Here’s our FPL team tips GW6 article where the 1st group of the FFGeek contributors show their teams for GW6. In this part there’s Scott Taylor, Andrew Whitfield, Ben Wooton, Kris O, Kev in Canada and Sergio Torija
FPL team tips GW6 – 6 FFGeek contributors show their GW6 teams part 1
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.
Scott Taylor
Scott finished with an overall rank of 1k last season and 12k in 17/18
GW5 points: 52 -4 (average 52) Total points 266 Gameweek rank 3,438k, Overall Rank: 2,272k, red arrow 387k, Team Value: £100.6m
So, once again not the best of weeks rank wise. 48 points once my -4 was deducted. My hit didn’t pay off but only cost me 3 points net and hopefully it will pay off over the next few weeks. Rico coming off my bench for Walker-Peters helped but it was still a GW rank of 3.5million and an OR of 2.3million. Not great!
However, I look at my team and I’m pretty happy with it. OK, the bench (Rico, Dendoncker, Greenwood) needs some work, D Silva is a bit of a punt and my defence isn’t performing but apart from that…! Defence is an issue in most teams and is causing a lot of people to debate moving funds forward. I’m prepared to give it a little more time. D Silva should get me points over City’s good forthcoming fixtures. My bench does need fixing though but probably not this week.
Whilst I’m happy with the players in my team, there are clearly a number of players on form that I don’t have. However, similar to my defence, I’m prepared to give the attacking players I have a few more weeks before jumping on bandwagons, after all, Wilson, Pukki, Salah, Sterling and KDB have all had good seasons so far.
My transfer plan for this week is to roll the transfer (subject to Champions League injuries). I only have 0.3 in the bank and 1 free transfer so can’t really do anything with my bench anyway apart from possibly Dendoncker to Guendouzi which I’m not convinced by. I may have done Dendoncker to Cantwell but the latter’s price increase scuppered that (I was never going to do the transfer early to beat the price increase because of the risk of CL injuries to other players in my team).
The team for GW6 picks itself really. The only obvious concern is Walker-Peters from a fitness and regaining his place given Aurier’s performance but I’ll just have to wait and see and hope Rico keeps his place if Walker-Peters doesn’t play. I’ll be able to sort things out next week with 2FTs if needs be.
Captain will be Sterling.
Transfer summary: carrying over a free transfer
Andrew Whitfield
Andrew finished with an overall rank of 6k last season and 19k in 17/18
GW5 points: 55 (average 52) Total points 288 Gameweek rank 2,799k, Overall Rank: 875k, green arrow 20k, Team Value: £100.9m
I went into gameweek five in optimistic mood. A triple up on Man City against a leaky and injury hit Norwich defence. A triple up on Liverpool v Newcastle at Anfield. Some promising clean sheets across my defence. This could be a really great gameweek. What could possibly go wrong ??
A score of 55 in the end against an average of 52. So no disaster. My rank improved marginally from 895k to 875k. So the smallest of green arrows. I was sitting 750k after Sunday, which was a reasonable “escape” but then incredibly I dropped 120k places after the Monday night 0-0 draw !! Just four returning players was disappointing, although three of them in double figures helped and a goal from my captain. So a largely underwhelming week that promised so much. But a green arrow at least and up to 11/24 in the Geek contributors league.
It’s still incredibly close and overall rank can change so much at this stage of the season. An extra 20 points is worth over 600,000 places !!
It was another week where the experienced, proven FPL managers generally came up short against the more casual players, not for the first time this season. That’s made for some tricky workplace conversations and I heard a couple of very good players lost head to heads with their wives this week !! It’s been a curious first few weeks, that’s for sure. I have seen a lot of respected, top FPL managers, who do it year in year out, struggling this week in particular, but suffering very slow starts. Half of the “elite 64” managers (the very best FPL managers ) are currently outside the top one million. So there’s comfort to be had in knowing that I am in good company and don’t need to panic. That guy with his team on the back of a fag packet is living the dream, while the “template” team is not going exactly to plan. But the experienced managers will come through. They always do. Whether or not the popular “template” team, which is not yet catching fire, needs adjustments is another matter.
It will be interesting to see how the “ big at the back” template, favoured by many top players, changes and how much value is shifted further forward to the strikers. The lack of clean sheets this season, particularly from Liverpool and City, means there is only one defender in the top 20 points scorers. That’s been a big factor in the slow start for the template. What a contrast to last season. So do we sit back and wait for the premium clean sheets to come good and restore order, or do we bite the bullet and acknowledge that a change of plan is needed and switch funds from defence and into attack ??? That’s the dilemma facing many just now.
