Cianan’s Column: GW24: All aboard the Fernandes train

If I’ve headlined this article after him, and he blanks against Fulham (H), I’ll eat my shoe (note: I won’t). Fernandes, since returning from injury in GW21, has set the world alight, hauling in his past three appearances against tough opposition. He and United teammate Mbuemo are this week’s most transferred-in players, and while both have been electric as of late and are great options for your FPL team, I prefer the Portuguese midfielder. Greater minutes security, penalties, and additional routes to points in the form of DEFCONs make him worth the additional cost. Given his perpetual price rises, I’d buy him now, before the train becomes too expensive and leaves the station.

Sharing a similar name to the United captain, Fernández, and his Chelsea teammate Chalobah, have also been stellar recently. Averaging 6.5 points and 4.75 points in their last four appearances, respectively, they’ve similarly attracted a lot of attention ahead of the Blues’ incredible fixture run from now until GW27. Ideally, you should have both; West Ham (H), Wolves (A), Leeds (H), and Burnley (H) is a dream run of fixtures we should all try to capitalise on. Pedro has also turned heads, and while the risk of rotation sours his potential, there aren’t many proficient forwards that don’t suffer the same threat, so he could be worth giving a shot if you accept that peril.

Another striker who, given Villa’s recent signing of Abraham, could suffer the odd benching is Watkins. He’s similar to Pedro in that he’s worth a punt, but you have to be aware of the chance for the occasional benching. We can’t be sure of how much of a threat their new signing will pose in terms of getting into the starting lineup, but it’s a chip on Watkins’ shoulder, somewhat eroding his value, even if it’s doubtful he’ll be rotated regularly. Rogers is the safer Villa attacker for playing time, so if you’re buying fresh, I’d opt for him. But generally speaking, owning either of the pair seems advantageous.

Given everyone should own three Arsenal players at this point, the best transfer moves for GW24 are those we’ve already discussed above. So let’s shift focus and talk wildcard options, given that many managers are weighing up deploying it this week. For the record, wildcarding later in the season always has advantages, given that it allows for combinations with other chips. But it’s there to be played, so if your team really needs it, don’t be afraid to deploy it early.

In the goalkeeper slot, Raya is the man between the sticks for the league’s best defence, but he is expensive (£5.9m) and takes up an Arsenal slot. Hence, to save money, the likes of Sánchez (though he may face insecure minutes), Verbruggen, Kelleher, Sá (solely to take advantage of Wolves’ likely double in GW26), and Dúbravka (for the bench with the ability to fill in on occasion) offer better bang for your buck.

Defenders, defenders, defenders. Gabriel should be nailed in your wildcard, as should Timber. In my opinion, both are non-negotiables: Arsenal’s defence is too strong, and the potential GW26 double only makes them stronger choices. Chalobah seems pertinent; Muñoz has low ownership (6%), impressive upcoming fixtures, and immense goal threat; Senesi similarly has long-term fixture viability and is a DEFCON machine. To enable the budget, look no further than Alderete (who is comfortably playable this week against Burnley (H)), Hill, and/or Richards, though I wouldn’t double-up on either Bournemouth or Crystal Palace.

In terms of midfielders, one of Saka/Rice is a must. They may well end up being your captain in GW26, and in that context, Saka offers an advantage, but Rice is cheaper and has been far more consistent this season. Of course, Fernandes has to be involved, as does his namesake (Fernández). Rogers also seems like an easy choice, while Ndiaye and Wilson offer value at a slightly cheaper price point. For a cheaper option to fill out the midfield that still offers utility, look no further than Anderson or Garner.

Last, but certainly not least, forwards. You can’t go without Haaland, even if he’s been a subpar FPL asset recently; you know he’ll return to form. Elsewhere, Watkins is a decent choice if you accept the minutes risk, and the same applies to Pedro. Thiago and Calvert-Lewin are cost-effective but have tough short-term fixtures, so I’d avoid them in the short term. Evanlison is a better medium-term option, particularly given his potentially fruitful match against Wolves (A) this week, and a fixture run where he is playable from now until GW32 (where you could swap him to one of the previously mentioned more cost-effective forwards). For the same reasons, Kroupi Jr. could be worth a punt, and he’s so cheap he can be left sitting on your bench. If you want to maximise fund-saving, however, you can always dead-end the slot and opt for a £4.2 striker.

Rapid Recommendations

● A double gameweek in GW26 has now been confirmed. If Arsenal reach the Carabao Cup final, they will face Brentford (A) and Wolves (A), whilst Wolves will face Forest (A) and Arsenal (H). This outcome is highly likely.
● If Chelsea instead reach the final, they will face Leeds (H) and Everton (A), whilst Everton will face Bournemouth (H) and Chelsea (H). This outcome is improbable.
● Fancy a differential for GW24, who you can keep in your team for seven weeks? Sarr is back from AFCON, put up great underlying data on his return last week, and is owned by only 2% of managers.
● Assuming he maintains fitness and slots straight back into Everton’s weekly starting 11, as he probably will, Dewsbury-Hall is one to monitor.
● Ekitiké has to be a sell at this point. He’s scored a measly ten points in his last six games, and doesn’t even seem to be a nailed starter.

The Boar Standings

1st: Dwight Club (1333) – managed by Cianan Sheekey
2nd: parths11 (1316) – managed by Parth Malik
3rd: Jimall Lascelles (1302) – managed by Jamie Pakes