Need some last minute advice and transfer tips ahead of gameweek 14? We’ve got you covered.
Best strikers
With Isak going off injured at the weekend and Haaland still not firing (have you still got him??0 and some juicy fixtures this week, who are the best strikers to target?
Watkins seems like a good pick on paper with some really good fixtures for some time, he’s someone who you could hold onto for a long time.
Saying that, Villa have struggled with the demands of Champions League football alongside the bread and butter of the Premier League. Watkins particularly is not firing like he was last year and they have more “must-win” games in Europe. With the fixture congestion coming up I expect mixed results from them. At £9m he’s a lot to put on this bet.
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Jackson has been on good form and Chelsea’s upcoming fixtures are some of the best to target. He’s £8.1m and I don’t expect much rotation for him. With the number of fixtures over December, all players are at risk of early subs off or rotation from the starting line up so no one is ever 100% nailed to play. If you can spare the budget, I think he’s the best option right now.
Cunha has been Wolves’ main man and although quiet in the last game, his returns have been exceptional. His price has risen to £7m but is still good value for the money and the next 3 fixtures are Everton, West Ham and Ipswich so definitely ones he can star in.
Evanilson is someone I’m toying with bringing in. It feels a little bit of a compromise (for me personally I have Cunha and want to add Jackson) based on price. Bournemouth have good fixtures and are very attacking. Saying that, he’s lost penalties to Kluivert which slightly lowers Evanilson’s appeal. A solid option nonetheless and is unlikely to be rotated.
Finally Joao Pedro at £5,7m is ridiculous value. His quality and returns have fully justified having in the team. At that price, it’s just little risk. Brighton’s fixtures are great and the only risk is rotation over a busy month with the likes of Ferguson and Welbeck taking minutes off each other.
Who to sell
Haaland continues to disappoint. His next 2 fixtures are Forest at home and Palace away. There’s an argument that these fixtures are worth holding him for and he will score goals…eventually. How much longer can you hold out though and if it’s stopping you having the likes of Salah and Saka then the choice should be straightforward.
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Bruno Fernandes is a little more tricky. Check out the fixtures…bear in mind that after this they turn very favourable.
The upside is he rarely misses a game but right now there’s doubt over where his position will be in each match and many of these fixtures are tough.
He’s not a priority sell but if it means you can get Saka, Salah or Palmer into your team, I’d say release that £8.5m!
Sadly I think it’s time for Chris Wood to go. I’ve not had him this season and I’ve rued it week after week. He scored again in game week 13 but the fixtures are so much tougher now that there are simply better options (see above for my list of strikers to consider).
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Bryan Mbeumo has gone quiet recently which is because Brentford’s attacks have been less centred on him. With Wissa back and several other Brentford players chipping in, Mbeumo has found himself occupying a wider role. Yes, he’s still on penalties but right now and with the fixtures he’s not worth holding much longer.
Defensive targets
Going into defence there’s plenty of options at all different price points. Many will have Konate and be looking for a replacement.
Of the cheapest options, there’s not many good options at £4m but at £4.4m I’d suggest taking a look at Kerkez of Bournemouth – good fixtures, good attacking threat in a decent team and nailed on to play.
Konsa is the same price, again nailed on but perhaps less appealing because Villa haven’t been at their best this year. Saying that, they do sit above Bournemouth so it’s not like it’s that clear cut.
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I’ve heard a lot of talk about Wan-Bissaka given his 2 goals in 2 games. Given he got lambasted as not offering much in attack for Man United, it’s ironic to see this. However, I think his reputation is fair; he’s not that effective as an attacking full-back so don’t expect this type of return to continue and West Ham are shipping goals for fun.
Joe Gomez is the best like for like replacement for Konate. Cheap access to a top defence. Perhaps there’s some risk that Quansah might get preferred but it’s unlikely given Gomez got the nod in the last game.
Aït-Nouri continues to appear on many lists as a target for the obvious reasons of his upcoming fixtures and attacking threat. Still at a decent price at £4.8m but clean sheets don’t seem particularly tight.
Chelsea defence is also a decent target – Colwill is just £4.5m and nailed on, reliable and Chelsea’s defence has been better this season than we expected. Their fixtures are nice hence many are targeting their attacking in Palmer and Jackson.
At the premium end, Gabriel is a must-have. He’s yellow flagged but I expect him to play. Hi aerial threat at set plays is valuable but so is Arsenal’s ability to keep clean sheets. Man United away this week isn’t the best time to bring him in but I would probably have faith in that defence against an inconsistent United.
Van Dijk is another but £6.4m, he’s getting expensive. I rank Gabriel slightly higher but I think it’ll be close as to who outscores who over the next couple of months.
A monster midfield
If you’ve not already got Saka and Salah…and ideally Palmer as well, then this should be a priority. If you’re holding Haaland at the expense of having any of these 3 then it’s holding you back.
I get the “one more week” mentality and usually patience really pays off in FPL but you also need to move when the tides are against you. For the record, Haaland will start scoring again and the narrative will change but for now, you just can’t keep holding and hoping in my opinion.
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After these 3, I’d rank Mitoma as the next best. He’s pretty nailed for minutes and been consistent so far. Yes, you’ve missed the Southampton fixture but the fixtures are still good.
Spurs midfielders should also be in your thinking, the difficulty is which ones will play. Kulusevski was dropped for the last game but is actually the best pick given how much better they play with him, making him more likely to start going forward. Expect some rotation though even if you pick Johnson or Maddison.
Bowen could be a good differential but given the fixtures, you need to move now because it’s likely you’ll get rid of him before the City and Liverpool games:
Finally, on the cheaper end of the scale there’s a number of options. When you get down to this level, just be aware that you should expect for inconsistency and potentially more rotation.
Kluivert and Semenyo are hard to pick between. Fixtures are good for Bournemouth and they are an attacking side. Kluivert maybe edges it because he’s on penalties and a tad cheaper.
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Rogers and Smith Rowe both continue to feature in lists simply because of their low price and consistent game time. Returns have been hard to predict and I’ve had both this season and found they often find their way onto my bench and it’s hard to know when to play them – hence some good points left on the bench.
Amad has been great, especially the last 2 weeks under the new manager, for Man United. Fixtures are a little tricky and it’s not certain he’ll play each week. For now, he’s potentially a great bargain option but be wary of rotation and United’s inconsistent form.
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