Tips

The Complete Guide to our FPL Gameweek 29 tips and advice

Ten Gameweeks to go. In a week in which we asked “why are so many top managers struggling?” Gameweek 29 could present a season-defining opportunity to make up lost ground.

FPL’s most expensive player, Mohamed Salah (£13.5m), has polled only 7.92% of the captain vote. Opinion is split on who to transfer and who to captain, and this means there is an opportunity to climb the ranks if you get your differential picks and your captain choice right.

A principal reason opinion is split is due to Salah’s disappointing return at home to Watford in Gameweek 28. Last year, in the same fixture, he returned 29 points after scoring four goals in a 5-0 win for Liverpool. The same result for Liverpool this year delivered a measly 3-point return for Salah.

An ankle injury to Roberto Firmino meant a reshuffle up front that lead to Sadio Mané playing in the centre-forward role. Many are now tempted to switch from Salah to Mané after the Senegalese continued his impressive recent form with a brace. As the FPL General noted:

“Salah out, Mane in, could be a popular move this week. The cash saved can go a long way…”

However former Career Hall of Fame number 1 Peter Kouwenberg cautioned:

“personally, I wouldn’t advocate downgrading the Egyptian unless you too need some spare cash.”

In this week’s captaincy video, David echoed views voiced by Kenneth Tang, one of the most successful FPL managers of all-time and a guest on one of J0E’s Meet the Manager videos, that: “if Firmino [does] not play … I may down-value Salah … [and I’m] a lot less likely to captain him.”

The latest team-news is inconclusive for Salah owners, Klopp gave the following update :

“He was out there running yesterday but we will have to see how he reacts. He is very positive. It looks really good but if he will be ready for tomorrow, I don’t know.”

If you are minded to sell the Egyptian, where could you spend the extra cash?

Chelsea have a plum fixture away to local rivals Fulham, after reduced minutes in the recent League Cup final and two goals against another struggling side in the shape of Huddersfield – is this the time to invest in Gonzalo Higuaín?

In his community article entitled ‘My Chelsea U-Turn’, Pep Pig revealed that his thinking has now switched from Higuaín to Hazard after the Belgian was withdrawn on 59 minutes in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Spurs. His research showed that Hazard has scored three of his double digit hauls in away matches against easy opposition (Southampton, Brighton, Watford). Chelsea have matches in both Gameweeks 31 and 33 for those considering playing their Free Hit or Wildcard chips in Gameweek 32.

Although Manchester City don’t have a fixture in Gameweek 31 and, depending on their FA Cup result, may not have a fixture in Gameweek 33, they have enticing matches against Bournemouth and Watford before. Sergio Agüero scored the only goal against West Ham as he continued his fine scoring form. However Pep’s post match quotes give cause for concern:

“We cannot live, for example, with just Sergio. The last 10-15 minutes he was exhausted. We need Gabriel as quick as possible to come back.”

Then yesterday in his pre-match press conference Pep revealed that:

“Gabriel is back. John [Stones] is coming back too, like Gabriel.”

Raheem Sterling started the match against West Ham on the bench before coming on as a second half substitute, this rest helps him to secures a place in the Scout Picks this week. The midfielder has scored in every Premier League match he has ever played against Bournemouth.

Leading the captain poll this week is Manchester United’s Paul Pogba with 23.56%. He’s another to secure himself a place in the Scout Picks – no player has more shots in the last four home matches as Pogba, who has blanked just once at Old Trafford since Solskjær took over.

David’s Captain Sensible article examines the armband credentials of each candidate. It’s a crucial read in a week when opinion is divided amongst Fantasy Football Scout users, and veteran managers are all making different moves.

G-Whizz, in his regular DS stats, fixtures and clean sheet odds, adds weight to the captain poll and tips Manchester United to have a good weekend, closely followed by Manchester City. Wolves are favourites for a clean sheet this week.