What went right:
The Pukki train !! Incredible that he is the highest scoring player in FPL. I was brave enough to start him v City and he returned 12 points. Norwich looked incredible going forward. If Pukki has now scored against both Liverpool and Man City, that makes him fixture proof surely !!
10 points from Josh King with two assists. He was potentially on his last game before being switched to Barnes. He might get a reprieve. A very welcome brace of assists, making it 22 points from my front two.
I got the 50-50 captain call right at last !! I had been on the wrong end of the Sterling v Salah call for the first four weeks and many have managed it now for five weeks. On the face of it, the best attack v the worst defence made Sterling a great choice but I thought his minutes would be managed after two internationals. In the event, he played 90 mins but still blanked. Salah is always strong at home. So the captain call gained me 7 points ( 18+2 v 9+4 ) . I will take an 18 point captain any week.
My double Liverpool defence pleased me a lot, despite returning only 7 points. The anticipated double clean sheet was torpedoed by a wonder strike and didn’t happen ( again ) but lots of positives. I think they have been very unlucky to only keep one clean sheet. The Liverpool full backs offer an attacking threat that you just don’t get elsewhere. That’s what’s crucial for me in selecting them. It’s not just the clean sheets. It’s what they offer at both ends. Trent could easily have scored TWICE and racked up huge points. Robbo looked back to his best and was very unlucky not to add more than his single assist. It sounds crazy, but that 7 points for the pair could very easily have been over 30, without that sizzling strike and a bit more luck in front of goal !! When they add clean sheets to that attacking threat, which they will, the double digit returns will follow. My only caveat is that the fixtures turn tougher from here….
Cantwell looks a great addition to my squad, even though I sat him on the bench as 3rd sub.
What didn’t go as well :
I played five at the back and didn’t manage a single clean sheet. I was pretty confident of clean sheets for Liverpool, City and Sheffield United, but they didn’t materialise. The fixtures all looked great.
Ryan conceding his clean sheet in stoppage time. Ahhhhhhh … that’s only one clean sheet from five, with fixtures now due to turn. Ryan could be Pope soon with Burnley starting a great run of games.
De Bruyne starting on the bench after I just brought him in to my squad. There is always going to be that rotation risk during the season, particularly around the champions league. KDB and Sterling both blanked, which looked extremely unlikely going into the weekend. Who would have expected that. It looked like “fill your boots” time for Sterling and KDB. Not to be. Will it be Sterling this week who gets the dreaded “rest”.
Not owning Tammy Abraham. Ouch !! I was a bit dismissive before the weekend but no denying he is a player brimming with confidence. He can’t be ignored if he keeps delivering.
What next:
Firstly, all eyes have been on midweek European action. I didn’t want to commit to transfers until any potential injuries were averted. Mount is a good example of what can happen if you commit early. It looks like I have come through unscathed.
I don’t want to wildcard. I can fix my team in two changes, so no need. Not unless I want to make more fundamental changes, which I don’t, for now.
The biggest call for me is whether or not to retain the double Liverpool defence, this being tested by seeing Abraham notching a hat trick. My only realistic route to Abraham is through downgrading Robertson. I am not looking to do that just yet, especially after seeing my full backs oozing attacking threat. But the Liverpool fixtures are getting harder just as the Chelsea fixtures are getting easier. Ironically, my double Liverpool defence comes up against Abraham this weekend !! This is a big decision that defines my strategy in the short term. It’s a very big call. A lot of value is tied up in my defence, with the likes of Haller and Abraham spanking our asses just now. The tough fixtures of Liverpool and the softer fixtures of Chelsea crank up the heat. Robertson stays for now.
I have a useful 0.6M in the bank, which means that I could retain the double Liverpool defence by switching Robertson to VVD and just about upgrade King to Abraham. That I quite like as a compromise. I won’t take a hit to do that this week, when Abraham is up against my double defence, but I will be watching Robertson, VVD and Abraham with great interest this week. Abraham has great fixtures to follow, starting with Brighton at home next week.
If I go for something more fundamental, it would be switching Robertson to a 4.5M defender, and using the funds and my banked money to go King to Abraham, plus Greenwood to Barnes for a -4 next week, and go three up front and improve my overall squad and bench quality. Tempting. I do quite like that too if I can pride myself away from that double Liverpool defence.
I could downgrade Digne instead, to move funds forward, but he always has a big score in him and is due one.
