#FPL Friday Preview: GW14

The gameweeks are coming thick and fast now, so I'll rattle off this preview pretty quickly. Especially with the deadline being 7 o'clock today.

(My line-up for #GW14)

First up I have a little bit of a decision to make regarding the keeper. Either Dubravka at home to West Ham, or Hennessey at home to Burnley. I'm going with Hennessey, but I feel it could go either way as both Palace and Newcastle are starting to look very solid. The fact that I have Yedlin first off my bench this week makes the decision a little easier though, as it means I can hedge my bets a little.

At the back it's pretty straight forward for me with Robertson, Alonso, Luiz and Shaw all having quite nice fixtures.

The midfield is a tiny bit more worrying as there are a few injury doubts. Hopefully Hazard should be good to play. It's a beautiful fixture for him as well. I'm still waiting for the press conferences to hear about Gündogan. It'd be a huge bonus if he starts as well. I'm little worried Sterling could be benched after playing midweek too. Though with City the rotation worry is par for the course.

I'll also be bringing in Heung-Min Son for Lucas Moura with my transfer before the deadline, which feels like a very good move. Son played half an hour of the game against Inter Milan so you'd think he should be in with a good shout of starting against Arsenal on Sunday.

Up top it's just Jiménez with Agüero. Both with nice fixtures. I think I'll probably captain Agüero this time out with it being a home game. Though as ever I'll wait to see if there's any more information available before making that decision.

With such nice fixtures I'm really hoping for a good score this gameweek, so let's pray it pans out that way 🙏

Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 13 Review

Saint Sterling...

A very good or very bad week for me depending on how you look at it. Captaining Sterling got me a huge 32 points which helped me get a decent-ish total of 55. However, the rest of my team, with the exception of Robertson completely blanked. It feels like a good week though with Sterling's points haul, so I'll happily take the good luck I've had and look on the bright side :D

Gameweek Points: 55

Gameweek Rank: 1,988,194

Overall Rank: 179,558

(How it all went down GW13

- click to enlarge)

The Good and the Bad

Goods..

• Sterling captain
• Robertson yet again getting a clean sheet, plus a bonus point

I was also quite pleased with the single point I got from Success. It may not seem like a huge deal, but I brought him in specifically to be a bench player, and with Shaw out and Lucas Moura not playing I needed to dig into my reserves. So I feel confident going forward that I can keep Success in my squad with a fair degree of certainty that he'll continue to be involved in games each week. Guaranteeing me at least a point.

Bads..

• Where do I start..
• Moura not involved
• Just a single point from each of my Chelsea players
• New signing Jiménez just 2 points
• New signing Agüero just 2 points
• Just 5 points from my two Newcastle defensive players

I also missed out on Firmino's 12 points by removing him for Agüero 😫

In hindsight it was a mistake not waiting until this week to make that change, especially with the doubts over Agüero's away form, however I feel quite happy going into this week's games with him in my side so it's not too bad. Only time will tell if the switch pays off in the long term though. Having watched Sané get a huge score I'm also starting to wonder if I should've just left Firmino in my side and tripled up in midfield with City. It's never bad having Agüero in your team though.

Looking forward I think I might transfer Moura out for Son this week. I'm torn between him and Alli, however, the extra money saved by getting Son will allow me to upgrade David Luiz to Alderweireld the week after. So that's my plan at the moment.

There are a few injury scares at present though so that may scupper my plans. Hazard has an ankle injury and Gündogan has a slight foot injury so isn't travelling with the squad for their Champions League game today. Hopefully both will be fit for the weekend.

I'm actually thinking about selling Hazard soon given his string of injuries and lack of points in recent weeks. I'm in no rush though as Chelsea's next two games are pretty decent. It would free up a lot of cash if I did it, however it's Hazard and if he does hit form again we might see some big scores. That'll be a very difficult decision for me going forward.

One player I'm definitely not thinking about selling though is this guy...

(St. Raheem Sterling - 16 points GW13)

Top 5 Players I Don't Own That I Fear

1. Sané

Sané, along with Mahrez and Sterling all look like they're capable of getting huge scores every time they start a game. I'm very pleased to have Sterling, but the temptation to double up and get Sané (or Mahrez) as well is very appealing. Sané in particular looks like he could become an essential player to own. The weeks where Sterling is benched and Sané and Mahrez both start could really destroy me. Hopefully that won't happen too often.

2. Salah

I have to keep showing the respect to Salah after he scored yet again. It's becoming a bit repetitive talking about his pros and cons week in week out, so I'll keep it short and leave it at that this time.

3. Mahrez

He didn't start at the weekend, but again, as with Sané above it seems like City can score four or five every week, and whoever plays in those front three positions could potentially get a mega score. It's very tempting to double up. Especially now it seems that Gündogan once again has injury doubts.

