GW26: Lucky Season: Part Whatever

In the end I brought Salah in and triple-captained him. Had Jota remained fit it's quite likely I'd have just left things as is and went with Trent. So once again I've had a huge amount of luck. I'm not complaining :)

Gameweek Points: 146 (-4)

Gameweek Rank: 205,868

Overall Rank: 147,540

My rank's beginning to look a lot more healthy too. The top 100k now just about within reach.

Next up is GW27. This is how I'm looking:

Once again my original plan was to just leave things as is, and hope for the best. I'm half-planning on bench boosting in GW28, so saving a transfer would be very handy. However, with Spurs playing Leeds I think I'm going to have to do Salah to Son. Leeds are conceding so many I really can't go without.

I'll also probably captain him. I've been lucky enough with Pope, so I don't want to push it any further. In fact, I've had 47 points from my keepers since I wildcarded in GW22. So that's paid off very nicely.

GW22: Sánchez 4

GW23: Pope 19

GW24: Pope 3

GW25: Sánchez 8

GW26: Pope 13

Average: 9.4

Anyway, with so many people free hitting this week it could be a difficult one for me. Especially if I end up with less than 11 players on the pitch. In fact, this is the issue facing me in GW28 too. If I use that week's free to do Pogba to Coutinho (who has a double of Southampton and Leeds) then I'll be set up perfectly for a bench boost. However, with two of those players being Cancelo and Laporte there's always the very real danger of rotation. Making the bench boost somewhat redundant.

Ideally Laporte to a double gameweek player would give a little security, but would that really be worth a minus 4 ? Doubtful. So I might just hit the bench boost and hope it really is my lucky season.

There's still GW27 before then though. So I better check the team news, then get Son in my side.

Overall Points: 1654

Overall Rank: 147,540

GW25: Time To Gamble ??

Another good week, and another solid-looking green arrow.

Gameweek Points: 69

Gameweek Rank: 839,900

Overall Rank: 201,354

Ronaldo came good in the end, so that pulled me over the line; though Fernandes scoring late in injury time dampened his effect. I'd have happily taken that at the start of the week however.

Maupay and Pogba also outperformed Calvert-Lewin and the injured Gray too, which was nice. Meaning my transfers didn't backfire the way I feared they might.

No Salah.

I'm now pondering the unthinkable ..going without Salah.

My original plan was to bring him in for a minus 4, along with a double gameweek striker. Taking out Ronaldo and Jota.

I really like the look of this team just the way it is though:

Leeds are awful defensively, so I like the idea of having Pogba and Ronaldo - even though both could potentially not start. They could be big differentials. They also have Watford in blank GW27. So if I just leave things as is I can use two free transfers in GW28 to bring in Salah and take them both out then.

I also like the idea of bringing in Cornet for Jota in GW27 as a potential captain option.

It is Salah though, and going without him in this gameweek of all weeks is a massive, massive gamble.

It could destroy my season.

Overall Points: 1512

Overall Rank: 201,354

GW24 Review: Steady As She Goes

Decent week, no complaints.

Gameweek Points: 72

Gameweek Rank: 1,358,480

Overall Rank: 229,131

The safety captaincy of Cancelo sort of paid off and sort of didn't. Personally I was quite pleased - it seemed sensible to take the almost guaranteed clean sheet, so it felt vindicated in a way. However, I can't really claim victory when both Jota and Bowen outscored him.

It was good to get captain points either way though.

I'm now fully focused on the weeks ahead. Especially so this week ..and I'm just about to make my transfers. I should really wait until the morning, but that would mean setting my alarm clock, so I'll just hit fire now.

I'm bringing in Pogba and Maupay for Gray and Calvert-Lewin. I don't feel great taking Calvert-Lewin out before Leeds, bit it's the only way I can free up the cash to get Pogba. Plus, ideally I'd rather not have Everton players in place by GW27 as they face City - conversely Maupay and Pogba will have decent fixtures that week.

It does mean I'll be forced into a minus 4 next gameweek when I get Salah back however (I'll be downgrading Ronaldo to Weghorst most likely). Hopefully all these extra games I'm getting will win that back though.

Overall Points: 1443

Overall Rank: 229,131

GW23 Review: Finally Over

Wow, that gameweek dragged ..and I had a decent week. I can't imagine what it must have been like for most other people.

Gameweek Points: 46

Gameweek Rank: 1,140,686

Overall Rank: 239,637

Obviously I'm feeling really smug because I brought Pope in on last week's wildcard. 19 points was extremely lucky, I would've been over the moon had I got just 8 or 9 from the two games. So I can't claim too much credit. Though saying that, had Konsa not been flagged I would've switched Emerson Royal to Digne and hit the bench boost - that would've grabbed me another 25 points. So in a way the luck equalled out.

I feel the wildcard in GW22 was a good move, and the bench boost plan; though it didn't quite come to pass (especially with the Villa double failing to materialise), was a fairly solid idea.

It's set me up fairly solid going forward too. I now have Sanchez in goal for Brighton's double in GW25. Another 19 points isn't likely, but the extra game is a nice little bonus.

My plans..

As things currently stand I've got a fairly good view of what I'm going to do going forward (though as ever: things are subject to change).

GW24: Bring in Laporte for Emerson Royal; captain Cancelo.

GW25: Bring in Maupay for Dennis; captain Ronaldo.

GW26: Bring back Dennis (or some other forward with a GW26 double) along with Salah, taking out Jota and Ronaldo. Triple captain Salah.

GW27: Salah to Fernandes. No Free Hit - I should have 12 players fingers-crossed.

GW28: Salah back.

GW29: (no idea).

GW30: Free Hit.

No doubt further announcements about rearranged fixtures will jazz all this up a bit. However, even so, I think I'm happy just to roll with things now. You can't have the perfect team every week. Hopefully I should have a fairly decent double GW26 team - three Liverpool players with doubles, along with Pope, Dennis (?) and Raphinha. So that's fairly settled.

Likewise I'll almost certainly be free hitting in GW30. So that makes planning a little more easier too.

Lord knows when I'll actually use the bench boost though.

Overall Points: 1371

Overall Rank: 239,637