Gameweek Guide

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice for Triple Gameweek 35

Gameweek 35 of the 2020/21 season will be etched in our memories forevermore – the Fantasy Gods have thrust a mythical Triple Gameweek upon us.

The Premier League’s most successful side, Manchester United, will be playing three times. But the burning question is, with the Red Devils cramming their three fixtures into five days:

Do you let this Treble – which probably will be a Double for most of the players – completely destroy your plans and blinker you to the potential of the Double Gameweek players?

– Mark, FPL BlackBox

Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Leicester City, Liverpool and Southampton all play twice. 

We have a Friday deadline of 18:30 BST to finalise our teams.

The Fixture Ticker

Here’s how the schedule currently looks

Notice that four teams blank in Gameweek 36, including Man United, while five teams play twice in this round of fixtures and also have a match next Gameweek: Liverpool, Southampton, Everton, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa – could these be the sides to target for those without a Free Hit chip or Wildcard?

Recovery times between matches is likely to have a big say in team selection, and arguably performance too. In the past, Pro Pundit Zophar has noted the impact on injuries:

Recent research has shown that muscle injury risk increases by almost 20% when recovery time is reduced from six to three days. It concluded that fixture congestion and insufficient recovery time between matches are two of the major risk factors associated with injuries and suggested that players should have at least 96 hours between matches in order to recover fully. Beyond the 96-hour period, there were no significant gains observed.

– Zophar

With a day’s rest between each of their three fixtures, caution is advised with Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s troops.

Although, as Neale observed, is the silver-lining of playing three matches in a week that there’s a greater chance of two or more starts for most of United’s key players, even allowing for a benching along the way?

Andy certainly thinks so:

It’s unlikely any of them play three times, the only thing I would say is you kind of guarantee two games for most of the main players whereas … Jota for example or or even Mané potentially – and I know not everyone’s really got him in their team right now but some people might be thinking about it – I don’t think anyone will guarantee two games for them whereas Bruno, Luke Shaw they’ll definitely play twice.

The other question to consider is how good are the fixtures for the 13-time Premier League champions?

And given their current position in the table, when they arguably only need three more points to secure Champions League football, how can we expect them to approach their fixture triplet? 

They have, on the whole, been cautious when facing the ‘big six’ teams and Leicester City. Since the 6-1 defeat at Old Trafford to Tottenham Hotspur in early October, they’ve failed to score in six of their nine matches against this elite opposition (Man United’s score first):

  • 0-0 Gameweek 6 v Chelsea (H)
  • 0-1 Gameweek 7 v Arsenal (H)
  • 0-0 Gameweek 12 v Man City (H)
  • 2-2 Gameweek 15 v Leicester (A)
  • 0-0 Gameweek 19 v Liverpool (A)
  • 0-0 Gameweek 21 v Arsenal (A)
  • 0-0 Gameweek 26 v Chelsea (A)
  • 2-0 Gameweek 27 v Man City (A)
  • 3-1 Gameweek 31 v Spurs (A)

Fantasy Football Scout founder Mark declared yesterday on FPL BlackBox:

I’m quite happy having no Bruno.

– Mark, FPL BlackBox

He outlined his reasons across a couple of videos:

Do you United need to risk it? They don’t need to beat Leicester and Liverpool do they? And they probably think they can get something out of Villa with a weakened team … Both Leicester and Liverpool need to get results, so they’re going to be tough games, I think … Even if physically some of the [Man United] players won’t have played three games in five days mentally, as a team, they’ve got to prepare for three games in five days. That’s going to take its toll.

In recent weeks we’d analysed a slump for Bruno Fernandes (£11.5m), and even questioned if he was a viable premium for our FPL squads.

But his underlying stats have improved, as Jan highlighted in his Captain Sensible article:

The Portuguese international has dominated underlying statistics among midfielders in recent weeks. No midfielder has registered a higher figure for expected Goal Involvement (xGI) over the last six matches.

Tom Freeman picked up on the stat, explaining that his expected goal involvement (xGI) delta stands at -1.73 over the last six Gameweeks – no midfielder has underachieved more in front of goal during that time.

For Jan, there’s only one captain option:

Even in the scenario where Fernandes only starts in two of those three games, he is comfortably the most likely player from Manchester United to provide big returns in Triple Gameweek 34 according to his underlying statistics.

– Jan

And, despite having some reservations, Zophar feels that the first Triple Gameweek since 2005/06 is an opportunity that should not be passed up:

In five years’ time, I don’t want to be saying that I had only two players when Manchester United had a Triple Gameweek, irrespective of the outcome.

– Zophar

Harry Maguire (£5.5m) is widely considered to be the most-nailed of all United players, having failed to miss a single minute of Premier League football since moving to United at the start of 2019/20. 

However, that run is likely to come to an end:

But there have been encouraging quotes from Bruno Fernandes, even if he’s unlikely to play all three, his words give hope to his backers:

Advantage Liverpool and Leicester

Given the rotation we expect for Man United, could the real winners be Liverpool and Leicester?