4. Kane

Kane continues to look good and he bagged a nice goal against Chelsea. Again, like with Salah, there's the price issue, but he could definitely punish people who don't own him over the Christmas period.

5. Aubameyang

Aubameyang grabbed another goal. I just can't imagine he's going to stop scoring anytime soon. Squeezing him in my side would be near impossible, so I'm just hoping he doesn't score too big going forward.

Also, as a final mention. Another player I'm really looking at, but just as a bench option, is Philip Billing. Every time I've watched him play he looks like the type of player that can influence a game. He's big, good on the ball, can pick a pass and gets the odd shot away. I think he's slipped under the radar a little bit because he generally gets just one or two points per game. However, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he starts picking up a few more points. Especially as Huddersfield have some decent games going forward.

At £4.5m he'd be a great bench player. I'd love to have a spare transfer to switch him with Guendouzi - who seems to be a one-point-a-game man. Perhaps in a few weeks time I'll find a spare "luxury" transfer to use to make the change.

Overall Points: 775

Overall Rank: 179,558

FPL Friday Preview: GW13

The return of Agüero..

This week sees me bring back Agüero into my side, which is a relief. It's been nervy watching games not having him. I'm also bringing in Jiménez, mainly to enable Agüero's return. Sadly it means I'll be losing both Firmino and Lacazette. It's particularly disappointing taking Firmino out as he's a great player and I really had faith at the start of the season that he'd deliver. However, that really hasn't happened, so it seems like a smart move to bring back Agüero. It's also a little disappointing to drop Lacazette as he's done quite well for me since I brought him in. However, the slight injury doubt has made the decision a little easier.

With Agüero back it means I'll now be tripling up on City attackers with Agüero, Sterling and Gündogan. If all three start it could be a very nice week. I'll also be captaining Sterling, so fingers crossed they all start and City turn on the style.

(My Three City Amigos - Agüero, Sterling and Gündogan)

There are quite a few dangers for me this week too though. I'm having to double up on Newcastle at the back with Luke Shaw being suspended 😬 Plus I have four players tied up in the Spurs v Chelsea game, which means players could cancel each other out. If Spurs win 1-0 and Lucas Moura isn't involved in the goal I'll be well screwed.

Moura also brings me to another danger - the danger of not having a full first eleven. Sterling, Gündogan and Moura are all players that potentially could be benched and I'll just have Success and Guendouzi to come in. Both players that likewise could start their respective games on the bench.*

Hopefully it'll all go smoothly though :)

(My team for #GW13

- click to enlarge)

*Also there's now apparently a slight doubt over Robertson starting!! He's not injured, but having played "two very intense games for Scotland" (Klopp) during the international break he only returned to training today. Leading to speculation that he could be rested for the game.

Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 12 Review

Above average gameweek for me this time out. The gameweek average was 48 points, I got 55. So I can't have too many complaints. In fact, overall it was a good week, and it was just my choice of captain that let me down.

Gameweek Points: 55

Gameweek Rank: 1,505,114

Overall Rank: 206,565

(click to enlarge)

So, the good and bad..

Good :D

• Alonso and David Luiz clean sheet plus bonus :)
• Andy Robertson massive 12 point score
• Gündogan came off the bench and scored, repaying my weeks and weeks of faith

Bad :(

• Hazard, my captain choice, failed to notch
• Firmino blanked yet again
• Lacazette blanked
• Likewise no goals or assists from Sterling and Moura
• Newcastle conceded

The once minor issue with Firmino not scoring is now becoming a major issue. I actually think, in pure footballing terms he isn't playing that badly - he's working hard, he isn't giving the ball away, and he's still linking up well. However, in FPL terms he's not doing at all well, and simply doesn't look like scoring at the moment. I want to stay patient ..after all he is playing up front for Liverpool. I have a lot of money tied up in him though. Also Liverpool, though they're winning games, don't seem to be quite as fluid as previously. So that's also something I have in mind.

Consequently I have a big decision to make. At present I'm thinking of a simple fix. Firmino & Lacazette out, Jiménez & Agüero in. I feel not having Agüero is still hitting me hard, despite having Sterling. It'd also free up a little cash for elsewhere. Luckily I have two free transfers so it would be a cost-free switch. It would perhaps be better to wait until GW14 to make the switch though, what with Agüero seeming to do better in his home fixtures.

Thankfully though I have a nice long international break to think things through, so there's no huge rush at present.

Saying that, it does remind me, a few weeks back I knocked up the following meme featuring Firmino, echoing my faith in the patient approach. A patient approach that paid off yesterday with Gündogan, and the weekend before with Moura.

(The patient approach)

However, at the moment it feels more like this.

