Here’s part 1 of our FPL teams GW13 article where 2 FFGeek Contributors show their teams. There’s Andrew Whitfield and Kev in Canada. Between them they have 5 top 1% finishes in the last 3 competitive seasons including 2 top 10k finishes
FPL Teams GW13 – 2 FFGeek Contributors With Their GW13 Teams Part 1
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Introduction
It’s worth noting that the teams shown may not necessarily end up being the final teams or the transfers may have been made in the days prior to the posting . It’s an informal situation to give you an idea of trends. However the FFGeek team and the Contributor tracker team mentioned above on the FFGeek Patreon site all make transfers as articles are posted. So you’re always up to date and live
Andrew Whitfield
Andrew’s last 4 seasons overall ranks were 34k, 132k, 6k and 19k
GW12 Points: 87 (FPL average 57) Total points: 826, Overall Rank: 30k, green arrow: 31k Team Value: £103.3m
Andrew has used his wildcard
Gameweek 12 review:
Well an action packed weekend with 36 goals in the onion bag, Ole bit the dust after a Watford horror show, new manager bounce joy for Conte, Gerrard and Dean Smith. Salah made it 10 successive returns, and the premium defenders of Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea continue to smash it and are just a cheat code to FPL points !!
3-3 thrillers at both Burnley and Newcastle ( did Toney really score ? ) Chelsea and Man City cruised to 3-0 wins, Liverpool went one better for 4-0, Antonio blanked again, as did Harry Kane who found that Leeds United were not Albania or San Marino !!
My GW12 score and rank:
87 points. 8/11 “returners” with Salah 16, Trent 15, Rudiger 14, Cancelo 12 and Chilwell 9 the stars of the show. So captaining Salah and owning four premium defenders is proving to be a great plan right now !! Ivan Toney scored at last and I didn’t leave Gallagher’s points on the bench this week !! You know it’s your week when a keeper assist comes your way v Man Utd !!
A rank halving week, up from 61k to 30k, so a very pleasing week !! My highest rank of the season so in good shape as we get stuck into a very hectic schedule which includes ten gameweeks in just 40 days.
My GW12 talking points:
50 of my 87 points came from my four premium defenders !! Trent Alexander Arnold, Reece James, Chilwell and Cancelo just continue to make a mockery of the game. They are great value, play for three top teams with great defences, and play as virtual wingers and offer fantastic attacking threat. Owning all four is by no means “template” either. Less than 1% of managers own the combination of all four together, which proves that owning combinations of popular players can prove to be rank boosting differentials in themselves. So getting all four seems to be a fast track to shoot up the rankings !!
I have Rudiger instead of Reece James currently, so a headed goal from Rudiger gained me two extra points this week, but despite him scoring and being probably a more secure starter, I still want to turn him to Reece James as soon as possible. Those four full backs are frightening every time they go forward. Chilwell could have had two goals and a monster haul this week, very easily. Just get them in !!
My transfer in of Kane for Vardy for four great Spurs fixtures and the Conte new manager bounce didn’t bear immediate fruit. But despite an awful first half, there was much encouragement in the second half, Kane hit the post and Spurs looked much better. Kane’s seven goals in four days for England looks to have picked him up. My plan is still to hold him for the next three v Burnley, Brentford and Norwich and then look to possibly flip him to Ronaldo to coincide with a tasty United run from GW16
My biggest dilemna of the week was who to bench between Livramento and Gallagher. I was always playing Rudiger as you just don’t bench premium defenders, as Rudiger proved, and Cancelo proved the week before. I had left 13 and 11 Gallagher points on the bench the previous two weeks, so I made the late switch to play him over the more highly owned Livramento who had 7 returns in 8 games. I fancied a new manager bounce and a goal from Norwich. It’s one I wrestled with all week. Gallagher outscored Livramento by four points.
Whilst I got the call right, my week of indecision and deliberation proved completely irrelevant in the end as Raphinha was ill and Livramento came off the bench anyway !! Raphinha missing out was disappointing as I fancied him v Spurs and I got the Livramento one pointer instead.
