Fantasy Premier League returns with another weekend of action, so we’ve got some essential FPL tips and advice for you ahead of Gameweek 8.
Bukayo Saka’s injury is a huge blow to managers who own him, so we look at the best replacements to transfer in, and also try to figure who is the best player to captain.
FPL Gameweek 8 deadline: Friday, 23rd October, 6.30pm BST
The Football Faithful FPL league code: zog9n6
Fantasy Premier League: Essential FPL tips ahead of GW8
The best Bukayo Saka replacements
At the time of writing, it is not clear just how serious is the quad injury sustained by Saka (£9.6m) in midweek, but Mikel Arteta suggested that it is quite bad, so we can safely he is out for this weekend’s meeting between Arsenal and Everton at the very least.
This is, of course, frustrating for his owners, particularly those who just wildcarded him in. I know of a few managers who did so and are distressed about having to use the free transfers they saved up before activating the wildcard. But this is why we save those transfers, for a rainy like this, so don’t fret.
The obvious place to look for a replacement is Chelsea, who have two excellent midfield options in Cole Palmer (£9.8m) and Morgan Rogers (£8m). Either of these players are great options ahead of facing a struggling Spurs side this Saturday.
Jeremy Doku (£7.5m) is in fine form with a goal and two assists in his last two Premier League appearances for Manchester City. With Antoine Semenyo (£8.3m) out injured, his minutes feel more secure than Rayan Cherki (£8m) and Phil Foden (£6.8m), who has enjoyed a great week in the Premier League and Europe but has only four league starts to his name this term.
With Benjamin Sesko (£6.9m) on the treatment table, Bryan Mbeumo (£7.9m) looks set to keep his place up top for Manchester United. The Red Devils have been very poor this year, but Mbeumo continues to be a great FPL pick, scoring in each of his last two matches.
There is also the possibility of downgrading to a cheap midfielder so you can upgrade one of your forwards. Jack Rudoni (£4.9m) has emerged as possibly the best option for that fifth midfield spot in your squad, having scored twice in a row. He looks a real threat going forward and is on penalties for Coventry City. Swapping him for Saka would allow you to get, say, Liverpool’s Alexander Isak (£9m).
The best captains for GW8
As mentioned above, Chelsea host a poor Spurs team that is struggling to put up good performances this season despite spending a shedload of money on new signings in the summer.
Any one of their big three attackers have a strong argument for the armband, but I think Joao Pedro (£7.9m) is the most compelling. The Brazilian has registered four goals and two assists in three home games and should return against a leaky defence this weekend.
Palmer is usually the go-to captaincy pick when it comes to the Blues, but he hasn’t looked like one so far. He has played well, but hasn’t scored since GW2. I think Rogers is more of a goal threat for this team.
Erling Haaland (£15.7m) always has the potential for big returns, but Aston Villa away for the early kickoff on Saturday is very unattractive to me. The Norwegian is also nursing a swollen ankle, which is why he was rested for the Champions League on Tuesday, though Enzo Maresca says he is fit to play.
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