Unlike many of the teams around them in the Premier League table, Liverpool have neither FA Cup, Europa League or Champions League involvement as a sideshow distraction. The sole focus is on securing a top-four finish in the Premier League, which would likely reduce the risk of rotation from now until Gameweek 38.

– Neale

The risk with Liverpool’s attacking quartet is that, following a very open game against Newcastle, Klopp may be unwilling to start all four again. So we could see Diogo Jota (£7.0m), Mohamed Salah (£12.7m), Roberto Firmimo (£9.0m) and Sadio Mané (£11.7m) eat into each other’s game-time during the run-in.

Perhaps Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.6m) could be a safer option, David even mooted him as an option for the armband on the Captaincy Video:

The assist potential of Alexander-Arnold was very high, so in the last six matches he’s created 16 chances … but also the quality of it as well, so he’s created four big chances.

Finally, Everton were tipped by Lateriser in his latest column piece:

I looked into the numbers and 46% of the big chances that they have created this season have fallen to him. Despite their perceived lack of form, only five teams have created more big chances than Everton in the last six matches (2.33 per game). It is also worth noting that Everton’s next four opponents conceded 2.45 big chances per game on average in their last six matches, which bodes well for Calvert-Lewin. He could have easily had a brace against Aston Villa in Gameweek 34, as well.

Community Competitions and Head-to-Head Fixtures

Elsewhere, Neale previewed finals of both the FFS Open Cup and FFS Members Cup, and RedLightning brought us his regular update on the community competitions.

The Head-to-Head fixtures for Gameweek 35 can be found below. 

The scores and tables update every night on the Head-to-Head Leagues main page so you can keep track of the action as the Gameweek unfolds. 

May your arrows be green!

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

1,069 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Eastman
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Play 2 from
    A. JWP
    B. Zaha
    c. Watkins

    1. Abaddon
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      I have all 3. going watkins and zaha

      1. Eastman
        • 6 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        Thanks. My initial thoughts too.

    2. ilikewud
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      C is the only one I trust. At a push Zaha because of fixtures.

  2. EmreCan Hustle
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Boring question.

    Play Lloris or Sanchez?

    Thanks.

    1. FPL_Motty
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      It really is! Haha.

      Sanchez

    2. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Lloris

  3. Arteta
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Still deciding whether this move is worth a hit? When I look at it this way, it looks reasonable.

    Holding: WBA che + 4
    Robertson: SOU mun wba

    Would keep Andy for remainder of the season as well.

    1. A. PRISE
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      I'd go for Robertson

    2. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Get rid of any Arsenal player

    3. ilikewud
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      I think it is - Arsenal have nothing left to play for and after such a disappointed EL game I don't think they are coming back with any fire.

  4. Drexl Spivey
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Bench Wood or Lingard?

    1. djman102
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Tough one. I'd probably bench Lingard.

  5. Tango74
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Don’t captain and vice captain in same team. Incase cancelled ?

    1. ilikewud
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      This isn't as important this week because in order for your VC to take over your captain (assuming you choose a DGW player) would have to miss both.

  6. Jones Kusi
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    What do I do here? Want as many TGW and DGW players and possible but not too many BGW players.
    2 FT 0.1 ITB
    No chips left.

    Forster Mendy
    Rudiger Philips Fofana Coady Holding
    Lingard Jota Salah Son Bruno
    Nacho Kane Davis

  7. Bubbles1985
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Son and Davis to Greenwood and Antonio for free??

    1. FPL_Motty
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Not Antonio, Watkins or dcl. But yes

      1. Bubbles1985
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        I want watkins in but 0.1m short..!

    2. Harry Ball Bag™⚽⚽…
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Ues

    3. ilikewud
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Antonio till the rest of the season looks great. If you can't afford a DGW player I think it's sensible especially for free.

  8. Alisson WondHaaland
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Best set of moves?

    A) Kane + Saka to DCL + Rashford (11 GW 35 doublers, 9 GW 36 players)
    B) Saka + Rudiger to Greenwood + Diop (10 GW 35 doublers, 10 GW 36 players)

    1. djman102
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      I think B. Kane could outscore many DGWers and better set for 36.

  9. Boss Hogg
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Rashford should get 2 starts right?
    Villa and Liverpool?
    Maybe also a sub appearance v Leicester??

    1. Harry Ball Bag™⚽⚽…
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      I’d say
      So

  10. Harry Ball Bag™⚽⚽…
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Mao!

  11. Prison Mike
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Play who:

    A) Rudiger

    B) Holding

    1. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      A

    2. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      B

    3. Kevin Twine
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      A

    4. Jebiga
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      both

      1. Prison Mike
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        Shaw and TAA other defenders

  12. cescpistols111
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Team and bench order correct?

