fantasy premier league teams GW23 – some early thoughts on the FFGeek team

Here’s our fantasy premier league teams GW23 article where I give my early thoughts on the FFGeek team for GW23. I look back at gameweek 22 and give my thoughts on the gameweek ahead including potential transfers and captain choice.

fantasy premier league teams GW23 – some early thoughts on the FFGeek team

Firstly if you’re new to the site my last 3 seasons overall ranks are 36k, 17k and 21k.

Gameweek 22 review

GW22 points: 43 (FPL average 57) Total points 1,264, Gameweek rank 6,442k, Overall Rank: 176k, red arrow 78k, Team Value: £103.5m

Here’s the points:

Well that was certainly a chastening gameweek.  I knew for there not be a red arrow that Rashford would have to keep quiet.  That didn’t happen and although I thought a red arrow was a strong possibility before the gameweek I didn’t think it was going to be this bad.  It was easily my worst gameweek rank of the season and the only one in the 6 million area.

After having 7 returning players in 2 of the last 3 gameweeks and 6 in the other, my fortune had to turn.  I just wish it hadn’t been quite such a drastic turn.

My FPL team structure

Again apologies to regular readers for the definition preamble.

If it’s the first time you’ve seen it here’s how I classify each player in my FPL team:

Template player: 7 of the 10 top FPL managers I follow have him in their team. I use the 10 managers as a proxy for serious FPL managers who will finish in the top 100k or so. People have different interpretations of what is an FPL template. There’s no true definition though.

Template replacement player: the player you choose to go head to head against a template player with.

Bench player: A player who will for the most part be on your bench. Sometimes there are bench rotaters but I won’t muddy the waters

Difference maker: these are the rest and the players who can move you forward or back. I don’t call them differentials as this implies an ownership threshold which I don’t use

Here’s my squad using these categories:

When you see this then it’s easy to see what happened.  Although I had 4 returners all were template players and they barely move the dial when it comes to overall rank.  In fact as De Bruyne was getting returns my rank was going backwards according to live FPL as he wasn’t my captain.

Of my 6 difference makers in Fabianski, Gomez, Alli, Mane, Maupay and Jimenez only Gomez returned and he was on my FPL bench.  Of that lot only Jimenez and Gomez came out with any credibility.  The rest were poor.

Looking ahead to DGW24

2 free transfers and £1.2m in the bank.

My thoughts to this point have been focused on gameweek 24 where Liverpool and West Ham have 2 fixtures and then Liverpool have a fantastic fixture run after that.  I have been focused on getting Salah in the team plus keeping Mane and Alexander Arnold. That has been subject to the caveat that if Salah and Mane are looking like they are in a rotational job share then that would change.  GW23 next is my last chance to make that judgement but so far so good.

Unfortunately the injury to Fabianski means that to implement the plan and have a playing GK I will need to take a -4 point deduction.  I need to make an assessment as to whether that is worth it or whether I don’t take a 4 point hit and just go for the double defence of Robertson and Alexander Arnold plus the existing Mane.

I’ve yet to make that Robertson v Salah decision and I can park it for 1 more gameweek which I will do.

So here’s roughly how the team could look with Salah:

The transfers would be:

GW23 – Fabianski out – McCarthy in

GW24 – Alli, Gomez and Jimenez out Calvert Lewin, Salah and Holgate in.  – 4 points

I’ve put McCarthy in as he’s the goalkeeper who allows the most flexibility of funds up the field and allows me to get Calvert Lewin as well.

I’ll put extra thought into it this week though as my GK choice will dictate what I can do further on.

It seems Fabianski is going to be out for a couple of weeks btw

or alternatively in the Robertson route

GW23 – Fabianski out – McCarthy in

GW24 – Gomez and Alli/Jimenez out – Robertson in and Martial/Ings in

Alli would go after GW24.  He only stays as Spurs play Norwich in that gameweek

These are just initial thoughts by the way.  I procrastinate way more on the path to a decision than pulling the trigger Monday afternoon.  I am not decisive like Yaniv unfortunately!

Transfer thoughts for this week

2 free transfers and £0.9m in the bank.

So I’m going to have to do the GK transfer.  I’m thinking McCarthy for value at the moment.  The defence has improved and he does have a good save %.  I could go West Ham reserve GK Martin for Button if but it feels a bit risky if West Ham make a signing and I have 2 West Ham GKs none of which play.  Even if he played I can imagine Fabianski coming back for the 2nd game in GW24 which would be even more typical.

So I’m going to give it more thought but at the moment it’s Fabianski out and McCarthy in

Captain choice

Likely to be De Bruyne or Vardy depending on the polls.

Lineup issues

Pretty easy apart from one decision.  A tricky one this as I’d like to get Cantwell in the team vs Bournemouth as Simon Francis and Steve Cook continue to do their best to get Eddie Howe sacked.  There’s no obvious route though and another one for the cogitation list.

The team lineup pre transfers

Here’s the lineup as of now pre any transfers.

Hope you had a good gameweek or if not I hope it’s some consolation if it was better than mine.

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