However, the three team news items on Fantasy Football Scout: Neale’s round up, the video from him and J0E, and the summary from Rotation’s Alter Ego – all report that Wolves are set to switch their goalkeeper with John Ruddy replacing Rui Patrício between the sticks. Several managers, including Live Hall of Fame number two Mark Sutherns have replaced Patrício with West Ham ‘keeper Fabianski (according to FPL Transfer Spy).

To view all our discussions please visit our Hot Topics page, and if you’ve got some analysis, scout reports or features brewing, be sure to visit our community section to submit your article.

If you’re a member and are yet to get to grips with the custom statistics tables, you can view this movie for an explanation of how they work. Also, remember to tag them so that people can find the tables with ease.

COMMUNITY TOURNAMENTS

The draw for the first round of the FFS Cup has been made. Just under 1,200 managers applied for the 512 places available in the first round draw, with the Gameweek 28 qualifying score set at 56 (after hits). Good luck to those taking part.

In TorresMagic’s Last Man Standing competition the safety score in Gameweek 28 was 46, this saw 78 managers eliminated. 378 teams are through to Gameweek 29, when the threshold for elimination moves up to 18%, a minimum 69 managers will depart. The final will take place in Gameweek 37.

Adam Levy still leads both our main FFS League and our FFS Members League. Although he has dropped one place to third overall, he is now level on points with world number two Hassam CheLSawy and only one point behind Toni Haapanen, who has been number one in the world for 15 of the last 18 Gameweeks.

Mark has increased his lead over David to 51 points in the FFS Mods & Cons. Mark should continue his fine form with Sterling, Pogba, Hazard, Salah, and Rashford all in his team for Gameweek 29. Although he faces a tricky captaincy dilemma.

James Wells remains top in RedLightning’s Top 10k Any Season mini-league despite slipping from 40th to 48th overall. This is partly down to his team being unchanged from Gameweek 27, with the armband still on Felipe Anderson – who was away at Manchester City in Gameweek 28!

Mick Barker is the new leader in RedLightning’s January to May League after an 85 point Gameweek, 40 of those points coming from his triple Liverpool defence. He played his Second Wildcard in Gameweek 23, and eight green arrows in the last nine Gameweeks have seen him rise from 287k to 29k since Gameweek 19.

Finally, with ten Gameweeks of the season to go, RedLightningLast Ten’ mini-league will start scoring this week: 194 teams are already waiting for its first points update. The code to join is 1637-1351886.

If you are running a community tournament and would like the latest scores included in future Community Round-Ups, please email us a summary of the current leaders and a link to your league, spreadsheet or head-to-head competition at geoff@fantasyfootballscout.co.uk

TopMarx Fan of Fantasy Football and Monty Python. "Archimedes out to Socrates, Socrates back to Archimedes, Archimedes out to Heraclitus, he beats Hegel. Heraclitus a little flick, here he comes on the far post, Socrates is there, Socrates heads it in! Socrates has scored! The Greeks are going mad, the Greeks are going mad! Socrates scores, got a beautiful cross from Archimedes. The Germans are disputing it. Hegel is arguing that the reality is merely an a priori adjunct of non-naturalistic ethics, Kant via the categorical imperative is holding that ontologically it exists only in the imagination, and Marx is claiming it was offside. Follow them on Twitter

1,325 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Gaffa914
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Have all of the DGW’s been confirmed?

    1. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Nope

      1. Gaffa914
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Cheers

    2. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Not til after 31 do we get the first bunch

    3. fr3d
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Have all of the FA Cup quarter finals been played?

      1. Gaffa914
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Never knew that that was the clash pal

  2. Miguel Sanchez
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Bench order?

    A) Lascelles (whu)
    B) Niasse (wol)
    C) AWB (bur)

    Ta

    1. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      ACB or CAB

    2. Gaffa914
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      C a b

  3. evilfish
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Who to bench please:

    a) Anderson
    b) Rondon
    c) Barnes

    Thanks.

