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‘My Chelsea U-Turn’, Pep Pig revealed that his thinking has now switched from Higuaín to Hazard after the Belgian was withdrawn on 59 minutes in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Spurs.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. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 28 days ago

    As far as I'm aware Nuno has NOT said he is resting five players, a so called INK has said he is going to. No idea how credible the guy is.

    1. THFC4LIFE
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 28 days ago

      Who said this mate?

    2. MTPockets
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Has been very credible in the past

        1. Wild Rover
          • 13 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          Maybe, but posting that Nuno has said it is misleading

          1. MTPockets
              5 years, 28 days ago

              Looks like he was mostly responding to another's (amended) predicted team
              https://www.molineuxmix.co.uk/index.php?members/jonzy54.3722/

        2. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
          • 13 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          which 5 itk said?

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

            "Wolves itk saying one of the changes is doherty benched. Not sure about jimenez or jota..."

            https://www.reddit.com/r/FantasyPL/comments/awgmp9/wolves_changes/

            1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
              • 13 Years
              5 years, 28 days ago

              interesting, i am reading the forums and it didn't say doherty benched? not sure where this guy has got that from

            2. Mysterion
              • 6 Years
              5 years, 28 days ago

              Did you just post that on reddit yourself 😀

        3. Greenbackbøøg…
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          He's a reliable itk

        4. Alan The Llama
          • 14 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          What's an INK?

          1. Wild Rover
            • 13 Years
            5 years, 28 days ago

            Good spot 😀

          2. La Roja
            • 12 Years
            5 years, 28 days ago

            Ings never knackered

        5. Maddamotha
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          Which 5 homey tell me rite now

      • Team Cruel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Etheridge
        TAA - Doherty - Pereira
        Salah - Sterling (C) - Pogba - Son - Barnes
        Vardy - Rashford

        Hamer - Schar - Bednarek - Kamara

        1FT, 1m ITB.

        Save or get a BGW goalie?

      • Tmel
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Play

        a) Almiron (whu)
        b) Felipe Anderson (NEW)

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

          At least A looks like getting attacking returns

      • THFC4LIFE
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        How she looking lads?

        Fabianksi
        Robbo Doherty Schär
        Sterling(c) Salah Son Pogba F.Anderson
        Vardy Jimenez

        Hamer Rondón AWB Digne

        Cheers all

      • DROP IT LIKE IT'S HART
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Very tempted to do Salah to Haz and captain Haz.

        1. rdpx
          • 12 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          If it works you will be hailed as a god

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

          Very hard to get rid of Salah though isn't it - but he hasn't been great as of late

      • Mini Mahouse
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Bench 1:

        A) TAA (Everton A)
        B) Doherty (Cardiff H)
        C) Duffy (Hud H)

      • Ronnies
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Please pick 1 to play:

        A) Wan Bissaka - away to Burnley

        B) Ashley Westwood - home to Palace

        Thanks guys and good luck with the GW.

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

          B - Burnley at home and inform - AWB only just back off injury

      • J0E
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        B Club stream link

        David and I are joined by FPL General this week

        https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKxYKQ8pgJ7V8wwh4hLsSXQ/live

        Starts 11:15am

        1. Karan14
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          Anyone of you planning to bench Doherty?

          1. J0E
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 14 Years
            5 years, 28 days ago

            Not me- I've a fairly decent bench.

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

              Worried about a cameo?

              1. THFC4LIFE
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 7 Years
                5 years, 28 days ago

                So Doherty won’t start?

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

                  Never said that, but there's a risk based on somewhat logical thought that he might not.

                  If he doesn't, a cameo is a real problem. I'm playing him though.

      • MattSmitty
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        For those building a team for GW 31 and FH 32:

        A. Son > Haz
        B. Son > Sterling

        1. Roy Rovers
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          Answered your own question. A

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

            Cheers

      • Plagued by indecision
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        A) Aguero > Higuain
        B) B Silva > Pedro
        C) save transfer

        1. SHOOTER MCGINN
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          C

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

          C

        3. Roy Rovers
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          If I had Aguero A

      • No Pirlo No Party
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Thoughts on this?

