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Monday Maverick Musings…

If you listen carefully, you can very faintly hear two distinct sounds; the long and drawn-out defrosting of Mariah Carey ahead of the word we all mustn’t mention yet, and Fantasy Premier League managers frantically tinkering with their teams ahead of the ever-looming deadline on Friday.

While we’ve all had a substantial part of the summer to organise our teams and take stock of the season ahead, many of us, myself included, have still not settled on a team. Part of that is down to the solid job FPL Towers have done in pricing players this year. However, the primary reason is that we’re all addicted to this game like a wasp is to a freshly poured Fruit Cider an can’t pick up our phones without making at least three transfers. If you’re not one of these people, I salute you. And also beg you to help all of us be like you.

With the season starting on Friday, I thought I’d pen my thoughts on the current state of play with my team, my deliberations still, and why in my infinite wisdom I’m not picking Semenyo ever again. Okay, I may not explain that last one but if you owned him for a very specific part of last season like I did, you’ll know why the Vietnam-style flashbacks mean I won’t be touching him with a ten-foot bargepole.

Goalkeepers

I feel like I’ve swapped out my goalkeepers more frequently than my defenders if I’m honest. Traditionally, I’ve tended to start the season with two £4.5m goalkeepers, primarily because I’m a sadomasochist and like looking at benched clean sheets while I’m sitting there with a zero-pointer on my pitch.

While I’ve been severely tempted to pick Sels as my set and forget, I want a Forest defender and don’t want the double-up. So, it’s looking like Verbruggen and Petrovic for me, as they rotate fairly well (for the most part).

Defenders

When pre-season started and the game launched, my eyes widened. ‘Maybe this year is the year Big at the Back can be viable?’ I said to myself. Oh, the follies of youth.

As we get closer to the deadline, and the more expensive players shed clean sheets like a mother with an incontinent baby, I’m increasingly tempted to cut my expenditure here significantly. To put it into context, I’ve gone from having Van Dijk, Cucurella and Williams, to just Cucurella. I have replaced Williams with Murillo though (he’s a favourite of mine).

While Ait-Nouri could be a hugely promising pick for the community, there is just too much risk associated with that Manchester City defence right now. I’m not confident they will keep too many clean sheets, especially with Rodri out of action for a while, and his minutes aren’t assured enough for me to pick him.

Likewise with the Liverpool full-backs. With the signings they have made, I expect them to be more open to counter attacks and an ageing Van Dijk just isn’t capable of reaching the incredible defensive heights he once did (he’s still a great defender, so don’t come at me Liverpool fans). I’m also not confident Kerkez and Frimpong will both start the majority of matches. It’s a long season, and both Robertson and Bradley are solid replacements for Slot to choose from.

Arsenal’s defence, while strong, are up against a tough fixture list to start with and I don’t know if you want to have someone like Gabriel just for the Leeds game when there are initially better choices in other teams.

The rest of my defence are two £4.5m players, and Ekdal from Burnley. I don’t want Esteve as he’s so highly owned that he’ll likely drop in price to £3.9m if Burnley don’t keep clean sheets (which I don’t expect them to).

My two £4.5m defenders are the only two I think I’m left to lock in. Having said that, I think Van de Ven is fairly nailed for me, so then it’s just deciding between Richards and Dorgu. I hate owning Manchester United defenders, but that Burnley game in Gameweek Four is tempting. One for the final day decisions I suspect.

Midfielders

While I understand the temptation to avoid Salah, especially after his poor showing against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield, it’s too much of a risk (even for me). I actually think the inclusion of Wirtz and Frimpong will help him move further inside and he was taking up some promising positions in that match. Also, if he does start the season badly, you can downgrade from him to literally anyone else (and even use him as a makeweight for Haaland in Gameweek Six.

Palmer’s come back into my team, and most others, like a long-lost son has returned to the family home after years of being away and previous misdemeanours forgotten about. While it’s very easy to remember his horrendous second half to last season, he’s showed glimpses of his former self in recent matches, so the hope is he links well with Chelsea’s one thousand new wingers and strikers.

The rest of the midfield is pretty much a shambles. It changes more times than a Big Show heel/face turn (if you know, you know). Saka’s currently in there, but it’s hard to decide between him and Gyokeres for Arsenal cover. I’ll probably pick Saka given his assured starts but boy is it tempting to pick the Swede so that I can post irritating emojis and gifs every time he scores.

I was burned by Wirtz during the last Euros Fantasy, when he did very little for me, so it’s perhaps mental scarring that prevents me from bringing him in. I also do wonder if the weight of his transfer fee will weigh heavy on his shoulders if he doesn’t get any assists or goals in the first few? He has looked sharp, don’t get me wrong, but he’s such a popular pick in Twitter circles that I’m not picking him almost purely out of spite. I await that to bite me on the proverbial.

Reijnders has appeared way ahead of the winter, even beating the aforementioned Mariah, and at £5.5m, he could be an absolute steal if he gets starts – which Pep seemed to suggest he would. I certainly like him more than the content creator’s favourite of Anderson. I understand the appeal but I can’t bring myself to bring him in personally.

The rest of the Manchester City midfield, while they interest me, are just too shrouded in mystery right now. I’d love to punt for someone like Cherki at £6.5m, but I can’t guarantee he’ll start. Foden could be an option at £8m but will he just be a replica of himself from last season?

I understand the online clamouring for Kudus given his price and Tottenham’s early fixtures but there’s something about him that puts me off. He seemed patchy last season, albeit for an out-of-form West Ham side, and the potential signing of Savinho does add some question marks around his playing time.

Paqueta at £6m has teased me, especially with him playing as the 10 behind Bowen and Fullkrug. Unfortunately, because there are cheaper options equally likely to grab occasional decent hauls, sadly I don’t think I can fit him in.

The rest of the cheap midfielders are hard to separate. Dewsbury-Hall could be a gem at £5m but if the Toffees sign Grealish, you have to wonder if he’s going to miss out to compensate for McNeil, Grealish and Ndiaye. Likewise, Le Fee and Xhaka could be great shouts for the same price but bear in mind, they do play for a promoted side so they’re maybe ones to watch.

I do, however, like the potential of Josh King at Fulham (no, not that former English striker ;-)). At £4.5m, he could be an absolute bargain if he continues playing like he has been in pre-season.

Forwards

Boy oh boy, have I struggled with the forwards this year. When the prices were revealed, I said very early that I didn’t like many of them and could see more value in the midfield.

Since then, I’ve had a front three of Gyokeres, Haaland and Joao Pedro (not currently I might add, I haven’t hacked the game). It’s so hard to know what to do because I normally have a good vibe over who’s going to perform well and who won’t, when it comes to the strikers.

Haaland is obviously Haaland and if I don’t own him for Gameweek One, I’ll most likely own him by Gameweek Six when he plays Burnley at home. I fully expect Gyokeres to have a brilliant season and I really want to own him for Leeds in Gameweek Two but can’t guarantee his minutes, especially with Havertz looking sharp in pre-season and Saka being more nailed in addition to the extra point for a goal and potential clean sheet points.

Watkins, who’s in my current lineup especially given Rogers is a doubt, is on such good form in pre-season and cannot be ignored.

Ekitike looked dangerous in the Community Shield and scored a lovely goal, but his minutes will surely be under threat if the Isak move does go through.

Bowen is a wonderful player, and someone who helped me get one of my best ranks several seasons ago, but his positional change in FPL and price of £8m puts him out of reach for me, sadly.

While Joao Pedro will be a popular pick, and I totally get why, I don’t want him and Palmer and in all honesty, not owning Palmer scares me more than not owning Joao Pedro.

That leaves the £7m strikers and under, and here’s where it gets tricky. There aren’t that many I like. Evanilson was a favourite of mine (I didn’t own him much but did praise him on here – I should have taken my own advice) but I do wonder how they will fare with half their starting 11 having left for pastures new.

Strand Larsen was a solid pick last season but I think he remains a wait and see. Welbeck has decent fixtures but his age and fitness makes me hesitant to pick him unfortunately.

That leaves me with Fullkrug and Thiago as potential options. I like the West Ham man, and he’s currently in my team and there is a hope that he can continue the form of pre-season. With Wilson waiting in the wings though, will he keep playing if results don’t go West Ham’s way?

Thiago I don’t really know a lot about but people seem to think he’ll be on penalties which increases his appeal. I do fear that Brentford will try to be a very defensive team under Andrews though (please tell me if I’m wrong if any Brentford fans are reading this) so I’m not sure whether the bees will be buzzing this season.

Piroe at £5.5m could be an option as I don’t mind Leeds fixtures after the Arsenal game but they could bring someone else in before the transfer window closes so that puts me off a little.

Guiu at £4.5m is tempting if the rumours about Chelsea’s clause in his loan deal turn out to be true. But I also fear he’ll quickly drop to £4.4m if he doesn’t get game time.

