Here’s part 1 of our FPL teams GW19 article where 2 FFGeek Contributors show their teams. There’s Kev in Canada and Andrew Whitfield. Between them they have 5 top 1% finishes in the last 3 competitive seasons including 2 top 10k finishes.
FPL Teams GW19 – 2 FFGeek Contributors With Their GW19 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
GW18 Points: 67 -4 (FPL average 39) Total points: 1,152, Overall Rank: 108k, green arrow: 31k Team Value: £104.1m
Andrew has used his wildcard
Gameweek 18 review:
Well the Covid chaos continued with only four of the ten games surviving, as FPL managers scrambled to put eleven shirts on the pitch, with fingers on that button right up to the ever changing deadline as games bit the dust.
Leaky Leeds have conceded fourteen goals in three games as Martinelli was the shining star of the first game as the Gunners called all the shots.
Man City are the Christmas number one as they strolled past the struggling magpies as they accounted for four of the top five FPL points scorers. Cancelo captainers were handsomely rewarded for their bravery.
Dropped points for both Chelsea and Liverpool. The Chelsea clean sheet finally arrived at the 6th time of asking. But they failed to beat the stubborn Wolves back line which has conceded just twice now in seven games.
Mo Salah is human after all after a rare blank in an entertaining and feisty 2-2 draw at Spurs where Kane and Son resumed their double act.
My GW18 score and rank:
I took a four point hit and scored 67-4 = 63 points. I managed to put 11 potential starters out, 10 of them played and 8 of them returned !! Cancelo with an 18 pointer was the star of the gameweek. Well done if you captained him. I took a hit to bring in Phil Foden and he was benched and stayed put in a prime fixture which was disappointing. Captain Salah was a surprise blank but eight returns from ten starters in a chaotic week is very pleasing.
A much needed green arrow, up from 139k to 108k. It’s been a tough few weeks so hopefully the corner has been turned. Onwards and upwards.
My GW18 talking points:
A double Chelsea clean sheet at last. The first in six games. It was Alonso who picked up the bonus points but just pleased that James and Rudiger kept out the toothless Wolves who as well as conceding only two in seven, have now also scored just twice in seven games too.
It was a fraught wait for the deadline. I don’t often leave it so late but with doubts over the Villa game, I left it very late. The postponement came just two minutes before I was going to buy Watkins. I managed to pick up Lacazette instead so gained 5 points in the current climate of picking up what you can in the immediate gameweek that’s in front of you. Returns from Lacazette, Raphinha and Smith Rowe in the opening game set the foundations for my “green” week.
Cancelo and his big haul was fairly rank neutral for me due to his high ownership. I was really looking forward to watching Foden make his debut in my team so that was frustrating but my transfer in means he is now in place for me to enjoy. My sky blue Christmas present to myself. I was very grateful to see my biggest rank threat, Bernardo Silva, miss out and blank.
A surprising blank for captain Mo. I think we can forgive him. It might just put a few off giving him the armband when he scores a hat trick against Leeds. Jota kept up his impressive form to put the seal on my positive week.
So what next ?
There had been speculation that the fixtures between Boxing Day and new year could be shifted to ease congestion, or the season halted with a “firebreak”, but the league have decided to continue to play on where possible following a meeting on Monday. They have scrapped replays in rounds 3 and 4 of the FA cup, which frees up two midweeks, to potentially receive any existing or future postponed games. So some teams could get double gameweeks as early as GW22 !!
My game is based firmly on planning ahead for 3-4 weeks but right now it’s about taking what you can when you can from the immediate game in front of you. It’s all we can do right now and just try get as close to eleven players out as we can. It’s not my normal carefully planned game, but needs must in crazy times.
I have 1M in the bank and one free transfer. I won’t be doing anything at all right up until the last hour of the deadline again in the current uncertainty with games liable to be cancelled right up to kick off. It’s the only way to try take advantage of short term opportunities.
What are my transfer plans ?
With games very likely to be postponed, planned transfers largely go out of the window and any weekly transfers need to be geared to putting as close to eleven bodies on the pitch as you can. Having said that, I do still plan ahead and in the seemingly unlikely scenario of all GW19 fixtures going ahead, here is where my thinking is.