There has been a lot of interest in Aubameyang, which is understandable when you see his incredible run of fixtures that lie ahead. If you haven’t seen that wall of green fixtures, then check it out immediately. The injury to Lacazette would seem to ensure that Auba plays more central and avoids rotation. When you compare Arsenal fixtures to Liverpool, there is a compelling case to say that Aubameyang can outscore Salah over the next ten games. I doubt I am brave enough to ditch Salah but it’s food for thought for sure.
I will be keeping a very close eye on the elite managers, to see if there is any significant moves onto Abraham or Aubameyang.
I have one free transfer this week. My other two changes I have been seriously contemplating this week are Ryan to Pope in goal, or King to Barnes, with Burnley fixtures looking very attractive. I had Barnes lined up for this week with a home game v Norwich, but he has blanked the last two and King returned 10 points. King has pretty good fixtures too and is on pens, so I am going to hold off for now. I am also not keen on bringing Pope in to face Pukki . Next week might be a better time when Ryan faces Chelsea. Carrying the transfer means I can do BOTH changes next week if required. Carrying two transfers into next week also keeps my options open if I want to do the “two changes “ switch to either Abraham or Aubameyang. I am not 100% sure, and the best advice I ever received in FPL was “if in doubt, do nothing “. So I am carrying over at this stage..
My line up is straightforward this week. Cantwell is in for Lundstram.
Captain currently on Sterling at home to Watford. What a mouth watering fixture. Will Sterling be the victim of Pep rotation this time . That’s the obvious risk and a big fear. Maybe KDB is a safer pick. I much prefer the fixture to Salah at Chelsea ..
Good luck in GW6 – and may the template bounce back !!!!
Transfer summary: carrying over a free transfer
Ben Wooton
Ben’s last 3 seasons overall rank were 61k, 26k and 31k.
GW5 points: 47 -4 (average 52) Total points 300 Gameweek rank 4,492k, Overall Rank: 411k, red arrow 277k, Team Value: £100.8m
Poor week for me with Pukki benched but as things stand no changes are planned.
Probably go with Sterling as the Captain but will wait till UCL over to confirm, left on Salah for now.
In terms of players I would like to lose Zinchenko given City’s defensive woes. Inclined to get a cheaper defender to upgrade elsewhere, if I go for 3 at back then it’s King out for an upgrade to someone.
Transfer summary: carrying over a free transfer
Kris O
Kris’s last 3 seasons overall rank were 44k, 46k and 23k
GW5 points: 53 -4 (average 52) Total points 290 Gameweek rank 3,233k, Overall Rank: 797k, red arrow 252k, Team Value: £101.2m
Another poor gw despite getting the captain Salah decision right. My -4 for Iwobi and Matip didn’t work out in the short term but that’s how it goes. I’ve decided Aubameyang is in – in fact I decided this on Fri night. The question is how.
How to get Aubameyang?
The obvious is a swap for Firmino leaving me 0.3m itb (team 1 option). However I am tempted by an alternate 4 point hit which swaps Salah to Martial, then Greenwood to Aubameyang leaving 0.2m itb (team 2 option). On the face of it this seems an odd move. The benefits/rationale as I see them are:
Firmino is proving a good match for Salah, only 10 pts behind and he has outscored twice. He also showed on Sat how important he is for Liverpool.
Liverpool fixtures fall off and so I am planning on using Aubameyang, Sterling and Pukki as captain choices.
I remove Greenwood from my bench who’s let me down in the last couple of weeks, this could also help avoid a WC.
Depending on how prices play there could be a value play if Salah or Greenwood drop, plus Firmino might rise.
Martial better choice than Iwobi and McGinn
I’ll leave my defence to run as it stands for a few weeks. I have City and Pool so ok.
In terms of team choice my third defender will be Lundstram or Hanley. Team 1 would bench Greenwood and Team 2 McGinn. Captain either Pukki or Sterling, currently on Pukki. The European games, plus the Friday night start which seems to result in less transfers (I guess people forget??) should help with price volatility. So I’ll be waiting for team news on Thurs/Fri before making my final decision :)
transfer summary: To be confirmed
The screenshot below shows option team 1 and then option team 2
Option team 1
Option team 2
Kev in Canada
Kev finished in 6k last season and 195k in 17/18
GW5 points: 50 (average 52) Total points 288 Gameweek rank 3,817k, Overall Rank: 888k, red arrow 217k, Team Value: £101.6m
I am writing in early because I made an unusual early transfer, with CL games still to be played and the player coming in also being flagged. The transfer was Ings to Abraham and I made it Saturday before the first price jump. I will talk about why and when I made it upfront now:
-Ings didn’t start again so he had to go. I have 2.1M ITB and a wasted attacking spot. If he was starting and playing 60 I would hold but not starting is a waste of 6M (or 8.1M including the bank) in funds.
