Eight-time top 10k finisher Zophar hosts his weekly Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Q&A ahead of Gameweek 33. Here, the topics include Bench Boost picks, Bukayo Saka (£10.5m) rotation worries and where to place the Assistant Manager and Triple Captain chips.
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Q: Who is the best Aston Villa pick, apart from Morgan Rogers (£5.6m), Ezri Konsa (£4.4m) and Emiliano Martinez (£5.0m)? And what about Manchester City, leaving Omar Marmoush (£7.6m) and Josko Gvardiol (£6.2m) aside?
Q: Who are the best three picks from Aston Villa, Arsenal and Man City for Double Gameweek 33 Bench Boost users?
(via ATIMIS and FPL VIRGIN)
A: I think if you look at the three non-Crystal Palace Double Gameweek teams, we can identify at least two solid picks and one punt.
Let’s start with Villa. As mentioned, Rogers, Konsa and Martinez are the safest picks in terms of minutes. Unai Emery showed last weekend against Southampton that their league position is still very much a priority and they’ll likely field strong lineups, even before the FA Cup semi-final and potential final.
Marcus Rashford (£6.7m) initially featured on their left but Emery now prefers using him as a centre-forward. He did so in both legs against Paris Saint-Germain. It indicates that he has the spot for now but obviously Ollie Watkins (£8.9m) getting a start in one game cannot be ruled out.
The upside is so high with Rashford. He’s confirmed to be their first-choice penalty taker, plays out of position, and takes some set pieces. Really difficult to ignore, he’d be my ‘punty’ pick from Villa.
With Arsenal, William Saliba (£6.5m) and David Raya (£5.5m) are secure picks that should start every game until the end. Saka is still at some risk of rotation for Gameweeks 33 and 35, the latter being between the two Champions League semi-finals. You’ll still want him for the double, though, as it’s the best one on paper.
When it comes to riskier picks, Mikel Arteta doesn’t usually mess around with his centre-backs and likes them to develop a partnership, which is why I think Jakub Kiwior (£4.8m) will continue to be the stand-in for Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.2m).
There is some potential in the attackers, too. Gabriel Martinelli (£6.5m), Mikel Merino (£6.1m) and Leandro Trossard (£6.7m) all bring both appeal and game time risk. The first two are likely first-choice for now, with the latter’s versatility allowing him to deputise in both roles.
Of these three, Merino is who I’d punt on, it’s always hard to resist a midfielder playing as a centre-forward. Arsenal have a free weekend following the Crystal Palace game, while the Eagles might rotate with their semi-final in mind.
With Man City, yes, the obvious two picks are Marmoush and Gvardiol. The third has to be Kevin De Bruyne (£9.3m). Although there is a risk that their Saturday-to-Tuesday turnaround means he’ll need keeping fresh for the following cup game. The Belgian looked electric on Saturday and, as a Phil Foden (£9.2m) owner, I have a difficult decision to make.
There are rumours that Foden could be back with their squad at the weekend, meaning he should start at least one of Double Gameweek 33, just like De Bruyne. Given similar expected minutes, who do I prefer? If it’s the Foden of last year, an argument could be made, but De Bruyne looks a far superior asset based on what we saw against Palace. I’m very tempted.
Then again, we must consider the final weeks with the 33-year-old. While they have a full week off before Wolverhampton Wanderers, any progression to the FA Cup final would bring a risk of rotation in the second part of their possible Double Gameweek 36.
However, that half of Man City’s potential double is the last ever Etihad Stadium encounter for De Bruyne. He’ll play some minutes, surely.
Q: Is Pep a good Assistant Manager option? Apart from Gvardiol and Marmoush, it’s difficult to find the best third Man City pick.
(via FPL SANKY)
A: I think Guardiola is a great option for Assistant Manager because, yes, the third spot is tricky wherever you look. Ruben Dias (£5.4m) has limited appeal, while Foden, De Bruyne and Savinho (£6.2m) are all game time risks.
But I think I prefer Arteta as Arsenal look more likely to win both their matches. It’s a similar situation there, where nothing stands out after Saka and one defender. Unless you’re on two names at the back.
Q: Now Arsenal have progressed in Europe, are there any good alternatives to selling Cole Palmer (£10.6m) to Saka, given the rotation risks?
Q: As we scramble to bring in Double Gameweek players who may not start twice, who are the single Gameweek players that we’re ignoring?
(via LORD and FPL VIRGIN)
A: If you’re looking to Free Hit in Gameweek 34, I think Jarrod Bowen (£7.5m) is a great shout. He’s got Southampton this weekend, then Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in Gameweeks 35 and 36. The latter two are possibly next to Europa League semi-finals.
West Ham United’s final home game is against Nottingham Forest, then they end the season away at an Ipswich Town side that will likely be relegated by then. That could be a goalfest.
I would have suggested Conor Bradley (£4.7m) too but the news that Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.2m) is back in first-team training makes him difficult to recommend.
Over at Brentford, Yoane Wissa (£6.5m) and Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m) appeal. The Bees are ranked third on the Season Ticker, despite being without any doubles. Wolves are ranked fifth and particularly appeal if you aren’t using a Gameweek 34 Free Hit.
Q: Should we Triple Captain Saka or Marmoush in this double? Or wait (and hope) for a potential Double Gameweek 36?
(via @SembadaFPL)
A: I’m in a similar position, still with a Free Hit, Bench Boost and Triple Captain to play.
With the Free Hit set for Gameweek 34, I need to weigh up the pros and cons of which way round to use Bench Boost and Triple Captain. Waiting until Gameweek 36 to boost seems fraught with risk, as there could be injuries in my squad and I don’t want to bother fixing the fifth defender so late on, when I need to chase high upside punts.
I don’t think Marmoush or Saka are particularly fantastic Triple Captain options for this week. Don’t get me wrong, they’re good. But they certainly have their negatives.
Saka’s minutes might be managed to make sure he doesn’t pick up an injury prior to their Champions League semi-final. This could mean a bench role against either Ipswich or Crystal Palace.
With Marmoush, both Everton and Aston Villa are good sides that are posting strong defensive numbers. It doesn’t feel like Man City will blow either team away, not like they did against Palace.
Whereas their potential Double Gameweek 36 – which is contingent on a lot of things – could end up being versus Southampton and Bournemouth. That looks far more appealing than Everton and Villa.
Southampton at home have been particularly leaky and, while Bournemouth have posted decent defensive numbers and clean sheets, I feel they always give up chances. From an attacking perspective, I think it’s a better double. That’s why I’ve decided to save my Triple Captain chip for this potential double.
The operative word here though is ‘potential’. If Man City don’t get a double, I’m fine chucking the special armband on Marmoush or De Bruyne in a single match against Southampton.
We discussed these questions and more on the Gameweek 33 episode of The FPL Wire. You can check it out here
