Goalkeepers – Buy ‘Em
Martin Dubravka NEW £4.4m
Upcoming Fixtures: LEI (H) / CRY (H) NOR (A) LIV (H) MCI (A)
Schmeichel continues to be the best GK to buy, but Dubravka serves as an excellent buy for those managers looking to activate their BB in GW33. In GW32, the Newcastle GK showcased what he can do off the bench with 7 points thanks to his clean sheet, 1 bonus point, and was 1 save short of earning a save point (and perhaps a second bonus point). Over the last four GWs, Newcastle’s defense has ranked the 8th best in Expected Goals Conceded and now has a favorable home DGW33 against Leicester and Crystal Palace before facing Norwich. A cheap price, favorable short-term fixtures, and playing for an improving defense make Dubvravka a name worth bringing in for DGW33.
Free Hit Must Have: Kasper Schmeichel LEI £4.8m vs. NEW (A) / EVE (A)
Goalkeepers – Sell ‘Em
Robert Sanchez BHA £4.6m
Upcoming Fixtures: TOT (A) / MCI (A) SOU (H) WOL (A) MUN (H)
Surprisingly, Sanchez remains owned by around 10% of the top 10k managers. Despite having a DGW33, Sanchez is a clear sell as Brighton has been struggling defensively with only three clean sheets in their last eighteen matches. In GW33, Sanchez faces Spurs and City, who rank in the top 3 for Expected Goals over the previous six GWs. Sanchez’s schedule does not get any easier after GW33 as he has no DGWs remaining and is still pending difficult matches against United, West Ham, and Wolves. Sanchez Managers should look to upgrade to Schmeichel as they will get an easier schedule and gain two fixtures with the transfer.
Free Hit Avoid: Aaron Ramsdale ARS £5.1m vs. SOU (A) / CHE (A)
Defenders – Buy of the Week
Fabian Schär NEW £4.4m
Upcoming Fixtures: LEI (H) / CRY (H) NOR (A) LIV (H) MCI (A)
Schär’s price makes him one of the best defensive bargains due to his different avenues of getting FPL points. With a clean sheet in GW32, Schär now has five returns in his last seven matches, making him the top defender transfer target this week. Not only does Schär could get clean sheets, but he has also shown goalscoring ability from both corners and free kicks. His attacking ability is no fluke either, as, over the last six GWs, Schär ranks 6th in Expected Goals amongst defenders. A cheap price, point versatility, and favorable DGW33 make the Newcastle defender a great buy this week, especially those planning to bench boost in GW33 or WC in GW34.
Defenders – Buy ‘Em
Aymeric Laporte MCI £5.8m
Upcoming Fixtures: BHA (H) WAT (H) LEE (A) NEW (H) / WOL (A) (still TBD)
As a community, we are all victims of the DGW rush that we sometimes overlook great SGW players such as Laporte. Laporte can be a great late-season differential for managers trying to make that top10K push as he is only owned by 3% of the top10k managers. Aside from playing in the defense that ranks 1st in Expected Goals Conceded, Laporte also brings an attacking threat as he ranks 1st amongst defenders in Expected Goals. With the title race still on, I expect Laporte to start most of the remaining games and take advantage of Man City’s amazing schedule, which includes seven favorable matchups of their remaining eight matches and a pending DGW.
Matt Targett NEW £4.7m
Upcoming Fixtures: LEI (H) / CRY (H) NOR (A) LIV (H) MCI (A)
Managers looking to double up on the Newcastle defense this GW should look at Targett. Targett leads all Newcastle defenders in Expected Goal Involvement, Chances Created, and Touches in the Opponent’s Half. Targett’s attacking returns have been minimal this season, but he is underperforming his underlying stats by around two attacking returns. With a favorable DGW, decent attacking threat, and on some set pieces, managers on a FH or who will WC in GW34 should look at bringing in Targett as a one GW punt.
More Buys/Holds
Buy Alex Telles MUN £5.0m
Free Hit Must Have: Fabian Schär NEW £4.4m vs. LEI (H) / CRY (H)
Hold Reece James CHE £6.3m
Defenders – Sell of the Week
Matt Doherty TOT £4.9m
Upcoming Fixtures: BHA (H) BRE (A) LEI (H) LIV (A) / ARS (H)
An MCL injury that will reportedly keep him out for 12 weeks makes Doherty the Sell of the Week. The injury could not have come at a worse time for Doherty, as he was becoming one of the essential defenders to own in FPL. Managers looking for Doherty replacements need to assess how many chips they have left and when they plan to use them. Managers with a WC and no FH33 could look to move Doherty for a Newcastle defender such as Schär or Targett to attack DGW33. Managers without a WC should move Doherty to cheaper options such as Davies, Emerson Royal, Laporte, Rudiger, Reece James, or (of course) premium options like Cancelo, Robertson, and TAA, who all have a great end of season schedule.
Defenders – Sell ‘Em
Lucas Digne AVL £5.0m
Upcoming Fixtures: – LEI (A) NOR (H) BUR (A) / LIV (H)
For the most part, I like to mix up the sells each GW, but when a player such as Digne is still owned by 10% of the top 10K managers going into GW32, I would be doing a disservice to the FPL Community. Aston Villa do have back-to-back DGW later in the season, and managers did have other fires to put out in their teams, which kept them from removing Digne. However, now it appears that his season is in jeopardy due to the new injury that he picked up, so he is a priority sell. Managers looking for differentials for a late-season rank push should look at differentials such as Laporte, Royal, and Schär, or go for the premium options such as Cancelo, James, Robertson, and TAA.
Roman Saïss WOL £5.0m
Upcoming Fixtures: – BUR (A) BHA (H) CHE (A) / MCI (H) (still TBD)
As predicted in my pre GW31 column, Saïss appears to have lost his spot in the Wolves’ starting XI as he has not featured in back-to-back GWs. Saïss is still surprisingly fairly owned by active managers, but with a blank GW33, it is time to move on from the Wolves defender. The Wolves defense has also been disappointing lately, with only two clean sheets in their last nine matches. Managers that still own Saïss should look to downgrade to DGW players such as Schär or Targett if they cannot afford the premium defenders.
More Sells/Fades
Sell Rayan Ait Nouri WOL £4.3m
Free hit Avoid: Leicester Defenders (rotation risk)
Fade Joachim Andersen CRY £4.5m vs. NEW (A)
Midfielders – Buy of the Week
Bruno Fernandes MUN £11.6m
Upcoming Fixtures: NOR (H) / LIV (A) ARS (A) BRE (H) BHA (A)
Yes, buying Man United assets such as Fernandes after their recent showings is a risk. However, managers should look to bring in Fernandes as he has a DGW33 which includes a home game against Norwich, whom United should score a few goals against. Additionally, there is a chance that United will get a DGW34 (if CHE loses in the UCL and beat CRY in the FA cup), giving the Portuguese midfielder a possibility of back-to-back DGWs. For those worried about Fernandes’ form, Bruno showed a similar lack of form earlier in the season before his favorable DGW22 and DGW25, in which he hauled 23 and 12 points, respectively. If United does not get a DGW34, managers can easily switch from Bruno to KDB or Son.
Midfielders – Buy ‘Em
James Maddison LEI £7.0m
Upcoming Fixtures: NEW (A) / EVE (A) AVL (H) TOT (A) EVE (H) / NOR (H)
Maddison has been on a tear in recent GWs with the 4th most points amongst midfielders since GW30. Maddison has been extremely consistent when starting this season, as he has 14 attacking returns in his last 14 league starts. Now Maddison embarks on a late-season run that includes 3 DGWs in the last six GWs of the season. Maddison has some rotation risk as Leicester will prioritize their European competition ahead of their EPL fixtures. But with nine remaining fixtures (seven favorable), being on set pieces, and consistently getting attacking returns, Maddison is a rest of season keeper.
