What is going on everyone? My name is Andy. Welcome back to another FPL video.
And this one is my team selection for gameweek 25. And I've got a problem to deal with in Bicario Saka. So I'm going to talk through what my thoughts are with him.
Do I go to Rice Timber? How do I spend my two free transfers? And I'll quickly show you how I did in gameweek 24 as well.
So let's get into it. So in gameweek 24, I was lucky enough to get my sixth green arrow in a row from 73 points, which was enough to take me from 2. 8K in the world to 1.
8K. 8K. So, I'm now top 2,000 and my official rank is 1,89th, which I'm absolutely delighted with because in all my years playing FPL, which is like 15 or 16 seasons now, I'm so old I've lost count.
I think maybe I've only been this high up, maybe two or maximum three times ever. So, it's a really nice position to be in and I am super happy. But with all those years of playing FPL comes the experience of knowing how quickly it can all turn around.
The red arrows could be incoming right now. So, as much as I'm happy and I'm hope I finish well in gameweek 38, I can't assume that's going to happen yet because there's a lot of gameweek still to go. But either way, top 2K really happy with how things are going at the moment.
As always in FPL, it could have been a little bit better. And I know how lucky I've been and I know this is get your tiny violin out time, but Sacka getting injured in the warm-up, what a killer. because he obviously went on my bench and Yoki Anderson came on for a zero pointer and to make it worse I watched the Arsenal game and Madaweki who stepped in for Saka got a goal and an assist like Saka I know he hasn't been a great pick recently but he's more than capable of getting like 8 to 10 points in a game like that and it could have been a huge score this week.
So again completely tiny violin stuff I know how lucky I've been but I'm an FPL manager you can't help but think what could have been. So 73 points, great. Sacka getting in injured in the warm-up, still super annoying outside of Yoki Manderson coming on for zero points.
The only other player that blanked for me was Thiago. That's now three blanks in a row, which is not great. But everyone else returned.
So in my defense, Ryer and Gabrielle double up on Arsenal. Clean sheet. Gabrielle got I think it was I can't remember if it was defensive contributions or a couple of bonus.
Now, let me just double check. Not that it really matters. It was defensive contributions that he got against leads.
Van Dijk lost the clean sheet as he always does. Although Liverpool did concede less than one xG in that game, but he also got defensive contributions. So he's got it twice in a row now.
And Sessi eight-pointer. Like what a guy. I saw the Bournemouth clean sheet get wiped out early on.
Goal gets disallowed. They don't concede again. That was great.
I do think with Sessi they did concede quite a few chances. I mean the expected goals conceded was 1. 38.
So maybe a little bit fortunate to get the clean sheet there, but still delighted with that. Enzo scores a goal really late on. Sosai plays right back, gets defensive contributions and one bonus.
He came really close to an assist as well. So he finished on five points, it could have been eight because the knockdown from the corner from Pope, it it slightly touched Chiao and then Canate scored. Had it not touched Chiao, that would have been a Suboslight assist, but it is what it is.
will take the five-pointer. And then Harland got the assist. So only five points by Captain Bruno.
So that was 20 points all in because he scored 10. Obviously that gets doubled. And then Elliot Anderson, what a guy.
This is the second week that I've owned him. If you remember, I brought him in when Harland got benched and we found out on the deadline stream and I was in a bit of a panic. I wasn't sure whether to play Elliot Anderson or not.
And I ended up benching him. So this is the first week I've played him. He's got me a seven-pointer with no attacking returns.
like the guy has been so consistent with just ticking over with small amount of points. It's like that consistency versus explosiveness conversation. And for me, Anderson's almost a perfect player.
You know, you're very likely to get something from him. Not always going to be a seven-pointer, of course, but for 5. 3 million, who cares?
So, he gets defensive contributions and three bonus. And it's interesting because I know some people aren't happy about that, but I feel like over the years people have complained when the bonus always goes to the guys that get the goal and the assist. And this time it's been given to a guy who had a really good performance even though he didn't get goals and assists.
And that's what people have wanted. But now they're not happy. Maybe because they don't own Anderson.
I don't know. It's probably only a small minority anyway. And it's just one of those things.
Next week he might not get defcons. He might get yellow carded and there'll probably be no bonus points. So, I wouldn't worry about it too much if you don't own Anderson.
But yeah, I mean, nothing more to say than great week, lots of luck as always, top 2K, delighted, 73 points. Could have been more though. Sacka, I I felt like I deserve points from Sacka at that at that stage as well.
