FPL Q&A: City double-ups, keep or sell Ronaldo and the best ‘third’ Liverpool player

Seven-time top 10k finisher Zophar, who is currently sitting inside the top 30,000 in the world, answers some questions from the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) community ahead of Gameweek 23.

Q: If Raphinha is not affordable, is it worth getting Jack Harrison for £5.5m, maybe for Demarai Gray or other sub-£6.0m players? (@sankrish01)

A: Raphinha looked back to his electric best against West Ham, creating seven chances – the most he has managed in a single game this season. Leeds looked more like their old selves from last season, as well, and have a decent run of fixtures over the next few Gameweeks. Harrison has had a poor campaign so far and looks finally to be kicking on but midfield spots are precious at the moment with so many good options. I think you should be making room to get Raphinha by all means possible but if you can’t, then Harrison is a decent shout. Gray’s role is a bit uncertain under Duncan Ferguson and you can’t really go for Gabriel Martinelli with two blanks around the corner.

Q: Thoughts on a Manchester City double in defence rather than attack? And if Bernardo Silva is worth holding or should I make a ‘sideways’ switch to Phil Foden/Kevin De Bruyne? (@AmanTalksFPL)

A: Man City are comfortably the league’s best defence and there is much less scope for rotation there compared to their forward positions. Joao Cancelo is a mainstay in most squads and I think pairing him with Aymeric Laporte could be a shrewd move. Yes, he could miss the odd game but he is very unlikely to get a substitute appearance and he has shown significant attacking threat over Ruben Dias.

Bernardo is a tricky one, as you can never guess when a City midfielder is going to haul, but his role in the team has changed significantly with Kevin De Bruyne back. He just isn’t getting into great positions anymore and with so many other better options available in midfield, for both City and otherwise, I would move him on. 

Q: Keep or sell Cristiano Ronaldo… (jaded non-Bruno owner)!? (@tanyasharma)

A: Like you, I too had to endure Double Gameweek 22 without Bruno Fernandes and honestly, I was never close to getting him. I couldn’t afford him without a hit and with Cristiano Ronaldo already in the side, there was nobody I really wanted to drop to fund it. These things happen; high variance outcomes are what makes FPL fun and you can be on either side of it.

Ronaldo does have good fixtures – West Ham, Burnley, Southampton, Leeds etc – and the side does appear to be clicking into gear. However, the UEFA Champions League does resume after this international break and I worry about Ronaldo’s minutes around then. It also depends if you need the money to fund getting Salah back. I would hold Ronaldo at least for the West Ham fixture and then assess after the international break. I much prefer Harry Kane to him, as he has more doubles to schedule, no European commitments and a higher surety of minutes. 

Q: With Brentford v Manchester United as context, is it worth leaving the captaincy on Cristiano Ronaldo and ignoring Manchester City double-ups in defence or midfield? (@KarnKasturi)

A: I certainly would not advise ignoring Manchester City. Their next three fixtures are against Southampton, Brentford and Norwich, and it would not surprise me to see them score 10+ goals combined over those games. Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne would be my two preferred options, as I worry a bit about Raheem Sterling’s game-time when Riyad Mahrez returns from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Gameweek 24. It is tricky, though, if you need a Ronaldo downgrade to fund buying them this week, which I guess would mean a hit. I like Ronaldo’s fixture and the Saints game is arguably City’s toughest fixture of the next three. I also really like the idea of saving a transfer before the upcoming international break. If you can make a Salah plan while moving Ronaldo on and getting a City midfielder, it is something I would consider. Personally, I have so many fires to put out in my team with Marcos Alonso, Reece James and Tino Livramento, so it is a luxury I can’t really afford.

Q: Who is the best third Liverpool option alongside Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold: Diogo Jota or Andrew Robertson? (@yala_leopard)

A: Salah is expected to return from the AFCON for Gameweek 24 and with Roberto Firmino now fit, we are back to the usual wheel of rotation for the front three Liverpool spots. Diogo Jota might have established himself as first choice but with the Champions League returning, there is going to be rotation in the front three for Liverpool. Robertson has also returned to form with five assists of late and if I was to pick now, I would definitely lean towards the Scotland international especially given the lack of a reliable third defender option with Chelsea’s blanks.

Q: Will you consider a Wildcard this week? (@Xxxolo8)

A: We discussed the merits of a Wildcard extensively on this week’s episode of The FPL Wire, which you can check out below.

Basically, a lot is still uncertain with regards to the fixture scheduling and Double Gameweeks. We could see the doubles scheduled largely for the last third of the season after Gameweek 30 or we could see them as soon as Gameweek 25; we just don’t know yet. I also don’t like the idea of playing a Wildcard before an international break, where could see injuries for the likes of Raphinha and Philippe Coutinho. I’m hoping for more clarity around the Gameweek 24 deadline so I would not personally consider a Wildcard this week with the current information available.