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Welcome to Gameweek 27, RotoBallers! This is our third year covering FPL, and we are bringing you more coverage than ever. We publish two weekly articles: a staff roundtable preview and our weekly rankings. Then, once a month, we have our newest report, The Watchlist, a review of the previous month and a look ahead to the upcoming fixtures.
Twenty-six gameweeks down, 12 to go. After the FA Cup fifth Round, FPL managers have a much better road map for the remainder of the season. There will only be four fixtures in Gameweek 29, so we will have to craft our squads over the next two gameweeks to prepare for the biggest Blank Gameweek of the season. Fortunately, Gameweek 27 is a typical football weekend, with the most significant tie coming in Manchester on Sunday evening as City welcomes United in a crucial tilt for both sides.
The Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 27 deadline is 8:30 a.m. EST on Saturday, March 2, when six games kick off in the classic Saturday afternoon slot. Also, look out for the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every English Premier League, Major League Soccer, and UEFA Champions League slate from a DFS and betting perspective.
I seldom play #EPL #DFS. But when I do, I make sure I check out my @RotoBaller buddies @EuanFPL and @df_solutions
before creating my lineup https://t.co/rmQTeGmSRg pic.twitter.com/b0xGTcSxp4— Jamie Steed (@Baseball_Jimbo) February 10, 2024
Fantasy Premier League Staff Roundtable - Gameweek 27 Preview
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 27!
Bournemouth plays six games against bottom-eight sides in the next six gameweeks. Is it time to fill our FPL bowl with Cherries?
- Euan Leith: Dominic Solanke is the leading man at Bournemouth and should be in everyone's FPL lineups by Gameweek 28 for their two fixtures. However, it's a bit of a toss-up outside of the English striker. Looking at Neto in goal is worth a shout as Burnley, Sheffield United, and Luton sit inside the bottom four for expected goals. Marcos Senesi is the last man I would consider from the Cherries, but he's on eight yellow cards and will miss two games if he picks up a couple or more cautions.
- Jamie Steed: I’d be much more confident if Bournemouth weren’t in the midst of a seven-game winless streak. That said, I have rostered Adam Smith as a cheap defender for the last few weeks and will add Dominic Solanke to this cookie schedule (assuming his injury doesn’t keep him out for more than a week). Outside of that, I think I’m set with Cherries.
- Tom Bellucco: I need to see it before I believe it. There are certainly pieces that could excel with strong matchups on the horizon, but it's been Solanke or nothing, and there's too much risk to try and predict which players might step up when the goals start coming more frequently. I'll wait and see outside of their No. 9.
Lucas Paqueta returned to the West Ham lineup, and Jarrod Bowen immediately returned to his early-season form with 20 points. Is the English midfielder a priority transfer for FPL managers?
- Euan: What could have been? Last week, I had my head in my hands as I went with Hwang Hee-Chan over Jarrod Bowen as my Gameweek 26 transfer. West Ham has a good run of games now and is one of eight teams with a match in Gameweek 29. Son Heung-min is a better pick, but he costs more, and we will need that money to bring Mohamed Salah back into our squads by the end of March.
- Jamie: If you transferred him out like me a couple of weeks ago, you may need to swallow some pride and bring him back. West Ham’s schedule isn’t the easiest in the coming weeks, and one performance against a bottom-five defense isn’t enough to make me add him no matter what. But he should at least be a top option for FPL managers over the next two weeks.
- Tom: Yes. If, for some reason, you bailed on Bowen during a few rough gameweeks, this is the time to hop back on board. He accounts for too much offensive production to pass up in most matchups.
🔥 Jarrod Bowen firing
🤝 Kudus and Paqueta back together
✅ One of six sides with a confirmed GW29 fixtureCould now be the time to look at West Ham players? 🫧#FPL pic.twitter.com/A0XrVSRdRW
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) February 28, 2024
Ollie Watkins leads all players with 170 points this season, yet feels underrated. Has the Villa forward entered must-have territory?
- Euan: There's no doubt Ollie Watkins is a must-have player. It's absurd he's only rostered in 53.9 percent of squads at this point of the season. It's still the third-highest rate among all players behind Erling Haaland and Bukayo Saka, but it should be higher. The Aston Villa striker has 29 returns in 26 games this season and only blanked twice in his last seven games, where he averages 8.3 FPL points per game.
- Jamie: Absolutely. I'm not sure what more people need to see from Watkins. This isn’t a fluke either, as he also ranks fourth in xGI (expected goal involvements). Villa’s run-in isn’t the easiest, and he’s blanked in the three games against the current top-three in the league. But he’s too consistent not to roster.