And then to get injured in the warm up just absolute killer, but it is what it is. We move on. Let's talk about gameweek 25.
So, I've got two free transfers this week and 1. 5 million to spend. And defensively, things look okay for gameweek 25.
So Ryan go against Sunland at home which I'm more than happy with. We now know that Arsenal will also double in gameweek 26. So although Ry is not an exciting pick, it does tend to be two or six points in any given game.
He's already in place and I know he'll start both games in 26. So he's going nowhere. I'm not going to spend two transfers shifting him to a different Arsenal player.
Not when I've got other issues to deal with, which I'll talk about later on. Gabrielle completes the double up. I think if you don't own Gabrielle, chances are you're bringing him in this week or next week.
He's my vice captain this week. I don't really have any intention to actually captain him in 25, but obviously he's a great pick and in 26 he may well be my captain. So that double up is already in place.
The other two defenders I'm playing are Manderson against Everton at home and Lewis Hall against Brenford at home. Yucky Madison not a bad chance of a clean sheet against Everton. Great for defcon.
So more than happy with him in the back three. Lewis Hall played last night in the Carabal Cup against Man City. Man City went through very comfortably.
In fact, the score line was so comfortable that Lewis Hall got subbed at halftime. So although he started, I think he'll start again at the weekend against Brenford. So I'm actually okay with him for gameweek 25.
But after this week, the fixtures aren't great for Newcastle. So I am thinking about selling Lewis Hall. I'll come on to that in a second.
Then on the bench, it's Senessi against Villa at home and Van Djk against Man City at home. Sness is just a really great pick from now until 31. So, as long as he stays fit, he'll be going nowhere.
And as I've said already this week, I'm treating Van Dijk like a cheap defender. Like, I don't need the money by selling him. So, he's just a 4.
5 or 5 million defender for me. And in difficult fixtures like Man City at home, I just bench him. And then in the easier games they've got coming up, I'm probably going to play him quite a lot.
Now, I am probably going to sell a defender this week and it's almost certainly going to be Lewis Hall. Now on paper it doesn't make sense. He's got Brenford at home.
Van Dijk's got Man City at home. But I think longer term from now until 31, Liverpool's fixtures are better. And also in the back of my mind, and this thought has been there ever since I brought him into my team, Lewis Hall's injury record is not as good as Van Dijk's.
So I just feel like although it's not great to sell him this week, Van Djk is going to be a safer pick for 26 onwards. The player that I'm likely to buy is Yuri Timber to go triple Arsenal defense. I think Timber is definitely due some attack and return soon.
Triple defense is a bigger differential than going for Rice. That's not the only reason I'm thinking about doing it, by the way. You know me, if I think that Rice is absolutely the better pick, I would just go for it even if everyone else in the game owned him.
But I think because it's close between Timber and Rice, I am tempted to take the differential on because a lot of people are going to have double defense, not many people are going to have triple. And I think Timber in his own right is just a good pick. The only slight concern I've got are his minutes.
Now, I will say I'm pretty confident that he's going to start, but because so many people keep putting doubts in my mind about whether Ben White could play one of the next two Premier League games, it has got me thinking. Now, Arsenal just played on Tuesday and they play again on Saturday. So, that is a four-day turnaround.
Now, it's worth noting when they had a quick turnaround in gameweek 14 when they played Brenford at home. Timber did get benched. So, I'm not dismissing people's views on this, there is a chance that Timber gets benched, but I just think Tuesday, Saturday turnaround, surely you play Timber.
It's clear that Timber's obviously first choice, right? But I don't think anyone can debate that when you've seen the minutes. And like someone said to me yesterday like Ben White's fit now.
But he's he's been fit for ages. He's been playing. When Timber had to play left back, Ben White played right back.
But in every other game, Timber just gets used ahead of him. So I think he'll play against Sunderland. And then the Brenford game, the first match of gameweek 26 is a fiveday turnaround from Sunderland.
So worst case scenario, if he does get benched against Sunderland, he's definitely playing against Brenford. There's no chance Ben White starts two games in a row. And I think he's a good enough option that it's worth taking that risk for gamewe 25 because in my eyes the risk is low and I know loads of people are going to tell me that Timber could get benched.
I don't think the chances are that high. Again I'm not dismissing it as a possibility. I just think he will start.