Closing thoughts

So there you have it. Just four days to go until the deadline and I’m still as confused as ever. I hoped penning all my thoughts would help clear my mind and show me the way forward, but alas not. However, I’ll at least take solace if you enjoyed reading this ramble! If you did get this far, make sure to reply to my Twitter or Bluesky post with the phase ‘Purple Monkey Dishwasher’. (Again, if you know, you’ll know).

Monday Musings: Gameweek 1

Posted on August 8, 2022 by FPLMaverick

Now that the very first Gameweek is over, we can start to think about our plans moving forward for Gameweek 2 and beyond. So let’s take a look at the stand-out performers from Gameweek 1 and those that flattered to deceive.

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal

The opening match of the season saw Arsenal take on Crystal Palace looking for revenge after last season and they got it thanks to goals from Martinelli and a Guehi OG.

Zaha and Eze looked like their usual selves, threatening at times and ones to watch once Palace’s fixtures ease. Eze really should have scored his one-on-one with Ramsdale but it bodes well he got into that position in the first place.

Martinelli was the star of the show for the Gunners and should really have scored another. The well owned Jesus looked bright and was unlucky not to score before Martinelli’s scuffed rebound effort. I certainly wouldn’t be considering moving out Jesus even though he blanked.

Defensively, Arsenal looked solid and if Saliba continues to start, he’s incredible value at £4.5m. Zinchenko was outstanding and a great prospect at £5.1m if he continues to play even once Tierney is back. Ramsdale too looked solid and a good option for your solo playing goalkeeper.

Fulham vs Liverpool

A highly entertaining game and a great season-opener for Fulham. An outstanding performance from the team, spearheaded by Mitrovic, who absolutely bullied Trent Alexander Arnold and Virgil Van Dijk. Maybe this is finally the season he showed his quality in the Premier League?

Likewise, his team-mate and former United midfielder, Pereira, shone in midfield and his set piece delivery was very good. An absolute bargain for £4.5m, although we already knew that.

Salah did what he does a fair amount of time; fairly quiet for a chunk of the game but then suddenly turned up and got a goal and an assist. His attacking team-mate Diaz was bright at times but faded.

Nunez changed the game when he came on. When he’s fully match fit, he could be a very good option. Defensively, this wasn’t one of Liverpool’s strongest games and even the usual reliables of TAA and Robertson weren’t on their games. Unlikely that will continue though.

Bournemouth vs Aston Villa

Not the greatest of games to watch and the quality on show wasn’t exactly to the highest standards.

Tavernier was probably the main highlight for Bournemouth. Looked very bright and created three chances. Was on set pieces too. Will be one to watch.

Aston Villa were very poor. Nobody particularly stood out although Ings put in a shift and at least tried to trouble the goalkeeper at times. Bailey very poor also.

Surely they will improve but a team to perhaps ignore currently as their fixtures turn soon. If you’ve got Bailey, keep him but it would certainly be a case of don’t buy, don’t sell at the moment.

Leeds vs Wolves

A hugely entertaing game, one of the best on Saturday. As expected, Aaronsson was great to watch and will create chances for Bamford for fun. Rodrigo also looked bright and threatening.

Harrison created seven chances! At £6m, he could be a steal if he keeps that level of creativity up. Bamford could easily have had a goal to add to his assist.

Neto looked very dangerous and perhaps once he’s removed a little bit of rust, he’ll be a great option for his price. Podence took his goal well but was outshone by Neto. Hwang played up front in Jiminez’s stead. Looked bright at times. Not bad value for an OOP at £6m.

Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest

Forest didn’t offer a lot going forward but it’s hard to know whether that’s because they were that bad or Newcastle were that good. Will need more time to judge them.

Neco Williams was quite attacking. A couple of bright moves from Forest but not a lot to discuss in reality.

Bruno looks like he might be mainly playing as a deep lying playmaker. Will create chances but might not score too many.

Joelinton looked very bright and had three touches in the box and one shot in the box.

Tottenham vs Southampton

Not a lot to smile about for Saints. Djenepo showed flashes of quality but not enough for anyone to bring him in at the moment.

Kulusevski looked outstanding but how nailed is he now that Richarlison is back?
Son was his usual self, looking very bright and dangerous whenever on the ball.

Sessegnon was bright but when will he lose his place to Perisic. Likewise Emerson Royal will surely be benched for Doherty sooner rather than later.

Everton vs Chelsea

Sorry, there are no player reports for this match, I fell asleep. Man, was this game dull. For Everton, there wasn’t anyone particularly to talk about in much detail. They tried hard and put a shift in but nobody shone really. They badly need a striker.

Patterson played which bodes well for his owners though. Gordon showed touches of class but he needs a lot of help and Everton would be a hard pass for the time being.

As for Chelsea, it was a very lacklustre performance. Sterling showed occasional moments of quality but wasn’t helped by the poor players around him. Mount certainly would have disappointed his owners (me included) and Havertz was similarly poor.

James was solid but had to move into the centre back positions after the injury to Koulibaly so that negatively impacted his attacking output after that. I wouldn’t recommend buying any Chelsea players just yet, especially with Spurs up next.

Leicester vs Brentford

In the battle of the £4m keepers, it was Ward who got the nod and he was very close to a clean sheet until Brentford’s late flurry. Castagne was surprisingly up for a corner and scored a great header. Could be a good bargain if that attacking nature continues.

Maddison got another assist but be warned that he might not be a Leicester player for much longer. Dewsbury-Hall scored a cracker and is very good value for £5m if he continues to start. Age seems to be catching up with Vardy a little; he didn’t look bad by any stretch but his minutes may well be managed/reduced.

Manchester United vs Brighton

Not a great display for United’s defensive options. Martinez had a debut to forget and his defensive team-mates didn’t fare much better. Once Ten Haag has had a few weeks to settle, Dalot and perhaps Shaw could be decent cheap prospects but avoid for now. Especially with their upcoming fixtures. Possible wildcard options though.

Offensively, they didn’t fare much better. Rashford probably should have scored but certainly showed some rustiness at times. Sancho fared slightly better, creating two chances. But the cream of the relatively poor crop was the surprisingly starting Eriksen, creating three chances and attempting three shots too. Could be a value option in a few weeks if he keeps starting.

As for Brighton, Gross shone. Aside from his goals, he looked dangerous throughout the game. Welbeck too looked threatening and might make it hard for Undav to start regularly. Trossard looked lively on the wing.

All could be very promising options for the Seagulls given their relatively easy start to the season fixture wise.

West Ham vs Manchester City

The star of the show was inevitably Haaland but I’ll come to him later. West Ham started brightly but once City got control they never looked back.

Bowen showed glimpses of his ability but didn’t get much time on the ball and neither did his other creative counterparts. The player I want to keep an eye on is Scamacca, someone who comes with a goal scoring pedigree from overseas.

Haaland was the player we all expected him to be. He could easily have had a hat-trick and it’s hardly surprising that he’s already had a price rise due to Kane owners bringing him in.

Will be the very popular captain choice for Bournemouth at home in Gameweek 2 and if you don’t own him, I’d advise you change that rapidly. Elsewhere, Grealish struggled and Foden looked lively. Mahrez being benched was a surprise. Cancelo did what Cancelo does. A bonus points magnet and could easily have had more points than he got.

Key Players To Consider

Posted on August 5, 2022 by FPLMaverick

With the season starting later this evening, FPL managers are still frantically trying to sort their 15 man squads out for the season ahead (well, 8-10 weeks until we all wildcard again anyway). So I’m going to try and help by noting down my top two picks for each team, plus honorable mentions that are a little more differential.

Arsenal

Jesus – It is an obvious pick to start off here given he’s owned by 70% of the game but Gabriel Jesus offers incredible value at £8m and has been on fire during pre-season. He’s added something extra to the Arsenal attack, not only with his pressing but also with his movement, so he’s an absolute cert in my team and should certainly be one you consider.

Saka – Following a fantastic season last year, the young Englishman will look to continue and improve on that this term. At just £8m, he’s a great option in midfield and would already be in most of our teams if his Brazilian team-mate wasn’t the same price. Could be on penalties, so worth keeping an eye on.

Honourable mention – Odegaard. One to watch this season. Is already linking up incredibly well with Jesus and has been getting more involved in and around the penalty area in pre-season, taking more shots than he was looking to do last season. Will be in most teams at one point or another this season, I’m certain of that, especially at just £6.5m.

Aston Villa

Watkins – The young Englishman had a decent 21/22 and I expect him to continue that this season too. His underlying stats were pretty decent and has a promising first three games of the season. Following that, his fixtures turn nasty but once that run is over and his fixtures turn again, he could be a very good option given that he’s £7.5m and should play most games,

Cash – At £5m, he could be a very good price if Aston Villa can tighten up at the back (which could be a possibility with the signing of Diego Carlos). His marauding runs forward will certainly continue this season and could be a better alternative to Trippier, who is the same price.

