FPL GW8 Fixture Swing Analysis – Teams and Players to Target

As we face yet another international break after a period of just 4 weeks, we see another swing in the fixtures for some teams as well as the players. The opportunity primarily lies for those on a wildcard, as they can afford to take a punt on those short run of fixtures. In this article, we will take a look at the best options to be on the lookout for FPL GW8 and beyond.

Link to all our FPL GW8 blogs including Scout picks, players to target, buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer targets, and more. Completely free to access as well!

FPL GW8 Fixture Swing Analysis – Teams and Players to Target

Brentford

Brentford have been on the watchlist since the start of the season. They are ranked second in the Fantasy Football Hub’s fixture ticker for the next 6 Gameweeks. They also have an impeccable record of scoring very early on, over the past few weeks.

Mbeumo (7.5m)

Bryan Mbeumo has been the most transferred in player ahead of GW8. He is undoubtedly an essential player to have in our teams. His price point and potential provide a very necessary balance to the structure. He has only blanked in two fixtures so far (against Liverpool and Man City). In their match against City, despite blanking, he recorded 0.54 xGI. He currently ranks at 8th in total xGI (4.8) created so far this season.

Mbeumo Stats this season(Rank among Midfielders):

• Matches– 7
• Shots– 16
• Big Chances– 6 (Joint 4th)
• xG– 2.86 (6th)
• xA– 1.98 (5th)
• xGI– 4.8 (5th)
• Big Chances Created– 5 (Joint 4th)
• Bonus Points– 9 (2nd)
• FPL Points– 51 (5th)

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Van Den Berg (4.0m)

Van Den Berg has played 90 minutes in the last 4 matches and looks to be the one of the Best 4.0 Million Defenders in the game. Even though Brentford have not kept a clean sheet so far, he is good option for the 5th Defender considering the fixture run Brentford have. There should be few clean sheets in the upcoming run of fixtures considering they have already Man City, Liverpool and Tottenham.

Further Read: FPL GW8 Transfer Targets & Watchlist Based on Eye Test & Stats

Wolves

Although the team is yet to record their first win of the season, the possibility of going on a winning spree doesn’t seem to be too far away. Apart from easy fixtures, some of their players have also showed some improvement in their underlying numbers. They go on a dream run of fixtures after facing City next week.

Ait-Nouri (4.4m)

Despite conceding a total of 7 goals from an xGC of 6.79 in their last two games, RAN came out with two back to back 9 pointers. The 4.4m defender gives a brilliant opportunity to fill those 3rd/4th defender spots in our teams. Apart from Liverpool, none of the teams has provided any defensive consistency in terms of returns. Keeping that in mind, an attacking defender with a good run of fixtures is a safe bet which managers could take on.

Cunha (6.5m) /Larsen (5.5m)

The striker duo from the team have extremely attractive prices for people to fit them into their teams. Over the past two gameweeks, Cunha is ranked among Top 10 Forwards in terms of their xGI/90 at 0.5. Although, Larsen is a bit behind him in the metric, the fact is offset by a 1 million cheaper price tag. Cunha has taken 7 shots over the same period, with 4 being from inside the box. It is also important to note that that their past two games were against Liverpool and an in-form Brentford.

For many managers who are aiming to fit in the likes of Palmer, Saka and Haaland in their teams, Larsen could end up providing incredible value at 5.5m.

Further Read: FPL GW8 Wildcard Team & Drafts to Consider | Wildcard Guide

Manchester City

For Manchester City, the run of fixtures is as easy as it gets. They play against an abysmal Wolves defence in GW8, followed by Southampton, Bournemouth and Brighton. Wolves have conceded the most number of goals this season (21) which is 6 more than the second worst team (Southampton, whom they go against in GW9). Even the opponents after that have a flakey defence and do tend to concede a lot of goals.

Erling Haaland (15.4m)

The premium hopping strategy is a very viable option for managers this season. It is an attempt to cover the expensive players on their good run, and trusting them for the armband. Haaland, out of all the premiums currently, has by far the best fixtures coming ahead. It is very difficult to look past him for captaincy over the same period. The underlying numbers and form is not a concern in Haaland’s case. He has scored 10 goals from a total xG of 6.34. He has consistently defied the stats and has even scored goals from an xG of as low as 0.28 (Chelsea – GW1). Despite two blanks, he is expected to go big over the next few weeks.

