Gameweek 30 presents various transfer dilemmas for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers.
Based on fixtures, form, injuries and bans, these players are being transferred in/out the most.
| Player | Transfers in (round) | Player | Transfers out (round) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joao Pedro | 289,163 | Morgan Rogers | 209,884 |
| Marcos Senesi | 128,557 | Micky van de Ven | 168,317 |
| Antoine Semenyo | 117,319 | Robin Roefs | 161,596 |
| Bruno Fernandes | 116,225 | Erling Haaland | 122,463 |
| Elliot Anderson | 113,244 | Harry Wilson | 111,937 |
| Jurrien Timber | 94,475 | Bryan Mbeumo | 97,621 |
| Igor Thiago | 88,884 | Matty Cash | 88,225 |
| Caoimhin Kelleher | 83,622 | Declan Rice | 85,251 |
| Hugo Ekitike | 78,850 | Nordi Mukiele | 84,889 |
| Virgil van Dijk | 68,518 | Igor Thiago | 77,914 |
| Morgan Gibbs-White | 63,291 | Dominic Calvert-Lewin | 74,164 |
| Benjamin Sesko | 61,350 | Trevoh Chalobah | 73,691 |
| Dominik Szoboszlai | 61,062 | Hugo Ekitike | 70,267 |
| Cole Palmer | 60,383 | Enzo Fernandez | 64,569 |
But whether it’s a good idea remains open to debate.
Here, we share our thoughts on who to buy, keep and sell in Gameweek 30.
ELLIOT ANDERSON
It’s just one blank in 10 matches for Elliot Anderson (£5.5) since the turn of the year.
In that time, the central midfielder has produced 55 points, thanks to one goal, one assist, 18 defensive contribution (DefCon) points and six bonus.
Given that he’s priced at only £5.5m, it represents real efficiency.
DefCons are, of course, where Anderson really excels. He’s racked up 407 in total this season, with a success rate of 72.4%, which is at least 51 more than any other FPL midfielder.
It’s also important to mention that Anderson has attempted 15 shots in his last four matches, mostly from open play.
Above: Elliot Anderson’s shot map (shots on target in green) in Gameweeks 26-29
For context, Anderson recorded only 20 goal attempts in Gameweeks 1-25, so he does appear to have been given greater freedom to shoot from outside the box under Vitor Pereira.
Corners/free-kicks provide further routes to points for the England international.
Nottingham Forest play Fulham in Gameweek 30, who are yet to keep a clean sheet this calendar year. Further favourable fixtures follow (Tottenham Hotspur, Burnley, Sunderland), with their Gameweek 34 encounter confirmed as ‘on’.
It’s no surprise, then, that Anderson is the fifth-most transferred-in player ahead of Gameweek 30.
VERDICT: BUY
MORGAN ROGERS
We discussed Morgan Rogers (£7.5m) in our Gameweek 28 column, ahead of Aston Villa’s trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
In that piece, we said Rogers was probably worth retaining for that clash, with a decision required thereafter.
With other fires to put out, many Fantasy managers still own the Aston Villa man (26.2% ownership), but how has he fared since our previous assessment, and is he now a priority sell?
Firstly, it was hoped Villa’s matchup with Wolves would present an opportunity to recapture their form. That didn’t materialise, however, with Rogers, who started in a No 10 role, frequently crowded out by the home side’s three centre-backs and two holding midfielders.
Nevertheless, he really ought to have banked an assist when Ollie Watkins (£8.5m) – another out-of-form asset – fluffed his sumptuous early through ball.
In the match against Chelsea last week, it was more of the same: there wasn’t much goal threat in the box, but Rogers did deliver the pass for Watkins’ goal, which was eventually ruled out due to a marginal offside decision.
Despite those near misses, Villa are clearly in a very difficult moment, with the loss of Boubacar Kamara (£4.9m), Youri Tielemans (£5.9m) and John McGinn (£5.3m) having a major impact on Rogers.
McGinn is expected to return to the matchday squad this week, with hopes that Tielemans will follow after the international break. This could allow Rogers to move to a slightly wider position, where he typically has more space and can cut inside onto his stronger right root.
Until then, given Rogers’ lack of output (plus Watkins’ poor form), he is a candidate to sell, at least until Villa find some fluency in attack.
For those who have other issues to address, Villa will at least host West Ham United in Blank Gameweek 31, one of the better fixtures to target that week.
VERDICT: SELL
JOAO PEDRO
Having found the net in the FA Cup on Saturday, Joao Pedro (£7.7m) has now plundered 11 goals in his last 12 games in all competitions.
The Brazilian consequently leads the way for transfers in ahead of Gameweek 30, with over 289,000 new owners.
Mostly spearheading the Chelsea attack, Pedro’s role has evolved under Liam Rosenior, with significant focus on bringing out his poacher-like instincts in the box, which is captured below.
Above: Joao Pedro’s shot map under Liam Rosenior
Growing in confidence, his underlying goal threat stats have improved across the board.
| Mins per goal | Mins per shot | Mins per shot in box | Mins per pen box touch | Mins per xG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before Rosenior | 255.0 | 49.4 | 58.8 | 20.1 | 235.4 |
| After Rosenior | 76.3 | 23.5 | 24.4 | 13.6 | 90.9 |
With Chelsea’s tricky away fixture at Arsenal now out of the way, the outlook – although still not perfect given the swift turnaround times – has started to improve.
Newcastle United and Everton, for example, are both in the bottom half for expected goals conceded (xGC) in 2026.
There is a potential Double Gameweek 33 on the horizon, too.
So, given the lack of other appealing forwards in FPL right now, it is clear that Pedro could be a very decent purchase.
VERDICT: BUY
ERLING HAALAND
Erling Haaland (£14.6m) is on the chopping block for many Fantasy managers, having missed the trip to Leeds United in Gameweek 28 and subsequently blanked at home to Nottingham Forest.
Absent entirely from Saturday’s 3-1 FA Cup win at St James’ Park, there are no injury concerns, but his minutes are clearly being carefully managed by Pep Guardiola.
“I was not planning to play [him]. I would prefer to make good training sessions than be on the bench, travel or play just 10-15 minutes.” – Pep Guardiola on why Erling Haaland missed out on Saturday
The good news is that Haaland has now been given a full rest ahead of this schedule:
- Wed 11 Mar: Real Madrid (a) – UEFA Champions League
- Sat 14 Mar: West Ham United (a) – Gameweek 30
- Tue 17 Mar: Real Madrid (h) – UEFA Champions League
- Sun 22 Mar: Arsenal (n) – Carabao Cup
Haaland therefore presents a tricky call for Fantasy managers this week.
With City hoping to chase down Arsenal in the Premier League title race, there is plenty of motivation for Pep Guardiola’s troops.
Haaland has a great record against West Ham United, too, with 11 goals, one assist and only one blank in seven matches, giving him a great opportunity to bounce back.
The ideal scenario is perhaps to keep Haaland in Gameweek 30, then, before reassessing the situation ahead of Blank Gameweek 31, particularly with a potential ‘double’ to come.
However, for those Fantasy managers on a Gameweek 32 Wildcard strategy, the verdict is much less clear-cut.
For example, if you can transfer in Mohamed Salah (£14.0m) and/or Hugo Ekitike (£9.1m) at home to Tottenham Hotspur using the Haaland funds, as well as helping you put out a full XI in Blank Gameweek 31, the sale merits consideration.
VERDICT: KEEP, BUT CHIP STRATEGY DEPENDENT