- Tom: It feels strange saying "Yes" affirmatively because of all the pricey options around him that seem to produce well, but I find it difficult to pass up on Watkins week in and week out. So, I guess I'll stick with Yes!
The Arsenal defense gave up another late goal to see their clean sheet wiped out. Should managers with Gunners in defense abandon ship or hold steady?
- Euan: Over the last six gameweeks, Arsenal has a 1.88 expected Goals Conceded mark. The next closest is Man City at 6.83 xGC. It's only a matter of time before the Gunners come good along the backline. I have William Saliba and Gabriel, and they won't be leaving my starting XI when Arsenal has a fixture. I would hold and even buy Arsenal defenders, as the underlying data is too good.
- Jamie: Hold steady, for sure. They all retain an attacking threat due to their progressive full-back play and set-piece prowess. And they have the best defensive record in the league (23 goals conceded) with the most clean sheets (10). Conceding late meaningless goals is frustrating, and given their attacking talents, rostering more than one Arsenal defender isn’t ideal. But having one makes sense.
- Tom: There isn't enough offensive production to feel confident in Saliba, Gabriel, and Ben White each week, so with the late goals trickling in, I think it's safe to look elsewhere regarding defensive transfers.
🔒 Fewest goals conceded per game in the Premier League this season:
◎ 0.89 - Arsenal
◎ 0.92 - Manchester City
◎ 0.96 - Liverpool
◎ 1.31 - Everton
◎ 1.35 - Aston Villa pic.twitter.com/NB5h5yNqw1— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) February 27, 2024
Tottenham is returning to full health. Who are the top three Spurs players to get in our FPL squads?
- Euan: Son Heung-min is the cream of the crop. The South Korean star was in excellent form before his mid-season trip to the Asia Cup and will return to those heights soon enough. James Maddison and Richarlison battle it out for the second and third spots, but that could depend on your budget. Richarlison is more likely to grab you goals but see fewer minutes. Meanwhile, Maddo is a 90-minute machine (when healthy) but is more of an assist machine than a goal scorer. Those are the top three Spurs players I want.
- Jamie: I’d be reluctant to have more than one, given they’re the luckiest team in the league by xGD (expected goal difference). And considering the number of quality midfield and forward options out there. But Son Heung-min, James Maddison, and Pedro Porro (when healthy). Richarlison would be number one if Son was absent for a prolonged period, but his best performances have been when the captain has been out the side.
- Tom: Spurs is tough to pinpoint when healthy. I am not a long-term believer in Richarlison. Son is in a price range that requires SO much production each week, and Maddison has plenty of matches in which he quietly puts in his work, but the points won't show for it. Of the three, Maddison is probably my favorite value for the price. I don't think I can trust much else outside of Son when Tottenham is fully healthy, which feels funny to type.
Who is keeping a clean sheet in Gameweek 27?
- Euan: Arsenal was unlucky not to keep a clean sheet against Newcastle, and they will make amends versus Sheffield United. The match is away from the Emirates Stadium, but the Gunners still lead the league with 9.7 xGC away from home. We can overthink so many things in FPL; banking on an Arsenal clean sheet versus the low-scoring Blades is not one of those things.
- Jamie: Manchester City are having that spell in the season when they grind out wins. They’ve kept three clean sheets in four games. They’ll make it four in five in a Manchester Derby against a toothless United side without Rasmus Højlund. You’re not stacking City defenders, though, so a less appealing play would be Bournemouth away at Burnley (they failed to score in six of their 13 home games).
- Tom: Spurs hosting Palace feels like the best bet. Arsenal on the road feels like a close second. Neither one feels like a "lock," however.
🔥 Jarrod Bowen firing
🤝 Kudus and Paqueta back together
✅ One of six sides with a confirmed GW29 fixtureCould now be the time to look at West Ham players? 🫧#FPL pic.twitter.com/A0XrVSRdRW
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) February 28, 2024
What defensive player is providing attacking returns?
- Euan: With Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee) sidelined, Andy Robertson should inherit more of the set-piece-taking role for Liverpool. Whipping balls into the box for Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate is an excellent role for any defender. Robertson sat in the FA Cup game against Southampton and will likely start for the Reds on Saturday afternoon. Liverpool leads the league with 132 shots created from set plays this season, and the Scotsman will hook up with his fellow defenders to grab FPL managers an attacking return.
- Jamie: A bit of guesswork is involved in this, but I’m saying Konstantinos Tsimikas. He assisted Virgil van Dijk from a corner in the EFL Cup final and will be on corner duties if he starts. Nottingham Forest has conceded more set-piece goals (16) than any other team, and Liverpool’s injury issues mean they need to maximize such situations. Given Andy Robertson played most of the cup final, I just fancy Tsimikas gets the start. If not, I’d be saying Robertson here instead.