Harvey Barnes LEI £6.6m
Upcoming Fixtures: NEW (A) / EVE (A) AVL (H) TOT (A) EVE (H) / NOR (H)
Managers who have less budget and still need to put out fires in other positions should look at bringing in Barnes for Leicester’s favorable end-of-season run. Despite blanks in 3 of the last 6 GWs, Barnes still leads all Leicester attackers in Expected Goal Involvement since GW27. The rotation risk is a bit lessened for managers bringing in Barnes this GW as he was benched in GW32, so he should have a higher chance of starting both matches in GW33. Maddison is still the Leicester MID to buy, but if getting Barnes allows managers to better prepare for the rest of the season, Barnes is the MID to buy.
More Buys/Holds
Buy Heung-Min Son TOT £11.1m
Free Hit Must Have: Bukayo Saka ARS £6.8m vs. SOU (A) / CHE (A)
Hold Bukayo Saka ARS £6.8m
Midfielders – Sell of the Week
Raphinha LEE £6.5m
Upcoming Fixtures: — CRY (A) MCI (H) ARS (A) / CHE (H)
Raphinha repaid my advice of holding him after he missed GW30 with 15 points in the last two GWs. However, with a blank in GW33, the Brazilian’s time in most teams must end. Additionally, Raphinha still has difficult future fixtures against Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea making it hard to hold him even after his blank GW33. Raphinha owners should look to maximize the remaining DGWs and buy players from Leicester, such as Maddison and Barnes, who still have three pending DGWs.
Midfielders – Sell ‘Em
Jarrod Bowen WHU £6.9m
Upcoming Fixtures: BUR (H) CHE (A) ARS (H) NOR (A)
Despite reports that the injury was more severe than initially thought, Bowen made a surprise return in GW31 and smashed it with 13 points. Bowen is a sell despite a favorable GW33 fixture because he does not have any pending DGWs and still has difficult fixtures against Chelsea, Arsenal, and Man City in the final six GWs (All three rank in the top 5 in Expected Goals Conceded). Bowen could smash it in GW33, but with the amount of DGW players available, managers should just go for it and back the similarly priced DGW33 assets over Bowen.
Ryan Fraser NEW £5.3m
Upcoming Fixtures: LEI (H) / CRY (H) NOR (A) LIV (H) MCI (A)
Fraser enters the sell list despite having a DGW33 because he is a doubt for both matches thanks to his hamstring injury that he picked up in GW32. Reports have it that Fraser could “maybe” make it back for the Palace game, but who knows if he just makes a cameo 1 pointer and ruins your GW. So, managers that still have Fraser on their teams should look to switch to cheaper options such as Martinelli or Dewsbury-Hall or if they have more cash, then go for more expensive options such as Maddison, Barnes, or Saka.
More Sells/Fades
Sell Philippe Coutinho AVL £7.2m
Free Hit Avoid: Martin Ødegaard ARS £5.5m vs. SOU (A) / CHE (A)
Fade Mason Mount CHE £7.5m until GW34
Forwards – Buy of the Week
Chris Wood NEW £6.7m
Upcoming Fixtures: LEI (H) / CRY (H) NOR (A) LIV (H) MCI (A)
Wood put in his best performance in a Newcastle shirt scoring 1 goal (having another one disallowed) and picking up 3 bonus points against Wolves in GW32. Wood now has a favorable DGW33 against the leaky defenses of Leicester and Crystal Palace. In GW33, Wood is projected to score the second-most points (7.3) amongst forwards, only trailing the £5.5 more expensive Cristiano Ronaldo by 2 points. Wood’s underlying stats are not great, but a cheap price with favorable DGW33 and a game against Norwich in GW34 make Wood the Forward to buy this GW.