    Leno
    Shaw Kabak Rudiger
    Bruno (c) Son Jota Ward-Prowse
    Kane Vardy DCL (v)

    Forster Lingard Burke N.Williams

    1. djman102
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      gtg

  13. Bambi
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Play 1:

    Reguilon
    Dallas
    Dunk

    1. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      D

    2. Thomas Magnum
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Slam dunk

  14. HARLEY
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Thought?

    Martinez
    TAA Shaw Keane
    Salah Bruno(c) Greenwood Zaha
    Kane Watkins Nacho
    (Forster El Ghazi Holding Mitchell)

    2FT 0ITB

    1. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      7/10 g2g

  15. Bobby_Baggio
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Some help with my WC team please? No chips left.

    Martinez
    Digne - Phillips - Shaw
    Bruno - Salah - JWP - Siggy
    Kane - DCL - Nacho

    (Forster) - Jota - Coufal - Alioski

    1. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      6.5/10 looks g2g

      1. Bobby_Baggio
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        Ooo only 6.5. How to improve?

        1. DRIZ ✅
          • 12 Years
          2 years, 10 months ago

          I was just about to say what FPL motty just said below

      2. ilikewud
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        On a WC why would you settle for 6.5 looking good? He can make unlimited changes surely you'd make a suggestion to up that rating no?

    2. FPL_Motty
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Crazy to bench jota. Play him ahead of jwp, and get rid of jwp since you're not BBing, pointless having a other dgw. Also not keen on siggy, can't do greenwood?

      Otherwise looks decent

      1. Bobby_Baggio
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        Can do greenwood just means GW36 I have a few non players

        1. FPL_Motty
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 3 Years
          2 years, 10 months ago

          I count 9 players for next week without jwp and siggy. Meaning with just a -4 next week you can get 11. I think it'd worth attacking this week with players like greenwood over jwp/siggy, he could score really big, I dont see big scores for either of those.

          1. Bobby_Baggio
            • 12 Years
            2 years, 10 months ago

            Cheers. Can do Greenwood and have 5.5 left for 5th mid.

            1. FPL_Motty
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 3 Years
              2 years, 10 months ago

              Perfect, get raph, set up nicely for final 3 gws

  16. Hart-ake
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Which one to play:

    a) Rudiger
    b) Mitchell

    1. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      A

  17. fr3d
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    I prefer Salah(C) tbh, Bruno won't have a triple and LEI+LIV aren't favorable fixtures

    1. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      GL

  18. Whats the Mata?
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Start Son or Rudiger?

    1. Thomas Magnum
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Son

    2. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Rudi

    3. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Son

    4. Il Capitano
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Son

  19. Thomas Magnum
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Anyone going Richarlison > DCL?

    1. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Haha now is not the time for jokes

      1. Thomas Magnum
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        DCL trolled me bad last DGW...

  20. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Is Azpi to Castagne or Rudiger to Philips/ Ward worth -4?

    1. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Only for free

    2. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      No

  21. Minen_12
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Rudiger to Coleman? Ft

    1. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      I would

    2. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      No.

  22. cescpistols111
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Bench Son or Lingard?

    1. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Son

  23. Jdpz
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Coady to Digne worth a hit?

    1. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Only for free

    2. ilikewud
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Could be - the double is nice and SHU after. I would. Coady and Wolves looks lack luster in their last 2. Could be on the beach already.

    3. JoeSoap
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      I would say yes plus has a much better fixture next week

  24. Kevin Twine
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Start Lingard or Holding?

    1. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      B

  25. Il Capitano
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Last place in the XI goes to:

    A) Targett (double with Martinez)
    B) Mitchell (probably only gets one game)
    C) ESR (also likely to only get one game)

    1. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      C

      1. Thomas Magnum
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        This

    2. Il Capitano
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Interesting... Cheers

  26. JoeSoap
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Rudiger/Gund/Wood>Digne/JWP/DCL (-8) Y/N on BB

    Players in caps blank GW36.

    MENDY
    taa, SHAW, HOLDING
    Lingard, FERNANDES, Gundog, Son
    Wood, NACHO, Kane
    Forster Jota, Coady, RUDIGER

    1. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      N

    2. Arteta
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Go for it!

  27. Guru Mediation
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Who scores more my fellow FPL addicts:
    A) Jota + DCL
    B) Zaha + Rudiger

    1. djman102
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      A

  28. Jdpz
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Best Everton defender? Digne? Coleman??

    1. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Pickford

  29. Eastman
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Allison best choice keeper on a WC?

    1. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      No

    2. ilikewud
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Depends. In my case, I might want to risk it next week and bring in Mane or Robbo as my 3rd Pool player. Allison would take up a more valuable spot but if you're happy with him as one of three then he will start and good fixtures for CS.

      1. Eastman
        • 6 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        Oops. It'd be on a free hit. Sorry not WC?

  30. Superflymonk
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Is coleman nailed on?

    1. DRIZ ✅
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      50/50 atm

      1. Superflymonk
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        Thank you!