Over a gameweek where Manchester City increased their lead at the Premier League summit to fifteen points while Manchester United lost convincingly to Tottenham Hotspur, it was also an intriguing round of fixtures for FPL bosses.
Although the average points scored was a relatively low tally at 47, points were up for grabs, particularly those who possess big-hitters like Sergio Aguero, Mohamed Salah and Raheem Sterling. It just further adds to the point that picking your captain wisely is absolutely essential and it can be the difference between a poor week and an excellent one.
Anyway, let’s get right to our latest player selections for the upcoming fixtures.
Three players to buy
Theo Walcott – Everton - £7.2million
Credit to Sam Allardyce for pulling this deal off, it’s a move that already looks like is paying dividends. Theo Walcott scored two goals on his Goodison Park debut and he look menacing in the process.
There has been a real lack of mid-level options when it comes to picking your MFs this year in FPL, and Walcott could have just given us all the option we’ve been craving for.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Arsenal - £10.5million
I always like to take an FPL gamble every now and then, this week, my throw of the dice lies on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s shoulders. He’s a top striker and Arsenal has done superbly well to acquire him.
As he’s a new player, his low ownership greatly attracts me, I’m also a fan of his price too… This is a complete shot in the dark because nobody knows how he’ll do in the English game, but I think it’s worth the risk at this point in the season.
Callum Wilson – AFC Bournemouth - £5.8million
I got laughed at earlier in the season when I suggested that Wilson could make a late run to make it into Gareth Southgate’s England World Cup squad, but now he certainly has a chance.
Over the last three gameweeks, Wilson has scored one and assisted one against both Chelsea and Arsenal. His big-game pedigree is clear for all to see and at £5.8million he’s an absolute FPL bargain. As a third striker option or even as a number one bench player, Wilson offers us room for manoeuvre.
Three players to sell
Leroy Sane – Manchester City - £8.3million
The German winger has been simply sensational to watch this season, but he’ll now miss the next 6-8 weeks of action after a shocking tackle from Cardiff City’s Joe Bennett. Get rid now because his price will begin to drop immediately, and having £8.3million sitting on your bench is a huge waste.
If you want to keep in line with bringing in a like-for-like Manchester City player as a replacement, you can’t go wrong with Raheem Sterling, although he’s a bit pricier at £8.9million.
Marko Arnautovic – West Ham United - £6.9million
Well, it was fun while it lasted. We suggested bringing in Arnautovic shortly after his move to West Ham and he’s been excellent. However, like Sane, he’ll now spend a lengthy period of time sat on the sidelines. There isn’t really much else to say here, so let’s swiftly move on.
Jesse Lingard – Manchester United - £6.3million
I feel like we’re picking on attacking players this week, but that’s just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. Manchester United’s academy graduate was playing at an elite level until a few weeks ago, but over his last three gameweeks, he’s fired three blanks.
The key to FPL success is cashing out at the right time, so bin off Jesse Lingard while his value remains solid. He still has 17% ownership, which is pretty high, don’t be one of those who keeps hold of him while watching his price plummet.
If you opt to go with our player selections, I wish you luck, as you’re going to need it… All jokes aside, hopefully we’ll all be looking at green arrows following Monday Night Football as Chelsea will be looking to bounce back with a victory away at Watford.