        Aubameyang + Son + Bednarek > Vardy + Sterling + Luiz (-4)

        1. rdpx
          • 12 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          If it works is genius

      • GUSFRING
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Salah + Rondon

        OR

        Mane + Higuain

        (Already have Hazard)

      • zuio
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        play one A) AWB (i have Barnes)
        B) Kola

      • SHOOTER MCGINN
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Breakfast club today? Is there somewhere that says the times of all streams?

        1. Karan14
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          See above.

          1. SHOOTER MCGINN
            • 8 Years
            5 years, 28 days ago

            Just seen. Good timing. Is this the only way to find out?

      • Lionac
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Any chance Jimenez gets benched today?

        1. CONNERS
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          Doubt it. More likely the mids will get rotated I'd have thought.

      • Oh Maddison
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Who would you Captain?
        A. Haz
        B. Salah
        C. Sterling
        D. Pogba
        E. Rashford

        1. zuio
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          C

        2. rdpx
          • 12 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          A

        3. Smudger’s Dirty Dozen
          • 12 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          C from them

        4. Roy Rovers
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          C

      • Smudger’s Dirty Dozen
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        No Sterling and concerned by potential rest for Kun so...

        Captain
        A Salah
        B Pogba ?

        First to 5....GO

        1. DandyDon
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          A

        2. Plagued by indecision
          • 13 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          B

        3. Balls of Steel
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          B

        4. Maddamotha
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          Im currently on B

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

          A

        6. Roy Rovers
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          B

        7. Thiga
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          B

      • dbeck
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Good luck all. Took a hit to prepare for gw31, was always planning to take one in the build up to 31. Auba, JWP and Tomkins our- Luiz, Hazard and Rondon in

        Fab
        Luiz Robbo Doherty TAA
        Sterling(c) pogba hazard salah
        Barnes Jimenez

        Button Rondon Lascelles Punch

      • Riggs
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Hi guys, need help in this:
        1. Who to play:
        AWB, Pereira or Jonny (need to pick up one)
        2. Who to bench:
        Jota, Felipe Anderson, Rondon (2 to play and need to pick up one for the bench)

      • boroie
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Last decision... captain choice...

        A - Salah (eve)
        B - Aguero (bou)
        C - Pogba (SOU)
        D - Jiménez (CAR)

        1. Balls of Steel
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          Pogba

        2. Roy Rovers
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          C

        3. CONNERS
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          If no Sterling, definitely Pogba imo.

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

          Pogba.

      • The Yorkshire Pirlo
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Any suggestions? 1 FT, 0.7 ITB

        Alisson
        Robbo, Pereira, Doherty
        Salah, Hazard, Pogba, Anderson, Almiron
        Aguero, Jimenez

        Hamer, AWB, Bednarek, Kamara

      • Tree House
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Start one:

        A) pereira (wat)
        B) Richarlison (LIV)

        Thanks!

      • Top Lad Dakes.
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Pogba or Raz? Raz or Pogba?

      • P-h-o-e-n-i-x
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Bench Maddison (Watford away) or Arnie (Newcastle home)?

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

          Maddison

      • Make Arrows Green Again
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Start Son or -4 for Haz?

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

          Son has southampton next week arsenal conceeding mmmmm

        2. rdpx
          • 12 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          Son

        3. Make Arrows Green Again
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          Thanks both 🙂

      • Balls of Steel
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        How do we see the early kick-off between Spurs v Arsenal going guys?

        1. Ozzy smith
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          2-1 spurs

        2. lugs
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          1-2 Arsenal

      • DR0GBA
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Play one?

        A) Barnes (CRY)
        B) Jonny (CAR)
        C) Hayden (whu)

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

          A

      • Benditlike
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Anyone challenging Harvey Barnes for a starting position?

        1. KINGVIZO
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          hmmmmm...... DIFFICULT QUESTION!

      • Ozzy smith
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 28 days ago

        Have the exact funds for Rich > Sterling, would anyone consider the switch for a hit? 1 attacking return in his last 9 for Rich.

        1. CONNERS
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          I'd do it, but I'm partial to a hit, ha.

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

        Who will you play over Doherty

        A) king
        B) awb

        1. KINGVIZO
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 28 days ago

          wont doherty play?

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

            If he doesn't start, he'll give 1 point. And that'll be annoying

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

              How much did he score in 90 min vs Huddersfield last week?