Chief's FPL Team - Gameweek 36

Disclaimer: *FPLH reserves the right to change this team at any time. Any changes will most likely be confirmed on FPLH's Twitter account.

1 FREE TRANSFER WAS AVAILABLE FOR GW36.

TRANSFERS (WITH A -4 HIT):

SILVA & LUKAKU OUT

RAMSEY & ROONEY IN

Switched my captain from Aguero to Suarez but still scored 76 in GW35...

... 4 points lost (like taking a hit!). This is how I feel.

The GW 36 Temptations:

LUKAS PODOLSKI

4 goals in his last 2 PL games and a sub £8.0M price tag speaks volumes.  Despite being listed as a striker he doesn't strictly play as one.  Could now be undermined by Rambo & Ozil.

WILFRIED BONY

Despite Swansea's somewhat rocky and indifferent season, he has been a star for them. Good home fixture v Villa.  Another sub £8.0M forward, but has nothing more to play for this season.

CONNOR WICKHAM

Sub £5.0M and has 3 goals in his last 2 games.  Only 0.3% own him.  He has a good game v Cardiff.  I will probably be tempted to buy him during DGW37 as a shock buy... or maybe not.

The GW 36 Transfers:

Silva's shock start on Monday night was a nice surprise.  But a 2 point return and serious injury proved to be a blow as I also lost out on a DGW37 player.  I decided to buy "Rambo" Ramsey after his sensational points haul v Hull.  Whilst he won't do that every GW, Arsenal will be looking to seal 4th spot.  What better way to get close to that than to thrash an abysmal Newcastle side that has lost 12 of their last 17 matches.  My other transfer incurred a -4 hit and forced me to consider DGW37.  I know Rooney didn't do well last week, but he has some cracking upcoming home fixtures.  In addition, I am hoping the "Giggs factor" may give him a bit of a boost, especially with the World Cup around the corner.  I had to get my transfers in early due to the rapid price rises.  I announced them on Twitter.  Sorry if you got short changed!

The Captain:

Rooney seems an obvious pick against a dire Canaries team.  But I am worried about his form to the extent that I won't give him the armband.  Aguero may find it tough v Palace, whereas Suarez could be hot or cold at Anfield depending on what team Mourinho fields.  This situation left me to opt for a more pluckier captaincy pick.  I haven't had much luck with #MNF captains since Barkley v Newcastle earlier this season but I have chosen Ramsey for GW36.  Here's to hoping that Rambo maintains his stellar form and gives Arsenal fans something to cheer about in their pursuit for 4th spot!

The Personal Competitive Context:

With the season almost over, I still have reason to keep focused in FPL.  As thing stand, I'm on course for a third consecutive top 1% finish #FPL finish, I took a lead in leg 1 of my Champions League semi final match and progressed through to round 2 of the inaugural  FPLH Royal Rumble!  In fairness, I was lucky to do well in both competitions as I faced stiff competition.  Nonetheless, there's all to play for.  Teams are becoming more homogenised and buying successful differentials now will be the difference between moving 1k in a GW to moving 10k.

Perch of the Pundits*:

*Bigger than usual to fit Walt in! 

PS - We are still selling FPLH Shirts (designed by @Matejp23/@CalleditFPL - The shirts are reasonably priced, come in different sizes and can be worn all throughout the year.

Click HERE to view/buy.

Chief's FPL Team - Gameweek 35

Disclaimer: *FPLH reserves the right to change this team at any time. Any changes will most likely be confirmed on FPLH's Twitter account.

2 FREE TRANSFERS WERE AVAILABLE FOR GW35.

TRANSFERS:

STURRIDGE & Y TOURE OUT

AGUERO & ERIKSEN IN

Despite seeing a minor overall green arrow, I only scored 61 in #DGW34:

Things can only get better? I bloomin' well hope so!

The GW 35 Temptations:

SHINJI KAGAWA - Has managed some game time of late with his last 2 outings yielding 2 assists.  Perhaps one week to early for me but worth buying with DGW37 in mind for others.

CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN - I bought him at the right time mid-season, then sold him at the right time.  I failed to re-buy him at the right time! Has good form & fixtures.  Carry on sir!

MOHAMMAD SALAH - He could prove to be a super differential.  Should get PL game time with Chelsea also still caught up in Europe.  Has form on side, but is also a rotation risk.

The GW 35 Transfers:

After being let down by a swathe of injuries during DGW34 I decided that affirmative action was required.  Y. Toure could be out for two GWs at least, so out he went.  Sturridge may be a doubt v Norwich and then faces Chelsea (and lacks form) so out he went too.  Aguero doesn't have form on his side but he has good upcoming games.  With the World Cup around the corner and City still in the title hunt he will be looking to resume normal scoring service.  As for my other transfer, I decided to buy a non-DGW37 player.  Eriksen has been awesome of late and it made sense for me to buy him, especially with his run in.

The Captain:

Until I bought Aguero, I was going to join the "Captain Suarez as he is facing Norwich bandwagon".  He is sure to score, but I wanted a player that was more of a "differential" to wear the armband.  City at home score for fun and with their match being on a Monday Night (#MNF), I was given extra incentive to captain Aguero.

The Personal Competitive Context:

I hammered poor Bryan over two quarter final legs and am through to the semi-finals of the FPL Dugout Champions League.  The semi-final draw hasn't been done yet, but I will hoping to face my old "nemesis" Tony.  On a side note, my inaugural FPLH Battle Royal competition will start in GW 35 and I am seeded in that! 

Perch of the Pundits:

Chief's FPL Team - Double Gameweek 34

Disclaimer: *FPLH reserves the right to change this team at any time. Any changes will most likely be confirmed on FPLH's Twitter account.

The DGW34 Team:

2 FREE TRANSFERS WERE AVAILABLE FOR DGW34.

TRANSFERS:

OVIEDO OUT & BARKLEY IN

2 FREE TRANSFERS AVAILABLE FOR GW35

Rising 7,000 places & seeing another DGW appear can only mean this:

Glad all over? Well, err, almost!

The DGW 34 Temptations:

JASON PUNCHEON - Scored his first goal in 10 GWs and bagged 16pts to boot last week.  At £5.0M he is a steal. But with Palace de facto safe will he carry on scoring regularly? Doubt it.

ADAM JOHNSON - Sunderland may be down and out, but if there is one person who will do well for them, it is AJ.  Hasn't started every match recently, yet remains a key player.

SERGIO AGEURO - Is he 100% fit? Will he start both DGW matches? I don't know.  As tempting as he is, he needs form. I may try and buy him in DGW37, but DGW34 may be just too early.

The DGW 34 Transfer:

Barkley may be a risky transfer, but I believe he will start at least 1 of the 2 matches.  Give him an inch and he will take a mile.  Amazingly, almost 20% own him, so hardly a differential! I could have bought 2 or 3 players just for this DGW but 9 should be enough.  I didn't fancy benching Suarez + Aguero.  I'm not too keen on benching Sturridge either, but I have no choice.  Having said that, does anyone want to take Ki or Mannone off my team? Be my guest.

The Captain:

It was a straight forward toss up between Silva and Lukaku.  Both have form at hand.  I opted for the former, as City score more goals at home and away in comparison to Everton.  Lukaku should score at least 1 goal, but Sunderland away + Palace at home won't be straight forward.

The Personal Competitive Context:

Following leg 1 of my Dugout Quarter Final tie, I am +11 up on my opponent (Bryan).  Fortunately he has Mata & Rooney (who have blanks this weekend), has no goalies and the injured Yoshida to boot. Ouch! If I can overcome him, I could face another Dugout regular (Tony) in the semi finals!

The Perch of the Pundits League:

The Perch of the Pundits Cup:

Chief's FPL Team - Gameweek 33

Disclaimer: *FPLH reserves the right to change this team at any time. Any changes will most likely be confirmed on FPLH's Twitter account.