Honourable mention – Bailey. Has looked very threatening during pre-season and has started the majority of games. Surely will have impressed Gerrard now that he’s fully fit following his injury so must be in with a shout of playing more often than not. At £5m, he’s a steal if he keeps his spot.

Bournemouth

Solanke – Absolutely smashed it in the Championship last season and while I don’t expect him to hit anywhere near those heights in the Premier League, he does know where the goal is. He won’t score many but he’s probably the best option for the Cherries. You’d probably have to be a little desperate to bring him in, unless it’s a blank gameweek or they double, but he might surprise me.

Stanislas – Proven in the Premier League unlike his aforementioned team-mate. While I’m highly unlikely to go anywhere near the Bournemouth team this season, Junior Stanislas at least will play more often than not and will pick up the occasional goal or assist.

Honourable mention – Anthony. He was one of Bournemouth’s most creative players in the Championship last season and if he gets regular starts, he’d be very good value at £5.5m.

Brentford

Toney – Again, a highly obvious pick but I still think he’s a good option for this season. I was hesitant to pick him given that Eriksen has left for pastures new but he played well at the start of the season when the Dane wasn’t at the club so there’s no reason why he can’t do the same again. Especially with the busy Mbuemo and Wissa alongside him.

Wissa – I really rate Wissa. He came on strong towards the middle and end of last season and deserves to be starting this season. Very reasonably priced at £5.5m too and I think I would prefer him over Mbuemo if I had to have one of them. Brentford’s fixtures are reasonable at the start of the season before we all wildcard so there are worse picks than him.

Honourable mention – Damsgaard. Brentford are being linked with the Dane, who did very well at last year’s Euros. Has certainly peaked my interest, so will be one to watch if the transfer is completed. Would make Toney and the other attacking players more appealing too.

Brighton

Trossard – I expect the winger to have another good season following his strong finish to the end of 21/22. He’s very reasonably priced at £6.5m and with the addition of Undav, he might finally have someone to put away the chances he creates or indeed set him for his own attempts too.

Undav – Brighton’s main signing is certainly one on my watchlist especially from Gameweek 2 onwards. He comes with a very strong pedigree from his time in Belgium, scoring 35 goals from 51 appearances. While it might not be the strongest league, he obviously knows where the goal is.

Honourable mention – Lamptey. If fit, he is a very good option. Highly likely to pick up the occasional assist and normally does well with bonus points too. For £4.5m, he’s great value for a player that you’re not always going to play but will expect reasonable points when you do.

Chelsea

Mount – The Englishman is currently in my team and is not looking particularly likely to leave any time soon (unless I chicken out and somehow get Son/Kane in). He had an excellent season last year and he’s well equipped to do it again. He’s on set pieces and will be expecting to hit at least 10 goals again this season. A great option.

Sterling – He’ll be looking to prove people wrong and show exactly what he’s capable of. While he left City on good terms, he’ll be keen to show Pep what he let go. Decent early fixtures for Chelsea mean he’s an exceptional differential, even if he’s at the difficult price of £10m.

Honourable mention – Cucurella. While it’s not announced as of writing, it seems like the move will be confirmed soon. If so, he’ll be a great option at just £5m in that Chelsea defence. He showed his qualities at Brighton and those will only improve amongst the talent at Stamford Bridge.

Crystal Palace

Eze – I’m expecting big things from Eze this season. He looked so good in fits and starts last season and with another season under his belt he could be a great differential. He’s very fairly priced and once Crystal Palace get the first couple of games out of the way, their fixtures are pretty good.

Zaha – The Ivorian has looked so good in pre-season and is one of the most in-form players. He’ll still be on some set pieces and is the Eagles’ key player. While their start isn’t great, he could well be a great option a few weeks into the season.

Honourable mention – Olise. Yet another talented winger at the club and one that could be held back by rotation risks. But he showed his class like season and will be one to watch. If he becomes a regular starter, he could be a very good cheap option for your midfield when Neto’s fixtures turn.

Everton

DCL – While the unlucky Englishman is currently suffering with an injury/slight knock, he will make for a great option if he gets back to the form that he showed in the 20/21 season. He knows where the goal is and is well-equipped to bag at least 10-15 goals this season if he can get the service.

Mykolenko – If Everton continue to play with two wing-backs, the Ukranian may well turn into an excellent option. He was playing well in that position towards the end of last season and was only beaten by four other defenders for attempts on goal.

Honourable mention – Iwobi. He’s incredibly flexible in regards to his positioning and Lampard seems to like him. He performed well when the Toffees needed him to last season and was a pivotal reason for them staying up. He’s certainly a talented player but never really shown in for long periods. Maybe this is the season?

Fulham

Mitrovic – It goes without saying; anyone that scores the amount of goals he did last season deserves to be considered for our teams. We’ve all been burned by him before but let’s not kid ourselves, we’ll probably pick him again at some point, right? The team seems to be built around him so he could be a worthwhile pick when their fixtures improve.

Wilson – Another player that has played in the Premier League before but never really been given the chance to shine. Offering great delivery from set pieces and has an eye for goal. Might be worth a punt at some point – I’m certainly considering him as someone to be added to my watchlist.

Honourable mention – Pereira. He’s an obvious pick given how cheap he is and how well he’s owned but there’s a reason for that. He’s been taking corners in pre-season and has already registered some assists. Plus, he’s playing as a 10 and he’s only £4.5m!

Leeds

Bamford – The Englishman is currently in my team and may well stay there by the deadline. He’s looked good and fresh in pre-season and while Leeds have lost Raphinha, they’ve bought sensibly and players like Aaronson will be looking to provide Bamford with plenty of assists. If he can stay fit (that’s a big if), he could be an absolute steal and a true maverick pick!

Aaronson – I’ve already mentioned him but Aaronson looks to be a very talented player and has impressed massively in pre-season. Plenty of assists and looks really sharp. If he takes to the Premier League quickly, he could offer great value.

Honourable mention – Rodrigo. Priced at just £6m and now classed as a midfielder, Rodrigo is another that has serious potential to be a great differential. Again, he’s looked fresh and confident in pre-season and has it in him to be in and amongst the goals at Elland Road this season.

Leicester

Vardy – He’s always a decent option in FPL and I don’t see that changing this season. While I don’t think that Leicester are going to have a good season, if you ever needed to pick someone from the Foxes, you could do much worse than Vardy. Plus, he’ll need to score goals to get the goals bonus to pay the legal fees for his wife!

Barnes – It was a toss up between him and Maddison for the second spot but with the rumours about the ex-Norwich man heading to Tyneside, I’ve plumped for Barnes. A very talented player who can score bucket loads of FPL points if he stays fit. Takes plenty of shots but isn’t selfish and lays off chances for team-mates too.

Honourable mention – Daka. While Vardy will play most games, Daka will get plenty of minutes, especially given the five subs. He showed his potential last season and he’ll be given more chances to show it this year. A talented and pacey finisher who is priced affordably.

Liverpool

Salah – Do I even need to write anything else? The best ever FPL player and will be up there for most points again this season. If you don’t have him, I fear you will regret it, regardless of who you can afford without him.

Robertson – While I’ve got Trent in my team, mainly due to FOMO, I really believe that the Scot could outscore his English team-mate this season. Just as threatening as Trent in his delivery and actually gets into the box a little more. If you ended up plumping for him over Trent, I think the difference in points between the two will be marginal, in either direction so even if you make the wrong decision in hindsight, you’re not likely to be punished too heavily.

Honourable mention – Nunez. The new signing has had a mixed pre-season but will have taken confidence from his goal in the Community Shield against Man City. Looked threatening and will get plenty of chances in that Liverpool team. A decent forward option at £9m.

Manchester United

Fernandes – Flattered to deceive last season but I have a feeling that he’ll be back to his best again this time around. Especially if Ronaldo leaves. He has the talent and the pedigree so could be a very differential option, although his price point is challenging. One to watch though.

Sancho – I’m expecting him to have a much better season in 22/23. He showed his talent and his potential towards the end of last season and if he can continue to improve, he’ll end up in many people’s teams at one point or another at just £7.5m.

Honourable mention – Martial. A huge punt but it could pay off if Ronaldo does leave, as you’d assume the Frenchman would be played up front. Very reasonably priced at just £7m. A true wait-and-see.

Manchester City

KDB – The Belgian finished the season incredibly and has already looked very threatening in pre-season too. With the arrival of Haaland, he’s now got a strong focal point to aim for so I expect him to be City’s highest scoring player in FPL yet again. While I expect Haaland to do well, I don’t think he’ll be either the top, or second-highest FPL point scorer for City.

