RADIO
Welcome to the Gameweek 28 FPL Staff Roundtable, RotoBallers! It's felt like a while since Fantasy Premier League has hit our screens. However, since we are entering the season's final stretch, it's nice to enjoy a break now and then.
Here are some upcoming scheduling notes for fixtures: Liverpool and Newcastle will battle in the Carabao Cup final in Gameweek 29, so they won't have a game next weekend. After GW29, there will be an international break, and we won't be back until April.
The Gameweek 28 deadline for the 2024-25 Fantasy Premier League season is Saturday, March 8, at 6:00 a.m. EST, when Nottingham Forest hosts Man City. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every EPL and UCL slate with our DFS lineup picks and betting picks.
Fantasy Premier League Staff Roundtable - Gameweek 28 Preview
The Staff Roundtable is an attempt to get you inside the minds of our FPL writers. 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 24!
Cup Magic/Madness
The FA Cup produced some cup magic/madness. What is your biggest takeaway from the weekend’s carnage?
Euan Leith: Newcastle being decimated by injuries and suspensions. Anthony Gordon (£7.4m) suffered a rush of blood to the head and saw red. The England international will miss the next two Premier League outings and the Carabao Cup final.
Alexander Isak (£9.4m) is also a doubt for this weekend, while Lewis Hall (£5.0m) and Sven Botman (£4.4m) are both set to miss significant time. Unfortunately, the Toon Army has come out of this weekend a bit black and blue.
Jamie Steed: Red cards and injuries. I suppose it shows just how important the FA Cup still is to so many but the loss of composure from Anthony Gordon (£7.4m) and Matheus Cunha (£7.0m) means they will miss time.
Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m) suffering a shocking facial injury means he’s set for a spell on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Mitoma Kaoru (£6.5m) and Alexander Isak (£9.4m) were hobbled. Very few FPL managers would have come through the weekend unscathed.
The FPL Manual (Wale): Despite glooms of injuries and suspension last weekend, I was surprised that Brighton defeated Newcastle at St. James' Park. That triumph now makes it five consecutive wins for the Seagulls across all competitions.
Brighton's newfound form might mean investing in their FPL assets. Yankuba Minteh (£5.0m), Joao Pedro (£5.4m), and Danny Welbeck (£5.5m) would be my go-to picks. Let’s see if they can continue their winning streak against Fulham this weekend.
With Lewis Hall out for the rest of the season, who are you considering as a replacement? 🤔
Our #FPL experts weigh up which defenders might be a good fit in place of the left-back 👉 https://t.co/A8XH5mLaIG pic.twitter.com/7H05BTXdNH
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) March 5, 2025
Pieces of the Puzzle Unveiled
It’s nearly doubles and blanks season. How are you preparing for the final third of the season?
Euan: With all the F.A. Cup madness from last weekend, the doubles for the remainder of the season continue to be up in the air. As a result, I'm taking it a couple of weeks at a time. I wouldn't bring in Liverpool or Newcastle assets at this point unless I played my Free Hit in Gameweek 29.
Jamie: I have my Free Hit and Wildcard locked and loaded with a bank balance of £2.9m. My Assistant Manager chip was used and David Moyes (£0.5) bagged me 35 points so I could maximize that and not have it blocking me from using my Free Hit or Wildcard in any given week.
Wale: Presently, I’ve only three chips left: Wildcard, Triple Captain and Bench Boost chip. The current plan is to roll my transfers ahead of the blanks and likely activate both the Wildcard and Bench Boost between Gameweek 35 and 36. The Triple Captain chip will be saved for a special occasion.
With Nottingham Forest beating Ipswich in the FA Cup, here is an update to the schedule for #FPL Blank Gameweek 34 📝 pic.twitter.com/NKKqP0JNst
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) March 3, 2025
Ice Ice Maybe
Cole Palmer hasn’t scored a goal since GW21. Has your confidence wavered in Chelsea’s talisman?
Euan: It all comes back to the F.A. Cup. If there weren't as much madness at the weekend, I would be itching to get rid of Cole Palmer. He's been a bit miserable recently, but a home game versus Leicester is too good to miss. As a result, I envision the England midfielder in my team for at least a couple of weeks.
Jamie: I had my concerns heading into his last game. Despite blanking again, I came away from the week more optimistic about his outlook. Palmer had 1.4 xGI (expected goal involvements) from the win against Southampton.