The GW33 Team:

1 FREE TRANSFER WAS AVAILABLE FOR GW33.

NO TRANSFERS MADE

The instant feeling after scoring a sub-par 44 in GW32:

I dropped 7,000 places but still in the Top 1%

The Surprising GW 33 Temptations:

JORDAN MUTCH - You can't ignore a £4.8M player that has scored 3 goals and bagged 3 assists in his last 4 PL games.  I almost bought him but I opted against it as I couldn't bench Gerrard.

FABIAN DELPH - Many have overlooked him.  But at £4.4M he is well priced, especially considering the 1 goal & 2 assists in his last 4 PL games.  He is sure to do well as Villa face Fulham at home.

The GW 33 Lack of Transfer(s) & Reasoning:

In all honesty I could do with a reshuffle following a below bar GW32.  But knee jerk reactions (panic transfers) don't always work in FPL.  Fortunately, my player's have reasonable fixtures in GW33.  Thus the spare transfer can be used if needed to boost coverage in DGW34.

The Captain:

I was going to captain Suarez again, but I wanted to be a bit different.  In addition, West Ham at the Boleyn Ground (especially with some form) will be a tricky fixture for any PL team.  As a result, it made sense for me to captain in-form Silva as City score a fair bit at home.

The Personal Competitive Context:

I won my R2 tie of the Dugout Champions League and thus made it through to the Quarter Finals!  After knocking out favourites Aaron and Marco, I face another Dugout regular (Bryan).  I have Coleman, Y. Toure, Silva, Lukaku & Sturridge but he has Rooney, Mata, Mutch, Johnson & Bony.  It's not going to be easy.

The Perch of the Pundits 

Chief's FPL Team - Gameweek 32

Disclaimer: *FPLH reserves the right to change this team at any time. Any changes made will most likely be confirmed on FPLH's Twitter account.

The GW32 Team:

 1 FREE TRANSFER WAS AVAILABLE FOR GW32.

GW30 TRANSFER: 

ROSICKY OUT

KI IN

The feeling for many of us after DGW31: 

I scored my highest ever GW score of 173

The Post-DGW31 Screen Shot:

The DGWs on the Horizon:

Had a bad DGW31? No wildcard left?  Fear not, DGW34 & DGW37 are around the corner.  Plan ahead and be sure to invest wisely with a sufficient amount of coverage at hand.

The GW 32 Temptation:

ROSS BARKLEY - I was almost going to transfer him in with DGW34 in mind via a -4 hit by selling Oviedo.  I opted against it as I fear that he may be on the bench against Fulham.

The GW 32 Transfer & Reasoning:

KI - Form is "key", class doesn't matter... right? He scored as a super sub at Anfield and will be sure to start v West Ham during a #MNF game. A risky differential that has DGW34 too.

The Captain:

5 goals and 5 assists in his last 4 Premier League matches.  It has to be Suarez again.  He is on course for breaking further Liverpool & PL scoring records. Why would he stop now?

The Personal Competitive Context:

I am currently 20pts up after the 1st leg of my FPL Dugout Champions League tie against my perennial bogey team. I will be looking to outdo him & progress to the Quarter Finals!

The FPLH League Leaders:

The Perch of the Pundits 

That's all for now.  PS - I hope you like this new experimental format!

Chief's FPL Team - DGW 31 (Wildcard Edition)

Disclaimer: *FPLH reserves the right to change this team at any time. Any changes made will most likely be confirmed on FPLH's Twitter account.

WILDCARD TRANSFERS: 

MARSHALL OUT

McGREGOR IN 

Reason: Rotates fairly well with Mannone till the end of the season.

DISTIN OUT

COLEMAN IN

Reason: More expensive but has shown regular attacking prowess.

MARTIN OUT

ZABALETA IN

Reason: DGW31, DGW34 & DGW37 + a mainstay in the City team

B. DAVIES OUT

DUMMETT IN

Reason: Value for money and has 2 home DGW fixtures.

HAZARD OUT

GERRARD IN

Reason: Shown fine form of late & is first choice on penalties.

LALLANA OUT

SILVA IN

Reason: Has been overshadowed by Y. Toure but is back to his best.

