Here’s our FPL team tips GW35 article where the 1st group of the FFGeek contributors show their teams for GW35. In this part there’s Joseph Crilley, Rob Reid, Costas Chari, Rob Cosgrove, Stephen Troop, and Mikael Hietala
FPL team tips GW35 – FFGeek contributors show their GW35 teams part 1
Here’s 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 also wont cover early transfers. It’s just to give an idea of the trends for the week no more.
At the end of each commentary I’ve included a transfer summary.
Joseph Crilley
Joseph finished with an overall rank of 7k last season and 13k in 16/17
GW34 points: 51 on WC (average 54) Total points 2,038 Gameweek rank 3,472k, Overall Rank: 36k, red arrow 2k, Team Value: £103.4m
Joe has used his free hit chip and has activated his wildcard this week. At this moment he is intending on using his triple captain chip.
GW34 review
All that time spent tinkering with the wildcard just for Brighton to lose their games a combined 7-0, Vardy to miss a sitter and Troy Deeney to get sent off – you’ve got to love FPL! Those setbacks aside, the gameweek was ok for me as my power midfield all delivered in some respect. I was particularly pleased with the returns from Mane and Trent as they were players that I put faith in holding onto despite their lack of double and tough fixture against Chelsea. Overall, it was a small drop in rank, but there have been some major ratifications in terms of my planning for the rest of the season.
GW35 Team
Similar to a lot of people, my plan had been to use the bench boost during this double gameweek. However, when I look at my bench right now, it currently contains two Brighton defenders and a suspended Deeney which is not a great prospect. If I were to go through with the original plan of bench boosting, then I would likely take a -4 to bring in a Wolves defender for Dunk and a budget striker (likely Gray) for Deeney.
That transfer hit is not particularly appealing, so I am flirting with going down an alternative route which carries some risk. I have been using my transfer planner (as seen below and is free for anyone to use) in order to work out a path of using the bench boost during GW38(!) which would have the following bench: Foster (Whm H), Bednarek (Hud H), Shaw (Car H), Jiminez (Liv A). That bench is more attractive, though there is the obvious concern of final game rotation which will hinge on whether the top 6 teams are still fighting it out for the league places.
The benefit of this is not just saving a transfer this week as I would also then be able to activate the triple captain chip. Now, I should say that I am a massive fan of using this on Mane/Salah next week as they could score at hatful against Huddersfield. However, isn’t it just more fun using this chip during a double gameweek – it’s what it was made for! As I write now, I am leaning towards this route and the triple captain is currently activated. This chip has been nemesis since its introduction so I’m praying that I finally pick up a good score from it.
The question is then which player to use it on and my answer is given with the midweek Champions League fixture between Spurs and City very much in mind. Given how that result panned out (absolutely brilliantly in my opinion!), I have a feeling that we will see an angry City against a drained Spurs in a fixture which often produces goals. Additionally, the United defence hasn’t looked great recently which leads to the armband currently being on Sterling – he’s the form player in the league and I can’t see him being rotated now. Jimenez is the other option, but I am a little worried about Wolves after their abject performance last week following the FA cup defeat.
So in summary, my thinking is to save the bench boost for 38 while playing the triple captain chip on Sterling and rolling a transfer this week – should be a fun ride! Best of luck all and may your arrows be green!
Transfer summary; Carrying over a free transfer
Rob Reid
Rob finished with a rank of 94k last season 22k in 16/17 4k in 15/16 and 7k in 14/15.
GW34 points: 53 -8 (average 54) Total points 1,967 Gameweek rank 3,307k, Overall Rank: 145k, red arrow 22k, Team Value: £103.2m
Rob has used all his chips apart from the bench boost which Rob is playing this week. Also see Rob’s player picks article
GW34 review
A bit of a damp squib of a double gameweek, with my punt on 2 Brighton defenders and Son going a bit pear-shaped. I would quite like to see world noise statistics for around 1130am last Saturday morning when the Spurs’ team was announced as I think the collective groan that must have left FPL managers mouths at the news that Son had been benched was probably enough to spike things a few decibels! As it happened, his 5 minute cameo actually yielded a return, proving him to be somewhat better than some of the other captain choices last week. The irony.
