FPL: GW28 Review

53 points, bang on the average. I feel quite happy with this points tally, even though it does mean I've dropped out of the top 100k.

Gameweek Points: 53

Gameweek Rank: 3,257,728

Overall Rank: 103,279

(how things went..)

My captain choice paid off. Pogba's assist was a real godsend for me this week. My transfers also paid off. Vardy came in and scored. Pereira just got two points, but that was much better than Trippier's minus 1, thanks to his own goal, which is what I would've had.

So all in all quite a solid week. Now it's just a case of rolling this week's transfer and hoping for a good weekend. I've got Sterling captain at the moment facing Bournemouth, which looks good. He came off the bench last night and made more of an impact than either Sané or Mahrez. So hopefully that means he'll start. Hazard away to Fulham is also a very tempting option, but I'll probably stick with Sterling.

Also, I should mention that Salah blanked once again, which was probably the biggest plus for me this week. Him blanking in a gameweeek where Liverpool scored five seems incredibly lucky. From watching the Match of the Day highlights it also looks like he had quite a decent game. So perhaps doubly lucky. Hopefully that luck will continue and he'll also blank against Everton on Sunday.

Overall Points: 1,658

Overall Rank: 103,279

Fantasy Premier League: GW27 Review / GW28 Preview

I've pulled the trigger. Last night I switched out Rashford and Trippier for Pereira and Vardy. Hopefully, with Leicester's manager sacking, it'll pay off. As for GW27 it was pretty decent all things considered. 38 points being just above the average.

Gameweek Points: 38

Gameweek Rank: 2,457,445

Overall Rank: 96,451

(click to enlarge)

I ended up with just eight players involved this week. After the first three games I'd picked up just 3 points from four players, so I was fearing the worst. Fortunately things got a little better in the later games. Plus Salah blanked again, saving me from what would've been a disaster. So all in all 38 points was quite welcome. Three above the average, and just a small rank drop of about 4k - meaning I'm still in the top 100k 😎 ..just.

I'm also feeling a little more confident about my chip strategy. I was a little disappointed that my original plan to free hit in GW31 was thrown off the rails. However, I've now come round to the idea of free hitting in GW32, and to be honest it looks much, much more sensible. Although perhaps a little dull given everyone else will be going that way. Hopefully, with a minus 4, I'll be able to field ten players in GW31, then possibly have eleven or twelve available for GW33. So not as bad as I feared.

(How I'm lining up for GW28)

I've got Pogba captain again this week. It's not a great fixture Crystal Palace away, but he'll definitely play and he's in form so he feels like the logical choice. I'd love to captain Sterling, but with him playing 120 minutes in the cup final, and with Fernandinho out, it's a risk that's just too big.

Once again, the big worry is not having Salah. Liverpool at home to Watford is a great fixture. Last season he scored four in the tie! Surely Liverpool are far too under par for that to happen this time, but a few goals is highly possible. Another blank would be great for me though, so hopefully Liverpool will continue to look lacklustre going forward. The likely absence of Firmino may also add to this.

Normally, for some unknown reason, I don't seem to do too well when it comes to the midweek fixtures. I'm sure it's just a consequence of luck, or perhaps that's not the case at all and I just have a recent bad gameweek lingering in the memory. Either way, I'm feeling slightly less optimistic than is usual for me. Hopefully that sense of foreboding is unfounded.

Overall Points: 1,605

Overall Rank: 96,451

Chip Strategy - MARK II

As I type we're just 5 minutes into GW27 and I'm already a man down lol. Great start. Success missing unsurprisingly. Anyhow, since I posted earlier some new information regarding the double gameweeks has came to light. Leading me to re-think my entire strategy.

(..this is how the pros do it)

The Man Utd v Man City match has now been moved to GW35, and the Wolves v Man Utd game is now playing in GW32. Which means Arsenal won't play their postponed fixture with Wolves in GW32 - scuppering my plans 😧. On top of this we're told that there won't be any further announcements about rescheduled games until after the FA Cup quarter final games.

This all makes my plans to free hit in GW31 even less attractive. So I think I'll now just follow the herd and plan my normal team for gameweeks 31 and 33. Then free hit in 32. It's all so complicated!

Planning my team for GW31 will mean that I'll only have a maximum of 9 players in that week without hits. I do have a little plan for my 5 free transfers between now and then though, as you can see from the above image. If you can read the handwriting that is. I won't repeat it all again here, as my last post illustrates how pointless that task can be.