I made my mind up to cash in Ronaldo and instead spread that money through improving the rest of my squad for greater depth which is certainly needed right now. I also wanted to tap into an attacking double up on the two most potent attacking teams in the league in Liverpool and Man City, who can both cut teams to ribbons.
I brought in Phil Foden last week and my preferred transfer is to bring in Bernardo Silva this week, if I don’t have other fires to fight. Man City players accounted for five of the top six FPL points scorers in beating Newcastle. The game before they destroyed Leeds 7-0. The upside of that attack is huge, in comparison to putting an extra 4M into Ronaldo in a far less explosive attack and compromising across the whole squad. The inevitable city benchings you take on the chin as a compromise for that upside, and a strong squad covers that.
The midfield I am aiming for is a Liverpool double up of Salah and Jota, and a Man City double up of Foden and Bernardo, with Smith Rowe also in there too.
I have the exact money to move Raphinha to Bernardo and probably no cash pressure to make the move early based on projected price movements. Raphinha has tucked away three goals recently but they were all penalties. Take spot kicks away and he has just one assist in seven games, in a Leeds team that seems to be in free fall and falling apart.
I ended up with Lacazette in the late scramble for points in the last Gameweek. My original downgrade plan from Ronaldo to facilitate the Man City double up was Antonio to cover the highly owned and template Westham man in a great looking fixture run, despite his woeful form. When the Westham fixture was lost to Covid, I switched attention to Watkins instead, until his game went too !! Being on an Arsenal triple up is highly dangerous in the current situation and that might hurt me. An Arsenal postponement leaves me exposed.
Lacazette has Norwich this week so it’s not a fixture to jump off, but I might look to move to Antonio or Watkins as I need the extra cash in my quest for a second playing keeper. Many will have two of Lacazette, Antonio and Watkins and my double up of two Hornets means I only have one. It’s just deciding which one and which carries a greater rank threat.
I have a premium defence and a soon to be premium midfield, so my sacrifice is doubling up on the Watford pair of King and Dennis. It probably comes down to me being on Dennis instead of Antonio now. Antonio has great fixtures and is highly owned. Having said that, Dennis carries a very high effective ownership around my rank level, slightly above Antonio, and he is the top points scoring striker so he isn’t a bad makeweight is he, especially when Antonio has just one assist and no goals in his last eight fixtures !!
My GW19 plans:
It’s highly likely I may have to make a reactive transfer to deal with a postponement to maximise players on the pitch. Maybe even two for a hit if postponements go against me and I am reduced to 8-9 starters.
But if I don’t, I would move Raphinha to Bernardo this week.
Captain will be Salah at home to Leeds.
My two Watford boys face that stubborn Wolves defence so will likely be benched this week in a 451. I can see them competing with Smith Rowe for that 11th spot most weeks in an alternative of a 442. In the event I can’t make the Raphinha to Bernardo move this week, I will bench Raphinha at Liverpool and probably start Dennis
Here is my team BEFORE my planned transfer
And finally:
It’s been a tough couple of years for all of us, life is hard right now. Football is a distraction that helps us all in tough times. But it’s family and friends that count most. This is just a game. I hope you all get to spend time with your loved ones and relax and find happiness and peace at Christmas time.
transfer summary: Likely Raphinha to Bernardo Silva
Here’s the team prior to any transfers taking place
Kev in Canada
Kev’s last 3 seasons overall ranks were 52k, 48k and 6k
GW18 Points: 81 -4 (FPL average 39) Total points: 1,213, Overall Rank: 8k, green arrow: 13k Team Value: £105.8m
Follow Kev on twitter here
Kev has used his wildcard
With so much in the air I will wait until the deadline again to make a decision.
I am leaning towards rolling. While I would like Ronaldo vs Newcastle, it would now need a hit. My team has decent fixtures all around. Lacazette has Norwich and he would be the player leaving. So it doesn’t feel right to pay 4 points and lose good fixtures too. Having two frees right after could be useful.
Captain Obvious Mo Salah
Vice Lacazette
Good Luck!
transfer summary: Likely carrying over the free transfer
Here’s the team assuming no transfers are made
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 1197 and an overall rank of 18k. You can follow that team, including live transfers as well as the FFGeek team currently also in 14th position at 97k and the team run by Joe’s Transfer Planner in 2nd place on 7K, all on our subscription Patreon site
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Analysing the teams of 12 top FPL managers
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