    1. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      A - been coasting for a while

      1. GS456
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Yeah I have these 3.

        Stats say Anderson to be benched but I can’t bring myself to do it.

        Barnes is on mine

    2. Devilish_cherry
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Same dilemma for me! Benching Anderson atm based on form, but it does make me nervous!

  4. Daxus
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Guita or Fab to start today?

    1. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Fab

    2. sully29
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Fab

  5. sully29
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Play Son (ARS) or Anderson (NEW)?

    1. GS456
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Sonny

    2. Cantonascollar7
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Son

  6. The Overthinker
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Raz or azza for armband??

    1. sully29
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Raz

    2. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Or Pogba?

  7. Lionel Ronaldo
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    If going for 8 players in BGW31, what are you looking forward to?

    ------(A)--------------------------(B)---------------------------(C)------------------(D)-------
    GK------------------------GK--------------------------GK--------------------------------------
    DEF-DEF---------------DEF-DEF-DEF----------DEF-DEF-DEF---------(Other)----
    MID-MID-MID-----------MID-MID-------------------MID-MID-MID--------------------------
    FOR-FOR--------------FOR-FOR----------------FOR-------------------------------------

    1. Lionel Ronaldo
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Poor formatting, apologies. It looked good on the editor.

    2. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Will take the requisite hits to get XI as appearance poibts should cancel the hits between 31/33

      1. Kiwivillan
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Exactly

      2. mookie
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        This

      3. Miguel Sanchez
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        But looking at a 3-4-3 and have 7 players so far

    3. fr3d
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Should be a green arrow this

    4. Optic1
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      D - Fielding 11 in a 442.

    5. Lionel Ronaldo
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Cheers all!

  8. Carcetti
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Chasing so who to captain?

    A) Higuain
    B) Pogba

    1. GS456
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      B

      1. Cantonascollar7
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Defo b

    2. sully29
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      B

    3. Kiwivillan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      If chasing you should C the player you think will score most points

  9. ANDERSON 2000
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    I have used my WC, Gtg? I suppose this team can last for GW29 & 30...

    Fabianski
    Doherty Robb Shaw Luiz
    Mane Haz Sterling Pogba
    Aguero Jim

    Boruc TAA Hayden Solanke

    0.2 ib any comment?
    Captain Pogba or Sterling?

    1. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Would be tempted by TAA over Shaw or Luiz given his form

    2. ANDERSON 2000
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Thanks, I will consider to swap in TAA

  10. Daniel Exeter
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    What will determine if City miss GW33?

    1. GS456
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Winning their cup game

    2. GertJan
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Winning their FA Cup tie against Swansea.

    3. Atimis
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Swansea game

    4. Lionel Ronaldo
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Whether or not they progress to the Semis, in which case City-Cardiff will be postponed.

  11. Lionac
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Who to Captain?

    A) Rashford
    B) Jimenez

    Who to bench?
    1) Aguero
    2) FAnderson

    1. ANDERSON 2000
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      B is better, coz Rash May bench first

    2. rjcv177
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      B
      None

  12. GS456
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Salah hasn’t not scored in 3 games in a row all season.

    My captain now

    1. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Umm strange reason but ok, good luck !

  13. JollyGoodYellows
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Going crazy debating this:

    Son + Laca > Sterling + Barnes/King (-4)

    1. Cantonascollar7
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Go for it

  14. Cantonascollar7
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Which to pick from two below please?

    A) Maddison
    B) Anderson

    And

    A) Kola
    B) Pereira

    1. Optic1
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      A+B.

      1. Cantonascollar7
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Cheers

  15. grumpyman
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Can see many having to dig deep into their benches today with rotation likely for many teams not just Liverpool and Wolves.