Palmer himself missed a golden chance to score, while Enzo Fernández (£4.7m) missed a sitter after being set up by Palmer. I’m not averse to moving on from the Chelsea man for a cheaper alternative, but I wouldn’t be rushing out to dump him just yet.
Wale: Yes, my confidence in Palmer is a bit shaky. I’ve tried keeping the faith in him, but Palmer doesn’t appear to be involved with Chelsea goals as he used to. I suspect the makeshift positional change to a false nine role could have contributed to him being quiet, but my patience is waning thin.
I’m willing to give Palmer a two-week ultimatum between Gameweeks 28 and 29. However, if his performances don’t improve soon, I'll most definitely be shipping out the Englishman by Gameweek 30.
Cole Palmer is goalless in his last six PL outings 😮
Are you sticking with the Chelsea midfielder for Gameweek 28? The Blues face Leicester at home 🔵#FPL pic.twitter.com/droBhGWJNr
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) March 5, 2025
Keen for the Cityzens
Man City was dumped out of Europe. Do any of their players intrigue you down the stretch?
Euan: I'm still meh on City players right now, but that can quickly change. It feels like a good time to reinvest in Erling Haaland (£14.7m) before Gameweek 30 because the light blue side in Manchester has a fantastic schedule down the home stretch of the 2024/25 FPL season.
Jamie: Erling Haaland is now on 25.9% of FPL rosters, which makes him a bit of a differential. He’s about the only City player I’d have any confidence in starting each week. Even then, his price tag is prohibitive and I wouldn’t be looking to blow up the rest of my squad to accommodate him.
Wale: Of course! This appeals to me as a blessing in disguise. Why? Because we might get to see Pep Guardiola field a more structured team lineup, with likely lesser squad rotations. Currently, Erling Haaland and Savinho are two players I will love to have in my team by blank gameweek 29 and could become regulars going forward.
The Egyptian King (of FPL)
Mohamed Salah is 12 points away from breaking the all-time FPL points record. How incredible has his season been and where do you expect him to end up in points?
Euan: It's almost literally mind-blowing how good Mohamed Salah has been this year. He's tended to slow down in the second half of previous seasons, but the Egyptian is only going from strength to strength. I expect him to crack the 360-point barrier and maybe more!
Jamie: The fact he’s been responsible (scoring or assisting) for two-thirds of Liverpool’s goals tells us all we need to know. He’s carried the Reds to a title as a farewell present. Salah has had one of the greatest individual seasons of all time.
Wale: It's been quite phenomenal! I admire the fact that Salah has manage to go on a consecutive run without a blank and has already cracked over 40 goal contributions this season. He is really one of the GOATs to play in the Premier League.
No one comes close to Mohamed Salah this season 🔝
If you don't own the midfielder, tell us why? 🤷♂️#FPL pic.twitter.com/t2CG3fXo5b
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) March 3, 2025
Who is Keeping a Clean Sheet in Gameweek 28?
Euan: After that heist in Paris, Liverpool will return to their very best against Southampton. Alisson Becker was pretty much a superhero for the Reds against Paris St. Germain, and he'll keep another team of Saints at bay on Saturday afternoon.
Jamie: As much as I don’t want to rely on clean sheets from Chelsea, Leicester City keeps putting in absolute garbage performances, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they don’t score again this season. It feels like Ruud van Nistelrooy has forgotten that his success in front of goal was largely down to the service he received.
The Foxes are creating so little in front of goal right now, opposing keepers need to consider taking up hobbies for the 90 minutes they face Leicester. The fact they have the lowest expected goals (28.64 xG) in the league says it all.
Wale: I’ll be backing Liverpool to keep a clean sheet in Gameweek 28. The Reds are top for most clean sheets (12) this season and will have a high likelihood to shut out relegation favorites, Southampton.
What Defensive Player is Providing Attacking Returns?
Euan: Look, I don't want to be that guy, but Lewis Hall being out for the season could open the door for Kieran Trippier (£5.6m) to make an appearance as a differential. It would be a one-week punt with Newcastle blanking in Gameweek 29, but I don't hate it against a leaky West Ham side.
Jamie: I picked on Ipswich Town a bit last time out and was rewarded with Diogo Dalot (£5.0m) registering an assist. We’ll stick to that process and opt for Daniel Muñoz (£5.0m). The Palace man has four goal involvements in his last five EPL games and scored in their FA Cup win over Millwall. With Ipswich’s recent struggles against attacking full-backs, Muñoz seems like an ideal option this weekend.
