FPL team tips GW14 – FFGeek contributors show their GW14 teams part 1

Contributors, Fantasy Premier League

Here’s our FPL team tips GW14 article where the 1st group of the FFGeek contributors show their teams for GW14. In this article there’s Rick Porter,  Joseph Crilley, Scott Taylor and Ben Wooton

FPL team tips GW14 – FFGeek contributors show their GW14 teams part 1

Introduction

This is part 1 of the FPL managers who contribute to the FFGeek site with good histories who show their teams each week. This will give people a feel for what other managers are doing. It’s a fairly informal thing with no obligation on anyone and these teams may change at anytime before the deadline without further notice. It won’t cover transfers in real time either. It’s just to give an idea of the trends for the week no more.

Rick Porter

Rick last 3 seasons overall rank were 1k, 30k and 2k.

GW13 points: 51 (FPL average 49) Total points 729 Gameweek rank 3,225k, Overall Rank: 391k, red arrow 111k, Team Value: £103.6m

Okay, I managed to score a whopping 2 points above the average, but I can’t pretend to be too happy about it. Sure, things could have been worse, but ‘just above average’ isn’t cutting it right now and it sees me suffer another rank drop. Not a huge one, and I’m still inside the top 500k which is where I’m comfortable sitting right now, but each drop means the top 100k target is getting further away and the gaps between the ranks are gradually getting larger now.

As an individual week, I didn’t do much wrong. My decision to switch Salah for Mane worked out great. Had I taken a chance on Salah and captained him, as was the plan, I’d have got 0 points from Rico off the bench and total of 4 points from vice cap Martial. I came away 16 points better off for that move. Even if I’d had the Stones to take a -8 to do the Sterling/Pukki to Maddison/Vardy swap I was mulling over I’d have only got 1 extra point for the risk. Hardly a nightmare.

The reality

That’s looking at this as an individual week though… The truth is I’ve ummed and aahed about spending points to get Vardy ever since his hat trick. In the 3 weeks that followed he’s scored 30 points and – just to make sure the salt got into my cuts good and proper – plenty of managers have also captained him during that time. Rather than enjoying those points with everyone else, I opted to stick with Sterling and Pukki who’ve netted me a grand total of 15 points between them in the same period. A mistake is fine, but not when you seem to be the only one who’s made it and it drags on for weeks.

Perspective

I’m talking like I’ve had a howler here, when it’s not that bad. Some perspective is probably needed. There’s a long way to go yet and I’m only about 35 points away from being in the top 100k. That can be done in a couple of weeks (with a bit of luck) and the real gains are made in the double/blank weeks if you still have your chips. 22% of managers have already used their triple captain chip and 14% of the top 10k have already burnt their bench boost and/or free hit. By the time the optimum moment to use the chips comes around those numbers will be even higher and those who still have them in their back pocket will be able to reap the benefits.

Transfers

While I’m not adverse to making the odd early transfer, it’s very rare I move before a gameweek is over. This week, though, I had no option. If I’d waited I’d have been 0.3m shy.

As is likely obvious from what I’ve written above, I needed to get Vardy in. If his purple patch is over then so be it, but I need to shield myself just in case it keeps going. It’s worth the -4 just to not have to worry about him. He’ll be even more highly owned next week and the damage will be even greater if he decides to put 3 past that shaky looking Everton defence. He’s come in for Pukki.

To free up the funds Sterling has had to make way. We all know he can score and losing him just as Aguero is injured is arguably a bad time to drop him, but how long do you wait? 5 points from the last 3 weeks just doesn’t cut it. I’m sure he’ll punish me for selling him, and no doubt he’ll make his way back into my team at some point, but right now he’s not worth the cash and I need to switch things up. The original plan was Maddison, but after seeing Spurs on Saturday I think Son has the higher ceiling and is hopefully a player coming into a good spell rather than me picking up someone who’s already owned by 25%. His minutes might not be as secure, but Spurs will be pushing now and Son is essentially a forward who’s involved in everything. I also took the fact that I had the exact money available as some sort of sign from the FPL gods.

Summary

I’m actually genuinely happy with my team now. My attack looks very strong with every playing mid and forward capable of double figures on their day. On top of that my cheaper defenders are performing well above their price tags and Alexander-Arnold will surely be in the points over the next few weeks.

Ryan is obviously in for a tough time this week, but he always seems to make enough saves to impress and I’ve stuck with him this far without being disappointed. Hopefully I’ll avoid injuries throughout the week, but I have Soyuncu on the bench with a good fixture should I end up a man down.

Sterling OUT Son IN
Pukki OUT Vardy IN

Captain

There’s a chance I’ll change my mind before the weekend, but I won’t captain Mane as he’s against my keeper so it’s between Abraham and Vardy. At the moment I have it on Abraham.

