Here’s our FPL team tips GW9 article where the 3rd group of the FFGeek contributors show their teams for GW9. In this part there’s Rick Porter and Rob Cosgrove plus Wildcard updates from Ben Wooton and Costas Chari.
FPL team tips GW9 – FFGeek contributor’s teams part 3
This is part 3 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. In the future it also wont cover early transfers. It’s just to give an idea of the trends for the week no more.
See the part 1 contributors and part 2 contributors article.
Rick Porter
Rick last 3 seasons overall rank were 1k, 30k and 2k.
GW8 points: 43 (average 36) Total points 452 Gameweek rank 1,689k, Overall Rank: 393k, green arrow 100k, Team Value: £103.1m
Gameweek 8 got a lot of people down. Pretty much all of the usual big hitters blanked and this showed in the average score of 36. When a week goes off like a damp squib in this way it’s important to remember that success is always relative to how others are doing. Getting 98 points when the average is 100 would be worse than scoring just 36 points this past week. It’s obvious when you think about it, but it does’t feel that way when you’re staring at what you feel is a dilapidated team that’s just about mustering 1s and 2s.
As it goes, I somehow managed to score a solid 7 points above average which saw me climb the ranks a little. This was pretty much down to my inspired (read: lucky) decision a few weeks ago to stick by Ryan despite the fixtures and then having the Mount and Abraham points prop me up further. It certainly wasn’t down to my captain choice – my vice captain, once again, being who I should have gone with.
Transfer
Regular readers with a decent memory will already know that, barring real negative news about Salah or De Bruyne, my transfer this week was pre-planned to be Wickham to King. This would remove the dead weight from my bench and gets me a Bournemouth attacker for their decent fixtures. Though I’ll admit that downgrading Digne to a 4.5 for a -4 and grabbing Wilson instead is also tempting – he’s simply a more consistent source of points.
However, while Digne has been nothing short of awful these last few weeks, I can’t bring myself to take a -4 to remove a defender who I know has the ability to score big when he’s facing a home match against West Ham this week and Brighton, Southampton and Norwich in the next 4. That being the case, Wilson is off the table and King comes in.
Captain Choice
Captain-wise, assuming they play at all, both Salah and De Bruyne could well have their minutes managed, so I’m not considering them at this point.
That means it’s 50/50 between Sterling and Abraham.
Sterling is tempting, but he played a good chunk of football over the break which worries me a bit. However, City will want a solid win and are 8 points behind Liverpool, so I‘d be surprised to see him anywhere other than on the pitch. Last time they took a surprise beating they put 8 past a hapless Watford in the next match (though Sterling was rested for that) and I’d certainly want to take advantage of any similar showboating. And let’s face it, Sterling’s due a haul.
There’s not really any need to list why Abraham is my other option. He’s getting consistent goals and will undoubtedly get plenty more. I expect him to be a very popular choice. It feels odd writing this, but as his ownership is higher than Sterling’s he’s probably the safer option.
At the moment I’m on Abraham, but that could change to Sterling at any time if I decide the potential clean sheet and extra point per goal is worth it.
Transfer summary: Wickham out King in
Costas Chari
Costas’s last 3 seasons overall ranks were 84k, 29k and 27k
GW8 points: 33 -4 (average 36) Total points 465 Gameweek rank 4,346k, Overall Rank: 185k, red arrow 102k, Team Value: £100.8m
You can see Costas’s earlier GW9 wildcard article here
Thankfully the international break is over so I can stop changing my wildcard team.
Reasons for wildcarding
I had 2 consecutive red arrows and even though I took 20 point hits I still needed to change 5 players. I also did not own Leicester or Chelsea assets and had Son who I think will get benched.
The team looks a bit different from the first draft as the defense is not very cheap now.
The reason for this is that since I am taking the risk of having no Liverpool players (up until GW13 where I plan to bring them in) it would Have been very hard to go from a 4.5-5 defender to Alexander Arnold or Robertson
Goalkeeper
I am not a fan of rotating GKs but Gazzaniga and Roberto are excellent value picks with good rotating fixtures.
Defenders
Otamendi has great fixtures, is nailed and has attacking threat. I had Tomori on all drafts except the final one where I got Alonso.
Alonso has an attacking threat and can be easily be transferred out for a Liverpool asset in a few weeks.
Boly has been good all season and Wolves schedule is improving, at 5.9% ownership is a good differential. Hopefully as in the he Europa league he can score a winner every now and then.
Rico and lundstram who I have had both from the beginning fill the spots.
Midfield
Sterling stays put and De Bruyne comes back in the team this I think needs no explaining. Sterling is a 15 point haul waiting to happen and hopefully this will punish sellers.
I always like not to be very attached to the template but I had to get mount in. He is incredible and with a high ownership. My differential here is Callum Hudson Odoi who i owned from GW8. This completes my Chelsea 3 – hopefully the 2 with Alonso can cover for not owning Abraham. Dendoncker fills the 5th spot.
Forwards
Aubameyang stays in the team. If his numbers drop when he is shifted to the left when Lacazette returns I will transfer him out for Kane.
Vardy is a must have given the form and fixtures and I prefer him to maddison who is not very consistent and a bit wasteful on chances.
My third pick is a differential in Jimenez who has great fixtures and is in form.
Players I fear not having- Alexander Arnold, Mane, Salah, Abraham, Wilson BUT you can’t have everyone!
Captain
Burnley and Sheffield are good at the back and defensive minded so no Vardy or Auba. I like the 2 chelsea midfielders but cant give them the armband. Currently I am using the C as a sword and have it on Jimenez – if I chicken out I’ll play it safe and put it on Sterling although I doubt it.
Good luck
Transfer Summary: Wildcard
Ben Wooton
Ben’s last 3 seasons overall rank were 61k, 26k and 31k.
GW8 points: 35 (average 36) Total points 469 Gameweek rank 3,785k, Overall Rank: 138k, red arrow 44k, Team Value: £101.6m
Robert Cosgrove
Rob’s last 3 seasons overall rank were 45k, 40k and 23k
GW8 points: 44 (average 36) Total points 449 Gameweek rank 1,497k, Overall Rank: 468k, green arrow 147k, Team Value: £101.5m
Transfer summary: carrying over a free transfer
FFGeek contributors League
The contributor tracker team currently has 456 points and an OR of 316k
Joes transfer planner team currently has 459 points and an OR of 261k
You can get access to these teams on our Patreon subscription site
Other posts
You can also see Rob Reid’s wildcard article as well as Keith and Costas’s , also Kris O’s wildcard drafts and Ben and Kev’s wildcard drafts
Also Rick Porters cutting through the FPL noise
Early thoughts on the FFGeek team
Scott and Costas’s wildcard teams
The FFGeek captain and transfer polls
FFGeek contributors show their teams part 1
More content
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.
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