Cancelo – Actually underperformed last season according to his underlying stats if you can believe it. So if he plays to his potential, he could score even higher this season. An absolute certainty in any FPL player’s team and will be tasked with crossing more for Haaland too, increasing his assist potential.

Honourable mention – Foden. I fully expect him to have an incredible season and will definitely be in my team at one point or another. I was tempted to put Alvarez in this spot but I’m not certain he’ll start many PL games in his first season in England.

Newcastle

Wilson – If he stays fit, which arguably is a massive if, Wilson could well have a cracking season. Playing for a much-improved Newcastle side, he’ll be given plenty of chances to score and has the pedigree to do just that. Showed it in glimpses last season too.

Trippier – Another player that needs to stay fit as long as possible. On set-pieces and is playing in a defence that will be much-improved, especially with the signings of Pope and Botman. Will get the odd goal and is great value at just £5m. Decent initial fixtures too.

Honourable mention – Maddison. He might not be there yet but there are strong rumours about him leaving the King Power for St James’ Park and if he does, he’ll be an excellent option for FPL players eyeing up Magpies players.

Nottingham Forest

Awoniyi – Scored 21 goals in the Bundesliga last season so certainly has the pedigree. Whether he’ll be able to do the same for Nottingham Forest upon their return to the Premier League remains to be seen but he’s decent value at £6m.

Johnson – The exciting winger looks a promising option and is priced the same as his aforementioned team-mate. Did well in the Championship and if he takes the step-up well, could be a good option for FPL players wanting differentials.

Honourable mention – Williams. The ex-Liverpool full-back is priced at just £4m and is highly likely to play. Looks threatening going forward so has the potential to get occasional assists. A good and cost effective option at just £4m.

Southampton

Ward-Prowse – A fairly boring pick and not someone I’ll probably ever go with but he regularly and consistently scores FPL points making him good value. On set-pieces and will score the occasional goal from a free-kick. I expect Southampton to struggle this season but if you want a Saint, he’d be the one to go with.

Walker-Peters – The attacking full-back will look to continue his decent form from last season. I don’t expect him to keep many clean sheets in that team but he has the potential to score occasional assists and maybe the odd goal. It’s a stretch but he’d be my second pick from the Saints.

Honourable mention – Lavia. The young Belgian arrives from City and has looked promising in pre-season. Very reasonably priced and could be worth a punt if and when they have a good fixture run.

Tottenham

Kane – He finished the season so strongly and has been in incredible form in pre-season. In a Spurs side that has bought well in the transfer window, he’ll be the main focal point of the attack and will score heavily once again.

Son – It’s hard to look at Spurs and not just pick the two best players so Son also makes the list. It’s a shame he’s £12m but I totally understand why. He had a great 21/22 and I fully expect him to hit those heights again this season.

Honourable mention – Romero. Very reasonably priced at £5m and looked good in the underlying stats towards the end of last season. I fully expect Spurs to keep plenty of clean sheets this season and he should play more often than other more exciting picks like Perisic and Doherty.

West Ham

Bowen – They don’t have the greatest of opening fixtures but once that’s over and done with, he could be a great option, even at £8.5m. I expect him to do very well again this season, perhaps not as well as last year but still someone with strong potential for points.

Fornals – Bowen’s midfield colleague, Fornals, is another good value option if you want a differential and much cheaper alternative to the Englishman. On some set-pieces and looked threatening at times last season. Has the potential to score decently for his price.

Honourable mention – Scamacca. The new signing has a good pedigree of scoring goals and will look to take the load off Antonio’s shoulders. Might take some time to settle into the Premier League but will be worth keeping an eye on.

Wolves

Neto – Yes, I know. He’s incredibly template but that is for a reason! He looked to be back to his best once he’d fully recovered from his injury and Wolves have some great fixtures to start. Potentially incredible value at just £5.5m.

Jiminez – Currently injured so certainly not one for an immediate transfer but he’s got the proven Premier League pedigree. Knows where the goal is and could easily reach 10-15 goals this season. Wait for him to get fully fit and then consider him if their fixtures are strong.

Honourable mention – Jonny. While I’m not certain how many clean sheets Wolves will get, I expect Jonny to get a few attacking returns if he can stay fit for long periods. Has proven it in the past and this season could be no different.

What to do with Kane and Son?

Posted on November 19, 2021 by FPLMaverick

If you’re like me, it will be very tempting to bring in either Harry Kane or Son Heung-min for the next few gameweeks. Not only do they have incredibly promising fixtures, but with a new manager (who in my opinion is one of the top three managers in the world), the omens for strong FPL points are good. However, is it as cut and dried as we all think?

Despite the fact that both aforementioned players are incredibly talented, something has seemed off with Spurs all season and even the introduction of Antonio Conte hasn’t encouraged an upturn in form, especially in the dour performance against Everton in Gameweek 11. Should we really have our heads turned by good fixtures? Will the signing of Conte really improve Kane’s mood following his failed move to Man City in the summer? Or will performances improve once Conte’s had a few decent weeks of training with the team?

Now more than ever, it really is the dilemma of fixtures over form. But, if like me, you’re tempted to ignore the warning signs and sign one of the two (let’s not forget the fact that they are two of the best players in the league), which one should you go for?

Son Heung-min

The South Korean probably has the more ticks in the ‘For’ column compared to Kane; he’s classed as a midfielder, so will score an additional point for a goal and another point for a clean sheet, he’s on better form (in the league) and isn’t desperately looking to leave (as far as I’m aware!!). Also, from an eye-test perspective, he’s generally looked better than Kane all season.

Unlike Kane, he is also well-equipped to produce something out of nothing and doesn’t necessarily need his team-mates to create chances for him. This is especially pertinent given the fact that Spurs’ midfield creativity is currently almost non-existent.

You could also suggest that Son is highly unlikely to need a manager like Conte to perform. You could probably have any manager in charge of Tottenham and Son would still perform to the same high level we all know he can produce week in, week out. Of course, having a manager like Conte could well bring out even more from him so once they’ve had a few weeks to gel together, performances and results could improve even more.

The most obvious difference and advantage in Son’s column is the fact that he’s 1.9m cheaper than the English captain. So if money is tight for you, it might be easier for you to bring in the South Korean.

Harry Kane

Put simply, it’s Harry Kane! We all know just how bad he’s been in the league this season, but surely his form is going to change at some point, right? He’s too good to be this bad all season, regardless of his mental state. He showed for England in the International Break that he knows where the net is (albeit against fairly week opposition), so can that reboot his season?

Regardless of who the manager is, Harry Kane is well equipped to score in almost every league match. He’s proven it time and time again and if people can create chances for him, he will put them in the net. He’s also more likely to haul huge points in one game, so could be a differential captain choice, especially given his fixtures in the next few are incredibly promising. We can’t captain Salah all the time, right? Right?!

Talking of the manager, Conte was quoted as saying in the summer that if he was England manager, he’d be making sure that Kane stayed in the box and didn’t drift back into the middle third. So if Conte can find some way of creating chances and increasing productivity in the central midfield of Tottenham, Kane will be able to stay further forward, thereby making him a much better FPL option moving forward.

He’s also so lowly owned across the entire FPL game that even just having him could be a differential. Plus, in a few weeks, you could always transfer him out for Lukaku, once Chelsea’s fixtures swing a little. Are you willing to take the risk?

Who to pick?

Unfortunately, who you should pick, if either of them, is entirely down to you, your financial situation and how your team is looking right now. They are both great options (on paper) so it really does depend on how brave you want to be and where you have space in your team.

If you are happy to have a 4.5m non-playing striker in your team, then perhaps adding Son as a fifth midfielder is your better option. While you might not necessarily want to captain him over Salah, if you really want a decent differential captain option, he wouldn’t be the worst pick. Plus, let’s be honest, how many premium strikers are performing well right now? So is it the worst idea to reduce funds up front to improve your midfield with the South Korean?

The one caveat I would add the above suggestion is that we’re going to have 10 gameweeks in the next six weeks so it might be a better option to have a team of 15 regular and proven starters with random benchings and injuries highly likely in the coming weeks and over the Christmas period. Of course, if you’ve got additional funds and can have a third striker like Dennis at 5.2m that does actually play minutes each week, go for it!

If like me, you prefer to have three playing strikers and a 4.5m midfielder that you can rely on to get 2 points each week, Harry Kane might be your answer. Most of us are likely to have Vardy, given many of us brought him in for Lukaku when the Belgian got injured, so financially you won’t have to find a huge amount of money to upgrade him to Kane.

Given the amount of premium defenders we all have now, plus likely Livramento, it wouldn’t be the worst idea to reduce one other defender to someone at 4m, like Johnson. That could well give you the funds to bring in Kane for Vardy without having to reduce one of your high-scoring cheap midfielders. Plus, then you will have more flexibility in terms of playing 4 or 5 at the back if your defenders have better fixtures than your other two cheaper strikers.