(The reality)

The Top Five Players I Don't Own That I Fear

1. Agüero

As already stated Agüero continues to look like a must own player. The option of captaining him for home games is a huge luxury for anyone with him as he seems pretty much guaranteed to score. My use of the captain has been letting me down quite badly, so the choice taken to go without Agüero is looking very bad in that regard.

2. Salah

Salah yet again scored. Similar to Agüero he seems like a really safe option for captain for Liverpool's home games. He's still completely out of my thinking in truth though, and I wasn't particularly impressed with his all round game at the weekend. However, he keeps scoring, and always looks the most likely scorer in Liverpool games, so it continues to be a big problem not having him.

3. Mahrez

Mahrez is starting to look really good in a Man City shirt. It seems he's starting to settle in now, and every time he plays he looks capable of both goals and assists. I'm very tempted to bring him in if and when I ditch Firmino. Agüero is the safer and much more sensible choice, but Mahrez, like Sterling, looks capable of getting big scores in single gameweeks.

With the rotation factor he's a little bit of a gamble, but it could provide a big payoff. What I particularly like about Mahrez is that he looks quite selfish, and in a very unselfish City side he could end up being on the end of a lot of moves. His penalty miss earlier in the season was a big blow for him and his owners, but it shows the self-confidence he has. So shots, free kicks and perhaps more penalties could be on the cards.

4. Kane

Kane got an assist at the weekend. Not massively impressive in of itself, but both him and Spurs are starting to look very good in my opinion. Kane is well out of my price range, so if he starts firing it'll be a huge benefit to the people that own him ..and a huge problem for me.

5. Alli

Alli seems to be back to fitness now. Spurs have a very nice run of fixtures coming up, so he could be a great asset. In fact, having watched Spurs play in both the league and in Europe I think they look like they're coming into form too. So ideally I'd like another Spurs player in my line-up.

I really hope Lucas Moura continues to start, but it's looking like his minutes will start diminishing now that others are coming back from injury. At the moment I'm looking at keeping Moura and possibly bringing in Alderweireld for Spurs cover. However, Alli is the most attractive option. Finding the extra £2m to upgrade Moura will be a problem though :(

Overall Points: 720

Overall Rank: 206,565

FPL Friday Preview: GW12

I was super tempted to bring in Shaqiri for this gameweek after he missed out midweek, but I've resisted that and decided to play it sensible instead. So I'll actually manage to save a transfer for what, if I recall correctly, will be the first time ever. Hopefully I won't miss out on a bumper points haul if Shaqiri starts.

My team's pretty much the same as last time out, aside from the fact that I've benched Shaw given that they play City. Consequently this is a nice, short little post. I'm going to captain Hazard as it stands too, though I may bottle it closer to the deadline and change it to someone guaranteed to start.

(Line-up for GW12 - click to enlarge)

Another week like the last would be very nice 😍

Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 11 Review

Very nice gameweek for me this time out. Mainly due to my captaining of Sterling. I'll try not to be too smug in the following paragraphs. However, having had two awful weeks with my choice of captain this feels like a welcome change of fortune. So it'll be hard to hide my glee.

Gameweek Points: 82

Gameweek Rank: 160,582

Overall Rank: 212,923

(GW11 - how it all panned out in the end

- click to enlarge)

(Raheem Sterling: 2 goals, 2 assists, 21 points)

I'll quickly run through the highs and lows of my week.

Highs :D

• 42 points for Sterling
• Dubravka clean sheet
• Hazard & Alonso assists
• Lucas Moura finally nabbed a goal
• Superb finish from Lacazette in Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Liverpool

Lows :(

• My transfer of Luke Shaw didn't bear fruit this week - it also meant that I benched Yedlin who bagged 7 points
• Firmino once again blanked
• Robertson and David Luiz also failed to get more than 2 points on the board

For the first time this season I've actually finished a gameweek not desperate to make a transfer. So hopefully I'll be able to save this week's until after the dreaded international break. In previous posts I mentioned my plans to eventually have five "top six" defenders, however with Newcastle finally coming good at the back I think I'll put that plan on hold and leave Yedlin in my side.

Luke Shaw just earned me a single point in his first GW for me, and I'll probably bench him this week for their game against Man City. However, I thought he played well against Bournemouth and I'm quite happy that I've brought him in. It may have been a mistake to bring him in this early, but I think in the long run he'll be worth having if he stays fit.

I'm actually quite content with my whole squad at the moment, so hopefully there'll be no injuries and I can have a nice smooth GW12.

The Top Five Players I Don't Own That I Fear

1. Agüero

I'm enjoying my smugness with having Sterling right now, however Agüero once again came up with the goods, grabbing 13 points. Hopefully Sterling will continue to match him, however Agüero is looking as dangerous as ever. Plus there'll be people out there that own both players. So he continues to inspire the fear.

2. Salah

This week, with Liverpool at home to Fulham, Salah has to be a big worry for anyone going without him. I'm not hugely worried about him beyond this week, but with Fulham's record at the back Salah could do some real damage in GW12.