Otherwise, my other 2 transfers in were miserable failures. A collective 2 points from 2 games from the Brighton boys – terrible. They are now perilously close to the Premier League trapdoor and I don’t think FPL managers will be sad if they go down, their assets have certainly been disappointing so far this season. For the rest of my team, my week was saved my Messers Pogba, Van Dijk and Salah. Double figure hauls from the first 2 and an absolute screamer from Salah though (as usual for this season) no bonus points for the Egyptian. My forwards scored a collective 4 points between them sadly, so it was a below average score and a red arrow that wasn’t quite as bad as I thought it would be meaning I stay inside the top 150k going into the last double gameweek of the season. Let’s see what this brings…
GW35 Team
So I guess it’s fair to say that the double gameweeks have been a bit of an anti-climax so far, so I’m hoping that GW35 doesn’t follow suit. With 2 failing Brighton players in a lot of teams, I’ve noticed a fair few managers electing to hold off their Bench Boost and use other chips if they have them; but I’m sticking with my Plan A of Bench Boosting this week. I’ve currently got 11 double gameweek players plus Hazard, Vardy and 2 Liverpool players, so a -4 gets me to 13 which I think is a pretty good place to be.
I’d already decided to bring back a City player this week and with them exiting the UCL in midweek, is it too much to expect Pep to play close to the same team each week?! Sterling has been in great form and is very tempting, but Aguero gets the nod from me. I think he’ll be heavily backed as a captain this week and I’m also wary of going into the double without a premium striker (as I did last season on one occasion) so he’s in.
To fund this, I need to sell Hazard – he’s yellow flagged so this makes the sale a bit more bearable. I’ve gone for a cheaper option as I’d like to leave some funds in the bank to buy a second Liverpool attacking player next week so I’ve brought Jota in, with his first fixture against struggling Brighton strongly in mind.
No selection dilemmas this week then with the Bench Boost in play. I’ll be honest, I think it will probably only get me about 8 points extra – I can’t see my Brighton players scoring more than 2 points each for the week, Hojberg will hopefully pick up 4 and Kolasinac looks like he’ll get one game at best also after playing away to Napoli on Thursday. Hopefully I’m wrong – 1 return out of the 4 and I’d consider it a success, either way I can’t see a better week to play it in so I’ve got to go for it.
For my captain, I’ve gone Aguero though Jimenez was tempting – I know there’s a few folk captaining and even Triple Captaining him this week so good luck to them.
So here’s hoping this is the big double gameweek return that we’ve all craved this season, I fear though it might be another let down. Let’s hope not! All the best everyone for GW35 and may your arrows be green!
Transfer summary; Hazard and Vardy out. Aguero and Jota in
Costas Chari
Costas finished with an OR of 29k last season and 27k in 16/17
GW34 points: 60 -8 (average 54) Total points 2.005 Gameweek rank 2,248k, Overall Rank: 72k, red arrow 2k, Team Value: £103.2m
Costas has used his 2nd wildcard in GW23 and used his free hit chip this week in DGW32. He is bench boosting this week.
GW34 review
A minor red arrow but could have been worse as I got everything wrong. I transferred out Felipe Anderson and Mane who both scored for Son and Eriksen who both assisted. AND had VVD on the bench!!!!
GW35
A -12 point hit: Chilwell, Puncheon, Barnes, Heaton out for Foster, Femenia, Andre Gray and Hojbjerg
I will be bench boosting this week. I have 14 playing players (Speroni doesn’t play). 10 have a double gameweek and the 4 players that have a single game (Hazard, Salah, VVD and Wilson) but actually have a great fixture. So I am feeling confident this week. The problem is not owning a City player. I intend to get Sterling in next week for Hazard.