Like if he doesn't I've got Sessi on the bench although Timber would almost certainly come off the bench if he doesn't start. So Sun at home definitely starts Brenford away. I've not really got any more or or any doubts about that.
And then the FA Cup game against Wigan at home is in between Brenford away and Wolves away. So presumably that is a game that Ben White will start and Timber will get a rest between Brenford away, Wolves away. So then he should start against Wolves away and then on the Sunday you've got Spurs away which he'll play again.
So I think there's a great chance he starts all four of these games. Is there a slight risk? Yes.
Is Celiba probably a bit safer for minutes? Of course, but Timber is such an exciting option compared to Celiba. I just don't think it's worth going for him.
So there is a chance I just go for Rice instead, but I am very very tempted to go Lewis Hall to Timber, keep Timber till 31 when Arsenal will blank and then sell him to a different defender. So I think ultimately my defense looks pretty good this week, but I do want to make a move from Hall to Timber unless I buy Rice, which I'll talk about in a second. But I just think Timber's the differential move.
I've gotten very lucky to get away with owning Ryer over Timber for a number of weeks. I don't know how much longer that's going to last and I'm confident in his minutes. Maybe I shouldn't be.
The thing is I don't know if people are genuinely afraid that Timber could get benched or it's just easier for them to buy Rice and therefore they're creating a narrative that Timber's like this massive risk. But you look at how many games he's played. Like he was injured in I think it was gameweek 18.
Yeah. Against Brighton. So he didn't play.
He's played 90 minutes every other game since gameweek 14. And I believe there has been a couple of quick turnarounds in there as well. So I just think he starts this week and triple defense against Sunland at home.
I think that looks quite nice. Obviously it's a killer when the clean sheet gets wiped out and people will say look it's a risk but most people are happy with two because of how good Arsenal defense is. So what's one more?
I've only done triple defense once ever in my whole FPL career. That was last season and it was for Arsenal and it went really well. I'm hoping it'll go well again.
Does he get benched? Maybe. Am I going to take the risk?
Probably. I'm I'm like 70 to 80% sure I'm going to go the triple defense route and dodge Rice. But let's talk about it.
So, I haven't made any early transfers so far this week. So, as it stands, Sacker is still in my team, but he does need to be sold. So, I'll come back on to who I'm going to bring in for him in just a second.
Bruno Fernandez, nice and straightforward. Good fixture this week against Spurs at home. He's going absolutely nowhere and he's currently got the captain's armband.
Last week there was a bit of indecision. Do I go Harland? Do I go Bruno?
That doesn't apply this week. Harland's got Liverpool away. I definitely want to take that ownership on.
As long as he's fit and available, Fernandez will be my captain by the time we get to the gameweek 25 deadline, which by the way, this week is on Friday at 6:30 p. m. UK time.
So don't miss that. Bruno's just been so consistent. Now playing number 10 as well, 100% locked in captain.
Enzo Fernandez has Wolves away followed by leads at home followed by Bernie at home. So, he's going to stay for those three fixtures. I might well sell him in gameweek 28.
I'm not sure who for yet, but I don't need to make that decision right now. And Renia also made a comment recently that Enzo's recovery is really good. So, although they play Wolves away on Saturday, then leads at home on Tuesday, I do expect him to start both of those games.
And even if he doesn't, he's already in my team. So there's no point worrying about it because I'm not going to sell him before those good fixtures. And obviously if any of those games Palmer doesn't play, Enzo will be on penalties as well.
So pretty nice pick. I hold him till gamew week 28. Then I've got a decision to make.
Elliot Anderson leads away. Leads will be without stack. So that will help Nottingham Forest.
And honestly, my expectations for Anderson are just pretty low. If he can get me four or five points from defensive contributions, maybe a clean sheet point along the way, that will do for 5. 3 million.
That's kind of all I need. And he's just a really useful player to have in your squad that you know you can play in any given fixture because even if the fixture is difficult, that means his defensive contributions go up or the chances do at least. I mean, I guess the yellow card potential goes up as well.
But either way, he's just nice to have. I'm not going to play him every single week. There are some game weeks coming up where I might play 442, but this week Anderson just gets started.
I think that's nice and straightforward. So, boss lie I'm really not sure about. I know 100% if I didn't own him, I would not be buying him, but as always, the decision is a little bit different because he's already in my team.