Saying that I'm still not nailed on for sure with this plan either. So still plenty of time to re-think the re-thinks.

GW27 Preview ~~ #FPL

So, it seems a good while since the last gameweek. This one's a blank so I'll be going into it with a reduced side. Having David Luiz, Eden Hazard and Raheem Sterling all sat doing nothing (or rather, playing in the EFL Cup final) on my bench.

(My weakened GW27 team - click to enlarge)

(My strong, but rather useless bench)

I could've made a transfer to improve things a little, but have decided against it. My thinking being that it's probably better to save the transfer and start planning for the future gameweeks. So I'm just hoping everyone gets some game time.

I do have quite a complicated plan for the future double and blank gameweeks. I'm waiting for conformation of how GW32 will look first though before I set it into action.

My current plan goes something like this;

• Set up my current side for GW32
• Free Hit in GW31
• Try to use my free transfers to plan for GW33

It's GW33 that's the tricky one. As my teams stands at the moment I'm set up quite nicely for GW32. I don't really have to do too much. That's assuming all the teams we think will get double games in GW32 do get double games. Free Hitting in GW31 is also nice and easy. However, setting my team for GW32 means getting a full team out for GW33 becomes a nightmare.

My complicated plan for saving GW33 is this;

• GW28 - bring in an Arsenal defender for a Spurs defender, as Arsenal should have a double in 32, but also play in 33
• GW29 - bring in Azpilicueta for my 2nd Spurs defender, as Chelsea likewise should have a double in 32, but play in 33
• GW30 - this is the tricky one. Use my two free transfers to bring in players to sit on my bench in 32, but that play in 33. (I'll have to use both as Free Hitting in 31 means I'd lose the spare). The players I'd be taking out would be Jiménez and Dubravka. I have no idea at this point who I'd be bringing in.
• GW31 - Free Hit
• GW32 - leave my team as it is and save the transfer. Hopefully I should be able to field eleven players that all play twice if my plans are correct.
• GW33 - use the two free transfers, plus a possible -4, to get as many players as possible for 33.
• (Then Wildcard in GW34, to Bench Boost in GW35).

If Watford lose their FA Cup tie with Crystal Palace, and therefore play in GW33, I could potentially end up with ten players playing. Or maybe eleven if I take a hit.

I hope that made sense to everyone :)

The reality is though, with injuries, suspensions and rotations, this will all be in vain. The best laid plans.. etc. Still, it's good to at least have some kind of plan. Plus by saving my transfer this week it at least gives me some more time to change tack.

FInally, returning to this week, I have Pogba captain. It was a toss up between him and Son, but I've went with Pogba. His form is incredible, plus he's a bit more nailed on to start. As for the rest of the team it's just a case of hoping people start. In the case of Success even a point off the bench would be something of a bonus.

It's kinda fun though going into this week with such a diminished set up to be honest. Even a small victory would be huge, and if it all goes wrong I can just write it off as a week that was always bound to be low scoring anyway :)

GW26 Review - 80 Points!

Another very decent gameweek. It all seems to be going right at the moment. Hope it continues.

Gameweek Points: 80

Gameweek Rank: 486,825

Overall Rank: 92,117

(click to enlarge)

Captaining Pogba was the big success. I guess in hindsight I could've went with Sterling again, but I would never have guessed he'd get such a big points tally against Chelsea. Apart from those two it was fairly average though. So it feels like a slightly lucky week for me.

I'm actually really tempted to captain Pogba against Liverpool next gameweek now. His form is sensational. I kinda hope that everyone else keeps sticking with Salah as captain. He got a goal against Bournemouth and still looks very capable of punishing people like myself that are risking it without him. However, over the last few weeks not owning him has been a huge differential for me. I can really climb the rankings if that keeps working out.

Looking into next week my team's looking very light indeed. With three none-players on the bench and Isaac Success still flagged (although it's said he should be approaching fitness by the time the gameweek comes round). He only makes fleeting appearances from the bench anyway though. So not a great option fit or unfit.

(GW27 team - as it stands)

We still have FA Cup games at the weekend plus Champions League in the midweeks before GW27. So there's a nice decent sized break before any decisions need to be made. Plus hopefully a lot of new information regarding the blank and double gameweeks before then.