My Sanchez v Ramsdale keeper battle had ended in a bloody nose for the previous two weeks to the tune of a 17 point loss, so it was good to come out on top this week. With Sanchez suspended, while many managers had an agonising late clean sheet wipe out from his deputy Steele, I picked up a fortunate late keeper assist from Foster, which was boosted with Ramsdale conceding four.
Keeping the armband on Salah seems a simple way to play right now, but with his captaincy ownership sky high, it’s just too high risk for my appetite to take him on. It’s a fast track to a huge rank drop if it goes wrong. That doesn’t fit my playing style to get into those high stakes risks. Ten successive returns for Salah. Take him on at your peril. I prefer to sleep at night. There are other small battles to choose but captaincy is not one of them. I halved my rank this week and did so without getting into an unnecessary captain fight.
Ivan Toney ended a run of five successive blanks at last !! But it’s five blanks in six for the misfiring Antonio. However you dress it up and however many goals Westham are scoring, that’s not pretty.
Livramento was actually my biggest rank threat by benching him, so it was a huge relief to see him concede, although in the end he came off my bench with Raphinha missing, and ironically he would have actually helped me instead !! Reece James I covered with Rudiger outscoring him. So the four other players who could have hurt me the most, Ramsdale, Mbeumo, Son and Foden all blanked !! It’s not just about your own players scoring , it’s about your biggest threats not scoring. The cards dropped in my favour this week, which undoubtedly was a significant factor in my rank halving week.
So what next:
I have 0.4M in the bank and one free transfer
I am writing these notes before the midweek European action, so I won’t be doing anything until the midweek action is over, especially with an injury flag on Raphinha. I value information in the Friday press conferences far more than an extra 0.2M in team value. Price changes are unimportant. Team value accrues naturally by your team doing well, which comes with making better informed decisions later in the week.
What changes am I considering ?
At the time of writing, I am awaiting further details on Raphinha’s “illness”. If it’s not Covid related, and he is fit for GW13, I want to keep him for fixtures v Brighton, Palace and Brentford. But he then plays consecutive games v Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool. He could be a sell for GW16. The next two gameweeks fall in quick succession so it’s important he is ready this weekend to stay in my team. If it did turn into a Covid situation, and he was to miss two games, it would change matters and I might have to lose him.
I have two Westham attackers who are both out of form and they play Man City away next !! If a transfer is best used to fix your weakest link, then thats a good starting point. Antonio has one return in the last six and Benrahma has one return in the last seven. Fixtures are tough but do improve significantly in the short term.
Antonio remains highly owned but his ownership and value will continue to reduce. I will want him back if I sell. An obvious switch is Antonio to Jimenez. No doubting it’s a great move for the next two fixtures when wolves play Norwich and Burnley. But fixtures turn very sour then when Wolves face Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea. I can’t see Jimenez going nuts there and he will probably be sat on benches and be a likely sale too. Jimenez is a great hold for the next two if you own him, but buying him now looks potentially short sighted if it’s creating a problem after the next two games. I am inclined to just keep Antonio with Westham fixtures on the horizon looking good.
Benrahma is a more interesting sell for me. He is also struggling for returns, has tough immediate fixtures with Man City and Chelsea in his next three. He has lots of in form attractive players around his price point. He has been an expensive drain sat on my bench so he is my likely sell this week.
While Benrahma has Man City away this week, Smith Rowe has Newcastle at home, so it’s a nice fixture contrast and entry / exit point. Arsenal fixtures are mixed but smith Rowe I don’t mind benching sometimes in tough fixtures. I am lacking the dangerous midfield options of Foden, Jota and Son, so I am hoping that Raphinha, Gallagher and Smith Rowe can continue to tick over and enable my premium defence and premium striker spot. Gallagher and Smith Rowe are both in the top six mids for points this season.
By doing Benrahma to Smith Rowe, it also enables extra funds for me to upgrade both Rudiger to Reece James, probably in GW14, and Kane to Ronaldo in GW16.
One player who i would really prefer to be in my team right now is Jota, depending on his knee injury diagnosis this week. He could have scored four v Arsenal. If Firmino is out for a spell, Jota is an uncomfortable watch. He only has a 22% ownership at my rank level so it’s not huge compared to say Foden who carries double the rank threat, so it’s not an essential switch. If I could do Benrahma to Jota for free I would.
