Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 30 Staff Roundtable

Welcome to Gameweek 30, RotoBallers! Like the previous campaign, we are continuing our soccer coverage to include the great game of the Fantasy Premier League. So even if you are a seasoned veteran or a rookie navigating your first 38 gameweeks, we will set you straight. We're here to provide advice to help you snag those weekend-making green arrows and avoid the doom and gloom of a red arrow.

A massive double gameweek is in the rearview mirror, and we must quickly turn our attention to a pivotal Gameweek 30. Injury concerns surround several of the game's most prominent players, and FPL managers must pay attention to the press conferences on Thursday and Friday. The battle for the title, European spots, and relegation is heating up fast, and there will be plenty of FPL points to go around between now and the end of the season in less than two months.

The Gameweek 30 deadline is 6:00 am Eastern on Saturday, April 8. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the team gets you all set for every English Premier League and UEFA Champions League slate from a DFS and betting perspective.

And of course, #FPL can translate into #DFS, all of which we have plenty of at @RotoBaller https://t.co/U9pKeHkJYv pic.twitter.com/z2ubf1KeKj

— Jamie Steed (@Baseball_Jimbo) February 4, 2023

RotoBaller FPL Staff Roundtable - Gameweek 30

The Staff Roundtable is an attempt to get you inside the mind of our FPL staff. Our top soccer writers will answer questions each gameweek to give you an idea of how they view the games. So without further ado, let's kick off Gameweek 30!

The schedule for the remainder of the season is almost finalized. As an FPL manager, do you prefer to plan for the short-term, long-term, or just a few weeks at a time?

• Euan Leith: I usually have a note on my iPhone with a three to four-week plan with my dream transfers planned out. If I'm too reactive, it usually ends with me taking a four or eight-point hit to reverse what I did a few weeks earlier, and that's never good. I'm certainly not a long-term planner, though. One injury can ruin a master plan like that, and I prefer to be a bit more flexible with my precious transfers throughout the season.
• Jamie Steed: At this stage of the season, I still try to take things week-by-week, but you have to look ahead. Knowing in advance that there were 16 fixtures in this gameweek allowed me to plan how to attack it best, which will be the same for the remaining weeks. Being able to bring in a couple of extra players with double gameweeks because you planned a week or two could give you a significant edge.

Brighton is set to have the most double game weeks between now and the end of the season. So are three seagulls essential for the remainder of the 2022/23 FPL campaign?

• Euan Leith: People will point to Brighton's upcoming fixtures and say you don't need three, but I don't see it this way. We did this song and danced a few months ago when they had a blank fixture in Gameweek 23, and it prevented us from capitalizing earlier than we should've as a community. So yes, three seagulls are essential moving forward, and then it just leaves the difficult task of picking those three. I currently have Kaoru Mitoma, Solly March, and Pervis Estupinan.
• Jamie Steed: I wouldn’t say essential, but they have a few great fantasy options, so it’s certainly favorable. The issue is their best three FPL options are all midfielders, so having two of them is the smart option, and then going with the ‘keeper or a defender has been my preferred play. Although Evan Ferguson is someone, I’m a fan of if he can stay fit and get a run in the team.

Gabriel Jesus is back in the mix for league-leading Arsenal. Is he an option for your squad? And how will he affect the other Arsenal assets?

• Euan Leith: I do not have an Arsenal player in my squad now, and it doesn't feel right. If I go with a Gunner, Gabriel Jesus jumps to the top of the wishlist. Bukayo Saka is right there with the Brazilian, but no double gameweeks and a tough run of fixtures should dissuade managers from investing too heavily in the league leaders. Jesus is a better player than Eddie Nketiah or Leandro Trossard, so this is high tides raise-all-ships situation for your Arsenal players.
• Jamie Steed: He’s 100% an option and averaged just shy of five points a game before the World Cup. Arsenal has scored 23 goals in their seven-game winning streak, so he can also benefit from their recent form. I don’t think he gives a significant boost to the rest of the team, as they’ve been excellent in his absence, but having him back certainly won’t hurt the likes of Saka, Martinelli, and Co., either.

What do FPL managers do with Erling Haaland?

• Euan Leith: My short-term plan was to get Erling Haaland back for Gameweek 30 and ship out Ivan Toney. However, an untimely injury has thrown a wrench into those well-laid plans. We shouldn't count on a definitive update from Pep Guardiola in his Friday press conference. Therefore, we must search the Man City training pictures throughout the week to glimpse the Norwegian. If we see him on the training pitch, I'll bring him back for his game against Southampton.
• Jamie Steed: He’s likely to play this weekend, so I think you hold him and keep running him out there. The fact Álvarez has been so good when he’s played does mean City is more likely to avoid risking Haaland if he’s carrying a slight injury, and their Champions League progression might determine how hard they push him. But for now, just carry on as usual.

Update: Erling Haaland has returned to training

.@ErlingHaaland is back! 👀 pic.twitter.com/BrRDMtB7fC

— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 5, 2023

Two managers saw the door over the weekend. So do you expect an uptick in performance from any Chelsea or Leicester player for the final nine gameweeks?

