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Here, seven-time top 10k finisher Zophar answers some of the week’s most-asked FPL questions and reveals his own transfer plans.
Q: Who are the best Marcus Rashford replacements if you don’t have a Free Hit to negotiate Blank Gameweek 32?
(via @Devansh11189436)
A: I think the teams to target if you are not Free Hitting in Gameweek 32 are Liverpool and Arsenal, who have the best fixtures (Nottingham Forest and Southampton respectively) that week and will heavily be invested in by Free Hitters.
As the above image from the Premium Members Area shows, Mohamed Salah (£12.8m, 5.90) and Gabriel Martinelli (£6.7m, 4.11) are in the top five for expected goal involvement (xGI) amongst midfielders over the last six matches, with the other three all blanking in Gameweek 32.
Salah would be the preferred option as he also has a double in Gameweek 34 and great fixtures till the end of the season but if the price is a bridge too far, Martinelli is a great pick.
Q: Marcus Rashford to Jack Grealish for -4 or play a Brighton asset and get more info ahead of Gameweek 33?
(via @FplNordic)
A: There’s not a great deal of clarity on Marcus Rashford’s (£7.2m) length of absence, with the Manchester United statement only ruling him out for “a few games”. This could mean any length of time, with Double Gameweek 34 kicking off on April 29, two weeks from today. As the days go by, we should get more information on his injury progress so I think waiting for more information is the ideal play.
The Brighton attack is posting incredible numbers and they are a good play away to a Chelsea side that will have one eye on their Champions League quarter-final, second-leg tie on Tuesday. It sounds like you are planning to Free Hit in Gameweek 32 anyway so I would hold Rashford rather than sell for a hit this week.
Q: Would you sell Bukayo Saka for Mohamed Salah?
(via @deencityfc)
A: I am planning to sell Bukayo Saka (£8.6m) for Salah but not right away, probably around Gameweek 33 or 34. Both have a great fixture in Gameweek 32, as well, so it’s close and it’s a transfer you will likely make later on. If you fancy going early to gain an edge on the field, it’s a good move. I wouldn’t be taking a hit for it now, though.
Q: Can we sell all Chelsea players? Under Frank Lampard, they’ve got no tactics, just vibes – and the vibes aren’t even good.
(via @FPL_Banger)
A: I doubt anyone has any Chelsea assets in midfield so this discussion really is about Reece James (£5.8m), Ben Chilwell (£6.0m), Kepa Arrizabalaga (£4.7m), Kai Havertz (£7.5m) and Joao Felix (£7.5m). Frank Lampard has already said he will be giving the entire squad a chance over the run-in and once the inevitable Champions League elimination against Real Madrid is out of the way, the team have little to play for till the end of the season.
I do expect Edouard Mendy (£4.8m) to be given some game-time and in general, I do not fancy the Blues’ prospects overall. I think Chilwell starts this weekend after his red card against Real but most of the team that will start against Madrid on Tuesday will likely get a rest given the short turnaround (Wed-Sat-Tue). Lampard also dropped Havertz from the starting line-up in Spain, which does indicate there is going to be some rotation around that position going forward.
To summarize, I think Chelsea assets are a sell going forward. You could give Chilwell Gameweeks 31 and 33 but my expectations are quite low.
Q: Is it time to move Ollie Watkins on now with fixtures turning for Aston Villa? Who would be your top targets in the same or lower budget range?
(via @FPLMaSalah)
A: Ollie Watkins’ (£7.6m) numbers are elite: over the last six Gameweeks, he is top amongst forwards for shots on target (16) and big chances (11). Aston Villa are very much in the hunt for Europa League positions and I think the more difficult games could suit Watkins, where he might have more space to run in behind. I would not be wanting to get rid of him anytime soon.
What also makes it tricky is that the teams with doubles do not have many investible forwards. Darwin Nunez (£8.7m) is likely to be rotated, Julian Alvarez (£6.0m) is not nailed, Evan Ferguson (£4.6m) is inaccessible because we are already tripled up on Brighton, Anthony Martial (£6.3m) is injury prone, and neither Danny Ings (£6.4m) nor Carlos Vinicius (£5.4m) is worth considering currently. This emphasises why Watkins is such a good pick.
The only one that would possibly tempt me is Alexander Isak (£6.7m). Dominic Solanke’s (£5.5m) numbers have also been great over the last three Gameweeks too but he doesn’t really fill me with confidence.
Q: I’m dead-ending in Gameweek 32 with two Liverpool, three Arsenal, three Brighton, two Newcastle and two Aston Villa players plus Harry Kane. Is Gameweek 33 or 34 a more explosive option for the Wildcard?
(via @Karan_FPL)
A: The problem with three Arsenal assets in Gameweek 33 is that they will be away to Manchester City, where their prospects FPL-wise will be quite poor. The triple-up on Brighton is still a good play away to Nottingham Forest so it is not an easy decision. Your Wildcard will likely be quite heavy on Man Utd, as well, and their fixture in Gameweek 33 is a bit tricky, away to Spurs. Villa home to Fulham is quite good in Gameweek 33, too.
I think I’d probably Wildcard in Gameweek 34 with all the latest information, and maybe lose one Arsenal asset with the free transfer in Gameweek 33. This is assuming that a Bench Boost is not part of the strategy.
MY TEAM AND TRANSFER PLANS
Thanks for reading.
We discussed the topics in this article and more in this week’s episode of The FPL Wire, where Lateriser and I were joined by Pras.
You can check it out here:
1 year, 26 days ago1.Chilwell to Robertson now?
2. Wait one week and being Taa with 2FT ??