Fantasy Premier League GW13 – The biggest dilemmas
The infamous GW12 is behind us, and many FPL managers can breathe calmly now as Manchester City and Arsenal assets are back into the game. The whole FPL Community was in panic mode before GW12, and we saw many chips used. The players who were most in the rotation were indeed the Brighton midfielders, especially Trossard, as well as the legend of the FPL game, Mo Salah. To the disappointment of many, but not faithful readers of my articles, both of these players failed and had a blank week. If you remember, I wrote that it is too early to take Brighton players and that I don’t think 12.7 million is worth taking Salah.
Before we start talking about these potential strategies that can make a difference for you in GW13, I should mention that I had a solid week. I scored 50+ points (waiting on bonus points in the Fulham game). I am currently at 31k overall, and I sincerely hope that the progress will continue after this week. All my decisions, you can track on my Twitter account (@milosnsns).
Today I will do a slightly different article and write what I think are 15 magnificent ones that should be had before the start of the Qatar World Cup.
Goalkeepers
If we exclude the most popular keepers, which have a large percentage of managers (Pope and Ederson), there are currently two players that I would like to have (Pope and Ward are on my roster). I think both are excellent options for those who have problems with their goalkeepers.
Jose Malheiro de Sa (£5.1, 7.4% ownership, Wolves vs. Leicester)
If you have problems with the GK position and you don’t have too much space in the budget, Sa is the perfect option. Admittedly Wolves have a tough schedule till the World Cup break (Brentford, Brighton, Arsenal), Sa is one of the best FPL goalkeepers this season, and the Wolves are one of the best defensive teams.
Jose Malheiro de Sa might be a perfect differential player for this GW13. With only 7.4% ownership, he can pay off big time. Leicester’s form is in decline, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if we see Sa clean sheet in GW13.
Kepa Arrizabalaga (£4.5, 2.5% ownership, Chelsea vs. Manchester United)
You probably already think I’m crazy, but if I couldn’t have Pope in goal, my second pick would definitely be Kepa Arrizabalaga! Here’s why:
- Since the arrival of Potter, he has been the first-choice keeper
- Three consecutive CS
- All Potter teams play fantastic defense
- It costs only £4.5 million
- Amazing differential with only 2.6% ownership
The negative side is that Chelsea has a rather complicated schedule, but despite that, they will not be a big underdog in any match.
Defense
The Five Untouchables
When it comes to defense, for several weeks now, I have considered that I have the best five players I can have (the best ratio between price and quality). Of course, I am open to comments and brainstorming. Here are the best defensive players I think they should have in the next four GW in no particular order. Note that these five cost £28.0 million in total.
The first is William Saliba (Arsenal), who is cheap (£4.9) and has been one of the revelations of this season. He is not a differential player (29.5% ownership), but he is definitely a player you must have, even if he is a backup option. Arsenal plays Southampton, Nottingham, Chelsea, and Wolves until the break. Out of these four games, I see at least two clean sheets.
This is one of the most popular choices this season. Joao Cancelo (Manchester City) is one of the defenders with the highest ownership (54.0%). This is not surprising because Joao (£7.1) is playing fantastically this season, just like his Manchester City. And until the break, his team plays against Brighton, Leicester, Fulham, and Brentford. It is realistic to have three players from Manchester City.
If you don’t have Kieran Trippier (Newcastle) in your team by now, then you are probably far behind the leaders in the FPL race. This excellent wingback is having an incredible season and is also a favorite among the FPL population (58.6% ownership). For the price of £5.7 million, I must say he is a must-buy even now. Newcastle has one of the best defenses in the league, and they play Tottenham, Aston Villa, Southampton, and Chelsea before the break.
Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea) is also one of the cheaper and better defensive players. He played 10 out of 12 games. His team’s defense is excellent, and for £5.5 million, which is how much this player currently costs, it is hard to find a more cheap and more reliable option. With Potter, I expect even better defensive performances from Chelsea players. Also, only 8.5% of FPL managers own this player.
Last but not least is the defender of Tottenham, Eric Dier (£5.3). He is also quite a solid differential with 11.8% ownership. His team is playing great this season, and it often happens that they don’t concede a goal. Until the WC break, Tottenham plays against Newcastle, Bournemouth, Liverpool, and Leeds. It’s not the easiest schedule, but it can easily happen that they have three clean sheets.
Midfielders
In the midfield, I decided on players who I think are excellent value for money, and to the surprise of many, there is no Salah, Maddison, and Kevin de Bruyne. Here are my five favorite midfielders. Note that these five cost £30.3 million in total.
Phil Foden (Manchester City) is the only transfer I will do this week. He is in fantastic shape, and for £8.3 million, I can’t see a better player at the moment. Also, until the World Cup break, his team has a fantastic schedule, and I expect a lot of points from him. The only drawback is that a large number of other managers own him.
Miguel Almirón Rejala (Newcastle) is a player who has been flying under the radar all season and is playing fantastically. For the price of £5.3 million, I think it must be your choice, as few players currently offer as much as he does (maybe only Xhaka and Hojbjerg). Also, he is a differential player with only 9.0% ownership. The only drawback with him is the possibility of rotation when Allan Saint-Maximin is back in full swing.
The third player on my list is Gabriel Martinelli Silva (Arsenal). I personally sold him and exchanged him for Zaha two weeks ago, but I think that was a mistake. This fantastic player is providing excellent games this season, as is the entire Arsenal team. The price of £6.7 represents real value, but the disadvantage is that it has high ownership (46.4%).
Andreas Hoelgebaum Pereira (Fulham) is another very valuable asset that you can have. The price of £4.6 million is fantastic for a player who takes corners and free kicks and plays in a team that plays quite attacking. Pereira is a perfect player for the bench who can be used in certain situations. The disadvantage is that Fulham is a limited team that will not win every game.
Finally, there is Tottenham’s irreplaceable midfielder, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (£5.6), who has only 3.3% of FPL managers and who is an excellent differential. I’ve had it for a few weeks now, and it’s brought me a lot of points. Tottenham is playing great this season, and Pierre-Emile is an extremely important player in the rotation.
Forwards
There is not much philosophy in the attack. I chose three attackers who are personally the best for me, although I admit that there are other good players, such as Toney, Isak, and Wilson. Note that these three players cost £30.0 million in total.
Anyone who hasn’t watched it can hardly understand that energy on the field. Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) is a real tornado who is the soul of this team. With a price of £6.8 and 24.8% ownership, I think he is a must-have this season. He is the first option when it comes to penalties, and he is dangerous both in the game with his head and his feet.
It’s hard to write something new about Erling Haaland (Manchester City), who is simply fantastic this season. Although his price is high (£12.1), as is his ownership (81.5%), he is a must-have this season. Manchester City is playing fantastically, and it is only a question of when the record for the number of points scored in one FPL season will be in his possession.
Like Haaland, a player who rarely disappoints is Harry Kane (Tottenham). This season, he does what is expected of him in every game and is currently one of the most consistent players in the entire league. With a price of £11.5 million, it may not be available to everyone, but it has relatively small ownership of 23.1%.
Conclusion
As I wrote at the beginning, these 15 players may not be to everyone’s liking, but this is a team that costs under £100 million and could bring you solid points every week until the start of the World Cup. If I hadn’t already used my Wild Card chip, this is what my team would look like before GW13.