• Euan Leith: Chelsea looked more lively than Liverpool on Tuesday night, but there are too many cooks in that kitchen. Ben Chilwell could still be worth an investment, but he's the only Stamford Bridge footballer I trust. Even Kepa Arrizabalaga could see the bench if a new manager prefers Edouard Mendy. As for Leicester, I've already got James Maddison on my FPL squad, and any new manager will need to rely on him even more heavily as the Foxes' talisman if they want to survive the drop.
• Jamie Steed: Leicester can’t get any worse, can they? Maddison and Barnes are on my radar once I’ve seen how they set-up and play another game. I’ve been watching Chelsea’s attackers for a few weeks and genuinely feel like they could be on the brink of a breakout, but again, I need to see another game before I pull the trigger. They desperately need to start taking their chances, though.

Who's keeping a clean sheet in Gameweek 30?

• Euan Leith: Aston Villa has been a different team over the last six weeks. Since February 25, they've conceded two goals and kept two clean sheets in their two home fixtures. With Nottingham Forest on the schedule for Saturday, Emmy Martinez and Villa will pick up their fifth clean sheet in seven contests.
• Jamie Steed: Villa has kept a clean sheet in four of their last six games and in back-to-back home fixtures. They face a Forest team that’s scored just five goals on their travels (14 games) and failed to find the net in nine of them.

Which defensive player is providing an attacking return?

• Euan Leith: I'll give you a pair of defensive players: Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Arsenal. Ben Chilwell and Reece James were running free down either sideline on Tuesday night but didn't have the quality up front to convert the chances they created. That's not the case with Arsenal, as they've scored 18 goals in the last five games. Anything Zinchenko or White serves up will likely be converted as the Gunners put the final bullet in Liverpool's hopes for a top-four finish.
• Jamie Steed: I’m going with Pedro Porro this week. As much as you can’t trust Tottenham, he fancies himself in an attacking sense. He’s started five games since his arrival, has one goal, and one assist, taking nine shots, attempted 18 crosses, and has taken some free-kicks in the opponent’s final third.

Who's a midfielder or forward rostered on less than 10 percent of teams that will grab us those FPL points?

• Euan Leith: Jack Grealish is quietly having a great second season for Man City. While he's only scored four goals and assisted another five this year, he's been on fire recently. Since Gameweek 23, he hasn't blanked and averages 5.5 FPL points per game. With relegation-battling Southampton next on the schedule, we could see another double-digit haul for the English winger.
• Jamie Steed: Joe Willock is on less than 1% of teams and has a goal involvement in three of his last four starts. He was a sub in Wednesday’s game at West Ham, so he should be fresh and is expected to come back into the side. Brentford away is not an easy fixture, but Newcastle has scored at least twice in their last four EPL games, and Willock has been a threat in the box during that run. His finishing can leave much to be desired, but he’s getting into the positions and could keep his good form going.

If you could bring in any player you don't have on your team for this gameweek, who would it be and why?

• Euan Leith: If Pep Guardiola rules out Erling Haaland for this weekend's game, I may still dump Ivan Toney for a Man City striker. Except it would be Julian Alvarez instead of his Norwegian teammate. The World Cup winner has four returns in the last two games where he's played at least 35 minutes. With that type of form against Southampton, there's no reason to avoid Alvarez if he gets the starting nod.
• Jamie Steed: I kind of like Jack Grealish as an option, but I’m conscious Manchester City doesn’t have a fixture in gameweek 32 (FA Cup semi-final weekend), so I’m looking to sit on my transfer this week and make two next week with that shortened slate in mind.

Who's getting the Captain's armband?

• Euan Leith: With Haaland's status up in the air, there could be a lot of different ways to go with the captaincy. As of now, I'm going with the form pick and Ollie Watkins. Three goals and an assist in his last four games are hard to ignore, and the matchup doesn't get much better than Nottingham Forest at home.
• Jamie Steed: I feel like managers will be scared to put it on Haaland this week, so I'm tempted to captain him if there’s positive news about his injury. If not, I’ll probably play it safe with Rashford at home against Everton.

Ollie Watkins is the first player to score in six consecutive @PremierLeague away games since Sergio Agüero in 2017. 🔥

Beautifully set up by @DGOficial and @EM10Buendia. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/nd4WW4ZgCZ

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 5, 2023

Finally, what's your bold prediction for this weekend's slate of games?

• Euan Leith: West Ham gets the road win in a London derby to distance themselves further from the drop. Newcastle stumbles against Brentford in their fight for a Champions League spot. Arsenal does what Man City, Man United, Chelsea, and Newcastle could not and gets a vital win at Anfield against a lifeless Liverpool.
• Jamie Steed: Liverpool hand Manchester City a huge boost by beating Arsenal. And Brighton goes toe-to-toe with Tottenham in a high-scoring encounter that sees five-plus goals, and the Seasiders head home with at least a point.

Is there a question you would like to have answered every week? Hit us up on Twitter @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!