Here’s an article by regular commenter and contributor to the site Stephen Toumi on how he plans on navigating the FPL potential blanks and double gameweeks without a wildcard or free hit chip
FPL – Stephen Toumi navigates the blanks and doubles without a Wildcard or Free Hit Chip
At this point of the of the season, it’s debatable if my approach has truly had me “thinking different.” Over the course of 28 gameweeks there have been decisions made, that have made a difference in my season, some for better or for worse. Learning to #AlwaysCaptainSalah has benefited me greatly, while jumping on #KANEXIT in Gameweek 14 cost me back to back hat tricks. As with the previous 4 FPL season, it continues to be a learning experience. This was the inaugural year for the Free Hit Chip, in which no precedent had been set on how best to use the chip. It comes as no surprise that many experienced fantasy managers are holding the chip to benefit them during the BGWs.
While I run out the season, I have the Triple Captain Chip and the Bench Boost Chip remaining in my arsenal to help improve my overall ranking, to reach my goal, which seems to be slipping further away. I don’t plan on “dead ending” my team at any point, each transfer from now until Gameweek 34 and 37 will be vital. Current planning does not include an addition hits (-4 points), to maximise my overall points and ranking. Listening to a few podcasts there have been some opinions of “quality over quantity” when it comes to players for the DGW. With my current budget poised at £103.3, I don’t have the luxury some managers do when it comes to team value.
Planning has been furiously going on for my team for the potential BGWs and DGWs. Ahead of Gameweek 29, this is how I approach the run in to the end of the season. Regardless of what happens with the rest of the FA Cup, I intend on using my Bench Boost Chip in DGW34, which currently has 9 players doubling. Three weeks later in DGW37, I plan on triple captaining Harry Kane, as Spurs are away to West Brom and Brighton. Options are sparse when it comes to placing confidence and the triple captain chip on many other players who will feature in a DGW. The exception, depending on team form could be Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for Arsenal in Gameweek 34 away to Newcastle and Leicester.
Starting Gameweek 30, I plan on returning to a “big three” on the forward line, starting Harry Kane, Roberto Firmino (both currently owned) and Jamie Vardy. This will allow me the option of a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2, depending on fixtures for my budget midfielders. Going in early on a powerful forward line will allow me coverage in BGW31 with Firmino home to Watford. Vardy is brought in ahead of GW30 and their away trip the Hawthorns. Ideally, introducing him in GW29 would be more beneficial, but due to budget constraints I can’t take advantage of the home fixture against Bournemouth.
For my planning, I used the Premier League colours associated with the FPL game, where red are the harder fixtures, while green, the easier. The dark borders around the cells with the bold name indicate transfers for that week. For Gameweek 34 and Gameweek 37, my double gameweek players are indicated by a bold and italicised font.
Spurs face a challenging run starting GW32. While they face Stoke City, they are bookended by Chelsea, away and Man City at home. There was a fleeting thought to transfer Kane out for that three-game stretch and introduce Aubameyang as Arsenal face STO/SOU/new, which are a much better run of games. In an attempt to minimise unnecessary hits, I made the option to hold Kane and drop Firmino ahead of DGW34 in favor of Aubameyang.
Luca Milivojevic (£4.8) and Marc Albrighton (£5.5) are my budget midfielders ahead of GW29, but that is scheduled to change with James Ward-Prowse (£5.1), Pascal Groβ (£5.9) and Rajiv van La Parra (£4.8) being viable options due to their double gameweek potential.
I will admit, the fixtures aren’t great for Van La Parra or Ward-Prowse in DGW37, but feel both players could outscore Albrighton and Milivojevic, if they remained as starters in a 3-5-2 formation. At 0.1 TSB% van La Parra is an excellent differential, returning 2 goals in the last 2 games with a great run of fixtures through GW34.
Recent clean sheets have appeared to be difficult to come by, as I sold my last premium defender, in Marcos Alonso, to free up budget to start building towards the DGWs. While risky, it will allow more options to build in the midfield and forward positions, while downgrading the defence to a collection of budget defenders, anchored in goal by David de Gea. While I don’t consider Virgil van Dijk a premium, he’s the highest priced defender (£5.5), but his days are numbered, as Andrew Robertson (£4.8) could be a more viable option as a starter, coming in £0.7 cheaper.
There has been a conscious effort not to make lateral moves, which effectively is wasting a free transfer. Looking at my current strategy, van Dijk to Robertson (GW30) and Mkhitaryan to Ramsey (GW34) are obvious lateral transfers that must be made, to enable higher priced players, such as Vardy and Aubameyang to take advantage of DGW fixtures.
At this point, it’s purely planning each move through the end of the season, which could quickly be undone by an injury or possible surprise in the remaining FA Cup games. Not quite sure where my expectations to finish out the season, but hopefully this strategy and planning can pay off.
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