Ultimately, the decision lays with you. Hopefully, I’ve helped to put everything into context for you and helped balance your decision a little more. Of course, you could choose to pick neither of them and that’s absolutely fine too! In many respects, that might actually work out better than falling for the fixtures over form and picking one of the Spurs assets. Time will tell!

For those of you that have actually read the whole article, I’ll share something with you; I’m considering doing Vardy to Kane and Azpi to Johnson to give me the funds needed. A future move will then be Tierney out for James and Jimenez or Toney down to a cheaper striker like Eduoard, Benteke or Armstrong.

Whatever you decide, good luck for Gameweek 12! Thanks for reading!

Gameweek 11 Preview

Posted on November 4, 2021 by FPLMaverick

With the chaotic Gameweek 10 still fresh in the memory, it’s time to look forward (with all fingers and toes crossed) to Gameweek 11 and forget about what was a pretty rough week for many an FPL manager, myself included.

Southampton vs Aston Villa

The opening match of the gameweek falls later on this evening and takes us to St Mary’s as Southampton take on the misfiring Villans. I’d be tempted to just say ‘play Livramento’ and leave it at that but that wouldn’t be much of a preview now would it!? It’s getting progressively harder and harder to bench the young Englishman, so do so at your peril. Aside from Tino, the Saints have a few players that are starting to hit some form or look like potential ‘maverick’ candidates for the coming weeks.

For Villa, there aren’t too many options pushing themselves to the front of the queue and demanding we pick them. However, keep an eye on Ollie Watkins. His underlying stats for the last few matches are fairly strong and ranks fairly well for touches in the box and goal attempts in the last couple. For his price point, he could be a decent option if you need to reduce funds in your front line.

Up front, the pairing of Adams and Armstrong are players that are being furiously added to FPL manager watchlists given their strong upcoming fixtures (Liverpool and Arsenal aside). Personally, I’m looking at bringing in Armstrong to my side for Vardy to allow me the funds to bring in Son for Gameweek 12 onwards, especially now Conte has taken the reigns at Spurs. Broja is also an option but a word of warning, it’s going to be hard to call who plays out of the three. One to watch certainly.

Prediction – Southampton 1: 1 Aston Villa (Armstrong and Watkins to score)

Manchester United vs Manchester City

Saturday lunchtime’s match brings us, without a shadow of a doubt, the biggest game of the weekend; Manchester Utd vs Manchester City. While Utd cruised past a lacklustre Spurs last weekend, the Citizens struggled to break down a resolute Crystal Palace side at home and succumbed to a 2-0 defeat, with Laporte being sent off to add to their woes. As we all know, derbies can be completely random and form can fall by the wayside.

It’s hard to say who you should be looking to sign from City. I went to the Crystal Palace game and just can’t get past how bad they were. I have absolutely no idea whether that was just a one-off or a sign of things to come. There were only two players that I feel did anything noteworthy in that game and they were Foden and Bernardo Silva. The young Englishman worked incredibly hard and was very unfortunate not to have an assist. Silva was continually available for the ball and if players like Grealish had been more accurate with their passes, he would have been in some very dangerous positions. Moving forward, the only City players I’d be looking at are the two aforementioned midfielders and Jesus. There’s no point in me suggesting defenders as the vast majority of managers have at least one anyway! But if you had to push me, it would be remiss of me not to suggest Cancelo or Dias.

As for United, the win against Tottenham could just be a flash in the pan. They looked poor against Atalanta on Tuesday and were only saved by two Ronaldo goals; one of which came out of absolutely nothing. Being incredibly blunt, there are no players I’m even remotely considering from United. Cavani’s underlying stats look very strong but the poor guy barely starts so it’s not worth FPL managers bringing him in. Maybe take another look at United players in a few weeks when the fixtures swing.

Prediction – Manchester United 1: 3 Manchester City (Ronaldo, Gundogan, Jesus and Foden)

Brentford vs Norwich

Brentford play Norwich this week and have some very strong fixtures in the next few weeks, so it’s hardly surprising that a lot of FPL managers are jumping on Toney and Mbeumo. I’ve had Toney since the start of the season and with the fixtures they’ve got, he’s going nowhere in my team. Now that Mbeumo is back fit again, he is also a very strong option for FPL managers wanting a cheap 4th or 5th midfielder that they can rely on to play week in, week out. Despite recently not looking great at the back, Brentford were performing well defensively for a fair while, so if you’re after a cheap defender to replace injured players in your team, you could do worse than looking at someone like Pinnock.

I’m not even going to bother suggesting anyone from Norwich. Simply, avoid.

Prediction – Brentford 2: 0 Norwich (Toney and Mbuemo)

Chelsea vs Burnley

Chelsea take on Burnley at Stamford Bridge in Gameweek 11 and are top of the league for a reason. They look so strong right now and in addition to being ridiculously tight at the back, they’re looking dangerous offensively too, even without Lukaku. Many FPL managers brought in Havertz as soon as Lukaku and Werner were ruled out through injury but he’s flattered to deceive so far. However, he could still be a very good option. If Mount is back fit again, he is also a very reasonably priced way into that Chelsea attack but he may be one to avoid in the short term unless he’s guaranteed to be back for this week.

The biggest decision for FPL managers is which defensive player to have, or even which two. Many of us have Azpilicueta but have been punished for keeping faith with the Spaniard as he’s been dropped/rested and watched on from the bench as James and Chilwell have bagged huge numbers of points. Should you keep him or join the bandwagons? Personally, I’m giving him this gameweek but if he’s benched again, I’ll grit my teeth and transfer him out for either of the Englishmen in Gameweek 12. As for your teams, the decision has to rest with you sadly as you’ll have to live with your decision either way, especially if the player you bring in for him then gets benched themselves (which is possible).

I’m not going to be as harsh on Burnley as I was Norwich, because they are poles apart, but just like the Canaries, there isn’t anyone I’d like from the Clarets. They don’t score enough goals and don’t keep too many clean sheets either. If you had to push me, I’d suggest Cornet but there are many better options for similar prices really.

Prediction – Chelsea 3: 0 Burnley (Havertz, Mount and Chilwell)

Crystal Palace vs Wolves

As I mentioned earlier, Palace looked very resolute and very dangerous at the Etihad on Saturday and were well worth their victory. Although they looked strong at the back, I wouldn’t be looking at defenders from them for the time being. Although, that being said, if there was ever a time to jump on Mitchell, now would be the time as he did look very promising against City last week and their fixtures do swing for the better.

It was at the other end that I was very impressed though. Edouard held the ball up very well and linked up well with Gallagher and Zaha, who both looked sharp and could even have scored more FPL points had certain passes been slightly better. With slightly better fixtures in their future, Vieira getting the best out of the entire team offensively right now and very reasonable pricing for all three aforementioned players, Palace could be well worth keeping an eye on over the next few gameweeks and there could be some great punts available if you don’t already have any of them.

If you want cheap strikers under £8m, you really should be looking at either of the Wolves pair, Jimenez or Hwang. They have great upcoming fixtures and are linking up very well. Although Jimenez was gifted his goal at the weekend and Hwang blanked, they both looked incredibly dangerous against Everton and could have scored more points than they did. They’re so reasonably priced that they should not be overlooked. Aside from the attack, Ait-Nouri could be a viable option in defence. He looked very threatening offensively and given that Wolves have the ability to keep it tight at the back, he could be well worth a punt. Even if Marcal is back fit, there’s no guarantee that he’ll go straight back into the team given the form of the young Frenchman.

Prediction – Crystal Palace 2: 1 Wolves (Edouard, Zaha and Hwang)

Brighton vs Newcastle

The Seagulls have looked very tight at the back this season and are where they are in the league table for a reason. I’m backing them to keep a clean sheet this weekend so anyone playing Sanchez or one of the defenders should (hopefully) be fairly confident in some good points. Now that Lamptey is back fit, he could well be someone that will need to be looked at, especially with their strong fixtures moving forward. Other than the young Englishman, there’s not much else that’s particularly appealing in that side, unless you want to do a one week punt for Maupay, who historically does well against Newcastle.

As for the Magpies, it’s hard to really suggest any of their players right now. They’re looking very disjointed, and have done since Bruce was sacked (if not even before that). The attacking players aren’t really getting the service or much help from the midfield, so as much as I like Wilson and Saint-Maximin, I can’t say with any confidence that they will score many points in the upcoming gameweeks. I might be wrong, and I hope for all Geordies’ sake that I am, but I just can’t see it sadly.