But it’s a -4 for me to get Jota . That would mean downgrading Toney to a very cheap striker to facilitate Benrahma to Jota. Toney plays Everton at home. If Toney scores, Jota would need to score twice just to break even and to justify a hit. It would also mean sitting a cheap striker on my bench, together with my flagged 4.5M mid, and Livramento at Liverpool, and playing Antonio at Man City who I planned to bench this week. I think Toney and Smith Rowe this week +4 points, can match Antonio and Jota, based on fixtures. It doesn’t scream out for a hit to me.
Similarly, I don’t want to take a hit to go Raphinha to Jota, as that means keeping Benrahma. I could wait on Jota, and get him for Raphinha when Leeds fixtures turn ugly from GW16. If Jota remains an option then, I could downgrade Toney at that stage instead.
So my likely transfer is Benrahma to Smith Rowe. But I haven’t ruled out getting Jota for -4.
My GW13 set up:
Sanchez is back between the sticks after his one game ban, assuming Steele hasn’t pinched the spot.
I have my four premium defenders in place. Hoping Rudiger can cover Reece James again because I fear the Reece threat. I will probably do that switch in GW14. Livramento will drop to the bench at Liverpool.
If Raphinha is fit, I have Gallagher and Smith Rowe on good looking home fixtures alongside Raphinha and Salah.
I plan to pair Kane and Toney, and bench Antonio.
Captain will be Salah – again !!
Good luck everyone !!!!
Transfer summary: To be confirmed but likely transfer is Benrahma to Smith Rowe. But I haven’t ruled out getting Jota for -4 if Jota is fit.
Here is my team for GW13. Assume that Benrahma is Smith Rowe on the screen shot.
Kev in Canada
Kev’s last 3 seasons overall ranks were 52k, 48k and 6k
GW12 Points: 87 (FPL average 57) Total points: 820, Overall Rank: 41k, green arrow: 42k Team Value: £104.2m
Follow Kev on twitter here
Kev has used his wildcard
I am on a bit of a hot streak. Gotta enjoy it while it is happening I guess.
The four fullbacks are the main reason for the glory. In the last four weeks they have raised me from about 330K to 40K OR.
Very happy to have a deep bench with the busy period starting next week. 10 game weeks in 40 days. Is that even possible? LoL
There are a few luxury moves that I could have done early in the week, such as Mbeumo to Smith-Rowe. However I don’t think it is worth making an early luxury transfer right now. Issues will come up with all of these rapid games about to happen.
Ultimately I think I need to roll this week. Having a banked transfer will be very helpful. I will try to keep it all the way through to the Ronaldo switch, unless some major move needs to happen in the mean time.
I am happy to keep Vardy over Kane/Son for the time being. It is such a short term decision. Kane/Vardy would just become Ronaldo in three weeks either way.
All eyes will be on Jota this week. I really hope he is OK. He has such a good opportunity to be a major FPL asset for the next two months with Firminho out followed by the African cup challenges. Nice fixtures too. It would be a shame to lose him.
If Jota is out for a while I would either just drop him down to an Smith-Rowe, to have banked money for whatever comes next. Otherwise I have toyed with the idea of taking a hit to swap Jota and Antonio to Son and Dennis.
Antonio has City Brighton Chelsea Burnley (away) and Arsenal (away) that is a garbage run. My sell price is 7.8 and he is 8.2. He has been out of form for months now. I could see his price falling to 7.8M over the next few weeks. So I’m tempted to sell him. The issue is there isn’t anyone to swap him to. I also want him back in GW18 but that’s 6 weeks away. So if Jota is injured I will use Antonio and Jota to get Son I think.
Captain Obvious Salah
Vice Vardy
Good luck!
Transfer summary: To be confirmed
Here’s the team prior to any transfers being made
Late Geek note: Kev has confirmed if Chilwell is out he will bring in Alonso
The FFGeek Contributors League
The highlighted FFGeek contributors combined team finished with an overall rank of 8k last season and 52k the season before. It has started ok in 5th place with total points of 824 and an overall rank of 32k. You can follow that team, including live transfers as well as the FFGeek team currently also in 3rd position at 23k and the team run by Joe’s Transfer Planner in 1st place on 10K, all on our subscription Patreon site
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