All the transfers between now and those double and blanks will be quite valuable. So risking or wasting them to make minor or hopeful moves seems a bit unwise. Then again, obsession with the blanks and doubles may lead to a situation where the rest of the remaining games get undervalued. So it's a little tricky making plans.

The options I'm considering for the upcoming week are either;

 - leave it as is and hope for the best

 - change Success for another bargain basement striker more likely to get game time

 - change David Luiz for a Newcastle or Arsenal defender*

The benefit to just leaving it is that I save a transfer. However, as a plan for GW27 it's mildly optimistic to say the least. By changing Success it would give me a little more leeway in regard the gameweek, but it would waste a transfer, and still leave me with no bench whatsoever. The third option feels much more attractive. However, it would mean using another transfer to bring David Luiz back in a few weeks down the line.

Chelsea do play Spurs in GW28 though. So it would perhaps be good to be without Luiz for that one. As I'm already a little over-exposed in that game. Having Son, Trippier, Alderweireld and Hazard as well. In fact, if I removed Luiz this week I could then remove either Trippier or Alderweireld the next. Setting me up for that gameweek in a much more balanced way. If I then bring back Luiz the week after though it'll mean I've used three precious transfers just moving defenders around.

Decisions, decisions.

Hopefully after the FA Cup games the blank and double gameweeks will be a little clearer and I'll be able to plan a little better.

////

* Both Newcastle and Arsenal have decent games in gameweeks 27 and 28. In fact, the Newcastle v Huddersfield game looks like it has huge potential for a Newcastle clean sheet. They then have Burnley at home in GW28. I already have the now mistake-prone Dubravka though. So doubling down would be very risky. Also very tempting though.

Overall Points: 1,567

Overall Rank: 92,117

Liverpool Assets - Yes or No ?

GW26 is another gameweek where I'm living in fear of Liverpool assets - particularly Salah. Over the last two gameweeks it's being pretty plain sailing, with Salah blanking in both Liverpool games. Plus Liverpool playing quite badly too. In fact, my single Liverpool player, Robertson, has actually been a drain on my team over the last few weeks. Very unusual.

This week, with Liverpool at home to Bournemouth, it's more cause for fear though. Especially as Salah is likely to be highly captained. I think I'll captain Pogba. Another highly owned player. Hopefully he can continue his form, and Salah blanks yet again. That's not what I'm expecting though. Surely this is the perfect fixture for Liverpool to pick up their form. So it could be a difficult week for me 😬

After this week though I don't feel massively worried about my lack of Liverpool assets. The games between now and GW31 don't look especially great.

FPL aside what would worry me if I was a Liverpool fan is not so much their front three, but their periphery attacking options. In the poor performance against Southampton they brought on Lallana in a quest to find a winner. He's a good player, but he's not someone who terrifies the opposition. Nor does he get too many goals or assists.

Likewise in their poor display against West Ham they started Lallana. Then brought on Origi. Again, a decent player, but not someone you'd feel confident bringing on to change a game. The only peripheral player really capable of effecting a game is Shaqiri, and his form seems to have slipped a little as well. Both when coming off the bench and when he's started.

Liverpool's midfield additions of Keita and Fabinho haven't quite set the Premier League alight either. They've both looked good and have had decent first seasons, but there hasn't been too much end product from either. Personally I'm a huge fan of Henderson. I think his energy and will to win is massively important to the side. Normally what you'd associate with Liverpool under Klopp. It all looks a little flat and slow at the moment though.

Saying all this, Liverpool are still in a very nice position, and have had an incredible season. Plus, if we return to FPL, Salah is still by far the highest points scorer. So common sense says they're still a very good bet.

Either way though I'm continuing to back against them. As per my last post, I was thinking of loading up on Liverpool players in the weeks leading up to the blanks of GW31. However, now my plan has switched to free hitting in GW31 I'll be going with just Robertson for the next five gameweeks. It''ll be a huge differential over that period. Especially if people continue to captain Salah. So I really hope it pays off 🙏

My team for GW26;

(click to enlarge)

David Silva and Sané out. Pogba and Son in. Pogba captain.

I've changed my plans slightly. I was going to remove Luiz with next week's blank in mind. However, I'd rather not take him out just to bring him back a few weeks later. So I may attempt to bench him for GW27 along with Sterling and Hazard and just hope my other eleven all start. I may even bring in Crouch for Success :)

Fantasy Premier League: GW25 Review / GW26 Preview

Super gameweek. I'll try not to bang on about it too much, but it's not often I break the 100 mark. In fact, I think it might be my first time ever.