Prediction – Brighton 1: 0 Newcastle (Maupay)

Arsenal vs Watford

Sunday’s first televised game takes us to the Emirates, where Arsenal are taking on Watford. The Gunners have been firing recently and are now unbeaten in their last 7 league games, winning 5 and drawing 2. The likes of Lacazette, Aubameyang, Saka and Smith-Rowe have all scored decent FPL points in the last few and I don’t see that stopping against Watford, who have conceded the most chances recently. The two young midfielders are very cheap and affordable ways into that Arsenal attack and are both seemingly pretty nailed too. Aubameyang is probably a risk but that’s only because of his price so if you can handle spending that amount of money on a striker for your team, there are certainly worse options. Lacazette offers a cheaper alternative but his minutes could be under threat now that Odegaard is back fit.

In regards to Watford, while they looked promising against Everton, you can also attribute that to just how bad defensively the Toffees were. Josh King is a very cheap option for your attack, so if you need to find some funds, he could be an option but aside from him, there aren’t too many other Hornets players that I’m even remotely tempted by. I do think that Watford could nick a goal against Arsenal but I don’t think any of their players are really worth a punt right now. Maybe give Ranieri a couple more weeks to sort the team out and then if they’re firing more regularly and consistently, maybe reconsider.

Prediction – Arsenal 2: 1 Watford (Aubameyang, Lacazette and King)

Everton vs Tottenham

While I will be heavily focusing on Tottenham given recent events, I’m hopeful for a resurgence in form for the Toffees, although I don’t expect that to happen this week. Perhaps when Calvert-Lewin is back, they might look more of a threat but not quite yet.

However, when they changed their formation for the second half against Wolves, they looked much more threatening, so cheaper midfield options like Gray and Townsend aren’t the worst options if you need cheap alternatives that are guaranteed to play. Given how awful Spurs looked defensively against Vitesse, it really wouldn’t surprise me if Everton nicked one goal against them.

All eyes will be on Tottenham this week, thanks to the exciting appointment of Antonio Conte, with many wondering just how the change in management will affect Spurs’ FPL prospects. It’s only been one game but it certainly looks promising for Son and Kane following the 3-2 win against Vitesse. Son, especially, looked very dangerous and was playing very far forward and could have had more than his one goal. A lot of people are already flocking to bring in either the South Korean or the England captain and it’s certainly something I will be keeping an eye on.

Prediction – Everton 1: 2 Tottenham (Gray, Moura and Son to score)

Leeds vs Leicester

I would be absolutely amazed if this game was to end 0-0 given that both teams seem incapable of defending currently. There’s not too much to say about Leeds at the moment; with Bamford still out injured and their defence looking leggy and fairly wayward, the options for FPL are pretty limited, aside from the obvious Raphinha. He unsurprisingly looked incredibly dangerous against Wolves and there’s no reason why that won’t continue against Leicester.

As for the Foxes, we’ve all been duped by Vardy in recent weeks. Many FPL managers brought in the Englishman when Lukaku was ruled out (myself included) but he’s flattered to deceive so far. With Leicester looking a little off colour right now, is it worth moving him on? Yes, he could score against a poor Leeds defence but I can’t see much more for him in the following gameweeks. Aside from Vardy, it’s hard to be tempted by any of his team-mates. While Maddison has been back creating chances of late, his form always fluctuates and is one of the most frustrating players to own. Tielemans always looks bright but from an FPL perspective, bright doesn’t always score points.

Prediction – Leeds 1: 1 Leicester (Raphinha and Vardy to score)

West Ham vs Liverpool

The Hammers are firing right now and it goes to show just how unfortunate David Moyes was to lose his job when in the hotseat at Old Trafford. I haven’t owned Antonio all season and that will change at some point but given West Ham’s upcoming fixtures, that won’t be soon. I still think he could score against Liverpool this weekend though. Liverpool aren’t the most compact at the back right now and his physicality and pace could pose them a threat in Sunday’s game. Antonio aside, the only other players that could be a possibility (if you really wanted a punt) are Benrahma, who’s been fairly consistent most of the season so far, and Jarrod Bowen.

There’s nowhere else to begin than with Mo Salah. He’s the world’s best player right now, simply based on his outstanding performances week in, week out. If you’re not captaining him, you’ve got more courage than me! With Firmino now ruled out for a few weeks with yet another hamstring injury, Jota could well be in a lot of managers’ teams in the coming weeks. He looks good right now and is attempting as many shots as the Egyptian so could be a great pick moving forward. While I think Liverpool could well concede against West Ham, I certainly wouldn’t be advising benching Trent or Robertson if you have them.

Prediction – West Ham 1: 3 Liverpool (Antonio, Salah and Mane to score)

Gameweek 9 in Review

Posted on October 26, 2021 by FPLMaverick

Where on earth do you begin with this gameweek!? It had more highs and lows than the French Alps. Some people, including a certain Maverick, claimed that this would be one of the lowest scoring gameweeks. How wrong I was and all thanks to an absolutely flying Egyptian in the Old Trafford Massacre.

But I digress. We really should head back to the beginning of the gameweek and start there. We all should have probably guessed that this was going to be a strange gameweek when Arsenal actually looked pretty decent in the opening game on Friday evening. Before you come at me, I’m an Arsenal fan so if anyone can self deprecate, it’s me!

While it may not have been a particularly impressive performance from a very fluctuating Villa side, the Gunners looked sharp going forward, with Aubameyang and Smith Rowe looking the most threatening.

The Englishman especially is a very encouraging prospect from an FPL perspective given how cheap he is. Lacazette playing in a slightly deeper role certainly helped the team but whether that is a long-term strategy or just a one-off remains to be seen. All Saka owners can count themselves slightly unlucky too, as he really should have scored, but for a smart save by Martinez.

With some very promising fixtures on the horizon and various big budget strikers currently injured, is it time to turn to Aubameyang? It may sound bold, maybe even a bit maverick, but he could be well worth considering. Villa’s fixtures also turn soon, so players like Ings, Watkins and Bailey could become potential options too.

At Stamford Bridge, Saturday’s opening fixture kicked off with the Blues’ absolute demolition of Delia’s Norwich. Unfortunately, for all those unlucky FPL managers who brought in King Kai, he left his crown at home, putting in a very poor performance and being outshone by the rest of his team-mates.

When Mason Mount puts in the sort of performance that he did on Saturday, it begs the question as to why Tuchel chose to bench him for various games towards the start of the season. He was simply unplayable at times and helped himself to not only a hat-trick but an assist too. If you captained, or even triple-captained him (as I saw a few times on Twitter over the weekend), very well done to you!

From a defensive perspective, it was certainly a shock to discover that Azpilicueta was benched but I assume that was only to rest him. Chilwell scoring for his fourth successive Premier League game treated his backers to a lovely haul and James scored a delightful chip to leave FPL managers pondering whether to downgrade Azpi to the young Englishman too.

I mean no disrespect to either of them, but it shows just how bad Norwich are that even Jorginho and Kovacic scored attacking FPL points against the Canaries.

Given the amount of goals scored in the opening two games, you’d have been forgiven for expecting a dry Saturday afternoon but you’d have been wrong; the goals just kept flowing.

At Selhurst Park, we went back in time, with Christian Benteke reminding us of the glory days in 2016/17 with an outstanding performance. The Belgian had seven shots and even created three chances for others too. Dare I say it, an option in FPL again? Maybe we’ll have to wait and see on that one.

At the other end, one of the goals of the season was scored by Callum Wilson; an absolutely stunning bicycle kick. Boy, Newcastle are going to have to rely on his goals once again this season (well, until the big bucks are spent in January anyway).

One of the biggest surprises of the weekend came at Goodison Park. Despite taking the lead twice, Everton managed to end up losing the game 5-2, giving Ranieri his first win at new Watford manager. Joshua King came back to haunt his old side, scoring three and looking very threatening, even aside from his goals. Everton started the season with very strong fixtures, leading many of us to back players from the Toffees but not be often rewarded. With harder games on the horizon, is it time to move away from the Blues? Conversely, is it now time to start backing the Watford boys? They looked incredibly dangerous against Everton and given their very cheap prices in FPL, it’s not necessarily a huge gamble to bring one or two in. The caveat I will add though is that the most threatening player for them at the start of the season, Ismail Sarr, has been pretty poor recently so he may be one for the ‘Avoid’ category.

At Elland Road, has a potential 4.5m forward revealed themself? Joe Gelhardt came on with only 27 minutes left on the clock, but managed 3 shots and one chance created and it was the young Englishman who was fouled for the equalising penalty in the 90th minute. If Bielsa was suitably impressed, and there was no reason why he couldn’t have been, he could be a potential cheap third striker option moving forward. Aside from Gelhardt, this game didn’t really tell us much we didn’t already know. Leeds have struggled to perform to the same standards they set last season but in fairness to them, they have been missing Raphinha and Bamford for the majority of the season. For Wolves, they are now heavily relying on Hwang and Jimenez to perform and grab all the goals for them, with their midfield lacking much goal threat even with the mazy and never-ending runs from Traore.

