Five-time top 1k finisher Tom Freeman hosts our weekly Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Q&A, answering your burning questions.
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Q: Who is the best captain except Erling Haaland (£15.8m) in Gameweek 10?
Q: Are Arsenal’s defensive players captaincy candidates in Gameweek 10?
(via @Andalasiy01 and @ryxo6h)
A: I think Manchester City will probably beat Nottingham Forest this weekend, but I’d still back Oliver Glasner to set up a reasonably solid defence.
The Tricky Trees rank second for fewest expected goals conceded (xGC), with 9.25, so I understand why people are looking at other options, even if they have kept only one clean sheet in nine matches.
I will most likely captain Haaland, but if you do want to look elsewhere, I think it’s very close between an Arsenal defender and Alexander Isak (£9.2m).
Gabriel Magalhaes (£8.0m) and Riccardo Calafiori (£5.9m) are the two main options to consider from the Gunners.
With Hull City ranked 19th for expected goals (xG), Mikel Arteta’s men unsurprisingly top the clean sheet odds pile this week…
But defensive contribution (DefCon) points are less likely against Hull, with opposition centre-backs banking DefCon against the Tigers just six times in 2026/27 so far.
They’ve been pretty decent defending set plays, too, Gabriel’s main attacking weapon.
Above: Teams sorted by fewest set play expected goals (xG) conceded in 2026/27, via Opta Analyst
Calafiori has more attacking upside from open play, which I like for this matchup. Rested in midweek, you’d think he starts in Gameweek 10.
As for Isak, he came off the bench to score against Fenerbahce on Wednesday, and I think he’s a solid captaincy alternative.
Liverpool are projected to score the second-most goals in Gameweek 10, only behind Arsenal, with opponents Crystal Palace the leakiest defence in the division.
So, to rank the picks mentioned, I would say Haaland, Isak and Calafiori, with Gabriel just behind.
Q: At what point does Ezri Konsa (£4.8m) become too much of a minute’s risk, and who are the standout options to replace him?
(via Obi 1 Kenobi 0)
A: With William Saliba (£5.9m) back on the bench in midweek, plus a potential injury, Konsa could soon become a problem for his owners.
This week, I think he will either start or be left out completely.
So, based on the information currently available, I will keep and include him in my first XI, simply because the fixture is so good from a clean sheet perspective, but make sure I have a decent first sub in place.
Beyond that, we’ll need to monitor Saliba’s fitness/match sharpness, and see exactly where the Frenchman is at with that after the international break. If there are any minutes concerns for Konsa, which I think there probably will be, he’s a straightforward sell.
From Gameweek 11, Luka Vuskovic (£5.2m), Jan Paul van Hecke (£5.0m) and Antonio Silva (£5.1m) are my favourite replacements, in that order, with their respective fixtures included below.
Q: Is Alexander Isak really worth £9.2m?
(via Mr Turnip 1)
A: I started the season with Isak, and have always been bullish about his prospects under Andoni Iraola.
Given his price point, he won’t suit every squad structure.
However, I do think he is a viable option up top, with Liverpool ranked second on the ticker right the way through to the turn of the year.
With 3.02 shots and 0.6 xG per 90 minutes, Isak regularly finds himself in good goalscoring positions, and takes most of his attempts from central areas inside the penalty box, a real positive.
He is by no means ‘essential’, but with most of the other premium options underwhelming, I think Isak is a good pick, particularly if Iraola continues to rest him in Europe.
Q: Cody Gakpo (£7.1m) or Bradley Barcola (£8.1m)?
(via Abdelmonem Mohamed)
A: With no clear path to Isak in my squad – I already own Haaland, Nicolas Jackson (£7.0m) and Thierno Barry (£5.6m) up top – I’ve recently been taking a closer look at Liverpool’s midfielders.
Barcola, I like a lot; my only concern is that, as a long-term pick, he doesn’t have enough routes to points. The same is true of Gakpo.
While their open play threat has clear potential, neither of them takes penalties or free-kicks.
They probably won’t often bank DefCon, either, and could be subbed off earlier in busier schedules, particularly with both Rio Ngumoha (£5.7m) and Victor Munoz (£6.5m) available.
Barcola is my preferred pick, just because I think he has improved a lot recently, so if you do want to punt on a Liverpool midfielder, he would be my choice.
Q: Is Josko Gvardiol (£5.7m) a sell, given that he seems to be getting decent league minutes again?
(via FPL Emu)
A: Gvardiol has started both of Manchester City’s last two Premier League matches, and was an unused substitute in Europe in midweek, so you’d think he is likely to feature at the City Ground on Saturday.
Across the last two Gameweeks, he’s produced four shots, all from inside the box, and four chances created, so the upside is clearly there when he is on the pitch.
I subsequently think he is fine to play against Forest.
But after that, with Nico O’Reilly (£6.2m) back to fitness, I’d be looking for more secure defensive picks, such as the £5.0m DefCon centre-backs listed above.
It’s not like City are keeping many clean sheets anyway, so Gameweek 12 looks like a clear point to sell.