HOLTBY OUT

ROSICKY IN

Reason: Plays in the hole and will play due to AFC's depleted midfield.

RODRIGUEZ OUT

LUKAKU IN

Reason: Has been patchy of late but is due a run of goals.

WARD OUT

DANN IN

Reason: Cheaper than Ward and also has DGW34 coming up.

HOOLAHAN OUT

OVIEDO IN

Reason: Cheap makeweight player that has freed up funds.

Hi all!  I managed to bag 64 points in GW30, 10 of which came after Suarez (c) was credited with an assist and some baps after FPL's retrospective action.  Woohoo!  Enough of that, there's some other business to attend to...

The biggie is here - DOUBLEGAMEWEEK 31 + my all-season wildcard has finally been activated.  I tried buying players who have some form on side and are likely to play twice.  I also factored in DGWs 34 and 37.  My wildcard changes and their reasons are fairly straightforward (as detailed above).  I am feeling bullish and I think a score of 90 will be par for those with wildcards, whereas a score of 100 is an achievable target.

I have opted for Suarez as captain due to his fantastic short-term and long-term form.

On a side note, we qualified 2nd in the group stages of the FPL Dugout Champions League and are now through to the knockouts!

Good luck to you all!

Chief's FPL Team - Gameweek 30

Disclaimer: *FPLH reserves the right to change this team at any time. Any changes made will most likely be confirmed on FPLH's Twitter account.

 1 FREE TRANSFER WAS AVAILABLE FOR GW30.

GW28 TRANSFER: 

MATA OUT

Y. TOURE IN

 WILDCARD STILL AT HAND.

GW30 is almost upon us and that can only mean one thing....

That's right...  not long to go until the season is finally over.  But it's not over just yet!  2 more months of grueling PL action still await us.  If you survived car crash GW29 and scored 50+ you deserve a pat on the back!  We're back to regular FPL service and some tantalising games are due to be played over the weekend.

I decided to sell Mata as I feel his attacking prowess is being undermined by Rooney and Van Persie.  I was expecting the Spaniard to have enhanced input on the attacking front at United.  His depreciating value and lack of returns were sufficient reasons for me to ditch him.  In his place I have bought Y. Toure.  He hasn't played for 2 consecutive GWs (due to cup commitments) and as a result his value has plummeted to £9.9.  This is a bargain price for a player that has already scored 13 PL goals this season and costs almost the same as Mata!  It made sense to bring in Y. Toure as City are looking to win and have DGW31 (+ another DGW) still to come.

I had various captain options for GW30.  But in the end I went for Suarez.  He has form on his side and Liverpool have a good away scoring record.  I think SAS will run havoc at Old Trafford with Suarez hopefully doing the damage.  I probably could have gotten away with captaining any of my midfielders or strikers, but it would be ludicrous not to captain the Uruguayan at this moment in time.

DGW31 seems action packed and I will almost certainly activate my all-season wildcard on Saturday 15th March - confirmation of this will be announced on Twitter.

On a final note, I play my final group stage Champions League match in GW30 and a win will almost certainly see me through to the knockouts!

Chief's FPL Team - Gameweek 29

Disclaimer: *FPLH reserves the right to change this team at any time. Any changes made will most likely be confirmed on FPLH's Twitter account.

  1 FREE TRANSFER WAS AVAILABLE FOR GW29.

GW28 TRANSFERS (-4 HIT): 

NOLAN & COLLINS OUT

MARTIN & HOOLAHAN IN

 WILDCARD STILL AT HAND.

It's finally here... GW29 - Truncated GW - One Day - Only 5 matches.  Bravo if you have 11 players at your disposal with no hits to boot.  The chances are that many of you will be left stranded with just over half a dozen players and the prospect of hits galore.  I didn't want to panic sell Suarez & Sturridge just for this GW and make losses on their values.  I wanted at least 10 players and couldn't sell Davies or Distin either due to good fixtures in GW30.  In the end I decided to sell Nolan & Collins with a 0.4 loss.  This doesn't sound too bad in the wider scheme of things as I wanted to increase player coverage.  Despite selling Nolan, I may re-buy him in DGW31 with my wildcard.  