- Tom: The pickings are slim these days. I'll go a bit off the radar and take Alfie Doughty of Luton to log an assist while hosting Aston Villa.
Who's a midfielder or forward rostered on less than 10 percent of teams that will grab us those FPL points?
- Euan: Leon Bailey (4.2 percent rostered) is on fire, but still goes under the mainstream FPL radar. He's started eight of the previous nine contests for Aston Villa and bagged five attacking returns in his last five games. When Luton Town plays at home, they don't sit back and hope for a point. This is excellent news for Villa attackers like Bailey, Ollie Watkins, and even Douglas Luiz. Bailey's been banging in the points; another return is on the cards in Gameweek 27.
- Jamie: Pedro Neto is still only rostered on 6.4% of FPL teams. Yet, only Ollie Watkins (15) has more assists (11) despite Neto missing nine games this season. In the eight away games he’s started, Neto has one goal and seven assists. Wolves’ counter-attacking style on the road suits him perfectly, and Newcastle’s defense has been in shambles lately (conceding 23 goals in their last eight EPL games).
- Tom: Luis Diaz barely fits under that 10% threshold, but he does nonetheless, so I'll take the Colombian midfielder to keep up his strong run of form without some critical pieces for Liverpool.
It truly is home comforts for @AVFCOfficial's Douglas Luiz this season! 🏡
Was the midfielder in your team for his 15-point haul in #FPL Gameweek 26? 🤑 pic.twitter.com/GfwBMHdchq
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) February 26, 2024
Who is one player you want but can’t have for the Gameweek 27 fixtures in Fantasy Premier League?
- Euan: Kevin De Bruyne returned to Man City's starting lineup on Tuesday in the FA Cup and promptly assisted four of Erling Haaland's five goals. He has the nickname Big Game Kev for a reason and can tear Man United apart on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, his price and Man City's tough run of fixtures over the next month prevent me from bringing him in this weekend, but a double-digit haul feels inevitable.
- Jamie: If I do indeed bring in Solanke for this week, it’ll be at the expense of Ivan Toney. I don’t know what to expect from Chelsea’s “Blue Billion Pound Bottle Jobs,” but I can see Toney finding the net against them. I know he’ll score if I oust him for Solanke, so I'll have FOMO over whichever of those two I don’t go with.
- Tom: Matheus Cunha deserves a mention because I've missed FPL life without him of late. A match at Newcastle with the woeful transition defense they've been playing would have been a dream spot for the injured Wolves star.
Who’s getting the Captain’s armband?
- Euan: I went against the crowd in Gameweek 26 and gave Bukayo Saka the armband. Fortunately, he rewarded my faith with 10 points. It probably should've been more than that, and now the English star gets to play Sheffield United. It's scary to go against Erling Haaland versus Man United, but Saka has 59 points over the last five games while Haaland's "only" registered 33 FPL points. Saka has the armband for now, but I may get FOMO by Saturday's deadline and switch to the Norwegian robot.
- Jamie: I can’t look beyond Bukayo Saka this week. Seven goals in five games is reason enough. The fact he gets to face Sheffield United and their historically lousy defense this week is the icing on the cake. This week, we could see the midfield trifecta (goal, assist, and clean sheet) from Saka.
- Tom: With Haaland coming off of a five-goal showing in the FA Cup and Solanke and Salah coming off knocks, I'll go with Ollie Watkins in a fine spot against Luton to rack up a couple of goals.
Bukayo Saka is in serious form right now 📊
Not to mention the @Arsenal midfielder has #FPL points potential at both ends of the pitch! pic.twitter.com/gua2DsEyqK
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) February 27, 2024
Finally, what’s your bold prediction for Gameweek 27?
- Euan: Brentford beats Chelsea to continue the Blues' Premier League misery. Meanwhile, Wolves overcomes some injuries to beat Newcastle at St. James Park, and despite a spirited first 20 minutes, Man United falls to Man City by three goals.
- Jamie: There are some tight games on paper, and five draws aren’t out of the question. Virgil van Dijk scores for the third consecutive game. And we see more clean sheets in the three games on Sunday and Monday than in the seven games on Saturday.
- Tom: This feels like a week where goals are plentiful, and the late goals have been flowing recently. I predict that at least eight of the 10 matches have three goals or more, and five of the matches feature a goal in stoppage time. Keep the chaos coming!
Is there a question you would like to have answered every week? Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
