Greetings all, and welcome to your fully featured, jam-packed FPL Gameweek 15 preview.
We’ve had our first taste of the seasonal pileup of fixtures. Which – most likely, for many FPL managers – will have meant either forgetting to change their lineups, or getting really really annoyed at their players getting rotated.
(Timber missing out on a clean, in my case… grumble grumble).
Regardless! It’s an exciting time of the year, and the one at which – if you simply keep paying attention – you can make up a whole lot of ground on all those losers who don’t treat FPL like it’s life-or-death.
In that spirit, let’s crack on with your Gameweek 15 preview!
Should You Use Your Free Hit in Gameweek 15?
I started writing out in this preview whether or not you should use your free hit this week…
Then I got a bit carried away, and it ended up being so long that I split it into a separate article. Which you can read right here!
TLDR: yes, I do think Gameweek 15 is the best time to use your free hit, if you’ve still got it. Gameweek 17 is probably the second-best time.
Full reasoning and analysis in that aforementioned article!
Best Upcoming FPL Fixtures
We’ve got a pretty clean run of fixtures this week.
There are only five games remaining until we hit the halfway point of the season, by which time we need to use all our chips.
Also, we’re all getting topped up to five transfers in Gameweek 16 anyway. So, now is a good time to look ahead across the next few weeks, work out how to use whatever transfers we’ve got left right now, and start planning who we’re going to get in for AFCON.
As always, these fixture runs are drawn from our big, beautiful fixture ticker. You can find that via the Google Sheets link right here:
I’d love nothing more than to trust Liverpool, with these fixtures, but I just can’t. They took care of business against West Ham – fine. I don’t think drawing against Sunderland is actually a terrible result – they’re a good side. It’s probably a wait-and-see for me against Leeds, then we can look to pile on if they impress us there
Similarly, I don’t particularly trust City players, outside of Haaland. Foden is obviously in form, and if you want to take a punt on him I wouldn’t blame you – just know that we’ve been here before, multiple times, and he’s been benched out of nowhere. I also don’t love Sunderland at home, nor Palace away, as matchups.
Newcastle get a dream fixture home to Burnley this week. Sunderland away is tough, but their games after that are fine too. I continue to highly rate Woltemade – he’ll be in my GW15 free hit team, and possible in my AFCON mini-wildcard too
I don’t love Fulham away for Palace, but all their players are still startable. All four of their games after that are fine. Hold Mateta, and get Munoz, who keeps proving himself as the best attacking defender by far
I’d only consider Saka for Arsenal’s attack right now. And I wouldn’t even make that move before Villa away, which has regularly been a tricky matchup for the Gunners over recent years
Hold and start Thiago for Brentford against Spurs’ dodgy defence, but I wouldn’t bring him in for this game. I would, however, look to at least get him, and possibly Schade too, for the two games after that
Best Defensive Fixtures:
I still think you should just get as many Arsenal defenders as you can. I’ve got Raya, Saliba, and Timber myself, and – Saliba injury aside, obviously – feel great about it
It’s hard to back City’s defence against anyone right now. I’m very glad I picked Raya over Donnarumma. It’s a pass on the lot of them, for me – I wouldn’t back them to clean in general, and definitely not against tricky Sunderland
Liverpool’s defence remains an absolute stay-away from me, until further notice
Newcastle’s defence has been disappointing in general, but they’ve finally got Livramento and Hall back. The former should be especially big, since Trippier was absolutely abysmal defensively. These fixtures are also excellent defensively – I’d definitely back getting and starting at least one defender
Everton’s defence has been better recently, with three cleans in their last four. Three of these fixtures are very good, and neither Chelsea away nor Arsenal at home should be wallopings. Tarko continues to be brilliant, and should be high up in any free hit/wildcard/AFCON mini-wildcard plans
I continue to back Palace’s defence. With Sarr out, I’d be more than happy spending two of my Palace slots on the GK or defenders, while keeping Mateta up top
FPL Gameweek 15 Transfer Tips
Again, don’t forget that we’re getting topped up to five free transfers next week. So, use whatever moves you’ve currently got!
