Eight-time top 10k finisher Zophar hosts his weekly Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Q&A ahead of Gameweek 32. Here, the topics include Phil Foden (£9.2m), Gameweek 33 Bench Boost defenders and how to guess the Aston Villa lineup.
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Q: Is Jakub Kiwior (£4.8m) an option if he’s only needed for a Gameweek 33 Bench Boost? Who is the best defender up to £5.0m for that?
Q: Who is the best replacement, as a Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.2m), Ezri Konsa (£4.4m) and Abdukodir Khusanov (£5.0m) owner? My plan for Gameweek 33 Bench Boost was to sell Gabriel and Khusanov to Kiwior and Josko Gvardiol (£6.1m) but there’s a reluctance on Kiwior.
(via THE RED DEVIL and @bharat_batra86)
A: Kiwior started for Arsenal in Gabriel’s absence earlier in the season, when the Brazilian was injured. But it’s important to remember that Ben White (£6.1m) was unavailable for the Gunners then.
I think he will start both in Gameweek 33 but there is a degree of risk attached, as White could come in at centre-back – or even Jurrien Timber (£5.6m).
Over at Manchester City, Khusanov also seems like a rotation red flag with Manuel Akanji (£5.3m) close to a comeback. So I’d look to move him on.
The player I currently favour as a replacement isn’t even a Double Gameweek guy – it’s Liverpool’s Conor Bradley (£4.7m). I expect him to start in both Gameweeks 32 and 33, versus West Ham United and Leicester City.
His upside is significant compared to Kiwior and I think that – even with one fixture – he could outscore the Polish international and you don’t have to worry about rotation, especially in the short term. Perhaps Gameweek 37 or 38 sees Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.2m) start as part of his send-off.
Q: Which Aston Villa midfielder is best to buy?
Q: Taking rotation and the two-day turnaround between games into account, which Aston Villa players are worth buying for their Southampton game and Double Gameweek 33?
(via THE KNIGHTS TEMPLATE and FPL VIRGIN)
A: Villa are the only team that are still in both the FA Cup and Champions League. They lost Wednesday’s first Paris Saint-Germain leg 3-1 and face them again on Tuesday, so mass rotation is expected for the normally appealing Southampton trip.
Marcus Rashford (£6.7m) starting at centre-forward in Paris has me thinking that he might be on the bench here, with Ollie Watkins (£8.9m) leading the line. Marco Asensio (£6.2m) was also benched but feels like a player they’ll want for the second leg, meaning his minutes might be managed too.
A probable starter on the south coast is Donyell Malen (£5.3m), as he’s not registered in their Champions League squad. But will he begin both Gameweek 33 occasions and beyond? It’s very difficult to say, especially as Villa will also want to rotate ahead of the FA Cup semi-final and possible final.
Anyway, this is all a long-winded way to reach the answer you probably know already – it’s Morgan Rogers (£5.6m).
Q: What to do with Phil Foden?
(via @James_Co24)
A: After a full rest against Leicester, Pep Guardiola preferred to use Foden on the wing, with Kevin De Bruyne (£9.3m) playing the number 10 role. I thought the Belgian was quite ineffective in that position and see Foden returning to that spot, though his poor form makes it far from certain.
However, in Gameweeks 32, 33 and 35, Man City are the first kick-off, meaning there could be some lineup leaks. If he’s benched in Gameweek 32, you play one of your substitutes and it means he should get at least one start in Double Gameweek 33.
Then, in Gameweek 35, you see if he starts versus Wolverhampton Wanderers. At that point, there might also be a Double Gameweek 36 scheduled, depending on their cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
Q: Who is the best Assistant Manager for Gameweek 32, Oliver Glasner (£0.8m) or Eddie Howe (£1.5m)? And which Crystal Palace or Newcastle United player should be transferred out to make room?
(via @fplDanilo)
A: The Eagles have table bonus potential in three of their next four fixtures, so I’d favour Glasner over Howe. I don’t particularly fancy Newcastle’s chances away at Aston Villa in Gameweek 33 and using a transfer there seems frivolous, given the likely carnage that awaits us closer to Gameweeks 36 and 37.
I don’t see clean sheets for Palace in their consecutive doubles, so I’d look to transfer out Daniel Munoz (£5.2m). But if you’re struggling to find replacement defenders, it could be Ismaila Sarr (£5.7m) instead.
Q: Which trio of Arsenal and Aston Villa players should Gameweek 33 Bench Boost users get?
(via FPL VIRGIN)
A: As mentioned, Villa’s schedule is a minefield even if they do get eliminated by PSG. Gameweek 32 will be full of rotation and the second part of Double Gameweek 33 might have the FA Cup in mind.
Then, if they do progress to the final, you’d have to worry about the latter half of Double Gameweek 36. Given their lack of clean sheets, nobody except Emiliano Martinez (£5.0m) can be recommended at the back.
Meanwhile, Watkins isn’t a nailed-on 90-minute asset anymore. With a fully fit squad, the likes of Rashford, Asensio, Malen, or Jacob Ramsey (£5.4m) could start or be benched at any time. If I had to pick three, it would be Martinez, Konsa and Rogers.
With Arsenal, I think David Raya (£5.5m) and Bukayo Saka (£10.4m) are the obvious picks. Yet Arsenal could be a Gameweek 35 worry, with it being sandwiched between Champions League semi-finals – they’re now expected to reach that, having beaten Real Madrid 3-0 in Tuesday’s first leg. Kiwior would be a gamble, so I’ll say William Saliba (£6.5m) as a third.
We cover these questions and more in this week’s episode of The FPL Wire, which you can check out here:
