FPL Gameweek 5 Preview

It’s always weird coming back after an international break, so – as usual – it’s been tough to write this Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 5 Preview. It feels like it has been an age since we last played FPL. It didn’t help that Gameweek 4 was an absolute stinker for both of us, either.

But anyway! We’re shaking off the dust and trying to get stuck right back into fantasy. In that spirit, here are all your FPL tips for Gameweek 5.

Top Talking Points

Since we haven’t actually had any Premier League football, there isn’t too much to discuss here. We’ve had a couple of injuries, as usual (we’ll include those in our News article before the deadline), but that’s about it.

Here’s your single FPL talking point this week!

First Double Gameweek of the Season

The first double has been announced.. and nobody cares.

In Gameweek 7, Burnley and Luton will have a double gameweek. They are both bad teams. I only see three reasons why you would care:

1. You are on wildcard and you are looking at bench fodder. Then pick a Luton defender like Kabore because you might conceivably play them in gameweek 7.
2. You are desperate for a replacement for Joao Pedro. Then you can pick Morris at Luton for 5.5. I wouldn’t advise it but he’s not an awful pick.
3. You are in a deep draft league, and you want one of the doublers.

Apart from that, I would just play it as if it wasn’t happening. Especially for Burnley, who play Newcastle first in their double.

Strategic Thinking

If your team is an absolute state, and it’d take forever/cost a massive hit to fix it, an early wildcard isn’t the worst idea in the world. Here’s a little advice to help you out.

Top 5 Players to Own on a Wildcard

Check out our International Break Review for some useful stats from the first four weeks.

If you are on wildcard, we think these are probably the best players to have:

1. Haaland – He’s the best FPL asset
2. Chilwell – He plays left wing, is OOP in FPL, and only costs 5.8.
3. Mbeumo – He is underperforming his xGI and is still the highest scoring midfielder in the game. He is offering ludicrous value.
4. Maddison – Spurs play super attacking football and he is involved in everything they do going forward. Plus, he’s pretty cheap.
5. Udogie – There aren’t very many good defensive options… and Spurs are not one of them. But, Udogie is super attacking and appears to be nailed on. He could be worth it.

Other notable mentions:

• Son – He might be the starting striker for Spurs now. But we aren’t sure and he’s more expensive than other good mids (and also might be injured now).
• Fernandes – 3^rd highest for xGI of all outfield players.
• Saka – 4^th highest for xGI for all outfield players.
• Newcastle defenders – See below on fixture ticker – favourable fixtures upcoming.
• Jackson – 5^th highest for xGI for all outfield players and second among attackers. Yes, he’s not delivered but surely that changes given the amount of chance he’s getting right?

What’s the Right Formation for Wildcard?

As you may have seen in the  International Break Review, 3-5-2 is the best formation right now.

Forwards are not performing as well as mids, so we think this is probably the way to go.

Upcoming Fixture Ticker

This will be a regular stalwart of our pieces throughout the year. We will look at which teams have the best fixtures over the next five gameweeks, to help you plan your transfers in advance.

Teams in capitals are home fixtures, and teams in lowercase are away fixtures.

Note that European football (and rotation) starts between Gameweek 5 and 6.

As you can see, Newcastle top the fixture ticker. They are a tough one to pick for though, as none of the good attackers (Isak, Wilson, Gordon & Barnes) play 90 minutes.

The defence seems a much better place to use your transfers. Despite having one of the worst set of fixtures to start the season, they have the 6^th best defence according to xGC. Trippier, Botman (pending an injury update) and Schar are all interesting options. Regardless, you can probably wait a week as Brentford are good.

Man United appear on the ticker for the first time this season. Their defence is a little shaky so I wouldn’t look there. I’d be happy to take or double up with Fernandes and Rashford looking at these fixtures. It’s still too early to bring in Hojlund – we need to see him play 90 at least.

Chelsea drop to the bottom of our top 5. I don’t think I’d rush to get Sterling right now, but I still feel good about holding him or even picking up Jackson. This is probably the last week when it’s worth it.

We covered Luton above but Fulham also suck and offer few access to points, so you can ignore them too.

Should I Buy?

In this section, we will look to answer the most basic question of all – should I buy this player ahead of FPL gameweek 5? As usual, the players we’re looking at here are a combination of the most transferred-in (per the official FPL website), and other picks we think are interesting.

• Son – Maybe

I get it. Son looked very good when he moved up top after Richarlison was put out of his misery against Bournemouth, then blitzed Burnley for 20pts.

But!

Firstly, his hat trick was only against Burnley. Secondly, he might have just been injured on international duty (the lesson, as always – don’t make transfers during internationals). Thirdly, we still can’t be 100% sure of his role. Finally, while Sheff Utd at home is an amazing fixture in Gameweek 5, he then plays Arsenal and Liverpool back to back.

It’s a high-upside pick, but personally I wouldn’t take the risk. Particularly when there are so many other, cheaper midfielders out there.

