Sky Sports is back with the weekly Fantasy Premier League column, bringing you essential tips from the best managers in the world.
FPL experts Gianni Buttice and Holly Shand answer the key questions ahead of Saturday’s 11am deadline for Gameweek 9…
With Andy Robertson (£6.6m) now reportedly out long-term, is Kostas Tsimikas at £4.4m a must-own or can we not trust Liverpool’s defence?
Holly Shand: I think at this price point, Tsimikas is worth the punt. We’ve seen in the past that he can produce consistent attacking returns and Liverpool have excellent upcoming fixtures. Hopefully, clean sheets will come for him too.
Gianni Buttice: There are lots of good defenders at a similar price point to Tsimikas at clubs like Aston Villa, Arsenal and Newcastle who all have good fixture runs so he is far from essential but someone I will likely do with if I wildcard in GW10. The appeal of Tsimikas is his attacking threat and with the Liverpool fixture run being so good, I am expecting clean sheets.
Do you have any concerns over South American assets not starting games this week?
Gianni Buttice: Absolutely! Liverpool in the early kick-off and Man City playing Saturday at 3pm doesn’t help either. Historically Klopp has rested the likes of Luis Diaz (£7.5m) and Darwin Nunez (£7.4m) after long flights back with such a short turnaround time.
Holly Shand: We have seen this trend in the past so it’s certainly something to be aware of, but I wouldn’t make transfers out for those players because of it. Being more cautious with transfers in is advisable and as always, take it into account when ordering the bench and making a captaincy decision.
Is this the last-week saloon for Man Utd assets or do you see reasons for optimism?
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Scott McTominay struck twice in stoppage time as Manchester United fought back to claim the three points against Brentford
Holly Shand: This is the last week: particularly for those managers planning to wildcard in Gameweek 10. A promising international break for Marcus Rashford (£8.8m) could see him come good and Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m) is a player more than capable, so hopefully they reward their owners this weekend.
Gianni Buttice: Sheffield United away is arguably the best fixture they could wish for and playing away from Old Trafford could be a positive this week as United fans were ready to boo their team off the pitch before Scott McTominay (£4.8m) rescued them last time out. Sheffield United are the worst defence in the league and I expect Manchester United to have some fun in attack.
Who is the best captain for this week?
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Has Erling Haaland finally met his match in William Saliba?
Holly Shand: For me, I’m still on the default of Haaland captain despite two successive blanks. The home game should help his output and we know Brighton are not a team to fear from a defence perspective, having failed to keep a clean sheet so far this season.
Gianni Buttice: Haaland may have blanked in recent weeks but Brighton conceded a lot of chances and with home advantage, I will be captaining Erling Haaland (£14.0m). Worth noting that Heung-Min Son (£9.5m) and Mohamed Salah (£12.6m) have good home fixtures too but it’s Haaland for me.
For those who haven’t wildcarded, when do you think is the best week to do so?
Holly Shand: I think Gameweek 10 is a stronger wildcard window than Gameweek 9, particularly for those managers holding onto Manchester United assets this week. The fixture swings seem more defined, but as always it’s team dependent.
Gianni Buttice: GW10 will likely be when I pull the trigger although GW19 is also desirable knowing you can set yourself up for the festive period and dead end your team for the Man City and Brentford blank in GW18.
For those aiming for a popular GW10 wildcard, who are the best one-week punts?
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Take a look at the best angles of Bryan Mbuemo’s superb turn and finish in injury time against Bournemouth which salvaged a point for Brentford
Holly Shand: Consider a Spurs defender for the visit of Fulham: Pedro Porro (£5.1m) carries the most attacking threat. Bryan Mbeumo (£6.7m) looks to be a good bet against Burnley at home in the midfield, while team-mate Yoane Wissa (£5.9m) could prosper among the forward options.
Gianni Buttice: The four players I am looking at for a one-week punt are: Rasmus Holjund (£7.2m) and Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m) who have both had good international breaks and then Diogo Jota (£7.7m) who I think will start vs Everton and Alexander Isak (£7.5m) who has been leading the line so well for an attacking Newcastle team.