-Tammy was flagged but in watching the video, it didn’t look bad and Lampard’s comments made it seem a non-event. It was a gamble but I figured if he sat against Liverpool for Dunk to play then so be it.
-I am close to wildcarding. I think GW8 international break. So I am transferring earlier in week to try to gain double risers, that I also want fundamentally, more aggressively than normal. If it goes sideways, I could wildcard a week or two early.
-If an injury happens in CL and Tammy is out as well then I could wildcard a week early. Dunk and Rico, maybe even Greenwood should be good cover for now though.
Since I made the transfer, Tammy has started and Mount has been injured. Mount played 10 min after injury until his ankle swelled up. My unwarranted opinion is it didn’t seem as bad as picture tells, based on he kept playing. We are still waiting on news but I have 0.3m built into Mount so I get a price drop for free while I wait for news. I would be OK with Dunk starting over him if that is my only issue. If it worsens the wildcard comes into play. I also have 0.9ITB and could turn Mount to Madison for a -4. Or wait til weekend to do it.
GW5 Recap
☆ Keeper
Ederson is my City exposure. I move with the crowd for the most part as it comes to City D coverage. I have toyed with 3 MCI attackers instead, but there will be weeks the clean sheet is the best return and have decided to stay. My WC would likely move towards Otamendi, but it would be prudent to watch another match or two before a decision on that move.
☆ Defenders
I moved back to the double up purely because TAA is the most dangerous, non-captainable player in the game that most folks own. If I moved one it would be VVD, unless TAA was dropped off LFC for defensive woes. I think hes fine though. Dunk is my 4.5M on a good fixture run. He will be changed when I wildcard. Rico playing was a nice bonus. He deserves to get a nice pay rise for doing his job well warming the bench and is nearing 4.1M. Digne can get double digits any week. Hes worth the odd 0 even at 6M. Last year he had two minus weeks in a row and then went on a tear after dropping him. He wakes up feeling dangerous.
☆ Midfielders
Salah/Sterling are my two premiums. I thought Salah was blanking all match, and then was ultimately rewarded. Sterling flopped again but I am not going to play musical chairs with premiums right now. It seems a transfer waste as they are all returning fairly regularly. David Silva starting and KDB being benched was sweet. Even though they both did nothing, the 2m premium for KDB in my opinion is because he is ‘fixture proof’. The realisation seems there is no fixture proof on this team outside of Ederson. We are going to have pain every few weeks. I like David Silva at 7.5M for now with that realisation. Mount and Cantwell are the value players along with Pukki and Abraham at this point. Owning them gives you cheap attackers, that genuinely return, and allow you to get maybe to 3 premiums before everyone else builds the value needed to do so.
☆ Forwards
Pukki is a legend. He has to be owned. Ings starting on the bench was his bullet. He is now Tammy. The plan is to get Greenwood to a third upper-middle-class striker (ideally Vardy) in the next few weeks.
Upcoming GW6
☆ Musical Chairs
Ings to Tammy at 7.2M.
☆ Captain
Sterling to smash Watford at home sounds as good as anything else. Expect Salah to brace!
☆ Substitute decisions
Dunk, Rico, Greenwood
Good luck.
Transfer summary: Ings to Abraham
You can follow Kev on twitter here
Sergio Torija
Sergio’s last 3 seasons were 596k, 17k and 21k
GW5 points: 36 -4 (average 52) Total points 294 Gameweek rank 6,120k, Overall Rank: 619k, red arrow 540k, Team Value: £101.0m
A first for me last week, with a GW rank of 6 million ☹. That was probably deserved for bad planning which led last minute decisions. On Friday evening I went from saving transfer, to bringing D.Silva, to taking a -4 for Pepe. I’ve now ended up with a very unbalanced team with 4 players over 9 £m and 5 cheapies spread over all positions, which means playing 2 of them each week. To complete an awful week, I left a good 20 points in the bench.
The only clear way I see to rebalance the team over the next few weeks is by removing one of the premium defenders, but not for a hit, so will aim to save transfer this week. Mount injury seems minor, so will hold still.
I will go with a differential captain this week, whether it is Pepe or KDB to be seen.
Good luck this week Geekers!
Transfer summary: Carrying over a free transfer
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Other posts
Early thoughts on the FFGeek team
Analysing the teams of 10 top FPL managers
The FFGeek Captain and transfer poll
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