• J. Alvarez – Risky

Alvarez has played almost every minute so far, has returned in three games out of four, and plays for the best team in the league.

Again though, I wouldn’t risk it.

We literally just saw Foden get benched for a great fixture in Gameweek 3, despite his great form. Apart from Haaland, there are no guarantees any Man City attackers will start.

• Maddison – Yes

He’s great. He’s far better value at 7.8, than Son at 9.1. We know he’s nailed to start, and that he’ll be constantly involved in the attack.

Again, the fixtures in Gameweeks 6 and 7 are tough, but he feels like an indefinite keeper right now regardless.

• Romero – No

I’d just rather have Udogie – the far more attacking player – for the same price (4.7).

• Ferguson – No

Obviously it’s tempting – he just smashed a hat trick against one of the best defences in the league, for God’s sake.

It just still feels a bit early, for me, and this isn’t the right time to bring him in regardless. Man U away in Gameweek 5 isn’t a good matchup. Brighton also have a tough run of fixtures after Bournemouth in GW 6, facing Villa, Liverpool, then Man City.

• Udogie – Yes

Spurs are really good, he’s passing the eye test, and he’s got assists in back-to-back games.

Again, Arsenal and Liverpool aren’t good matchups in Gameweeks 6 and 7, but he could absolutely assist even if he doesn’t get cleans. Sheffield Utd and Luton either side of those games, by contrast, are very nice defensive fixtures.

• Cash – Maybe

I do believe in Cash in general, thanks to his extremely attacking positioning, and prowess on the counter-attack.

He also plays for a good defensive team, who have an excellent run of upcoming fixtures. Between Gameweeks 5 and 12, the only good attack he faces will be Brighton. Aside from that he gets Palace, Chelsea, Wolves, Luton, and Forest to name a few.

• Darwin – Maybe

We can guess… probably… that he’s starting now? He obviously changed the game against Newcastle, then started in GW 4 and got two assists.

His upcoming fixtures are fine, and he’s also solid value at 7.4. I’d take him over N. Jackson in that price bracket right now, for example.

• Mbeumo – Yes

He’s the top-scoring midfielder in the game, plays for a very good team, is on pens, and is only 6.8.

Newcastle away isn’t the best fixture to bring him in for, but Brentford – to an extent – are fixture-proof. He also gets Everton and Forest after, then Burnley after Man U away.

• Awoniyi – Yes

He’s great. He’s got three goals already, and is clearly fixture-proof, having returned against Arsenal, Man U, and Chelsea. Now he has Burnley at home, which is an amazing matchup.

He’s also excellent value, at only 6.6. I’d probably still take Wissa over him, at 6.2, but would definitely prefer him to the pricier N. Jackson, for example.

• Areola – Not Now

The massive caveat here is that you shouldn’t really be using transfers on keepers. I’m struggling to remind myself of that right now, as an owner of the terrible Jordan Pickford… but it’s still true.

If you were going to get a keeper though, Areola is an understandable pick. He’s a starter for only 4.1, and West Ham look good.

The problem is that he now faces City and Liverpool back to back. Wait for Sheff Utd in Gameweek 7, if you do want him.

• Gusto – No

We’ll get a fuller update soon, but Reece James should be back in the next couple of games. He’ll immediately replace Gusto when he returns.

• JWP – No

He’s been great so far, returning in all three games for West Ham.

As with Areola, however, you don’t want to buy him just before he plays City and Liverpool.

Should I Sell?

In this section, we will look to answer the second-most basic question! Should I sell this player ahead of FPL gameweek 5? Again, our considerations are a mix of the most-binned players by the FPL public, and our own shouts for noteworthy names.

• Jackson / Sterling – No

Predictably, lots of FPL managers over-reacted to the Luton result, with both Jackson and Sterling becoming trendy picks. Equally predictably, they’re now being binned. Jackson is the most transferred-out player, and Sterling is 12th.

I get it – Chelsea’s attack hasn’t looked good outside the Luton game, and they just failed to score against Forest at home, for God’s sake.

But now is not the time to bin either one of them. Bournemouth have the third-highest xGA in the league. If either/both of them blank again, then I’d prefer to get rid before the GW 6 game against Villa.

• Isak – Yes

Since the freak result against Villa, Isak has blanked in three straight games. He keeps getting subbed off for Wilson, and has Brentford this week, which isn’t a great fixture.

At 7.7, there are far better value forwards out there, with Wissa and Awoniyi being top of the list.

• Joao Pedro – Yes

The original Luton Overreaction Pick this season!

JP has blanked in three straight games since his opening day goal. He started the last game and still didn’t score, despite Brighton’s 3-1 win vs Newcastle. Now he has Man U away.

He’s only 5.5, but is basically a wasted spot right now. Either upgrade to Awoniyi or Wissa, or drop down to Archer or Semenyo.