Wale: Crystal Palace’s Daniel Munoz has contributed four attacking returns in his last five EPL games, amassing a total of 33 FPL points. Munoz's average positioning for the Eagles highlights his attacking consistency this season, as the wingback makes lot of runs into the opponent box as much as possible.
The Colombian international is ranked fourth in the FPL Defenders rankings with a total of 106 points, and with Palace’s next match at home to Ipswich, I anticipate Munoz could get on the scoresheet again.
Best Midfielder or Forward Who Isn't Rostered
Who is rostered in 10 percent of teams or less who can grab those FPL points?
Euan: Diogo Jota (£7.2m) is in 2.6 percent of FPL teams and got the start versus PSG on Wednesday. He's usually pretty lethal in front of the net, and with Cody Gakpo (£7.5m) "close" to the first team, I expect Arne Slot to rest the Dutchman and give his Portuguese striker another shot against Southampton.
Jamie: My usual routine consists of checking who is facing Southampton. This week, that’s Liverpool at Anfield. Everyone will captain a certain Egyptian winger. So, it makes sense to maximize the Reds with Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.4m), which is an ideal option given he’s on just 3.9% of FPL teams.
The Hungarian midfielder has two goals and an assist in his last two games and gets the juiciest matchup of the season. The only issue is Liverpool having a blank gameweek next week, so make sure you prepare for that in your decision making.
Wale: Chelsea's Pedro Neto (£6.2m) has been on my radar for a few weeks, and I'll be tipping him as my differential of the week.
The Portuguese international playing time has increased; he performed admirably against Southampton in Gameweek 27, and with the Blues hosting Leicester next, I believe Neto is an appealing option for another double-digit return in Gameweek 28.
Who is a Player You Want But Can’t Get for Gameweek 28 in FPL?
Euan: Everyone? Staying flexible is essential with all the blanks and doubles on the horizon. I am trying to roll my transfer. However, Daniel Munoz (£5.0m) for Crystal Palace is on my radar and has been heating up in FPL with 30 points in the last four gameweeks.
Jamie: Not to pick on Southampton too much, but I expect Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.4m) to bag a solid-points haul too. He’s recorded a clean sheet or an assist in his last seven EPL games and could easily have both in this fixture. Unfortunately, the FA Cup bloodbath and blank gameweek next week means I can’t bring in the Liverpool full-back.
Wale: I mentioned his name earlier, but I don't believe I have the luxury of bringing Daniel Munoz into my team this week. The main reason is because Crystal Palace gets a blank in Gameweek 29 and without the Free Hit chip, it's nearly impossible to avoid the Colombian's future absence.
Two inform assets on the rise 📈
Have you brought in either Szoboszlai or Munoz into your #FPL team? 💭 pic.twitter.com/zAzO1OCpZ1
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) February 28, 2025
Who’s Getting the Captain’s Armband?
Euan: Mohamed Salah. There's no need to overthink this. Even with Europe surrounding this tie, the Egyptian winger is the epitome of fitness, and I see him playing for at least 80 minutes on Saturday versus Southampton.
Jamie: I expect Mo Salah will set a record for being the most captained and triple-captained player of all time this weekend. That means he’ll either be rested or end up providing nothing over 60 minutes of game time. Still, you can’t not captain Salah unless you’re in desperation mode and must make up a lot of ground in your league(s).
Wale: The Egyptian King and Liverpool legend, Mohamed Salah, who is only nine points away from reaching 300 FPL points this is season is my captain of the week. Let's go, Salah!
What’s Your Bold Prediction for Gameweek 28?
Euan: Arsenal keeps its title hopes alive and sends Man United to another defeat at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, Man City announces its return to top (domestic) form with a 3-0 pummeling of Nottingham Forest in the first fixture of Gameweek 28.
Jamie: Jarrod Bowen (£7.4m) scores again as he fires the Hammers to a win over Newcastle United. The Geordies will have an eye on their EFL Cup final next weekend, and with Isak carrying a knock, I’m not surprised if he sits out Monday’s game with Newcastle putting in a rather insipid performance.
Wale: Arsenal secures a 3-1 victory against Man United at the Old Trafford, and Dominic Szoboszlai scores against Southampton, making it three goals in three matches for the Hungarian international.
With regards to FPL, Brighton’s Joao Pedro and Yankuba Minteh both contribute attacking returns against Fulham.
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— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 18, 2024
Stick around for more 2024-25 Fantasy Premier League content coming soon. Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
