Follow Sky Sports for Fantasy Premier League coverage throughout the season, including tips, expert advice and the latest team news; the big questions are answered ahead of Gameweek 37
Sunday 21 May 2023 21:41, UK
Sky Sports is back with the weekly column, bringing you essential tips from the best Fantasy Premier League managers in the world.
FPL experts Pras Singhal and Gianni Buttice answer the burning questions ahead of Saturday's 11am deadline for Gameweek 37...
Pras Singhal: On the face of it a City midfielder or Julian Alvarez does carry huge upside given the double. However, when you factor in the stupendous, but physically-intense, Real Madrid second-leg victory and possible league title victory on Sunday - who starts against both Chelsea and Brighton seems a lottery, even more so than usual.
I would categorise them as 'don't buy, don't sell'. Any Man City attacker could go big so why not take the chance and hold them. On the other hand, there are enough good options even with single game teams like Newcastle, who play Leicester at home, and Liverpool, who play Aston Villa at home - so not buying Man City players is also viable.
Gianni Buttice: The title could be wrapped up before Manchester City travel to Brighton and if that's the case then FPL managers will fear rotation, knowing they play three games in seven days.
However, Guardiola has previously spoken about momentum and players needing minutes to keep their performance levels high so I wonder if his main men do indeed start both games and we perhaps just see some 60-70 minute substitutions depending on game state.
In summary, I would be reluctant to sell my City assets but I'm cautious about buying them this week.
Pras Singhal: Fernandes is possibly the second-best option for captaincy this week - when taking into account the possible Man City rotation and Marcus Rashford's fitness. The only problem is his price and the sacrifices needed to buy him. If the only viable route to him is by selling Salah then it doesn't scream upside to me.
Salah has three double-digit hauls in a row and is a great captaincy option himself in GW38 vs Southampton. On the other hand, if you can get to Bruno Fernandes without major sacrifices then he is a great option indeed.
Apart from Fernandes and Rashford, a Man Utd defender is a decent option. They have kept five clean sheets in the last eight. The away game to Bournemouth and home game vs Chelsea are decent ones on paper. Luke Shaw and David de Gea are the most nailed on out of them all, but Victor Lindelof or Raphael Varane also have a decent chance of starting both games.
Gianni Buttice: Bruno Fernandes is the player I'm most worried about not owning this week and I'm desperately trying to find ways of accommodating him. He has two good fixtures, has been producing brilliant underlying statistics and is on the top of his game right now. I would be happy transferring him in for a hit this week.
Covering Manchester United's back line feels important too. De Gea, Shaw and even a 4.1 Lindelof are really good options at the moment.
Pras Singhal: Haaland, Rashford (if fit), Shaw, Mitoma is a good list of must-haves for the run-in. Beyond this Bruno Fernandes, another Man City attacker, Salah and Alexander-Arnold are great options to have as well - especially as Liverpool need to win both the remaining games to still have a chance for making it into the top four.
Gianni Buttice: Despite no double gameweek, Trent Alexander-Arnold feels essential right now. In his new role in the team, he's even more of a goal and assist threat than before. Liverpool are also looking much more solid defensively and when they keep a clean sheet, you know Trent is getting bonus points.
Pras Singhal: Even though the league is nearly gone, I think Arsenal will give it their all in the game against Nottingham Forest and finally the home game vs Wolves. Their attackers are really low owned - so any of Gabriel Jesus, Martin Odegaard or Bukayo Saka are great differentials. For an ultra-differential, also consider Leandro Trossard - but watch out for news on Gabriel Martinelli's injury first.
Gianni Buttice: Knowing Riyad Mahrez missed both Champions League games against Real Madrid I expect him to get plenty of minutes in the double gameweek. He has started the last four Premier League games and clocked five assists in that time and I am expecting his good form to continue.
Another midfielder to consider is Antony who is owned by fewer than four per cent of managers. He has been very wasteful of late but he's getting the chances and you would expect him to start converting them with his quality. Both Bournemouth and Chelsea have shown weaknesses at the back in recent weeks and it's a good-looking double gameweek for Manchester United.
Pras Singhal: Depends on the chip and the shape of the team. If it's a triple captain or bench boost then best to use it this week to maximise the gains in a double gameweek.
If, however, it is a free hit chip then it might be better to use it in the final gameweek where there could be more potential for points given the fact that we typically see more rotation but also more goals on the final day. The gains could be huge.
Gianni Buttice: Bench boost is obviously very squad dependent but now feels like the time to pull the trigger if you still have any of your chips left.
Pras Singhal: As ever, Haaland over two games, even with limited minutes, is the standout option. After that, I also like the Man Utd options given they have all to play for and games against Bournemouth (A) and Chelsea (H) should see a few goals. My only concern is the lack of big wins (11 goals in last eight Premier League games) means the upside is lower as well.
Gianni Buttice: I'm hopeful of two starts but I'm not necessarily expecting 180 minutes from Haaland. With his high ceiling for points, I don't think that matters too much and he will still be my captain this week.
Bruno Fernandes is a nice differential option given his form and fixtures. He's a bit of a fitness machine too, so you can bank on him getting 180 minutes.
