FPL Gameweek 34 Preview - Fixtures Focus, Transfer Tips & Captaincy Corner

Welcome everyone to the FPL Gameweek 34 preview. 

In this piece, I’m going to ignore free hits – we’ll deal with those later in the week. 

Right now, I’m focusing on the best fixture runs ahead. I’ll highlight the teams with those runs, pick out some key players, and offer some transfer tips (who to buy, who to sell). After that, we’ll talk captaincy before wrapping things up. 

As a disclaimer at the top, I’m writing this before the Double Gameweek matches have been played, and before Crystal Palace play West Ham, so there’s room for things to change. 

Some of this might be off by the time we hit Friday’s deadline (yes, Friday deadline!) but we want to get these thoughts out early so we can address free hits later.

Best FPL Fixture Runs – Gameweek 34

Usually, we take a look at the next five fixtures and identify the teams with the best attacking and defensive runs using the data from our own fixture ticker.

From now on, we will go to the end of the season. And, because I think most people will free hit in 34 (thus dodging the blanks anyway), I will include a ticker that removes that.

Best Attacking Fixtures

Including Gameweek 34

Excluding Gameweek 34

Arsenal and Man City are the best

Arsenal and Man City top the fixture ticker if you ignore Gameweek 34. With Gameweek 34 included, Arsenal stay top, and Man City are fourth, even though they blank that week. 

It’s no secret that both sides offer great picks. I don’t care that Arsenal have been bad lately, I still trust their defence more than any other in the league. 

The problem is I don’t like their attack because it’s hard to find options. If you were chasing, I could see a punt on Havertz or Rice being an option but its a risky one.

At Man City, you’ve got Semenyo, Cherki, and Haaland. If you want to be adventurous, pick Cherki. He has a higher ceiling than Semenyo but also more risk of being benched. If you want to follow the crowd, pick Semenyo. Either way, you keep Haaland to the end of the season. If you’re not free-hitting in 34, you can happily bench your City assets and use other slots, because you’ll want them back soon enough.

Liverpool

If you’re free-hitting, you consider Salah, but outside of that, I wouldn’t. Isak could be amazing if he’s fit, but I don’t think he is so I wouldn’t bring him in. That leaves Szoboszlai as the most nailed pick. He is dull, but still decent.

Man United

Everyone should have Bruno Fernandes. He’s the best pick in the game considering his price. I don’t trust Mbeumo as he’s been poor recently, and he’s not nailed for 90 minutes. Cunha is more nailed but still a bit meh. 

I don’t hate Casemiro if you want an alternative to Anderson because he’s good on defensive contributions and can pop up with a goal. 

Sesko isn’t good. I’m not interested.

Newcastle

Their fixtures are great after this week, but I’m not buying a player facing Arsenal away. Ignore them for now.

Everton

Options are limited with Beto apparently injured. It’s Garner, Dewsbury-Hall, or N’Diaye. Garner is a defensive contributions pick, Dewsbury-Hall if you want a cheap slot, and N’Diaye for ceiling but he’s boom or bust. I’d rank Dewsbury-Hall top based on all these factors.

Chelsea

Joao Pedro decided to troll us by not playing at the weekend, let’s see if that changes midweek. I’ve said before I don’t like him, so I’d ignore him anyway but I appreciate I am pretty much alone in this thinking. 

Cole Palmer interests me. He is expensive, but if I’m chasing, he’s the one. If anyone’s scoring 20 points in one gameweek it will be him. They rely on him massively.

Leeds

I don’t love their attack. I’ve got Calvert-Lewin in my team, and I still think he’s probably the best pick, partly because he is super cheap and therefore easy to bench. But also partly because he is nailed and has decent xG. 

The players like Aaronson or Okafor are just fine. Ampadu is a cheap defensive contributor, good if you want a fifth midfielder. But I’d probably still prefer Anderson or Casemiro.

Best Defensive Fixtures

Including Gameweek 34

Excluding Gameweek 34

Arsenal

Looking at defensive fixtures, once again, it’s Arsenal at the top. I’m very happy to be doubled or even tripled up on their defence. Most of us will probably be aiming for the double-up, but the triple-up should be on the table (even if we don’t actually do it). 

The final four weeks are fantastic: two home games against weak sides, West Ham battling relegation away, and Crystal Palace potentially resting players before a European final. 

Arsenal should be the bedrock of your defence. Gabriel and Raya will be the top picks. 

For the possible third spot, Saliba is a safer choice if Timber isn’t fit. Saliba isn’t great for attacking or defensive contributions, but if Timber isn’t ready, going with Saliba is fine.

Man City

Man City are the next best defence – a step down, but still better than the rest. 

