcard, I like the idea of using the Wildcard in Gameweek 32 and the Bench Boost in Gameweek 33, which is likely to be the largest double of the season with multiple teams.
If you can get 10-12 points on your bench from DefCon points alone, you’re looking at about 20 points in total, which is great and quite doable this season with minimal spend.
Q: Did Declan Rice’s numbers decline over the past month or he’s just unlucky and points are coming?
(via Shark Team)
A: Declan Rice’s (£7.5m) creativity numbers are still excellent. Only Bruno Fernandes (£9.8m, 23) has created more chances than Rice (16) amongst midfielders over the last six Gameweeks but the Arsenal man has zero FPL assists to show for it. Only three of these have been classified as big chances created, though, so you can make an argument that the quality of these chances has perhaps gone down.
I still think the points are coming. It’s just variance that he’s not got any attacking returns over the aforementioned period.
Q: Triple captain Gabriel: yay or nay?
Q. Triple Captain now or save?
Q. When should we play our Triple Captain?
(via Amartey Partey, @CarefreeYouth and @CastleRockDG76)
A: The pros and cons of using the Triple Captaincy on Gabriel Magalhaes (£7.1m) vs other future opportunities has already been covered in a fantastic article on Scout, which you can access here.
Personally, I prefer going with the known rather than the unknowns. With the likelihood of a future double in Gameweek 36 still uncertain, and form/motivation at the time a complete unknown, I think I like the idea of using the Triple Captain on the fourth-highest-scoring FPL asset in the game, where his minutes and motivation are both extremely high.
Q: William Saliba or Jurrien Timber for the third Arsenal spot?
(via Gudjohnsen)
A: If money is not a concern, I would still back Jurrien Timber (£6.4m) over William Saliba (£6.1m). Only Dan Ballard (£4.6m) has been afforded more big chances than the Dutchman amongst defenders and he has been really unlucky not have notched more FPL attacking returns. The minutes look good as well, with the FA Cup game against Wigan sandwiched between the two fixtures in Gameweek 26. I would expect Ben White (£5.1m) to start against the Latics.
Q: What other Arsenal asset should I get in? I already have Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice.
(via Gloria Leicesterfan)
A: As mentioned earlier, I think Timber is the third best Arsenal pick after Gabriel and Rice, but it also depends on how many blankers you are carrying into Gameweek 31.
As it stands, Arsenal’s fixture against Wolves is already postponed, and there is a high likelihood that Manchester City and Crystal Palace will blank that week as well.
If you already have loads of players from these four teams then perhaps David Raya (£5.9m) could be a better solution for you, as it is easier to bench a goalkeeper than an outfield player in Blank Gameweek 31.
Alternatively, if you are feeling punty, then I think Viktor Gyokeres (£8.8m) could be worth a shout.
Q: Who are the top forwards to target if I’m dead-ending my team in Blank Gameweek 31 and Wildcarding in Gameweek 32?
(via Vurt)
A: I think Igor Thiago (£7.0m) has to be the top forward target if buying now, despite the immediate fixture against Arsenal. Brentford go top of the ticker from Gameweek 27 and play Burnley, Wolves and Leeds between Gameweeks 28-31. Ekitike also appeals with Liverpool’s fixture run from Gameweek 28 particularly enticing.
Q: What to do with Evanilson? Keep till a Wildcard in Gameweek 32 or sell to Hugo Ekitike when the fixtures get better?
(via @FFRivo_)
A: Evanilson (£7.0m) can be an extremely frustrating FPL pick. He is always on the end of at least one big chance a game but his finishing always lets him down.
He’s a perfectly fine hold till Gameweek 32; the minutes are secure and the fixtures are great.
However, if you can afford to get Hugo Ekitike (£8.9m) without any significant downgrades or compromises elsewhere, I think it is worth the move in Gameweek 28.