    1. MASTER ROSHI
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      AWB back will be helpful for many

  16. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Morning all! A few questions:

    Ederson
    Robertson / TAA / Doherty
    Salah / Son / Pogba / Maddison
    Aguero / Jimenez / Barnes

    Fabianski // Pereira / Camarasa / Digne

    1) Play Ederson
    2) Play Fabianski

    A) Keep Son
    B) Son > Hazard (-4)
    C) Son > Sterling (-4)

    If B/C, the best way to do this is to ship Ederson to a maximum 5.2m GK (A), or a 4.6m GK (B). Who are my best bets? Interested in Boruc alternatives.

    1. Buck The Trent
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      1
      B or C

    2. Starky22
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Just get Boruc and save the £. Fab fine until WC.

  17. MGD
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Aguero 95% to get benched after Pep comments and Jesus back..

    (I think)

    1. GS456
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      I agree

    2. rjcv177
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      As an owner...really hope so. Fresh for C at home against the mighty watford

    3. mookie
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Disagree, he's more likely to start than Jesus.

      1. MGD
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Yeah, really no way to know 🙂 we'll see

    4. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      If he couldn’t make the bench midweek ... bet you he’s not going to last 90

  18. Nightf0x
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    A) bench awb or yedlin?
    B) 1st in bench awb/yedlin or jwp?

  19. Francescoli
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Any Sterling triple captainers out there?

    1. Buck The Trent
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Risky

    2. borat
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Only Capt. Can't take that risk in a single gw

  20. Mukh Dunham
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    I'm having;
    GK: Etheridge
    DF: Robertson, Pereira, Trippier, Wan-Bissaka
    MF: Pogba, Salah, Mkitaryan, Townsend
    FW: Aguero, Jimenez

    Thinking of transferring in Sterling and Woods for Aguero and Townsend. Cool? My bench are Digne, Neves and Ings...

    Having reading this article, I'm having a doubt on whether Aguero's starting

    1. Mukh Dunham
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Oh and Pickford as backup GK

  21. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Mini Captain Poll:

    A. Sterling
    B. Pogba
    C. Aguero

    1. OptimusBlack
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      A

    2. Champ
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      A

    3. Pompel
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      A

    4. sully29
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      A

    5. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      A

    6. Cantonascollar7
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      B

    7. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      B but all of the above comments are making me question my commitment

      1. Make United Great Again
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Changed my mind too.

    8. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      That’s a resounding Sterling win.

      Thank you

    9. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      A

  22. Buck The Trent
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Cap ?

    A Sterling
    B Higuain
    C Salah

    1. sully29
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      A

    2. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      A

    3. Cantonascollar7
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      A

  23. borat
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Son to hazard for free. Yes or no guys

    1. Cantonascollar7
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      No

      1. borat
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        I am thinking arsenal will not concede that many goals after the return of sokratis.

    2. Saka Punch
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Yes

  24. jtreble
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    2K Jesus transfers in this GW. Bold.

  25. mookie
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    No captaincy hot topic when Salah isn't the favorite?

    1. Rotation's Alter Ego
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Odd. If anyone wants to write a good one quickly, I'd be open to HTing it 🙂

  26. The Red Devil
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Bench 2-
    AWB
    Kolasinac
    TAA
    Bennett
    Danilo
    Antonio

    1. Nightf0x
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Kola
      Danilo/antonio/awb

      1. The Red Devil
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        I'm thinking AWB first on the bench with Danilo starting

  27. Eric the King
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Should I bring in Robbo or Luiz this week? Already have TAA. Thinking about the blanks also

    1. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Robbo

  28. Marty McFly
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Play one...

    Pereira (wat)
    AWB (bur)
    Tarkowski (NEW)

    1. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Pereira

  29. OptimusBlack
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    To End Discussion
    A - Keep Kun
    B- Sterling C but -4 without Kun

  30. The Red Devil
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    Captain who
    Pogba
    Salah
    Mane
    Aguero
    Higuain

    1. Zladan
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      I have Hazard over Higuain of your options.

      I’m torn between Pogba and Hazard. Currently on Pogba.