And the fixtures coming up for Liverpool are quite good. The problem is I've got a midfielder that's having to play right back quite a lot. Gomez can't stay fit.
Fring Pong's injured. Bradley's out for a long time. They didn't buy anyone in January.
He is going to play right back now. He still gets forward, still takes a lot of the set pieces and it does improve his defensive contribution. So, all is not lost.
As we saw last week, he got a five-pointer. But obviously, I'd rather he played in midfield. So, I'm in two minds about him.
Basically, we got a blank coming up in gameweek 31. And if I wild card in 32, ideally, I would save a couple of transfers for later on in the season. So, I don't want to waste any transfers right now.
And now after City at home, so Bos has Sunderland away, Forest away, West Ham at home, Wolves away, Spurs at home, Brighton away up until the blank. So it's not too bad, especially game weeks 28 to 30. And I know he's going to play 90 minutes every game.
And obviously for some of those fixtures, Gomez will be fit and fring will get back to fitness as well. So he's not going to play right back every single game. So I still think he's an okay pick because any player that plays 90 every week with different routes to points is not ever going to be terrible.
But also there's better midfielders out there. So what I do with Sosai depends on what I do with Saka. So let's say I go from Saka to a non-Arsel midfielder which by the way will almost certainly be in Burmo and I go for Timber for Lewis Hall.
That's my two free transfers gone. Sosai states. Now I will have a bit of money.
I could maybe change him later on. Just because I keep him this week doesn't mean I have to keep him forever. But I'm pretty sure if I don't sell Seabosai this week because of the fixtures coming up, I just won't bother and I'll probably keep him up until the blank.
So if I go Sacka to Inmo and Lewis Horde to Timber, which right now is my favored move, Sosai will stay. If I go from Sacka to Rice, which is still on the table for me, then I might go Seoslai to Inurmo. Now I'll be honest, on paper this week, that is the better move.
You get Rice for Sunderland at home. you having Burma for Spurs at home instead of Sebasta against Man City at home playing right back and Lewis Hall against Brenford at home is fine. So this week is better but I don't know about future weeks.
I quite like having Timber and I think Sebast is still okay and I do wonder if later on that might save me a transfer because if I don't sell Lewis Hall this week I will be tempted just to do it next week. So, as it stands, my plan is to do Saka to Imbmo, Lewis or to Timber, but it might be Saka to Rice, Sosai to Inurmo instead. It It's such a close call.
I'm not sure which way to go. Like I said, I think the Rice move is better this week, but I'm not so sure next week. The thing with Rice is, you know, he'll definitely start both games.
Like, as much as I'm confident that Timber will start 25 in both games in 26, there is always that small doubt because of Ben White, there's no doubts about Rice. He just plays them all and obviously his ownership is super high as well. But I kind of want to go against that.
I've seen some people say because of your rank you should go for the S but I kind of don't want to play like that and like it's only a small risk going for Timber over Rice anyway. It's not like I'm taking some massive leap of faith for a player that no one else is buying. I'm I'm unsure.
Do you know what's also playing on my mind? I've got to show you this. So this is the team in the my team tour on Fantasy Football Hub.
As always, links in the description below. There's also currently a 7-day free trial if you want to check it out. Uh yeah, link in the description below.
If I go the rice route, okay. Um for this, so for this one, I haven't actually put in Burma in. Let's just let's just say I put in Burmo in, right?
So I go Rice and in Burmo in game week 26, I've then got a choice of Lewis Hall against Spurs away or Thiago against Arsenal at home. Now, I don't I don't really want to play Thiago could do well at home to Arsenal, but I think because I would have minimum two defenders in the double, I'd probably want to bench Thiago in gameweek 26. But if I don't sell Lewis Hall to Timber, that means I've got to play Lewis Hall against Spurs away or I sell Lewis Hall in gameweek 26 and buy Mino who has Bernie at home.
Now, that looks really good on paper. Okay, so I could go the route of Rice and Inmo, then I go for Manos in gameweek 26. So part of my Rice versus Timber thoughts is do I get Munos?
Now I think he's a pretty good pick, but because Man City went through in the Carabal Cup last night, Palace will now blank in gameweek 31. There are scenarios where Palace and City will just stay in gameweek 31, but I think it requires Man City to go out of the FA Cup in the next two rounds and they've got Sulford this round. So, that probably won't happen or for Palace and Man City to go out of the of Europe by the last 16.