Foden (9.2m)

Haaland’s pervasive ownership renders the rank gained by his points to be minimal. This poses a question on how managers can exploit City’s impeccable run of fixtures. Foden’s retrun from injury is fortunate when combined with Pep’s faith in him. He started his first game of the season in the PL against Fulham after his elite performance in the Champions League fixture. Over the past two weeks, he has an xGI per 90 of 0.6. With Palmer’s fixtures taking a turn for the worse, Foden could emerge as a great placeholder for the Chelsea player over the next couple of gameweeks.

Gvardiol (5.9m) /Lewis (4.7m)

The City defence has not been at their best so far this season. Over seven weeks, they have managed to keep a clean sheet only once. Despite this, the attacking potential offered, with a slight possibility of a couple of clean sheet points does seem plausible, given the run ahead for them. Gvardiol has been the 90 minute guy for them and has been making a lot of forward runs. He had also managed to get a goal from inside the box in GW6 against Newcastle. His xGI/90 of 0.2 is certainly not exciting, but could be worth the punt.

Considering the underlying numbers and the increasing trust from Pep, Lewis at a price point which is more than a million cheaper than his counterpart, offers a cheaper and easier route into the City defence. He has similar numbers, and has been more central to the attacking play, especially in the absence of Rodrigo. Both the options look great and could differ in terms of team value and perception of managers.

Further Read: FPL GW8 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Differentials, Captaincy & More

Spurs

Spurs attack has been very popular lately. The team is filled with mid priced assets backed with good attacking numbers as well. Spurs are currently at the top in terms of xG per appearance of 2.2, which is above Arsenal’s xG of 2.0. The injury to the go to guy from their team, Son (9.9m) unlocks the potential of other cheaper assets around him.

Spurs Attack Rank this season:

• xG- 1st
• Shots inside the box- 1st
• Big Chances- Joint 2nd
• Goals scored- 4th

Brennan Johnson (6.6m)

Johnson’s numbers has been talismanic this season. He has scored 3 goals and assisted 2 so far. Over the last 4 weeks, he is ranked 2nd among midfielders in terms of xG/90 (0.72), only second to the player almost double his price, Cole Palmer (10.8m) (at xG/90 of 0.75). He looks really sharp and and also has the hunger to score more goals. He easily could have come out with more than just a goal against Brighton. At a price of 6.6m, he seems to be the best value for money asset (close to Mbeumo) in the game currently.

Dominic Solanke (7.6m)

Solanke seems to be the reliable and consistent pick from the Spurs attack. He is ranked 3rd among forwards over past 4 weeks, in terms of xGI per 90 minutes (0.9). He is a confident and clinical striker, who should also be on penalties in absence of Son. Although, it should be noted that in the game against Brighton, he tended towards a more false nine and deeper role as compared to his previous matchups. As a result, he did not have any shots in the match. However, he should continue on his spree and get back on scoring tracks against a very favorable matchup (against West Ham) next week.

Solanke Stats since his return from injury in GW4(Rank among all players):

• Big Chances- 7 (1st)
• Expected Goals- 3.08 (2nd)
• Expected Goal Involvement- 3.50 (1st)

Maddison (7.5m)

Maddison has yet again been putting up surreal underlying numbers. This season, he has an xGI/90 of 0.8 so far with 0.47 Big Chances created every 90 minutes. The only concern with him is his price point. The players with more attacking potential like Johnson or an out and out forward like Solanke seems to challenge his spot in the team. However, he is integral to the Spurs system and should continue to be involved in most of their attacking returns.

Johnson vs Maddison- Stats Comparison so far:

Further Read: FPL GW8 Transfer Targets & Watchlist Based on Eye Test & Stats

Nott’m Forest

Forest are also among the top teams in terms of their Fixture ticker. They have been farily consistent this season. They face Palace, Leicester and West Ham in the next three weeks. The have conceded an xGC per appearance of 1.1 this season and have fairly decent attack as well.

Chris Wood (6.2m)

Wood has been the most consistent forward in the 6 million bracket. He has yielded a total of 39 points with 4 goals so far. Apart from an xG/90 of 0.37, he is also on penalties making him the talisman from the Forest team. Moreover, he also attracts bonus points to his name, when on the score sheet. With weak defenses coming his way, Chris Wood could be the perfect budget option to go for.

