If you’ve never played FPL Challenge before, it offers Fantasy managers something different to the standard game mode. And, even after the FPL deadline has passed, FPL Challenge remains open for entrants right up until kick-off. No worries about team-sheets here…
Each week brings a new twist, so identifying the right players for this challenge is key.
In this article, Louis (aka FPL Reactions) breaks down the best picks for this week’s Challenge format – and then reveals the team he’s entering to try and push up the leader board.
WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE THIS WEEK?
TOP PICKS
GOALKEEPERS
No side has scored less goals this season than Wolverhampton Wanderers, which makes the Brentford backline more appealing this week. The Bees have been one of the best performing home sides in the league so Caoimhín Kelleher is one of several standout options.
Arsenal have been exceptional this season, and continue to dominate many of the underlying defensive metrics. With that in mind, and taking into account their home meeting with Everton, David Raya becomes a fantastic option in the round ahead.
There are plenty of great options between the sticks for Challengers though, including Bournemouth’s Đorđe Petrović who faces Burnley and Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma against West Ham.
DEFENDERS
If we are going purely on volume of goal attempts this season, which is what the Challenge is about, Nottingham Forest full-back Neco Williams is the standout. No defender has produced more goal attempts than the Welshman and he has a home fixture against Fulham next up.
Another player who ranks highly for shots is Nico O’Reilly. The youngster ranks second overall for attempts on goal and has a fantastic opportunity to display his goal threat once more against a hit-and-miss West Ham side.
Whilst Gabriel Magalhaes doesn’t maintain a high volume of shots consistently, he can be a major goal threat. The Arsenal centre-back sits joint-second for goals among defenders, and we know how dangerous Arsenal can be from set-plays in general.
MIDFIELDERS
Whilst there are lots of great midfield options this week, Bruno Fernandes arguably offers more than all of them. The Manchester United maestro provides multiple routes to points, and takes penalties for his side, but even ranks among the top four in his position for total attempts on goal.
Burnley have been absolutely woeful from a defensive perspective this campaign, so backing a Bournemouth attacker in this one could be hugely rewarding. The best of the bunch may be penalty taker Marcus Tavernier, who has started back-to-back league matches after returning from injury.
Another player who ranks high for total attempts on goal is Antoine Semenyo. The Ghanaian has produced four attacking returns in as many matches recently, and the meeting with West Ham should give him a prime opportunity for him to add to that.
There is an abundance of fantastic alternatives to consider for Challengers, including Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr versus Leeds United, Nottingham Forest man Morgan Gibbs-White, Brentford duo Kevin Schade and Dango Ouattara, and premiums like Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka of Arsenal.
FORWARDS
No player comes close to Erling Haaland in terms of shot volume. The Norwegian has amassed a whopping 98 goal attempts this season, which makes him a perfect candidate for this Challenge. If starting, Haaland could be one of the best assets in Gameweek 30.
Another great pick is, of course, Igor Thiago, who has produced the second-most attempts on goal this campaign. Taking penalties and leading the Brentford attack, Thiago could really punish Wolves this week, even after recent improvements.
Bournemouth’s Evanilson, Joao Pedro of Chelsea, and Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike could also have huge potential.
TEAM REVEAL
- This is my team currently. I wasn’t sure who to place in goal, actually. This was mainly due to the one-player-per-team limit. For now, I have gone with Henderson, as I see their match being a low-scoring one.
- I have also gone for Gabriel; he feels like a shoo-in due to his goal threat. Neco Williams is also a good option.
- In midfield, I can’t go without Bruno Fernandes, to be honest. I also really like Marcus Tavernier, as Burnley are terrible.
- Up front, it’s pretty straightforward with Igor Thiago and Erling Haaland. I think both could do really well.
- If Haaland doesn’t start, most of my team could change potentially! So let’s hope for no carnage, although I wouldn’t mind it.
GAMEWEEK 29 REVIEW
- I ended the round on 79 points, which was a round rank of 29k. I’m not sure how, but I kept the same exact rank, which is a bit mad.
- My biggest annoyance was Ndiaye. He came off in the 90th minute, so didn’t get the additional points!
- Everyone else did ok but no massive standouts outside of Gabriel and Fernandes.
- Good luck this week!