Following on from Gelhardt, we head to St Mary’s, where another cheap forward is starting to regularly hit the headlines. Broja from Southampton scored the winner for his side in Gameweek 8 and got an important equaliser against Burnley in Gameweek 9 too. At just 5.0m, he could be a juicy prospect for FPL managers wanting to downgrade in attack and improve either midfield or defence. Aside from the Albanian, there is an increasingly beloved FPL gem by the name of Tino Livramento proving too good to bench. The young Englishman looked threatening all match and scored a well-deserved goal against the Clarets. For the opposing team, Cornet absolutely shone and scored two very good goals. The FPL midfielder could be a decent punt if you need a cheaper (and playing regularly) 4th or 5th midfielder.

The final match of Saturday was at the Amex, where the high-flying Brighton took on Manchester City.

Phil Foden stole the headlines, although he was perhaps a little fortunate to score as many FPL points as he did this week, given that the second ‘goal’ went in off his backside from a Gabriel Jesus shot.

I also may be a little salty as I chose between him and Mahrez on my wildcard in Gameweek 8 and sadly chose the Algerian (although he slightly redeemed himself with his late goal this week).

Jack Grealish gave his owners a slight treat with an assist for Foden’s first and probably could have had more, creating four chances for others during the match. For me, the most surprising revelation for the Citizens this season has been Bernardo Silva. I fully expected him to become a regular fixture on the City bench but he’s played incredibly well week in and week out and deserves his place. He also earned his assist for Gundogan’s game opening goal too. I didn’t have a City defender this week but can perfectly understand the frustration from owners for losing their clean sheet. What on earth was Ederson doing for that penalty?!

Sunday’s first two matches took us to the Brentford Community Stadium for Brentford against Leicester and the London Stadium for a London derby between West Ham and Spurs.

Arsenal and Liverpool have already proved that going to Brentford isn’t going to be easy this season, so this was a very encouraging win for Brendan Rodgers’ side. However, FPL managers were then left rueing Jamie Vardy’s half-time substitution, with many of them bringing in the Englishman for an injured Lukaku this gameweek. He might not be a hugely popular FPL option, but Tielemans scored yet another delightful goal. It’s just a shame he doesn’t produce plenty of attacking chances, either for himself or others, week in week out. James Maddison also got on the scoresheet and has performed well in the last couple of games, so could be bringing himself into contention given his set-piece taking duties. At the other end, Ivan Toney may have touched the ball less than anyone else who played 90 minutes but that didn’t stop him creating three chances for others and having three shots at goal.

David Moyes’ Hammers are once again performing better than I expected, especially now that they have to contend with a small squad playing on Thursday nights now too. They thoroughly deserved their win on Sunday, with Antonio once again scoring and making me regret not bringing him in at the start of the season. Aside from him, Aaron Cresswell provided an assist and showed why he’s West Ham’s most expensive FPL defensive option. From Spurs’ perspective, they once again looked lacklustre and Son and Kane didn’t really get many opportunities to threaten Fabianski’s goal.

Then there was just the small matter of a clash between old foes Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford. Ole Gunnar Solskjær was already under pressure but this absolute humiliation will undoubtedly ramp that up even more. Liverpool were absolutely rampant, and although gifted at least two of the goals by horrific defending, they thoroughly deserved the scoreline. Mo Salah saved many FPL managers’ gameweeks, mine included, with a hat-trick and an assist for Keita’s opening goal and is looking absolutely unplayable at the moment. It’s going to be very difficult to go against captaining him any time soon. Aside from the Egyptian, Jota grabbed another goal, playing instead of Sadio Mane, and Alexander-Arnold grabbed an assist too giving his owners another thing to cheer this week. Going back to Jota, the only question mark against him is that it’s hard to tell who will play out of him, Firmino and Mane every gameweek. At the other end, Manchester United were fairly toothless and look as if they might not be playing for the manager any more. If he doesn’t leave before the Tottenham game, I think that could be the final nail in Solskjær’s coffin if United lose that one.

On a personal level, I got a gameweek score of 86 this week, which seems remarkable given how poor my team was doing on Saturday evening. Albeit, most of those points coming from that beautiful Egyptian man, Mo Salah. Now, like many, I have yet another decision to make this week with Vardy and Raphinha now flagged once again. Do I bring in the Gabonese gunner?

There’s always another gameweek, right?!

Posted on October 23, 2021 by FPLMaverick

We’ve all been there; you proudly click that shiny Wildcard button, bring in all the players you’ve spent hours (or even days) obsessing about and deliberating over and then sit back and watch the majority of them either get injured or blank. Then, an even more terrifying thought enters your mind….. I wonder how my old team would have done this week?

You nervously look back at your previous Gameweek’s team and start adding up their points, sweating more and more profusely as the total points gets closer and closer to your current Gameweek total. And then it passes it – meaning you’d have done better by not doing anything. The panic sets in, ‘what have I done? I knew I shouldn’t have tinkered with it.’ You start second guessing yourself and every other life decision you’ve ever made, especially given the FPL season is only as long as the current Gameweek.

Wait? What? You mean that there are future gameweeks too? So maybe, my wildcard isn’t a complete failure?

Okay, I may have slightly over-egged the pudding here but you get my point. It’s all too easy to wildcard and then have a bad gameweek following the use of the chip and get carried away with the negativity (I’ve done it myself many a time).

The most important thing though is to learn to quell those negative urges and take a second to sit back and look at your freshly wildcarded team in a new light. Yes, you may have had a bad gameweek but remember the reasons why you brought in the players you did. The chances are that you didn’t bring them in for just one gameweek and if there were one or two that you did do that for, then don’t worry about it! They’ll be gone in a week or two anyway. (Mahrez, I’m looking at you.)

The main question you have to ask yourself is, why did you bring in the players you did? Did you bring them in because they were on form? Do they have good upcoming fixtures for the next 6 gameweeks at least? Are they popular players that have a huge Overall Ownership? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then don’t worry if you had a bad gameweek. After all, FPL is a marathon, not a sprint.

As long as you had valid reasons for bringing in the players you did, then it’s important to remember that when judging the success or failure of your wildcard. No wildcard is ever just for one gameweek really, so give it a few gameweeks before you even start to consider whether the wildcard was worth it or not.

This may even be as cathartic thing for me to write this week given the fact that I wildcarded last week and it’s fair to say that it could have gone better (it could have gone worse but still). To use my wildcard as an example, I wasn’t happy with at least six players in my old team and combining that with a few injuries, it was worth me triggering the chip before Gameweek 8. Sadly, it didn’t go quite as well as I hoped and then lead on to both Lukaku and Doucoure picking up fairly long-term injuries, meaning I had to take a -4 for GW9. This was certainly not what I had planned and I would have far preferred to simply take out Mahrez after my one week punt as my free transfer.

But, I’ve learned over time to not rage transfer players out and get angry about bad luck, especially after wildcarding, so that’s my main piece of advice for any FPL managers frustrated after a bad wildcard gameweek. The initial frustration you suffer will ease and it’s important to give it time before you plan for the future or deem your wildcard a success or failure.

After all, you know the saying;

‘Wildcards are for the season, not just for a gameweek.’

A team-by-team look at possible differentials

Posted on August 7, 2021 by FPLMaverick

With the season rapidly approaching, what better time than to take a look at some ‘maverick’ picks?! So here are my thoughts on potential differentials for each team.

(Selection percentages correct at time of printing)

ARSENAL

Pepe – (7.5m. 3.6% selected)

The Ivorian finished the season incredibly strongly and with plenty of rest compared to many other Premier League players this summer means that he can continue that form into this season.

He showed his quality, so despite Arsenal’s mixed early fixtures, there’s no reason why he can’t post some impressive numbers.

ASTON VILLA

Cash – (5.0m, 1.9% selected)

With Aston Villa seen as a team that will defend well again this coming season and Martinez 0.5m more expensive, the likes of Cash and Targett are very good options at 5.0m.

Cash gets forward well and like his team-mate on the other flank, he puts in good crosses and will have the opportunity to create chances for the likes of Buendia and Watkins. A good differential.

BRENTFORD

Mbuemo – (5.5m, 1.2% selected)

The young French winger was one of the key elements of Brentford’s promotion last season, scoring very important goals. A good foil for Toney and already has a proven and successful link up with the striker.

A decent option if you need a cheaper midfielder and don’t want to pick Smith Rowe at Arsenal.

BRIGHTON

Veltman – (4.5m, 3.0% selected)

Brighton were one of the tightest defences last season and, although they have lost Ben White to Arsenal, they are predicted to be just as stingy when it comes to conceding goals this season too.

With Lamptey injured and Dunk more expensive, Veltman is a strong option for your 4.5m defender this season.

BURNLEY

Taylor – (4.5m, 1.0% selected)

Burnley have always been seen as a decent defensive side (last season aside) so I was always likely to choose a Burnley defender for my differential pick. While they’re not the most offensive side, any Premier League full back has the potential to get assists and Taylor is no different, especially with Wood up front.

