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. tinear
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Kane Phillip to DCL TAA worth -8?

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

      Nope

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

    Is Rudiger to Lindelof no brainer ?

    1. Hulk Smash
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      I'm considering it.

    2. Balls of Steel
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      What's up with Rudiger?

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

        Dont want to transfer out Son. So rudiger to lindelof it is

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

    Mendy Forster
    TAA Reguilion Shaw Rudiger Holding
    Salah Son Maddison Greenwood Lingard
    Kane Iheanacho Vydra

    Good moves for a minus 4?

    Out: Son + Vydra + Rudiger

    In: Bruno + DCL + Phillips

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

      Bb?

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

        Unfortunately not

  4. Tinmen
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Folks, should I go Shaw or WanB?

    1. Kellz86
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Shaw

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

      I went Shaw but both are good picks

  5. Henning
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Gtg or anything worth a hit (on -4 )?

    Mendy
    TAA Azpi Holding
    Salah Fernandes Jota Lingard Greenwood
    Kane Iheanacho

    Forster. Wood Dallas Coady

  6. Kellz86
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    It’s Vardy Party this week

  7. The Frenchie
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Vardy or Rashford?

    1. Bad Kompany
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Vardy

    2. Kellz86
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      3 Utd players imo so Rashy

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

      Vardddy

  8. Bad Kompany
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Is alioski nailed? Need him for bgw 36

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

      No and he gets subbed off often.

      1. Bad Kompany
        • 6 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        Is cooper?

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

    Last dilemma - give 2 chances Smith Rowe or 1 Bale?

    1. OPTA FPL
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Rowe is rubbish

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

        Decent for a 20yo but his performances rarely transform into FPL points. Hope that it'll be different this time is always around.

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

      Bale

    3. Karan14
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Bale

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

      Thank you all!

  10. lugs
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    feck it Bruno(c) it is then, i was set on capping Nacho but this is my first ever TGW so i might as well cap him just for the novelty of it, as it could be a decade or more before one pops up again 🙂

    Martinez
    TAA, Digne, Rudiger
    Salah, Bruno(c), Son, ESR
    Kane, Watkins, Nacho

    Areola, Lingard, Reguilion, Veltman

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

    Zaha or maddison?? Please help

    1. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Siggy? Prefer Zaha of those

    2. chriscosta
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      i gone with zaha

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

    Do we think Nat Philips will start?

    1. Balls of Steel
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Yes

    2. Studs Up
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      yes

    3. chriscosta
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      yes

  13. Kabayan
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    3 Man U
    3 Pool
    3 Lei
    2 Villa
    Go big or go home.....
    Good luck everyone...!!

    1. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Lei to let you down 🙂

  14. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Bench Boosting. Hoping for good things. Can I get a G2G? 🙂 GL all!

    Mendy*
    Shaw**. TAA*. Rudiger*. Ward*
    Bruno(C)**. Greenwood**. Salah*. Jota*
    DCL*. Nacho*
    (Forster*, Holding*, Kane, ASM)

    * DGW
    ** TGW

    1. Karan14
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Looks good Rafa! 100+ hopefully

      1. RAFA THE GAFFA
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        Would be lovely Karan mate. GL matey 🙂

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

      Shweet.

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

    Captain choice doing my head in this week!!

  16. Hitthewall
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    A) Mendy + Vydra -> Pickford + DCL (-4)
    B) Vydra -> Watkins

    No playing GK in 36 as og now.

  17. Viper
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Rudiger -> Digne or save FT?

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

      Yup

    2. Ross Geller
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      I would do it. Digne is perfect (in theory) for 36. and 37.gw

  18. Klip Klopp
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    I just did Rudiger and Davis to Mitchell and Che Adams for a -4. Am I mad????

    1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Nuts

  19. Well you know, Triffic
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Is it mad to be on FH and only have Bruno from United?

    1. OPTA FPL
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      100%

    2. chriscosta
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      yes

  20. Abusive_Sgt_Daelrhos
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Repost

    Play one please:
    1)Holding
    2)Coady
    3)Bowen

    1. chriscosta
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      2

    2. Klip Klopp
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      1

  21. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    I have no Bruno...what could possibly go wrong!
    Might need more than a sofa...maybe an underground bunker

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

    0 FT 0 ITB

    Martinez
    Digne TAA Shaw Targett
    Bruno (C) Salah Jota Lingard ESR
    Nacho Kane

    Fabri - Targett Mitchell Bamford

    Struggling to stick with a player for the last slot, would you swap ESR out for any of the bench?

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

      Ignore the Targett in the XI ha

  23. Karan14
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Martinez Guaita
    TAA Digne Shaw Rudi Coufal
    Salah Bruno Greenwood Jota Lingard
    DCL Nacho Watkins

    -4 BB Active

    G2G?

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

      Ye

  24. J ⚒ Gimme ur Mané
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Captain one;

    A) Rashford
    B) greenwood
    C) Cavani

    1. JBG
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      B

  25. corderz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Leading my ML. Am I best getting Bruno in and captaining to be 'Safe'

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

    Crossing the line from genius to insanity: own Bruno, but (C) Shaw (who has outscored him both previous DGWs)!

    So get those armbands on Bruno: a pen and max bonus each start now confirmed!

  27. Luton_Fan
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Madds to zaha -4? Negated by the fact it will give me extra player for 36?

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

    Play
    a) Pickford
    b) MArtinez

  29. Heisenberg W. W.
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 10 months ago

    Bench one:

    1. Holding (DGW)
    2. Rudiger (DGW)
    3. Lingard (EVE)
    4. Vydra (Ful)
    5. Son (LEE)

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

      4 easy

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

      4

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

    Better option?
    A) AWB & DCL
    B) Maguire/Shaw & Richarlison

    1. Ross Geller
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      Maguire and DCL

    2. Bad Kompany
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 10 months ago

      A

      1. Bad Kompany
        • 6 Years
        2 years, 10 months ago

        DCL much better than rich. Not much difference in United defenders. Shaw most attacking but least likely to play