• Wissa – No

The Bournemouth blank was annoying, but let’s not panic just yet. He still had a solid xG of over 0.5 in that game, and remains the fifth-highest scoring forward.

Newcastle away isn’t a good fixture, but Everton and Notts Forest after that are fine.

He’s still amazing value at 6.2, and remains an easy hold.

• Botman – Injury Dependent

As noted, having a Newcastle defender is looking pretty good right now.

Unfortunately, arguably the best value one – Botman – is injured. He’s back in training though, and should return this week or next week.

Unless the latest injury news is surprisingly bad, you should hold Botman for the nice upcoming fixtures.

• Watkins – No

Obviously, Watkins isn’t delivering the points owners were hoping for. I just think it’s way too early to bin him.

He hasn’t been scoring, but still has three assists. He’s clearly out of scoring form, missing some amazing chances against Burnley, but we all know the pedigree is there, and he’s generally passed the eye test.

The upcoming fixtures admittedly aren’t great, but Villa’s counter attacking style makes them somewhat fixture-proof. It’s not a crazy idea to bin him, particularly as he’s quite expensive for a forward, at 8.0. I’d personally keep the faith, though.

• Rashford – No

This is a really weird one. If you held Rashford for the first two games… then got his three returns in the last two games… why are you binning him now?!

Clearly Man U aren’t firing on all cylinders. But their fixtures are fine, we all know Rashford’s pedigree, and he’s fairly-priced at 8.9.

• Onana – NO!

Again – don’t waste transfers on keepers.

Onana is expensive at 5.0, and is delivering literally no points right now. But unless you’ve got two transfers banked and literally no other moves to make, you shouldn’t really be binning him, particularly with budget not being particularly important this year.

• Trippier – No

Newcastle have a great run of defensive fixtures coming up. I’d be buying Trippier, not selling him.

• Chilwell – No

His attacking positions haven’t translated into the massive returns we’d hoped for yet. Getting subbed-off after an hour, twice now, is also annoying.

That said, I’d definitely hold. Chelsea’s upcoming defensive fixtures are fine, and Chilly’s underlying xGI numbers are solid.

• Mitoma – Maybe

It does feel a bit weird to bin a player who’s nailed, has four returns in four games, plays for one of the best teams in the league, and only costs 6.5.

The argument here is that Brighton’s fixtures have turned significantly. In their next five games they play Man U, Villa, Liverpool, and Man City (but with Bournemouth home in GW 6).

The win over Newcastle could absolutely reassure you that it’s fine to hold Mitoma anyway. I binned him before that game, and certainly don’t feel great about it!

• Luis Diaz – Maybe

He’s definitely a rotation risk, particularly with the Europa League coming up. Even if he does start, he’s likely to be yanked after 60-70 mins if he hasn’t scored yet.

That said, he’s generally looked good this season, Liverpool keep winning, and the run of attacking fixtures up to Gameweek 12 or so are generally fine.

This one’s probably team-dependent. If you haven’t got any more pressing moves, I’m fine with moving him to Mbeumo or Maddison. If you’ve got them already, I don’t think there are any massively more appealing options.

• Saka – No

Come on, now.

He’s got 3 returns already, good underlying numbers, plays for (theoretically) a good team, and was amazing last season. The next three fixtures are also all fine.

An easy hold.

• Antonio – Yes

It was fun while it lasted!

After returning against Chelsea and Brighton… Antonio then managed an xG of 0.0 (plus an xA of 0.02) against Luton.

In theory, West Ham’s absorb-and-counter style probably means Antonio is better off against more attacking teams anyway. Regardless, it’s pretty hard to hold him when he’s now got City and Liverpool back to back, especially when Wissa is only 0.1 more.

Captaincy Corner

For FPL Gameweek 5, we – as always – like Haaland.

He is incredible and always a pick even, away to West Ham. Remember when we used to actually need to think about captaincy? It seems like so long ago now.

If you are looking for differential, then I would probably consider Maddison or Son. Sheffield United at home is an excellent fixture.

James’ Moves

I have one transfer and 1.1 in the bank.

I’m pretty happy with my team and would rather have the flexibility to make bigger moves next week.

Mitoma and Watkins feel like the weaker links to me. Mitoma’s fixtures get tougher now and Watkins is just failing to deliver or even last 60 minutes. Still, I’m gonna give them another run out and see what happens. Probably…

Joe’s Moves

I also have one transfer, but only 1.0 in the bank, to James’ 1.1.

Like James, I’m going to be boring and hold. All my matchups feel fine this week, and I’m in no rush to bin any of my players (although admittedly my somewhat risky pick of Villa’s Diaby hasn’t gotten off to a great start).

That’s It

Isn’t it great to have FPL back in our lives?

Actually, let’s wait until Monday evening before answering that question.

Check back closer to the deadline (probably around Friday evening) for our Gameweek 5 News update. In the meantime, best of luck, everyone.