Eight-time top 10k finisher Zophar hosts his weekly FPL Q&A ahead of Gameweek 12. The topics include Rico Lewis (£4.9m), the best premium structure and whether to keep or sell Bryan Mbeumo (£7.9m).
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Q: Sell Rico Lewis? If so, for who?
Q: Best budget defenders?
(via @James_Co24 and @NiranjanBalach3)
A: At the time of writing, we are yet to hear from Pep Guardiola ahead of the Tottenham Hotspur game but the news coming out on social media is that Jack Grealish (£6.4m), John Stones (£5.3m) and Manuel Akanji (£5.5m) are all back in training for Manchester City. So, it appears that Man City will have a large chunk of their first-choice backline available. With Josko Gvardiol (£6.3m) nailing down the left-back role, Rico Lewis (£4.9m) will largely be competing with Kyle Walker (£5.2m). That said, there are also reports of a possible Mateo Kovacic (£5.6m) injury – so that could open up a midfield spot.
Given the upcoming fixture congestion, I think Lewis is a sell. Walker has traditionally been preferred against Son Heung-min (£9.9m) so a Lewis benching is very much a possibility for Gameweek 12. There are two great options if you have money to upgrade: Ibrahima Konate (£5.4m) and Jurrien Timber (£5.5m). With the latter, there is still a bit of rotation concern. Once Ben White (£6.2m) is fit in the New Year, he is a likely transfer out. However, there is also a bit more upside than Konate, who might miss the odd game over the festive period as well. Both look like good picks.
The other option of course is to downgrade. There are four options I like: Rayan Ait-Nouri (£4.7m), Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.5m), Lewis Hall (£4.4m) and Lucas Digne (£4.7m). You probably don’t need me to tell you about Ait-Nouri: he’s pretty much playing as an attacker for Wolves but clean sheet prospects remain slim and there’s the looming threat of a one-game suspension due to his four yellow cards.
Van Hecke (or Lewis Dunk (£4.4m) if he’s fit) has a great run of fixtures and Brighton should get some clean sheets over this period. Digne and Hall are fourth and fifth for chances created amongst defenders; there is a bit more rotation risk with the Frenchman with Aston Villa having UEFA Champions League games and midweek fixtures coming so I would slightly favour Hall, especially as he’s taking some set pieces now.
Q: Nicolas Jackson or Alexander Isak?
(via BGGZ)
A: Nicolas Jackson (£7.9m) has clearly established himself as Chelsea’s first-choice centre-forward. While I do think there’s a chance he gets a rest over the festive period, I still believe he will start the majority of games – even if early substitutions might be a bit more commonplace. You might also see him benched for an easier fixture, say the midweek Southampton (a) fixture in Gameweek 14. There’s also a threat of suspension but I think most of us have squads that can cope with that.
Alexander Isak (£8.5m) is still the preferred option for me. Newcastle do not have any European commitments, which bodes well for their minutes and performances in this busy period. The Magpies look to have found their feet again after a rough start to 2024/25 and Isak is their talisman. Perhaps the only caveat for Isak is the return to fitness of Callum Wilson (£6.9m), who is reportedly back in training. I don’t think the England international goes straight into the starting line-up, though. I expect him to replace Isak late on in games for the next few weeks at least, so I would look to spend the extra on the Swede.
Q: Sell Phil Foden for Cole Palmer for a hit?
(via shorey143)
A: Chelsea’s fixtures are incredible right through to 2025 and Phil Foden (£9.2m) has struggled to recapture his past brilliance. City might start purring again now that Kevin De Bruyne (£9.4m), Grealish etc are back but this could also mean a minutes risk for Foden with the Belgian possibly preferred in the middle. I would take the hit as it likely repays itself handsomely over the next 5-6 Gameweeks.
Q: Keep or sell Bryan Mbeumo, due to the more difficult fixtures?
(via Barnaby Wilde)
A: Bryan Mbeumo’s (£7.9m) underlying numbers have dropped a bit. He’s been playing wider and has lost some set-piece duties to Mikkel Damsgaard (£5.0m).
I don’t think Brentford’s fixtures are bad from an attacking point of view, however. They score goals at home so the matches against Leicester City, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest look appealing while Chelsea have not kept a clean sheet at Stamford Bridge this season. I think Mbeumo is a keep, especially if you got him early on at around his starting price of £7.0m.
Q: The best premium structure moving forward? For example, Haaland, Salah + Palmer vs Saka, Salah, Palmer + extra money?
(via @FPLNewbie9)
A: The difference between the two structures you mentioned is basically Erling Haaland (£15.2m) vs Bukayo Saka (£10.1m). That is a huge difference of £5m+. At the time of writing, we don’t have clarity about Saka’s injury but assuming he is fit, I think the latter is a better structure. The £5.0m goes a long way. Haaland will continue to score points of course but someone like Isak can run him close.