Forwards – Buy ‘Em
Cristiano Ronaldo MUN £12.2m
Upcoming Fixtures: NOR (H) / LIV (A) ARS (A) BRE (H) BHA (A)
Ronaldo’s up and down season continued in GW32 with a horrific 1 pointer against Everton in his first appearance since his hat trick against Spurs. Despite United’s recent struggles, I still think Ronaldo is a good buy this week, especially if you are on a Free Hit. Ronaldo faces a Ronaldo ranks 1st in Shots, Shots in the Box, and 2nd in Touches in the Box amongst forwards over their last four matches. There is also a decent chance that United has a DGW34 giving the United forward back-to-back DGWs. With a DGW33 that includes Norwich, good underlying stats, and being one of the best captaincy options in GW33, Ronaldo should reward managers that bring him in this GW.
Che Adams SOU £6.8m
Upcoming Fixtures: ARS (H) / BUR (A) BHA (A) CRY (H) BRE (A)
Adams makes his way back into the buy list in part because of his DGW33 and a favorable schedule that includes fixtures against Brighton, Palace, and Brentford in the next 3 GWs. Over the last six matches amongst forwards, Adams ranks 4th in non-penalty xG and has been underperforming his underlying stats by almost two goals, which means that Adams is getting into good positions. Four favorable fixtures in the next five matches and projected to score the 4th most points amongst forwards this GW give Adams the potential to be a late-season sleeper for the managers that bring him this GW.
More Buys/Holds
Buy Kelechi Iheanacho LEI £7.1m
Free Hit Must Have: Cristiano Ronaldo MUN £12.2m vs. NOR (H) / LIV (A)
Hold Alexandre Lacazette ARS £8.4m
Forwards – Sell of the Week
Emmanuel Dennis WAT £5.9m
Upcoming Fixtures: BRE (H) MCI (A) BUR (H) CRY (A) / EVE (H)
My sell Dennis tour took a bit of a halt in the past few GWs as I assumed that most managers had already sold the disappointing Watford striker. However, Dennis continues to be owned by almost 10% of the top10k managers despite not starting his last two matches, so the sell Dennis tour is back in full force this week. Even with favorable long-term fixtures, the headache of owning Dennis and his dip in form (1 goal in the last 14 matches) is just not worth it. Dennis managers should look to upgrade to assets such as Mateta, Wood or just buy the cheapest forward and redistribute those funds into the midfield or defense.
Forwards – Sell ‘Em
Neal Maupay BHA £6.4m
Upcoming Fixtures: TOT (A) / MCI (A) SOU (H) WOL (A) MUN (H)
Anytime there is a GW with multiple DGWs, managers ask how many DGW players are necessary. The answer should always be to value quality over quantity, which is why Maupay is a sell this week. Maupay does have a DGW, but it is against Spurs and Manchester City, who rank in the top six in Expected Goals Conceded. Maupay’s rest of season schedule is also tough as he has matches against Wolves, United, and West Ham with no remaining DGWs. Maupay managers should look to upgrade to Wood or Downgrade to Mateta or the cheapest forward, depending on their remaining chips
Wout Weghorst BUR £6.4m
Upcoming Fixtures: WHU (A) / SOU (H) WOL (H) WAT (A) AVL (H)
The most popular debate about this GW within the FPL Community has been what to do with Weghorst ahead of his DGW33. Personally, I am keeping the Burnley forward, but I thought to include my take on the debate in this section. The advantage (why you should sell) of selling Weghorst is that you get rid of a player who is out of form, barely shooting, and now is a minute’s risk. The disadvantages (why you should keep) of selling Weghorst are that you are removing a DGW player, wasting a transfer on the low-scoring forward position, and not focusing on the other more important positions such as midfielders and defenders. Let me know in my Twitter comments whether you are keeping or selling Weghorst.
More Sells/Fades
Sell Michail Antonio WHU £7.5m
Free Hit Avoid: Allan Saint-Maximin £6.8m vs. LEI (H) / CRY (H)
Fade Teemu Pukki NOR £5.9m vs. MUN (A)