Let’s cast our beady eyes over the current most-bought and sold players in FPL, by the playing public, and decide whether or not they belong on our precious teams.
Should I Buy?
Foden – Maybe. It’s hard to argue with 32pts in his last two weeks, and he seems fairly nailed for now… but I don’t love the Sunderland matchup, and Pep Roulette is always a factor
Thiago – Yes. Reliable across the season, and Spurs away is a fine matchup right now, then he has Leeds and Wolves straight after
Bruno G – Maybe. My instinct would be to say no, but – as with Rice – at some point you just have to buy in. He’s returned in 7 of the last 8 games now, with goals, assists, and clean sheets. Burnley home is obviously the best matchup around right now, too
Woltemade – Yes. He’s a quality player, he’s been consistent, and – again – Burnley at home is the best matchup in the league
Munoz – Yes. The best defender in the game right now
Merino – Maybe. He’s been in excellent form, so will probably keep his place for now, but Gyokeres is back in the squad now, so his days are likely numbered
Timber – Yes. Plays for the best defence in the league, and their defensive fixtures are fine
Raya – Yes. I don’t normally recommend goalkeeper transfers… but I just made this one myself, and he immediately got me a clean!
Doku – No. Both his minutes and returns are too inconsistent
Guehi – Yes. As noted, I like Palace’s defence. His five attacking returns are also not fluky – he’s got a 0.18 xGI per game this season, which is absolutely ridiculous for a centre-back
Minteh – Yes. Regular readers will know that I love my darling Minteh, have done since early on this season, and particularly like him at home to Wolves
Chalobah – No. I just wouldn’t get him before Bournemouth away, which doesn’t feel like a clean. I don’t love Newcastle away in GW 17 either
Eze – No. I don’t love Arsenal’s attacking fixtures, and there are many midfielders I’d rather have for less money
Bruno – Maybe. He’s returned fairly consistently, and – as usual – has great underlying stats. He does have three so-so fixtures in a row, however, between his excellent Wolves games
Should I Sell?
Semenyo – Maybe. Personally I still wouldn’t… and won’t. I wrote about this extensively here, and still think he’s one of the best midfield options around. His underlying stats have remained excellent throughout this barren patch, suggesting he’ll be back to bagging us points soon enough
Caicedo – Yes. We didn’t love him already, and now he’s suspended for two weeks
Joao Pedro – Yes. His role doesn’t support attacking returns, the fixtures aren’t good, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him rotated soon (particularly with Palmer coming back)
Sarr/Gabriel – Yes. Both good players, but both injured for a while
Mbeumo – No. Not before he plays Wolves. Look again for your Gameweek 16 mini-wildcard
Mateta – No. I don’t love the Fulham away matchup, but he remains one of the best forwards in the game, and had excellent chances to score in both his recent annoying blanks against Burnley and Wolves
Van de Ven – Yes. He should have been binned ages ago
Salah – Yes. Nice fixtures, but we can’t trust him even to start any more, never mind actually get us any points
Senesi – Yes. Bournemouth’s defence has been poor, the fixtures are so-so, and there are plenty of better options out there right now
Gakpo – No. He just smashed a poor team in West Ham, and now gets Leeds
Captaincy Corner
It’s always Haaland. Yes, even in a potentially tricky matchup against Sunderland.
Your edgy alternatives are Woltemade against Burnley, and Bruno against Wolves.
But just captain Haaland. Always.
Final Thoughts
Right, that’s your lot for this Gameweek 15 preview. It’s an exciting time in FPL, with a ton of games coming up very quickly, any remaining chips still to use, and our AFCON mini-wildcards just around the corner.
And, as ever, your pals here at Full 90 FPL will be with you, every step of the way, to… at least try our best to give you some not-completely-awful advice.
Hey, you can’t say we don’t aim high.
Cheers for reading, everybody, and best of luck out there in Gameweek 15!
Full 90 FPL
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