EPL GW-28 FPL Player Picks

Gameweek 28 presents some challenges in FPL, since six teams don’t play this round: Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Brighton, Fulham and West Ham. While Fulham and West Ham players probably don’t comprise many, if any, of your squad, players from the other four teams probably do. A low-scoring week with zeroes for blanking players could be on the cards for many FPL managers then, with other managers considering taking hits or playing chips.

A further complication is that next week there are a lot of doubles, so you won’t want to bring in someone this week who only has one game next week, especially for a hit. Over the next two weeks, Manchester City and Fulham have only one game, while Leeds, Bournemouth, Brentford, Leicester, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Newcastle have three games.

So I’m going to concentrate on the three-game players, although Arsenal does have two nice-looking fixtures so I’m not going to ignore them.

---

Goalkeepers

Kepa Arrizabalaga (£4.7m, CHE vs EVE): Chelsea might just be turning the corner, and Everton isn’t lighting up the scoring charts, so Kepa could be your keeper this week.

~

Nick Pope (£5.4m, NFO vs NEW ): Newcastle’s previously impregnable defense has been leaking recently, and Forest is a better side at home. But Pope doesn’t generally concede many and a clean sheet is a distinct possibility here.

---

Defenders

Ben Chilwell (£5.9m, CHE vs EVE): Former fantasy-favourite Chilwell is finally back fit and firing. With 18 points from his last two games and selected by only 4.9% of managers, he’s going to be one of the most popular picks this week.

~

Kieran Trippier (£6.0m, NFO vs NEW ): It feels a bit pointless mentioning Trippier, since it seems like he’s already in everyone’s teams. Yet he’s the second-most transferred-in defender this week! His ownership stands at 65%, but if you’re among the 35% who don’t own him, it’s never too late!

~

Gabriel (£5.2m, ARS vs CPL): Arsenal have a nice-looking fixture at home to out-of-form Crystal Palace, so Gabriel is definitely worth considering this week. While he only has one fixture in GW29, it’s at home to Leeds, so he could be a worthwhile introduction to your team.

---

Midfielders

Philip Billing (£5.1m, AVL vs BOU): Billing has twenty points from his last two games, which were against Liverpool and Arsenal. Aston Villa may be expected to beat Bournemouth, but Billing is still well worth considering, especially at his low price.

~

Enzo Fernández (£5.0m, CHE vs EVE): The Argentinian is starting to find his feet at Chelsea and the team is far better for it. An assist last time out, and he’s a key creative player so surely there are more to come. And he’s even cheaper than Billing!

~

Miguel Almirón (£5.4m, NFO vs NEW): He’s having a fantastic season at Newcastle, and although his production has slowed up a bit, he scored last time out. He’s the #1 transferred-in midfielder so far this week, so you won’t be alone in going for him.

~

James Maddison (£8.1m, BRE vs LEI): Leicester are on a run of very poor form, so this pick is based more on past performance. He’s key to Leicester’s success as they try to avoid falling into the relegation slots.

---

Forwards

Ollie Watkins (£7.4m, AVL vs BOU): Six goals in his past seven games, Watkins is on a great run of form. Bournemouth should offer up some more chances this week, so he should definitely be on your radar. He’s gradually moved up the ownership charts and is no longer as much of a differential, being the 8th-most selected forward, so you avoid him at your peril this week.

~

Kai Havertz (£7.5m, CHE vs EVE): He scored last time out, and Chelsea do seem to be improving. He also seems to be on penalties now, making him doubly-attractive.

~

Ivan Toney (£7.8m, BRE vs LEI): Toney’s goal against Southampton yesterday brought him to 16 in the league this season. Although there’s surely a lengthy ban to come for betting offences, he hasn’t let that affect his production. Leicester have lost four straight while conceding eight goals, so ride Toney’s form while you still can.

~

Who will you captain this week - not Haaland I hope, since he’s not playing? With neither Manchester team playing, how is your XI shaping up - can you even field 11 starters? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

~