With my wildcard due to be activated soon, It was hard finding short-term replacements for 1-2 weeks.  Ince and Snoddy topped my shortlist again.  But with my slogan in mind I diverted my attention to the Irish Messi - Hoolahan.  He scored against Villa (despite not celebrating) and did fairly well on Wednesday (despite Ireland losing).  He has form on his side and has a point or two to prove.  Norwich have been half decent at home with an array of clean sheets in 2014.  They are facing a Stoke team that has one of the worst away records this season.  This factor, along with "Wessi's" cheap value and form made me favour him.  In addition to him, I bought his colleague Martin due to the Canaries home CS prowess.  Martin has a good goalscoring record and is surely due a goal for this season too?

I know Holtby was a fail last week and Hoolahan is risky this week too.  But having a combined ownership of sub 1% makes them Super Differentials and tantalising bargain buys.

Alas there were not many captain choices for this GW.  Hazard is the obvious choice and made sense (due to form, importance, prowess, etc.) which is why I have given him the armband.  Good luck and well done in advance if you manage to muster 40+ points!

Chief's FPL Team - Gameweek 28

Disclaimer: *FPLH reserves the right to change this team at any time. Any changes made will most likely be confirmed on FPLH's Twitter account.

2 FREE TRANSFERS WERE AVAILABLE FOR GW28

GW28 TRANSFERS: 

SILVA & JANUZAJ OUT

LALLANA & HOLTBY IN

Yay, I'm glad that's over! But the GW hasn't started?  What am I on about you may ask?  Team selection... That's right, it was an absolute headache this week!  The amount of permutations and potential outcomes that I had to process was simply mind boggling.  My two transfers had to take GW28 and GW29 into account, which effectively left me with a pool of players from the bottom half of the table.  I ended up buying two players facing teams in the top 4.  I decided to sell Silva as he has been rubbish of late.  Y. Toure has constantly outdone him and besides City have a blank this GW as a result of the League Cup final.  

I decided to buy Lallana as he has been fantastic this season.  Lallana creates goals, as well as scores them.  The England call up was merited and he will be looking to secure a squad place at this summer's World Cup by continuing his fine form.  He is facing a Liverpool team that has a logic of "you may score, but we will outscore you".  I will be shocked if the match ends in a 0-0 draw, considering that Liverpool are looking to bag a Champions League spot.  I don't think it's too much to expect J-Rod, Lallana and S-A-S to bag a significant number of points between them in this juicy fixture.  

As for my other transfer, I was looking at the likes of Snodgrass and Ince as viable options, but the Canaries and Eagles barely score when playing away.  But with FPL being at the business end of the season, I wanted to be different.  I wanted to choose a Super Differential (i.e. a talented player owned by less than 1% of FPL gamers).  Lewis Holtby (at 0.3%) fits the bill.  Some of you may be thinking why him?  After all Fulham are playing a Chelsea team that has plenty of form and clean sheets in their locker.  But Chelsea played away on Wednesday in Turkey with their de facto first-team defensive line up.  They will be knackered and are contesting a London Derby match on Saturday.  Fulham are scoring at least a goal a game on average in the PL (5 in the last 3).  Can you honestly see Fulham not scoring?  They also have a new German manager at the helm with amazing pedigree who will inspire Holtby to come good.  I first heard of Holtby in 2010 and I'm surprised he is playing for an English team stuck in the relegation mire.  But when push comes to shove, players of a top calibre raise their games.  It's time for him to do so and I think he just might perform on Saturday even if Fulham lose.

I have been stung badly by picking Suarez as my captain for the past two GWs.  With the blog's slogan in mind, "form is key, class doesn't matter!" I have decided to give the armband to Sturridge.  He has been on form through out the season and will be looking to add to his tally at St Mary's.  On a side note, I still have my all-season wildcard at hand and may use it in DGW31.  In addition, I am competing in Dugout's Champions League and topping my group - wish me luck!