You’ve heard of Nico O’Reilly I’m sure. He’s the obvious choice with his attacking threat. You won’t outscore him by picking someone like Guehi so there’s not really a differential play here. You could go Haaland, Guehi, and O’Reilly (rather than one of the mids) if you want to be different but I don’t think that’s the route to success.

Everton

Ignore their Man City fixture in Gameweek 35 and they finish strong. James Tarkowski is a beast on defensive contributions, and I’d even consider him on a free hit.

Liverpool

It’s only Virgil van Dijk who’s nailed for 90 minutes. He’s got attacking threat, but after this week, the fixtures aren’t amazing. I’d probably swerve him for the rest of the season, but he’s fine on a Gameweek 34 free hit.

Sunderland

They’ve been found out in the second half of the season. That said, having Reinildo in a free hit is great. 3.8 million is mega cheap. So, you can hold him to the end of the season and play him this week against NFO and against Wolves and maybe Everton away.

Man United

I don’t rate their defence much. But if you want to play with Harry Maguire on a free hit, I wouldn’t blame you. He’s got attacking threat, and he’s underrated as a player. Not bad fixtures in 36 and 37 and rotation is fine in defence.

Aston Villa

Their defence is not very good. They drop off the ticker when you exclude Gameweek 34. Avoid them. 

Newcastle

I still wouldn’t pick their defenders, even though I don’t rate Arsenal’s attack much. Newcastle have been poor, and I don’t trust them to keep a clean sheet. 

Bournemouth

James Hill is the pick. Super cheap. Senesi is just a more expensive version of Hill. You could toy with Truffert, but you needed him this week when he got his attacking return because they’re rare.

Leeds

You can consider Bijol, Struijk, maybe James Justin if you’re chasing. That Burnley fixture in Gameweek 35 is fantastic.

Chelsea

Hard avoid. Too expensive, not good. If they were priced like Leeds, maybe, but they aren’t—so forget them. That’s it.

Transfer Tips

Normally we look at top transfers in and out and give our opinions on them. But, free hit skews the data and I am not really considering free hits in this piece. So, I am going to try my best and talk about guys that I haven’t already covered.

Who to Buy

Ollie Watkins – No. He scored big this week, but for 8.6 million, I want to trust more than three fixtures I’d want to play him in. So for me, Watkins is a no. He’s a good player, but not someone I want.

Gibbs-White – No. He also scored big this week but his fixtures are terrible. I’m not interested. One big haul doesn’t mean consistent returns.

Neco Williams – No. Like Gibbs-White, fixtures aren’t great. There are better defenders available, so I wouldn’t go there.

Mateta – Maybe. He’s intriguing because of how explosive he has been in the past and his upcoming double gameweek. But I don’t think we can trust his nailedness yet. I’d want to see him play full games more consistently before I invest.

Xavi Simons – Maybe. I rate him as a player too. He’s a maybe for me, especially if you’re chasing. He could be a differential. The fixtures aren’t dreadful, and if you trust his talent, he’s worth a punt. 

Who to Sell

Ékitiké – Yes. He is an easy sell because he’s out long-term. 

Timber –  Maybe. I’d wait for news. If he’s fit, hold, because Arsenal’s defensive run is excellent. 

Gordon – Maybe. If he’s injured, sure, move him on. If not, I’d hold. He’s a key attacking threat, and Newcastle’s run isn’t bad. You probably don’t want to play him this week anyway.

Elliot Anderson – No, he’s a keep. His defensive contributions have come in harder fixtures, so I wouldn’t worry about where his points are coming from. 

Harry Wilson – No. He is fine this week. I’d definitely avoid in Gameweek 35. He’s fine after that, but you need a rotation plan.

Erling Haaland’s Captaincy Corner

Without the eponymous Erling Haaland you might think captaincy could be fun this week. Well, I am here to burst your bubble.

I think Bruno Fernandes is the standout captain option this week. He’s shown how good he’s been all season, and right now he’s the second-highest overall scorer in the game, just behind Haaland. He’s got a good fixture against Brentford, whose defence isn’t fantastic, so I like that a lot. 

For a differential, I think Salah against Crystal Palace at home is tempting. There’s a lot of positivity around Salah because he’s simply one of the greatest FPL assets ever. Honestly, it’s partly emotional for me, I want him in my free hit team one last time. But it’s not just sentiment, he’s still a top player. If Salah scored a hat-trick, I wouldn’t be shocked. Isak, too, could haul, but there’s more concern about minutes there.

That’s It.

So, to wrap things up, Arsenal and Man City are clearly the teams to build around for the run-in, particularly at the back, while the attacking picks are a bit more nuanced depending on your risk appetite and rank goals. 

Transfers this week are messy thanks to free hit noise, but there are still some clear avoids and a few interesting punts if you’re chasing. 

Captaincy, despite the absence of Haaland, isn’t as open as we might have hope for, with Bruno Fernandes standing out as the obvious play.

Good luck out there.