Fantasy Football Scout community writer Greyhead analyses the Gameweek 25 transfers and strategies of some well-known Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers.
‘The Great and The Good’ this season are the FPL Godfather Mark Sutherns, the BlackBox pair of Az and Andy North, Scouts FPL General, Joe and Tom, the FPL Wire trio of Pras, Lateriser and Zophar, FPL celebrities FPL Harry, Martin Baker, Pingreen, FPL Frasier and Luke Williams, Hall of Famers Ben Crellin, Fabio Borges and Tom Dollimore, and last year’s mini-league winner Huss E.
“Cold Snap”
Gameweek 25 dropped right in that awkward moment where half of the FPL community is already mentally living in Double Gameweek 26, while the other half is pretending to “focus on the present”.
The big talking point was Arsenal, because of course it was. Do you triple-up on their defence and fully embrace the dark arts, or do you play it safe and just bring in Declan Rice (£7.5m), the human equivalent of a steady four-pointer and a warm cup of tea?
Meanwhile, Bukayo Saka’s (£9.9m) injury briefly united the FPL world in joy – not concern – as managers celebrated a rare opportunity to sell him without guilt, sentiment, or a farewell tweet. Although I suspect there may be a sting in that tail.
Captaincy, for once, looked refreshingly open. Right up until it wasn’t. After hours of debate, polls, podcasts, and ‘final thoughts’ threads, everyone calmly, independently, and very creatively landed on Bruno Fernandes (£9.8m). A bold differential move, enjoyed by absolutely no one exclusively.
And did anyone feel a chill in the air? Or was that just Cole Palmer‘s (£10.5m) owners? Expect a salute or two for FPL General.
OVERALL PERFORMANCE
It was a good week to own Palmer, as Lateriser and FPL General benefitted from his 20-point haul to see them both score 90+, boosting their rank by 725,000 and 686,000, respectively.
It was a powerful midfield performance from Lateriser, who opted for the obligatory Fernandes captaincy but also had goals from Morgan Rogers (£7.6m) and Bryan Mbeumo (£8.6m). Plus, he owns Chris Richards (£4.4m), who continues to quietly deliver defensive returns.
“Erling, Erling who?” is FPL General’s motto, achieving his massive green arrow without the need for the robotic City striker. His Gameweek 24 Wildcard paid off a week later, as picks of Daniel Munoz (£5.8m) and Emiliano Martinez (£5.0m) fared well. The latter didn’t even need a clean sheet, as bonuses and saves took him to six points.
TRANSFERS
‘The Great and the Good’ treated Gameweek 25 like a mass evacuation drill, with over two-thirds ruthlessly booting out Saka. All loyalty has officially been cancelled.
Rice became the sensible, oat-milk replacement of choice, soaking up ownership like a dependable sponge, while Mbeumo lurked just behind.
And we even got an exciting goalkeeper transfer, as FPL Harry went full thrill-seeker by buying David Raya (£5.9m).
‘THE GREAT AND THE GOOD’ TEMPLATE
This template has become a masterclass in coordinated thinking, with Gabriel and Fernandes universally owned. Not having them feels like you’re missing a compulsory meeting.
Saka quietly slipped out of the template, his seat neatly filled by Mbeumo.
Dubravka (94.4%), Raya (50.0%)
Gabriel (100.0%), Timber (55.6%), Andersen (44.4%), O’Reilly (33.3%), Mukiele (27.8%)
Fernandes (100.0%), Rice (72.2%), Enzo (72.2%), Mbeumo (44.4%), Rogers (44.4%)
Haaland (88.9%), Thiago (61.1%), Ekitike (55.6%)
SEASON STATS
A check through the season-long stats shows that Joe Lepper and FPL Harry are still the ones to follow for captaincy. Their 352 points are 64 more than FPL General and his non-Erling Haaland (£14.9m) commitment. Had he matched that 352, he’d be over 1.1 million places higher than now.
Moneyball-wise, Mark Sutherns continues to have the V for value, boasting a war chest of £105.9m. As for transfers, Martin Baker is proving to be the most aggressive, making 31 of them via four hits, although Harry and Pras have been equally aggressive at confirming four-point deductions.
CONCLUSION
There’s no time to waste before Tuesday’s deadline, with most of the focus on Arsenal. That near guarantees a bit of Mikel Arteta mind games, allowing a single Gameweek player to outscore them all.
Anyway, that’s all from me for now, and remember: don’t have FPL nightmares.
For those affected by any of the topics raised above, you can find me here on Twitter or BlueSky.
