The first international break is upon us, giving everyone a break from Premier League action until 1st October when PL returns with the blockbuster North London Derby between Arsenal and Tottenham.
The 10 days between now and the next PL match gives FPL managers enough time to tinker with their team and play the wildcard chip if they haven’t already done so. Read on to find out more on this, and other topics.
Gameweek 9 Fixtures
After a short GW8, all teams will be back on the field for the three-day gameweek starting with NLD and ending with a Monday night match at King Power Stadium.
The tasty Manchester Derby takes place on Sunday and will be an exciting viewing as both teams have been playing well lately.
FPL-wise too, managers can target some matches for short-term returns.
Wildcard Tips
Season after season, the international break has always been the most popular choice among people to play their first WC.
Things, however, got trickier this season with the enforced extended break between GW6 and GW8.
If you chose not to play with the WC chip then, now would be the ideal team to use it.
Using the WC now gives managers the option to make unlimited transfers, which is particularly useful after an international break when injuries can spoil the best-laid plans for teams.
It also allows teams to adjust teams based on form and fixtures.
Upcoming Fixtures
Managers should look at optimising teams for the next 5-7 gameweeks.
Gameweek 16 is followed by the World Cup in Qatar, and FPL has made provisions to allow for unlimited transfers during that break, meaning a THIRD wildcard will be activated between GW16 and GW17.
Fixture Difficulty
Looking at the upcoming fixtures and difficulties, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Leicester and Everton have the most straightforward fixtures coming up.
On the other hand, Arsenal and Man City have a blank GW12 and also have relatively difficult fixtures.
Long-term planning should take into account these factors.
While a Man City triple-up would have made sense up until now, their next four GWs have MUN, SOU, LIV, and Blank.
Managers can focus on keeping one or maybe two City assets and offloading others for better teams.
Arsenal too has an ugly run coming up in the form of TOT, LIV, LEE, and blank. Managers with Jesus may want to look elsewhere.
Midweek Action
This is one of the busiest seasons in recent times for teams, due to the international tournament in November.
There are very limited free midweeks between GW9 and GW16, and they vary from team to team. So rotations would be at a scale never seen before.
The big six and West Ham have no midweek breaks, due to domestic cups and European league fixtures.
All other teams have about 4 breaks except Fulham, who have five, as they were knocked out of the Carabao cup early.
The only positive? Rotations would affect all FPL teams so it would be equalized. Managers who can spot certain starters and capitalise on fixtures are sure to benefit.
Possible Transfer-Ins
The player scored a goal in his last game, albeit losing 6-2. The upturn in form is coming at the right time for the player who faces only one Big 6 side between now and GW16.
Nathan Patterson
Everton have the joint-second best defence in the league after BHA.
Patterson has been ever-present and has consistently performed well for the team.
The fullback has emerged as a better option than Emerson and Neco Williams.
Kieran Trippier
The Magpies have played well against big teams and have alternating easy and tough fixtures going forward. Trippier has already proven his ability to deliver irrespective of his team keeping a clean sheet.
Possible Transfer-Outs
The Arsenal defensive trio have a tough run coming up and also a blank GW12, making them even less attractive.
Ending with an almost embarrassing 2 points last week, the player faces Arsenal next, followed by BHA, EVE and MUN. There certainly are better options out there.
Pascal Gross and Mac Allister
Liverpool, Spurs and Man City in the next five games are reason enough to not keep any BHA assets in your FPL team.
If you need more convincing, they’ve just gotten a new manager, so we don’t know what kind of team changes are made under him.
Stay tuned to find out about the latest developments during the international break and how they could affect your FPL team!