Captain: Abraham
Vice: Vardy




Joseph Crilley

Joseph’s last 3 seasons OR were 28k, 7k and 13k

GW13 points: 72 (FPL average 49) Total points 775 Gameweek rank 323k, Overall Rank: 56k, green arrow 33k, Team Value: £104.4m

It was a fourth 60+ score for my team in GW12 as I was able to solidify my place in the top 100k following a week with returns spread across the squad along with a smattering of good luck. That fortune of course mainly stems from the Vardy penalty incident where I benefited following my decision to place the armband on him once again. The resultant haul combined with returns from 6 other players meant it was another green arrow which has left me sitting at 57k going into GW14 with two transfers in the bank.

I wrote last week about how I thought Liverpool players would be the key dilemma going into the next few weeks and how I would like to have one of their attackers as a captain option before their blank. Following another blank from Sterling, I quickly moved to address this situation on Saturday evening as I had the exact funds to bring in Mane so that move has been made. It is never easy to lose a player of Sterling’s quality, but a single goal and two assists from GW4 onwards is simply not enough – especially for someone costing 12mil. The underlying stats remain strong and there is a theory that he performs better with Jesus as the striker, but I have been making too many excuses for him and his time is done, for now!

The benching issues that I have this week highlights the lack of need to use the other transfer so I will happily keep hold of that one; even if someone picks up an injury during the European fixtures, I should be able to cover using my bench. This appears to be the first of many gameweeks where I will be benching a player with a promising fixture, but I am willing to accept this as I would like to keep a strong squad during the winter period. Tomori is likely to be the one who is often absent from the starting XI due to his supposed low ceiling and he will surprisingly be joined by Lundstram this week. It’s a straight shoot-out between him and Jimenez for a starting spot and I am backing the form of Wolves and their striker.

Captaincy is also a difficult decision with Chelsea, Leicester and Liverpool all having strong home fixtures against defences who each have their own problems. West Ham have a horrendous keeper, but I have a slight niggle that rotation could be apparent from Lampard so I’m going to rule out Abraham while Liverpool’s knack of conceding a single goal rules out Alexander Arnold and Robertson. That leaves Mane and that man Vardy who faces an Everton side that just lost to Norwich – at home. However, I think that I will go with the former as Brighton seem a poorer defence and I like the variety of points that Mane can offer – let’s hope he can make a similar immediate impact to Vardy upon joining my team!

All the best to everyone this weekend and may your arrows be green!

Transfer summary:  Sterling out Mane in

You can follow Joe on twitter here

FPL team tips GW14

Scott Taylor

Scott finished with an overall rank of 1k last season and 12k in 17/18

GW13 points: 74 (FPL average 49) Total points 771 Gameweek rank 248k, Overall Rank: 70k, green arrow 49k, Team Value: £104.1m

Another pleasing week and green arrow taking me into the top 100k for the first time this season.

6 returning players and the right captain choice in Vardy again. Soyuncu points left on the bench again too! I just can’t drop my double Pool defence and Sir L at the moment so I’m going to have to live with the Soyuncu points being left on the bench.

Subject to midweek injuries, I’m very happy with my team at the moment so no transfers this week. I’ll then have 2 FTs next week if needed.

It will be the same lineup as last week for GW14. Captain Vardy, VC Mane.

Enjoy the game week.

Transfer summary:  Carrying over a free transfer




FPL team tips GW14

Ben Wooton

Ben’s last 3 seasons overall rank were 61k, 26k and 31k.

GW13 points: 54 (FPL average 49) Total points 752 Gameweek rank 2,722k, Overall Rank: 167k, red arrow 53k, Team Value: £102.6m

Went early on Saturday night as just had to get rid of Callum Wilson.

Sadly something has to give to allow me to get Vardy.

So its Vardy and De Bruyne in and Sterling and C Wilson out

FPL team tips GW14

The FFGeek Contributors League

The FFGeek contributors combined team is going well in 6th place and with 771 points and an overall rank of 70k. You can follow that team, including live transfers, on our subscription Patreon site.

There’s also Joes transfer planner team with 728 points and an OR of 402k

There’s loads of other features that you can read about at the bottom of the page

FFGeek Patreon site benefits

Geek note:  If you join our Patreon site you will get access to an FPL contributor tracker team which combines the contributors individual teams each week to show their favourite players, transfers and captains. It will always be completed on a Friday/Saturday in a normal gameweek. There will also be an accompanying spreadsheet so you can drill down further.  Currently 565 points 135k overall rank

You also get:

Weekly podcasts with the Geek and the other contributors

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Other posts

GW14 Fixture ease

Analysing 10 top FPL managers teams

Early thoughts on the FFGeek team

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