Milenkovic (4.5m) / Aina (4.5m)

The Forest defence has undoubtedly been strong this season. Moreover, Milenkovic and Aina also has a bit of an attacking threat to their names. The argument for having them in our teams also stems from other expensive defences performing poorly. Taking money out of defence, and trusting the likes of 4.5m defenders from Forest, in lieu of upcoming fixtures could reap in some points.

Further Read: FPL GW8 Wildcard Team & Drafts to Consider | Wildcard Guide

Everton

Everton have not had the best start to the season. However, with the fixture run ahead, they could be on the track to turn things around. They have amazing fixtures all the way up to GW14.

Pickford (4.8m)

After Raya, Pickford seems to be the best pick in the game with his upcoming run. Ha managed to save a penalty and keep a clean sheet against Newcastle in GW7. With Brentford defense conceding a lot of xGC, Flekken’s popularity has been on a decline. With a dearth of options, for managers on wildcard who are looking to save some bucks, they can opt to go for Pickford for this run.

Mykolenko (4.3m)

Another great budget option from the Toffees is Mykolenko. Although, currently flagged, he should be back in GW8. Before getting injured, he was playing 90 minutes and held the potential of racking up assist points in some games. He is good option for a 4th or a 5th defender in the team who could also rotate well with the likes of other cheap defenders.

McNeil (5.7m)

McNeil has been putting up incredible underlying numbers this season. He has an xGI/90 of 0.52 so far. He has also hauled on two occasions against Villa and Palace. McNeil is at 11th among midfielders when considering xGI per 90 minutes over past 5 weeks. He has also taken 12 shots with 6 being from inside the box, with 7 big chances created. The Everton midfielder is in form, with good numbers and fixtures coming up. At 5.7m, he can easily be swapped for the likes of ESR after his good run comes to an end.

McNeil Stats from this season:

• Matches– 7
• Shots– 13
• Big Chance– 1
• xG– 0.54
• Goals- 3
• Chances created – 23 (Joint 2nd Highest in the league)
• Big Chances created– 7 (3rd Highest in the league)
• xA– 2.91 (2nd Highest in the league)
• Assists– 2
• FPL Points– 41

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Further Read: FPL GW8 Transfer Targets & Watchlist Based on Eye Test & Stats

Ipswich

The last team in this list would be Ipswich. Their decent budget options could be set and forget in our teams for a long period. Their price point also allows benching in some difficult games, with potential of high returns in easier ones.

Leif Davis (4.5m)

Davis could be the crux to the cheap defender rotation over the given run. He could give a good option to rotate with his counterparts like RAN and Mykolenko. Over the past 5 Gameweeks, Davis has the highest total xGI of 1.6 (above Trent!) and has also created 5 Big Chances.

At 4.5m, he certainly has a few hauls in them, if Ipswich are able to clench some clean sheets over the run. Even if we ignore the clean sheet points, he has an extremely high attacking potential, making him a good asset for the price point.

Liam Delap (5.6m)

The Ipswich forward has been on the scroe sheet 4 times so far this season. Currently, the forward spot seems to be extremely crowded. Considering that, Delap offers some extra value at a tag of 5.6m, with only facing challenge from the Wolves forward, Larsen. Against Villa, he had recorded an xG of 0.57, where he ended up scoring a brace for the team.

Some players like the Arsenal assets or Cole Palmer also deserve a shout, as they are somewhat fixture-proof and can still perform well despite their bad run.

Best of luck for GW8!

Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW8

FPL GW8 Wildcard Team & Drafts to Consider | Wildcard Guide
Best FPL GW8 Differential Picks(<10% TSB)
Top FPL Gameweek 8 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics
FPL GW8 Fixture Swing Analysis – Teams and Players to Target
FPL GW8 Scout Selection Based on Stats, Analysis and Matchups
FPL GW8 Transfer Targets and Watchlist
FPL GW8 Tips- Premium Midfielders, Budget Assets & More
FPL GW8 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Differentials, Captaincy & More

Link to all our FPL GW8 blogs including buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer targets, and more. Completely free to access as well!

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