Am I confident Firmino can steal some of his thunder? Not at all sadly. However, I can at least hope. So fingers crossed.

3. Mane

Exactly the same as with Salah. Though I guess to a slightly lesser extent. If the same thing that happened against Cardiff (i.e. 15 points apiece) happens against Fulham it'll be a hard weekend to endure.

4. Richarlison

Richarlison is looking really special at present. His two finishes at the weekend were very high quality.

It's starting to look like it would be sensible for me to remove Lucas Moura and bring him in instead, however I'm still a little put off simply due to Everton being a difficult side to put faith in. Plus, Richarlison has a difficult game away to Chelsea this week, so I can put off making the decision for a few more weeks thankfully.

5. Aubameyang

Aubameyang slips down in the fear stakes a little after the weekend, however he remains an excellent option. I'm very happy having Lacazette at the moment with him seeming to get the greater game time, but so far Aubameyang still seems like the slightly more likely goalscorer in games.

Others on the Radar...

A few other players worth mentioning are Anderson and Arnautovic from West Ham, who are both looking very dangerous. Also Wilson once again grabbed a goal, so he's still looking like very good value.

Likewise Martial is looking good for goals. It would be hard for me to squeeze him into my side, however he looks good value at £7.5m and Man Utd are starting to look a little more stable from what I've seen. Though saying that, they were calamitous at the back for the first 20 minutes at the weekend xD They'll probably go on to keep a clean sheet against City now, and I'll have Luke Shaw sitting on my bench wasting points.

This week was pretty decent though.

Overall Points: 665

Overall Rank: 212,923

FPL Friday Preview: GW11

I'll try to keep it short and sweet for this week's preview. After last week's excitement of a double transfer and a minus four hit this week seems a little more prosaic. I have got one transfer planned, namely Tomkins out and Luke Shaw in. I was going to bring in Luke Shaw sometime later, as I hoped to bring in a Spurs or Man City defender this week. However, my budget doesn't stretch far enough to accommodate a player guaranteed a starting place at the moment, so I've rejigged my plans a little.

The next two games aren't great for United, but the games Crystal Palace have are even worse, so it's a little bit of a free hit in a way. Hopefully it won't be a wasted transfer. The obvious way for me to free up funds going forward for my super-charged defence would be to downgrade Gündogan, however, with De Bruyne once again injured he seems like someone worth keeping hold of. So for the time being I'll have to make do with the funds I have.

Gündogan was back in training on Tuesday, though he looks doubtful for the weekend's game against Southampton. If he plays any part in what looks to be an easy game for City it'll be a massive bonus for me.

I'm still quite tempted to go with John Stones (the one City defender I can actually afford) over Luke Shaw at the time of writing. He would be a much better option if he plays. However, he played the full 90 minutes in Thursday's League Cup game (alongside Kompany) so it's hard to tell if he'll play on Sunday alongside Laporte.

Nicolas Otamendi still has a minor niggle apparently, so he looks very doubtful, but is still a possibility according to Pep. So all things considered I think I'll stick with Shaw unless there's any further news.

So my line-up this week;

(Goalkeeper - Dubravka)

I not expecting a Newcastle clean sheet in their game against Watford, however I wouldn't be too surprised if they keep one, so I feel quite happy with Dubravka between the sticks.

(Defence - Robertson, Alonso, David Luiz, Luke Shaw)

I'm likewise reasonably happy with my defensive four, though all the respective games are a little bit tricky. Even Chelsea's home tie with Palace could prove a little more difficult than it looks on paper.

(Midfield - Gündogan, Sterling, Lucas Moura, Hazard)

With the midfield I'm just hoping for as many minutes as possible really. Sarri has today stated that Hazard will probably play only "40-45 minutes". Moura should start as he was rested midweek, likewise Sterling was also rested. As things stand I have Sterling as captain which feels like a huge gamble what with the rotation risk, however, with Hazard potentially just getting half a game against a competitive Palace side it feels like the better option.

(Attack - Firmino & Lacazette)

This is just a straight up single game shoot out. Hopefully at least one will score.

(Bench - Hennessey, Yedlin, Success, Guendouzi)

Guendouzi is suspended this GW, so hopefully he won't be needed. Yedlin is a nice option to come in if Gündogan misses, while I suspect Success will only bring me a single point off the bench this week. Plus, even if he starts Newcastle rarely concede a hatful of goals, so after last week's luck it would be a little greedy for me to be hoping for another goal ..also it would potentially ruin my Newcastle clean sheets.* So I'll happily take a blank for him this week :)

Good luck with your GW!

(GW11 teamsheet - click to enlarge)

*I've brought in Shaw - and I've moved Success up in my bench order having heard Deeney is likely to remain out injured. Hedging my bets a little.