In those scenarios, I think that game can stay in 31. But, I'm just going to assume it's going to be a blank. So if I bring Mino in, looks great for 26, but in 31 it's another transfer out which the other routes don't necessarily have.
But also, how much should I be worried about benching Thiago? Maybe I just bench Lewis Hall and don't buy Munos. Whereas in the other route, which I put together here, this is gameweek 26.
If I go for Timber and Inmo for Lewis Hall and Sacka, so I play Sosa against Sunderland away and then I bench Thiago. I know here Thiago's projected more points, but I just rate Arsenal defense so highly. I think I would want to bench him, but then I this is what's going through my head.
Then I feel like I'm focusing too much on trying to bench Thiago. Like just just play him. It's not the end of the world.
That's why I'm so stuck on the Rice versus Timber move because it's such a close call. I really I know some people would just think it's got to be Rice. Why are you going triple defense?
I think it's a much closer call than that and that's why I'm not sure about it. My preference is to go the triple defense as it stands. By the way, I know I spoke on Monday about doing Sacka to Palmer and Lewis Hall to uh to Timber, but I can't afford that now because Sacka went down in price last night.
I I know it feels like one of those moves that people talk about they were never going to do. I was so tempted to do it last night. I can't even explain.
Like sometimes I think about moves and I know I'm never really going to do them. Um but this one I thought about it for hours yet. I don't even want to say the exact number of hours that I thought about it yesterday because it was quite sad really.
Um but I guess it's my job so I can kind of justify it. Sack to Palmer Lewis or to Timber on paper just felt so right. Palmer is a huge differential next three game weeks and if he did get benched against Le would definitely have started against Burnley that was a potential captain and I know how bad he's been.
I completely get it. He's not worth the money. He's been terrible for ages.
But as a punt, I was so tempted. But the inmo instead of Palmer route basically saves a transfer down the line because if I go for Palmer, I'd probably sell him in gameweek 28. Whereas if I buy in Burma, I can keep him until 31.
So that was playing on my mind as well. Ultimately, I let Sacka drop in price last night. I can't afford Palmer anymore.
So there's not even any point talking about it as it stands. Sack to Burmo, Lewis Hall to Timber is my plan. The only alternatives really is Saka to Rice, a boss lie two in Burmo or just Saka to Rice and roll one transfer.
That's also on the cards, but I suspect I'm going to use both of them this week. And then up front, I've got Harland against Liverpool away and Thiago against Newcastle away. So, out of all the positions in my team, the forward line probably looks the worst, but I don't really have any intention to sell either of them because I've got other problems to deal with like Bio Saka.
And by the way, I didn't mention this with Saka. It does look like he's going to be out until the Spurs game. That is the latest report that's come out from Simon Collings on Twitter.
I guess because of the Wolves game being so close to Spurs, he could be back for that. But either way, I'm expecting him to miss Sunderland and the first game of 26 at a minimum. So, he's got to be sold for me.
Harland not being great, not worth the money right now. But, as I've said already this week, where do you spend that money? Like, in isolation, if I don't need the cash from selling Harland, there's no other forward that is better than him week to week.
maybe this week because it's Liverpool away, but after that the fixtures are quite good. And he plays Newcastle at home, who City smashed last night in 27 and that Newcastle game is right in the middle of Newcastle's playoff games in the Champions League. So I I just want to keep Harland.
I I don't care about the money. I don't need it. Um so he's not getting sold.
There's no other forward that is better than him in isolation up until gameweek 30. He will blank in 31 and I probably won't sell him, but I can just bench him. There's lots of cheap picks in gameweek 31.
It's going to be fairly easy to put out a team. Even if you bench Harland in the blank and then Thiago, look, could I move him on as a short-term move to Evan Nielson Jia Pedro? Absolutely.
But I know I want him from 27 if he's fit. And I actually think Newcastle way is okay this week. Like it's not amazing.
I if I had Lewis Hall in my team, I'd be happy to play him as well. But it's fine, right? Hall could get an attack and return.
So could Thiago. Happy days. And then you've just got that Arsenal fixture next week and that is it.
So I'm pretty happy with Harland and Thiago even though they haven't been performing recently. Saka's got to go. So Sacka to Inbermo, Louisis Hall to Timber or Sacka to Rice Boss Light to Inmo.
I know everyone's going to prefer the Rice and Inmo move. I'm very tempted to go the other way. If you enjoyed that video, make sure to give it a like and hit that subscribe button.
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