Captain
I am torn between Son and Aubameyang. Aubameyang has the fixtures but son has gametime security since he misses the first CL semi. I am currently going with Aubameyang as he has shown that even if he comes off the bench he can cause some damage and is a differential pick.
Good luck!
Transfer summary: A -12 point hit: Chilwell, Puncheon, Barnes, Heaton out for Foster, Femenia, Andre Gray and Hojbjerg
Stephen Troop
Stephen finished with a rank of 52k last season
GW34 points: 35 on WC (average 54) Total points 1,964 Gameweek rank 5,583k, Overall Rank: 153k, red arrow 44k, Team Value: £101.6m
Stephen has played his free hit and his wildcard. Stephen is using his bench boost this week.
What a horror show of a week following my wildcard. Whilst the wildcard was primarily created for using the bench boost this week, I never envisaged such a disaster this week. 35 points, 5.5m gameweek rank and a drop of 46k places back to 153k. With mini league rivals already comfortably ahead and keeping the likes of Wilson, Pogba etc my chances of recovering this have now gone.
Nevertheless hopefully this week with the bench boost, and my triple captain at some point to play in future weeks I can get back to at least the top 100k before the end of the season.
I was going to hold a transfer in order to have 2 free transfers the following week to get Liverpool attacking coverage back in. Deeney’s red card has now scuppered that and replacement options are slim. Wilson is a good single gameweek option and Gray is a less impressive double gameweek option. I’ve yet to make my mind up. Captaincy is currently on Jimenez but is far from certain.
Transfer summary; TBC probably Deeney out for yet to be decided.
Robert Cosgrove
Robert finished with an OR of 20k last season and 23k in 16/17
GW34 points: 65 on WC (average 54) Total points 2005 Gameweek rank 1,484k, Overall Rank: 72k, green arrow 18k, Team Value: £101.3m
Robert has used his free hit and his wildcard. He is bench boosting this week.
Fairly successful score this week even though my main focus was for DGW35! My bold captain choice of Murray completely failed; I want expecting Brighton to lose both games like that! I switched Boly and Doherty round last minute on my bench which backfired because Boly scored! But o well, can’t win them all.
My planned transfer of Murray -> Deeney this week is now a no go because of his red card so Andre Gray will be replacing Murray instead. He has performed quite well at home recently even though his minutes have been few, but with Deeney suspended he has to play 90 minutes both games.
I am strongly inclined to make him captain also because Watford easily have the best DW fixtures!
I will be bench boosting
Transfer summary; Murray out for Andre Gray.
Mikael Hietala
Mikael finished with an OR of 22k last season
GW34 points: 40 (average 54) Total points 1,856 Gameweek rank 5,160k, Overall Rank: 694k, red arrow 130k, Team Value: £99.8m
After last weeks disaster transfer (Ryan, returning a whopping 0.5 per game), it’s time to get some results on this DGW! I won’t use the bench boost yet, mainly because of doubts about Hazard and De Bruyne’s gametime. I am sticking with Jimenez as captain, Wolverhampton have two successive home games, and I have no doubt that the club’s record signing will start both games and want to deliver in front of fans. The first game against Brighton is especially promising.
I prioritised getting a Man City player into the squad, and unfortunately couldn’t afford Sterling without a 8-point hit. KDB may have been quiet earlier in the season, but has he delivered lately (6 assists in the last 4 games, taking into account the 1-0 loss at Tottenham)! He might just be the differential I crucially need.
Transfers were Robertson (to raise funds) and Snodgrass for De Bruyne and Kiko Femenia. Armband Jimenez. Let’s hope for a huge green arrow
FFGeek Contributors League
Other stuff
If you’re needing to plan transfers use Joseph Crilleys google spreadsheet which is an excellent team planning tool.
There’s also Andrew Ferguson’s team who finished 715 OR last season
Also see the Geek’s early transfer and captain thoughts our recent form article and our GW34 review article
See also our fixture ease article and 10 top FPL managers article
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