Guest blog written by @fpl_physio
Fantasy Premier League is back and it starts in style with a double game week. In the first of my weekly articles for ALLABOUTFPL, I run through all you need to know about FPL GW30+; the players to pick, the potential chip strategies, and a look at the captaincy conundrum.
Players to watch out for in FPL GW30+
Manchester City ~ Arsenal & Burnley
The first name on everyone’s GW30+ teamsheet is undoubtedly Kevin De Bruyne (£10.6) and rightly so. The midfielder is the most nailed on attacking asset from City and the second-highest points scorer this term.
Many managers will be looking to shoehorn one of Sergio Aguero (£11.8) or Raheem Sterling (£11.7) in their teams. Both are owned by less than 20% of managers so present more differential options than De Bruyne. For the even more maverick managers out there Riyad Mahrez (£8.5) averages 7.8 points per 90 minutes, the catch being he has only featured in half of the available minutes.
At the back, Ederson (£6.0) is the only player from City you can confidently say will start both games. While Aymeric Laporte (£6.3) has developed a bit of a reputation as a DGW hero in his short Premier League career.
Arsenal ~ Manchester City & Brighton
The Gunner’s leading marksman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.1) is the obvious Arsenal asset to target. He’s their highest points scorer and has started every game when available.
At only 5% ownership Nicholas Pepe (£9.3) enjoyed some good form before the lockdown returning 25 points in three gameweeks. David Luiz (£5.7) has registered the most minutes of all Arsenal’s defenders this season, while those looking for a cheaper defensive option Bernd Leno (£5.0) is the man. He has racked up 104 saves behind only Dubravka of Newcastle.
Sheffield United ~ Aston Villa & Newcastle
The season’s surprise package are attracting plenty of interest from FPL managers ahead of a very favorable double gameweek, especially at the back. Dean Henderson (£5.3) is the second-highest scoring goalkeeper, although it’s worth remembering he can’t play in GW31+ against Man United.
You could make a case for any of the back five. Personally, John Egan (£4.6) and George Baldock (£5.1) are the two best options. The former is the least likely to be rotated playing as the centre centre-back whilst Baldock has no one competing for his place unlike the other wing-back Enda Stevens (£5.2).
From an attacking perspective, John Fleck (£5.0) is the most nailed on midfielder and has scored five times this season. Upfront Oli McBurnie (£5.7) has proved himself to be the first choice forward and is a cheap option for those going all-in on the double gameweek.
Aston Villa ~ Sheffield United & Chelsea
Captain and talisman Jack Grealish (£6.4) is the standout asset from Aston Villa. For those on a free hit, he’s a no brainer, the Chelsea fixture especially looks good for an attacking return. January signing Mbwana Samatta (£5.8) is one for the mavericks at only 0.3% ownership, the Tanzanian scored on his Premier League debut in GW25 and the League Cup final against Man City.
Tyrone Mings (£4.4) and Matt Targett (£4.3) provide bench boosters with cheap double gameweek defender options but in my opinion, there are single gameweek players that should be challenging Villa defenders for a place in our teams, Willy Boly (£4.7) for example.
Physio’s FPL GW30+ picks~
Must-haves in your FPL GW30+ squad:
- Kevin De Bruyne
- Pierre Emerick Aubameyang
- Dean Henderson
Differentials for FPL GW30+ (<10%)
- Riyad Mahrez
- Nicolas Pepe
- John Fleck
Chip Strategy for FPL GW30+:
All being well FPL GW30+ will be the only double game week before the end of the season. This means it’s an obvious time to use a chip and hopefully steal a march on your rivals!
The best chip to use, in my opinion, is the bench boost especially if you have your wildcard left. Combining the unlimited transfers with a bench boost means you can load up on all the double gameweek players you want them to pad out the rest of your squad with some good single gameweek options like a Chelsea or Wolves asset. They play Villa and West Ham respectively. Below is an example of a fifteen man bench boost ready squad.
Managers without the bench boost who still have the wildcard chip can use the unlimited transfers to make a starting XI just focusing on GW30+ before wildcarding into a more long-term squad in GW31+.
For those who just have the free hit left, I’m in this situation, it depends on how happy you are with your squad (BEFORE you made any ‘unlimited’ transfers). If you don’t have many double gameweek players, say you used the lockdown to perform a ‘slow wildcard’ and bring in Wolves and Man United players, for example, then the free hit is the way to go in GW30+.
If your squad doesn’t look good in the long-term then you’ll be better off making use of the unlimited transfers and making a sort of 50/50 team. The team below is an example of this, five double game week players but also looking long-term with players like Maguire, Boly, and Jiménez.
To be clear, as there has been confusion over this, you cannot make transfers to your squad then deploy the free hit and have your new team in GW31+. It will reset to your team that played in the old GW38. Go to gameweek history to remind yourself of your squad if you are unsure.
Here’s a complete FPL Chip strategy guide
FPL GW30+ Captaincy options:
For me, who you choose to captain depends on whether you are willing to take a risk. The two safest options, in my opinion, are De Bruyne and Aubameyang.
KDB has racked up 24 FPL returns in 26 appearances, that’s phenomenal consistency. You are guaranteed decent minutes and you are bound to get at least an assist. Likewise, Aubameyang starts every game he is fit for and boasts 17 goals and 3 assists in 26 starts. The flip side of the coin with these two is their ownership, KDB especially (46.4%), they are going to be very highly captained.
The catch being that I wouldn’t be confident they start twice, at the very least I would expect no more than 120/125 minutes throughout the two games. Jesus, Sane, Foden and Bernardo Silva are all fully fit and FPL managers know all about Pep…
That’s a wrap!
There you have it, all things GW30+. Hopefully, this was a useful preview and has given you plenty to think about. I can’t wait for next Wednesday’s deadline and for it all to kick off again! Do drop me a follow on Twitter @fpl_physio and continue the discussion over there. Good luck in GW30+ everyone!
Check out FPL Physio’s website for his latest works!
Further Reads:
FPL Chip strategy for the remainder of the season
Everything that you need to know about FPL season restart
FPL Assets Returning From Injury To Be Considered Ahead Of GW30+
Teams to consider from FPL point of view when season restarts.
FPL Season restart – Some early thoughts on FPL return by FFTITAN
History Of Fantasy Football And Origin Of FPL
What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL?
- Best team for GW30+ if you have extra-wildcard to play.
- Best team for GW30+ if you don’t have extra-wildcard to play.
- Captain picks for FPL GW30+
- Differential Picks for FPL GW30+
- Best defenders and goalkeepers to consider for the rest of the season
- Best midfielders to consider for the rest of the season
- Best forwards to consider for the rest of the season
Thanks for reading ‘ALL THINGS FPL GW30+’ blog. Drop us a DM on Twitter if you need more clarity on the rules. Also, follow our 5000+ community on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay updated on regular Posts and FPL updates as we inch closer to FPL season restart.
Latest posts by FPL physio (see all)
- Physio‘s Column: GW38 Players to consider if you’re playing Free Hit | ALLABOUTFPL - July 24, 2020
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- Physio’s Column: All Things FPL GW33+ | ALLABOUTFPL - July 3, 2020