Gameweek Points: 108

Gameweek Rank: 92,493

Overall Rank: 121,219

(click to enlarge)

My use of the triple captain paid off with Sterling getting me 33 points in total. It was a relief seeing his first assist go in. I could enjoy the rest of the gameweek after that. I didn't do as well as the people who'd captained, or even triple captained Agüero, who brought home 19 points - 57 for anyone who triple captained him. I definitely can't complain though. Especially when compared to the people who stuck the armband on Sané, who gained just the one point. So I've been very lucky really.

It was an overall good performance from my team too. With everyone except Sané and Robertson, both highly owned players anyway, doing something.

Going forward..

For GW26 I'm looking at making two transfers. Pobga back in for David Silva - or possibly Sané. He's up against Azpilicueta this week if he plays, which doesn't bode well. Plus I'll be removing him the week after anyway. So I'll have a think about that one and decide closer to the deadline. Sané also went down injured against Everton in the first half. He continued playing, so it didn't look too serious, but even so it'll be worth waiting for any team news.

The other transfer I'll be making is Kolasinac in for David Luiz. It doesn't feel right taking a player out after he's scored 13 points, but again, he has a tough game against City, then I'd be taking him out anyway for the blank in GW27. So it seems a sensible move.

Chip plans..

I'm also revising my strategy regarding my remaining chips. I was planning on using my free hit in GW32 - one of the double gameweeks. However, looking at the blank of GW31 I think I'm going to struggle to get anywhere near a full eleven the way it's going. The Man Utd v Man City game will almost certainly be a blank as City play League 2 Newport County next. Also, the Spurs v Crystal Palace game looks likely to be a blank as Palace play League 1 Doncaster.

If those two games alone don't feature in GW31 then I'll be down 7 players already, and with just 4 free transfers between GW28 and GW31 it'll be impossible to fix the issue without hits. So unless we see some big shocks in the FA Cup 5th round I think I'll be free hitting in GW31.

In many ways that would probably work out better for me, as my team is much more geared towards the potential doubles in GW32. If I start making changes simply with the blanks in GW31 in mind I'll end up compromising my team just to crowbar players in who have games that week. Whereas if I use my free hit that week I'll just be able to ignore it and keep the ship steady during all the other weeks. It could leave me with some problems going into the blank of GW33 though.

Either way I'll wait to see what happens in the 5th round games before I decide.

Overall Points: 1,487

Overall Rank: 121,219

FPL: GW25 Preview - Double Gameweek! :D

Fruit machine time..

(Silva, Sterling and Sané)

Gamblers, fools and dice rollers. Now's your time to win big or lose hard. The first double gameweek of the season is upon us.

I'm sticking with my plan of having David Silva, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sané for the week - with Sterling triple-captained. What can go wrong? ..aside from all three potentially being benched, Man City's lacklustre form, Salah possibly outscoring all three of them in a single game ..and so on and so forth.

As for my decision to captain Sterling ahead of Sané - who will be most people's first choice City captain - I should probably explain it. Sterling is currently the top points scoring City player this season. So it's literally that simple - whack it on the guy with the most points. Plus Sterling was City's top scoring player last season too. So if I had to guess who would finish off this season top scorer my best guess would be Sterling given he's already ahead.

Of course, this is ignoring the obvious fact that Sané has tended to outscore Sterling over the last few months. Plus he had a slow start to the season, so has caught up pretty rapidly in the points department. Showing he's clearly the form player. So it's a bit of a gamble. My gut says Sterling though. Saying that however, my gut was very wrong about Hazard last gameweek. So maybe not a good sign.

Hazard will still be my fourth midfielder this gameweek, and in spite of last time out I'm actually still feeling confident having him in there. Surely there'll be some sort of reaction at home to Huddersfield? In fact, from the highlights Chelsea didn't look too bad in the first half against Bournemouth, and had a fair few chances. They just seemed to capitulate after conceding.

It's been quite hard to judge Chelsea, and also Arsenal this season. Both having new managers. Both showing promise, but both also looking all over the place at times. I could do with a few goals from Hazard this week though. My season is really stagnating, so how this week's gambles pay off or otherwise could really set the seal on where I finish come the final week.

(My line-up for GW25 - triple captain active)

Good luck :) ..you may just need it this gameweek.