Not my strongest of picks but certainly worth a punt if you need a cheap defender that might pick up occasional clean sheets.

CHELSEA

Silva – (5.5m, 3.3% selected)

Had a decent first season in the Premier League and played an important part in their end to the season and Champions League success.

May not play every game but is cheaper than the rest of the defence and should be trusted to play the majority of their PL games.

CRYSTAL PALACE

Olise – (5.5m, 0.3% selected)

Admittedly, the step up from the Championship to the Premier League is huge. But the talented winger has all the skills and ability to perform well if he’s given the chance.

Playing for an attack-minded manager in Vieira (based on his recent comments) means he will hopefully get the opportunity to attack and put in the sort of performances that earned him the transfer from Reading this summer. A tricky player, so could also win penalties too.

EVERTON

Coleman – (5.0m, 0.6% selected)

The Irishman seems to be being ignored for the more popular Digne, which is totally understandable. But playing for a defensive minded Benitez surely means clean sheets and the 0.5m saved means the option to upgrade a player further forward.

He didn’t show it last season but he has the pedigree to score huge points in FPL and, while he might not be on set pieces, does like to get forward as much as his French team-mate on the other flank.

LEEDS

Harrison – (6.0m, 5.5% selected)

Plays for an attack-minded manager, regardless of who they are against, and a cheaper option than the more popular Raphinha.

Links well with midfield and attacking players and created plenty of chances last season. I expect him to kick on this season now that he’s finally got his move from Man City.

LEICESTER

Tielemans – (6.5m, 4.3% selected)

The more I think about this pick, the more I’m sorely tempted to find space for him in my team. Had a cracking season last year and I don’t see any reason why he can’t do the same, or even better, this season.

Whether Maddison stays or goes, Tielemans is still highly likely to be on set pieces and gets forward nicely too. A great differential in my opinion and good starting fixtures.

LIVERPOOL

Mane – (12.0m, 3.6% selected)

Given his relative similarity in price to his Egyptian team-mate, it’s not surprising to see his ownership so low. But when you actually stop and think about it, is Mane really that bad an option?

He didn’t have the greatest season last year, by his own admission, but he’s had a long break this summer compared to many others and is proven quality in the Premier League. There’s no reason why he can’t score well over 200 points again this season.

MAN CITY

Cancelo – (6.0m, 7.7% selected)

I get that he’s a slight risk given Pep Roulette but he’s started most games in pre-season, unlike Kyle Walker, and has been playing in a similar RB/CM role again so far.

He’s also adept at playing at left back too and played more games last season than I expected so there is no reason why it would be any different this season.

MAN UTD

Greenwood – (7.5m, 3.2% selected)

Given that Cavani and Sancho haven’t even started training yet (though they may start this week), the chances of Greenwood starting the first game or two are increasing.

It’s probably not likely to be a long term punt but he might be a decent option for a couple of gameweeks at least.

NEWCASTLE

Wilson – (7.5m, 4.9% selected)

Yes, we all know the past relationships between Wilson and FPL managers. He’s trolled more people with poor performances despite previous encouraging form than I’ve eaten hot dinners.

BUT, his fixtures suggest the potential for a decent FPL start and if the worst comes to the worst and he trolls yet again, we can always move him on for Jimenez, Watkins or even his team-mate Saint-Maximin (who’s 1m cheaper).

NORWICH

Cantwell – (5.5m, 2.3% selected)

Even without his insane assist in his most recent pre-season game, Cantwell has always been a decent differential option for Norwich and is proven in the Premier League.

His early fixtures are not great, in fact they are absolute dire, but once they improve, he might be a shrewd pick if you need to downgrade a more expensive midfielder to enable a move for Kane or Lukaku (if he signs).

SOUTHAMPTON

Perraud – (5.0m, 0.2% selected)

The French left-back comes very highly rated from Ligue 1. Highly attacking and with the potential to get some assists, he’s a very ‘out there’ pick given his price and the expected lack of Saints clean sheets this season.

One to watch and wait and see perhaps more than one immediately to jump on.

TOTTENHAM

Reguilon – (5.0m, 2.6% selected)

The appointment of Nuno Espírito Santo should mean that Spurs maintain a more defensive approach, surely then ensuring more FPL returns for their defenders, including Reguilon.

The attacking full back could turn into NES’s new Doherty and once their fixtures improve, could be a decent option for a very reasonable price.

WATFORD

Rose – (4.5m, 1.1% selected)

Watford were known for their defensive resilience last season and although the step up to the Premier League is a big one, they are predicted to be tight defensively in 21/22 too.

The ex-Spurs left back has expensive on his side but will also be determined to perform to the best of his abilities and is known to get forward and create chances for team-mates.

WEST HAM

Bowen – (6.5m, 2.1% selected)

A decent option for a mid-priced midfielder slot. On set pieces and firmly established into the West Ham set-up now.

Created plenty of chances from open play and dead ball situations last season and has a decent shot on him too. Being linked with Liverpool so can’t be a bad option, right?!

WOLVES

Jimenez – (7.5m, 3.3% selected)

It might be sentimental reasons but I think Jimenez is a great pick for this season. He has proven season after season that he scores goals in the Premier League, has great opening fixtures (after the first two or three) and is playing for a manager that likes attacking football.

Again, like others, he can always be downgraded to similarly or lower priced options if he doesn’t perform.

Are we wrong to be overlooking Arsenal players?

Posted on June 29, 2021 by FPLMaverick

You might think I’m being something even beyond maverick, but bear with me here – are Arsenal players better options than we might think?

I know they were absolutely dreadful last year (I know this better than most being a fan) but in the second half of the season, they actually performed better than you would necessarily expect considering their final league position. They came third in attained points, only finishing behind Man City and Man Utd and were significantly harder to beat.

The stats back me up with this too.

(Picture captured by @Lateriser12 on Twitter.)

In addition, this season they aren’t in Europe at all, meaning their risk of rotation is lessened. The likes of Saka, Smith Rowe and Pepe are highly likely to see significant minutes this season, especially given how well they ended the previous one and the lack of serious alternatives.

A case for the defence

As the above stats suggest, Arsenal’s defence performed better than most people assume, especially in the second half of the season. Players like Tierney (at 5.0m) should certainly be considered, not only for the defensive possibilities but also for potential assists and even the odd goal too. Should Arsenal sign a right back, depending on their price, they could well be a decent option too.

The player I’m looking at the most is Ben White. Should he complete his long-rumoured transfer to the Emirates, he will be a stand-out option at just 4.5m. That’s a great way into a defence that should perform better than last season.

What about the attack?

He may have had an incredibly poor season by his standards but I actually believe that Aubameyang is actually a viable target again now that he’s been moved back to a forward in FPL. We are starved of premium striking options, aside from Kane and Vardy, so when the fixtures improve for the Gunners, he wouldn’t be the worst choice if you want to upgrade your attack.

Given the quality of the Gabonese striker, I’d be very surprised if he performed as poorly as he did last year. Call it a hunch but I feel that several midfield additions this summer will make a huge difference to his output in the 2021/22 season.

Arsenal’s first 10 fixtures aren’t the greatest, I grant you, but they do have some juicy fixtures in and around their games against rivals so don’t be surprised if a few of their players score more points than you’d expect and become potential options for us all. Obviously, if you’ve already got one or more of them before others bring them in, you could be onto a winner.

Are we all falling into another Norwich-shaped trap?

Posted on June 24, 2021 by FPLMaverick

I have a huge soft spot for Brentford and I’m absolutely delighted that they have made it to the Premier League. They’ve come so close so many times that they truly deserve it.

But I can’t help but fear that us FPL managers might be falling into a trap, similar to the one we all fell into with Pukki just two seasons ago.

If we’re all honest with ourselves, aren’t Brentford potentially comparable with Norwich from two seasons ago?

We fully expect them to play attacking football and stick to their philosophy but how effective will that be? Are they likely to perform as admirably as Leeds or will they tail off like Norwich did? If the latter happens, what does that mean for Ivan Toney?

If we think that Brentford are only likely to score an average of one goal per game, if that, does that make Toney at 6.5m worth it? Personally, I’d say that it doesn’t. Would it be better to spend that money on a more proven PL side, either in attack or midfield?

I’ll be honest, I currently have Toney in my team but I am wondering whether that money would be better spent on a trusted midfielder playing for a side we know more about in the Premier League. Buendia is the same price and already somewhat proven in the league so is he a more viable option, for instance?

I would like nothing more than to be proven wrong and see Toney and Brentford embrace the league like Bamford and Leeds have done. But it really wouldn’t surprise me if FPL teams, potentially mine included, are having to take Toney out early on in the season after the honeymoon period has ended.

I’m not advocating not having him, I’m just suggesting taking a closer look at whether you want him or your money could be better spent elsewhere.